Yep, that's a new car in our driveway!

The post says it all.  There's a shiny new car in our driveway after a day of car shopping.  Well, actually it's a shiny new USED car, but all the same to us!

While I completely understand the practicalities of a minivan - and they are, in most cases, a better value than an SUV - I wanted to stick with the SUV since it is doable with 2 kids.  BUT, I also wanted the option of being able to haul a friend or family member as well, which just wasn't possible in our little SUV with a backseat filled with 2 carseats.

But car manufacturers are getting smarter.  More and more offer a 2nd row with captain's chairs that make access to the third row actually possible with carseats in.

There's one, in particular, that I've been drooling over for awhile.  I was able to track down a barely used one in a neighboring town - a 2011 with 13,000 miles - that was fully loaded with everything that we wanted.  2 sunroofs.  Rear back-up camera.  DVD.  Leather.

Hubby and I got my mom to watch the girls on Saturday and we made the trek to the out-of-town dealership to see if it was indeed the bargain we were looking for.

Well, as I said, the title gives it away.   And we estimate we got it for at least $10,000 less than a new 2012 of the same model.

Here's a stock picture of my new Chevy Traverse (in this snazzy red color)!  Believe it or not, it has more total cargo room than a Tahoe and is longer than most minivans.

While I've had the car now for about 24 hours, I LOVE it!!!  We took it for a little drive today with both of the girls in their carseats, 2 adults up front, and 2 adults in the 3rd row and there was plenty of space.  Awesome!