This family of 7 loves their Chev Suburban!

The Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia offer a great 7 and 8 passenger seating configuration. I had a Traverse and now drive the Enclave. I love it because the inside has the functionality of mini-van seating (7 passenger has 2 bucket seats in the second row with a pass thru to the 3rd row bench), which works great for kids and carpools...and on the outside it's anything but mini-van. Love the style and it has a lot of great features, plus it has OnStar, which is a must for me. Check it out!

I suggest that Angela takes the Ford Flex out for a test drive. Huntington Ford currently has both 2012s and 2013s in inventory, both offering seating options to fit her entire family. I may be a little biased because I work there, but I have driven the Flex, and it really is pretty cool.

PS- You can get a DVD player in there too :)

Angela,
you'd be best suited, with four children and all their accompanying stuff, with a new Ford Flex!! Give it a test drive!!

Test Drive the new Dodge Durango - it's sporty, smooth and quiet ride, safe. The refined, luxury and super comfortable interior is beautiful and top notch quality.

YOU SHOULD DRIVE A FORD FLEX!!!

How about a Dodge Journey? I've wondered how comfy the third row is for kids/car seats.

I love my Dodge Caravan, stow and go seating so you can load big stuff from time to time. And as one of my friends who just bought one said, "you feel super cool inside the car".

She needs to haul four kids and their stuff, so an SUV like a Suburban or Yukon with captain seats in the middle would work. Lots of room for kids and their stuff. And as they grow, they will have more and more stuff!

I always said I would never drive a mini van. I tried out a friend's and fell completely in love. I can't imagine my life without it! Even when it's full, there's still room for something else. Golling Chrsler in West Bloomfield has the best sales people and service department!

I drive a Dodge Journey and I love it! The third row is for kids/car seats and it's available in the "crew" model. It's not as roomy as a van, but the mileage is a bit better and the new Journeys are way cooler.

Lots of comments coming in via Facebook on this one — Ford Flex, Town & Country, Traverse, Odyssey among the most popular. What else?

Tried a Ford Flex on vacation last year. (3) Kids, hubby and I were happy and comfortable. all wheel drive a must for me in MI. And, 2013 model has peppy EcoBoost V6 engine. Pretty good on MPG. We're also waiting to check out Ford CMAX - hybrid next year. Good luck in your search!

Ford Explorer or a Ford Flex! Both are sleek and modern, are full of technology, good on gas, and can seat the full family! Plus, they are AMERICAN!

How about the Toyota Sequoia or Nissan Armada? Tons of room for a family with 4 kids, and lots of extras. Also, unlike a lot of the so-called "American" cars, these 2 are actually made in the US. If its important to you to drive an American-made car, be sure to stay away from the Ford Flex (made in Canada) and the Dodge Journey (made in Mexico). If you go with the Ford Explorer, just be aware that only some are made in the US (they're also produced in Russia and Venezuela).

My Honda Pilot is made in America and I love it! Very roomy and versatile. Not too bad on gas :)

Chrysler Mini Van....seats 7...seats fold down to use for whatever you want to put back there....good on gas....just click on the button for the rear door to open...comes in handy if it's raining and you need to load groceries....extra floor storage....drive to Myrtle Beach with the back loaded with chairs, luggage etc. and still have room for 4 passengers...would not trade it for anything...call it my truck van

I would recomend the GMC Acadia, or one of its sister vehicles, the Chevrolet Traverse, or the Buick Enclave. All three of them comfortably seat 7, or 8 with still a reasonable amount of storage. If you need more room than that, the GMC Yukon XL, or the Chevrolet Suburban offer the ultimate space, utility and passenger room. If you want another ugly box, go for the Ford Flex; it will also come in handy if some relative dies, since it looks like a hearse.

That's so funny. I guess it's a "eye of the beholder" thing. I always liked the Flex style - I don't think boxy - I think "Woodie". Always loved those. Makes me think of fun family trips and beaches. :-)

Boxy is Scion, the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul.

If you're looking for full-size, possibly the Nissan Quest? It gets better milage than the Armada and might be a little more flexible. I've been very happy with the two Altima's that I've leased.

Nissan Quest

When my children were smaller I drove both Chrysler and Dodge mini vans. I NEVER thought I'd drive a mini van but once you have kids I guess you can never say never-about a lot of things! The convenience of the automatic passenger doors, the rear entertainment system (dvd and tv), the extensive leg room and the stow-n-go storage available in these vehicles can't be beat! Now that our kids are older we've switched to a Dodge Durango and are very happy with this vehicle too-it has a third row for additional passengers and is a nice ride!

I'm on my third Town and Country mini-van. I think that pretty much says it all! ;-)

I LOVE MT CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY!!! I LOVE THE STOW AND GO! BEST CAR FOR TRAVELING WITH KIDS.

I think a Yukon looks fun!!! And functional. : ) Oh...and cool.

Knowing how much Angela enjoys her childhood flashbacks, how about a replica A-Team van? While they don't make the G-Series vans anymore, I think she may enjoy a black Ford E-Series Van.

The Ford Flex isn't bad, but we're not a fan of the design. The Kia Sorrento is a seven-seater that starts at $23k and looks pretty decent.

Honda Odyssey - space for kids and luggage too!

My vote is for a Jeep Wrangler! I have 3 boys myself and who in the world wants them all in one car anyway!

GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid!! All the bells and whistles and good fuel economy. I get 21 to 23 mpg when driven easy city or highway driven below 70 mph loaded. The Denali has a roof rack like the Excalade but for less $. Tows 6000 lbs when you need to.

Optional power running boards. Power remote tail gate.

Minivan all the way. Can't believe I am saying it, but I am on #4, with #5 on order, and we can't go back. VW Routan or Chrysler T&C-- you can't beat them in "Bang for the Buck", creature comforts, and space when all 3 rows are up. For it's size, gas mileage is not bad either.

Domestic: Try the Traverse. Looks good, decent gas. Compact.
Foreign: Try the Honda Pilot. Runs smooth, 4x4 ability, has some muscle.

I think she should drive a Yukon. If she is used to driving this van, it should be no problem for her.

We've had two Hondas for forever, because they are great cars!. I love our Honda pilot.
If my family were as large as yours, I'd look at an Odyssey. Well done on your video! Very cute!

I went from a Malibu to a minivan then to a suburban and believe it or not I miss my van. Push a button and the doors open, they were fabulous on a rainy day with all 3 boys. Cant wait to experience Angela's journey.

I'd recommend the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. It comfortably seats a family of six, has a large cargo area to carry around all the stuff a family of six needs, is a Super Low Emission Vehicle, has a V6 engine and still gets 28 mpg. My best friend has had one for years and years and it's hands down the most comfortable vehicle I know.

I am not much help.. I am driving a Suburban which I can say is great for my very tall boys since it has LOTS of legroom. Remember your children will be getting MUCH bigger in this car.. look for room for ADULT sized bodies in the back not room for kid sized.

Angela, whatever you get, make sure is has Stow and Go. Especially with your travels!

I love my Suburban for our four kids. Sometimes I don't think I need something quite so big, but with all of us on trips or grocery runs, we definitely need the space. And I feel pretty cool in it. :D

I reluctantly test drove a Ford Flex when my Windstar bit the dust and I fell in love. My daughter said cars must be like shoes - the uglier they are the more comfortable the fit. I have transported six adults in comfort and style. Even the mature members of our group could get in and out of the third row seating with ease, It is the best car ever for hauling large groups of people and/or excessive amounts of stuff! Give it a try.

Toyota Sienna - good mileage, very easily configurable, comfortable, and not as high of the ground as an SUV.

Lotsa great suggestions, But if I could just make one small one.......Please make it something we make here in MI. ;)

I like the look of the Dodge Journey ... if only there were other non-minivan choices back when my two (now college age) children were little. I think Angela will be able to have both "style" and "function"!

We just purchased our 4th Chevy Suburban. We went to a shorter Lincoln Nav last time and only kept it a year. We have four kids and that extra cargo room is a must!

You should definately go up to Huntington Ford and check out their line-up of eco-boost engines. You can get a lot of room in your vehicle, and have the advantage of getting exceptional gas mileage. Ford has several vehicles that get the best gas mileage in their respective classes, so worth a trip to the dealership to try on a few for size, comfort, and what feels right for you! Good luck!

I need a vehicle with sliding doors or the kids will wreck whatever is in their path when they open "normal" doors. Also I don't have the room in the garage to accommodate the wingspan of normal doors. See, gotta love a minivan.

As a mother of 5, I also use to own a full size conversion van for 10 years. I am now on my 3rd Ford Flex! went to the Ford Exlorer for a year, but not enough room for growing kids. You will be amazed at the amount of room in the Flex.

I am a former large SUV driver, and lover. After being hit on the side by a teenage driver, causing my SUV (higher center or gravity than vehicles with a lower profile, such as crossovers built on car chassis, or minivan) to roll over three times, I stay away from larger SUV's....
I vote for the Chrysler Town and Country! Second and third row DVD players, with the capability of playing two different movies, so no arguments about which movie they will be watching! The new 6 cylinder Pentastar engine with the 6spd. transmission drives wonderfully, and gets super gas mileage, even around town. The Town and Country also gives you a lot of bang-for-your-buck. For the money, you just cannot beat the features and refinements, and the safety features! The new Dodge Durango with the 6cylinder engine also has quite a few nice standard features, and gets great gas mileage. We had a 6 cylinder Durango for a loaner one weekend while my parents were in town, and the second row was roomy and comfy for the adults, and the third row was perfect for two large high-back booster seats, for the kids. We got excellent gas mileage, the ride was smooth and comfortable, and it was easy to get in and out of the second and third rows. I also like the size of the back up camera in the dash, which is a great feature to have when you have little kids with bikes and scooters in the driveway. The blind-spot monitoring, and cross path detection are also nice safety features.

You should go test drive a Ford Flex or if you want a little bigger more SUV type get a Ford Explorer! They both have a bunch of room in them, seat 7, and can get a DVD players in the back for the kids!