"leon" <leon3855SPAMNOT@netscape.net> wrote

There are no minivans that I know of that seat 8 people - they're
all 7 passenger (although I may have seen that one of the latest
models seats 8).  Minivans get around 20-22 mpg highway.  Big
12 passenger vans get around 15.  Sedans get 28-34.  My pick
would be two sedans - you can separate the two kids that won't
get along together (there will be two!)

Floyd

Yeah.  Rent the minivan for 7 people.  Then buy a cheap round-trip plane
ticket for one adult.  Check www.qixo.com

2 mid-size sedans would be a decent idea, except that it will (roughly)
double your fuel costs, and gas is not cheap for a drive halfway across the
country.  One minivan will be bad enough, you don't want to fuel up 2
vehicles.  Figure on getting about 17-18MPG at best with a heavily loaded
minivan.  Each mid-size sedan might get better than 25MPG, but then you
would need two vehicles.

Figure your fuel cost at 25MPG for a mid-size sedan, round trip to your
destination.  Let's say 1500 miles, twice, divided by 25MPG, and
$2.25/gallon.  (put in your own figures)   Then compare the cost of fueling
a second mid-size sedan with the cost of a plane ticket (to reduce your
group to seven to fit in a minivan).  I think you will find the plane ticket
is much cheaper.  That is especially true if your route covers a lot of toll
roads.  (1 vehicle is cheaper, obviously)  -Dave

I've seen Chevy ventures equipped to seat 8, but it was a tight fit. Plus
luggage space was tight too.

The Honda Odyssey can seat 8. I don't know if anyone rents them.   One mini van
will use less gas than two sedans.
---------------
Alex
 

That's a tough problem that's achingly close to being an easy one  --
maybe "eight is enough" on the old TV show, but eight is just one or
two too many for ordinary passenger cars and therir derivatives.

One man's opinions, worth what you paid if your connect time is cheap:

* Ixnay on the minivan.  Even if a few minivans can theoretically seat
8, that doesn't  mean 5 normal-sized adults and 3 fidgety kids will be
happy in there for a couple thousand miles.

Also, all aspects of performance (including gas mileage) would be down
because of the relatively heavy load.  Without asking embarrassing
personal questions in the name of decimal places, let's just do some
finite-napkin modeling and say you've got a thousand pounds of people
and 500 pounds of luggage.  Whoops, there goes  the difference between
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the curb weight of even the largest
and most capable minivans.   What does that mean?  It means that even
if you're okay, you're close to the margins and can't expect the
vehicle to accelerate, brake, retain its composure in emergency
maneuvers, smooth its way over bad pavement, or stretch a gallon of gas
quite the way it would under a more normal burden.  If you choose a
minivan, drive accordingly.

Also, that third seat would probably occupy much of the luggage space,
which might have the advantage of compelling everyone to travel light
but could also force you into spoiling the aerodynamics with a
roof-rack module.

* The biggest SUVs are marginally better in all these regards, but
still, eight people is a lot, especially if five are adults.  Last
summer, we did alright with six of us and a weeks' baggage and some
birthday presents in a Chevy Yukon for 300 miles each way, but I'm glad
that we had only six rather than eight, and at that, two of 'em were
medium-sized kids.

* While a full-size van would get several mpg less, you'll be more
comfortable and much further within the vehicle's limits than with a
minivan, and probably better off in the room and comfort department
than with most SUVs.        And the "MOM!  He's LOOKING at me"
behaviors will be several feet further away from the driver.

Just make sure it legally and comfortably seats eight -- might want to
eyeball this rather than just look as a spec sheet.   What starts as a
nominal nine-passenger van sometimes gets one or both of its benches
replaced with captain's chairs in the conversion process, increasing
comfort but knocking the passenger capacity down to 6 or 7.

You can rent a 12- or even 15-passenger van, but be careful not to push
its  handling capabilities too hard.

*  An upside to renting two sedans instead of one big vehicle is more
mobility at your destination, if that's an issue -- that way you don't
leave everybody stranded if one person wants to make a side trip or run
an errand.

* Finally, it might be worth looking into RV rental, though I suspect
that both  cost  (this is a busy time of year) and passenger-count
limitations (limited to the number of seatbelts, which is often less
than 8 even for a big Class A) might rule that out.

Best of luck,
--Joe

PS.  I suggest getting all likely drivers authorized by the rental
company for all vehicles at the outset.   Having to interrupt your
destination activities and troop down to the local outpost of the
rental company to add a driver is kind of a pain -- BTDT.