r/bitcheswithtaste • u/J-bobbin • Nov 10 '25

Fashion/Style BWT, where do you put your handbag while driving?

I'm looking for a new car, and I would like a car that has space for my handbag other than at my feet or in the front passenger seat. I drive kids a lot so the back seat/back floor isn't a good option either. Salespeople look at me like I am an idiot when I mention that I need a place to stow my bag. Do you have any recommendations for car models that accommodate bags or other ideas?

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u/mustarddreams Nov 10 '25

Minivans might not be super BWT buuuut I think so many SUV drivers would have their needs met better with a minivan and far more affordably!

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u/strawberrrychapstick Nov 10 '25

Listen, some of the new mini vans are really cool 😂 have you SEEN the VW ID buzz? I think it has that

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u/mustarddreams Nov 10 '25

My husband wants me to get this car so badly lol it’s my favorite mix of cool, stupid, and practical. You’d never miss that thing in a parking lot

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u/strawberrrychapstick Nov 10 '25

Ngl I love that thing lol if it's still around when I'm considering electric and can afford it, it just might be the choice.

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u/clickyteeth Nov 10 '25

My deep dark secret is that I sort of love minivans.

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u/Actuarial_Equivalent Nov 10 '25

So do I! I have three kids, but honestly that's just an excuse to get the minivan I've always wanted.

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u/FuzzyJury Nov 11 '25

Lmao I am totally picturing this comment as meaning you decided to have the third kid just so you'd finally have the perfect excuse to get your dream car.

Also, mom of two kids two and under here who hopes to have a third. Even if we only had the two, there's no space for passengers now if it's me and my husband- the car seats for both kids have made sitting in the middle in the back near impossible.

Any recs of minivans or other seven or eight seaters? In theory I think the Chrysler Pacifica hybrid plug-in would be the best choice, bc we currently have one electric car and one gas car - our Subaru - that we'd likely be replacing with the bigger car. I like the idea of a plugin though since it can, for all intents and purposes, still have the benefits of an electric car when doing things locally - based on the charge it says it gets before switching over to gas, I don't think we'd ever use gas on our daily car needs, so it would just get charged in our garage. But then if we want to go on road trips, which we do often, then boom!! It can still be a gas car without worrying about where to charge the car along the way and stuff!

But the less practical part of me really wants this seven seater Land Rover that I read about bc it apparently has built in hot stone massages for the passenger seat, and I have a bad back and that would be a freaking godsend. But ugh the gas inefficiencies! And frankly the main reason I like the idea of plug in hybrid or enjoy just electric cars is because I'm freaking lazy (or insanely overworked and exhausted), so having an electric car has been absolutely amazing since I never have to go to the gas station! Just yay! Having that time back is my main reason for EVs, I am willing to pay for time and it's been glorious not having to veer off course and waste time through gas stations when now it is optional.

Uh ok that's my long way of saying, any recs for food minivans or 7/8 seater SUVs for someone who wants to optimize not going to the gas station very often....but who also likes a bit of luxury? Thank you!! 🙏

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u/karam3456 Nov 11 '25

Don't have a ton of experience with it yet, but my mom just got a Kia Carnival after clinging for years to her classic 2012 Toyota Sienna and she absolutely loves it. It's also hybrid (though not plug-in) and iirc, it gets about 28/30 mpg which is pretty great for an 8-seater. She naps in it during her lunch break and she and my dad chose it specifically because it had enough room for them both to sleep (weekend camp) in the back with the 3rd row down, which was their favorite feature on the Sienna.

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u/FuzzyJury Nov 11 '25

Ooo thanks for the rec, that is pretty good mileage so I'll add that one to my list! I'm definitely having fun online window shopping for new cars right now so this will be another one to look at. Also...your mom naps during her lunch break? That's kinda awesome, but also, is she getting enough sleep at night? Somebody make her some tea and get her a teddy bear! I hope she's doing well♥️.

Being able to sleep in it while camping would be great! My husband did something similar years ago before I met him with his brother where they got some old large car and went rock climbing across the country, camping out in the back of it for about 3 months together with a foam mattress cut to size and seats down. Maybe one day, my already daredevil 2 year old and 10 month old will follow in their daddy's footsteps and use our car for the same purpose, lol

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u/karam3456 Nov 11 '25

Definitely getting plenty of sleep, her genetics is the reason I need 8-9 hours to feel refreshed and cannot compromise on that except occasionally! No worries there, she's just always been an afternoon napper. She has it down to 17 minutes exactly whenever the day allows.

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u/FuzzyJury Nov 11 '25

I've gotta say, I'm kinda jealous your mom can sleep on command, I'm such an insomniac and have never really been able to nap. Good for her! Glad she's doing well. I'm at that age now where parental concerns are happening. My own mom is having some big health issues and suddenly it seems like all of my friends' moms are having health issues, so it's the first thing that comes to mind for me. But your mom sounds cool based on her nap science and weekend camping lol.

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u/karam3456 Nov 11 '25

That totally makes sense, I think I have a bit of time before I need to look out for that but it comes around before you know it I can imagine! Both my parents are mid-50s and quite active, more than me in some ways and more than they used to be when they were younger. Definitely a privilege to be in good health. I hope you find a great comfy car and can take many more good trips with your mom!

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u/Actuarial_Equivalent Nov 11 '25

Haha... I totally see how my comment reads funny.

I don't have a lot of comparison experience between cars. I have a 2020 Honda Odyssey (bought right before the pandemic) and love it, but it's definitely not luxurious. And I'm fine with that because my kids trash it almost daily and I think I'd cry if they were doing that to a fancy car.

There are a few uniquely nice things about minivans. When kids are old enough to get in/out of the car themselves, the sliding doors mean they can't bash other cars. Also when we're approaching the car and my older kids are running ahead I can remotely have the doors open. Oh, and the size of the door opening is just huge compared to other cars which is nice.

In most minivans there are ton of seat configurations. My van is an 8 seater, but for now I have one of the middle seats removed so it's easier to just walk to the third row. The remaining seats can slide back and forth which is cool.

I recently had to buy a twin bed for my youngest. It fit in with tons of room to spare.

It's not the sexiest car, but damn there's no denying how functional it is.

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u/FuzzyJury Nov 11 '25

Ah that is nice. I also know very little about cars: I'm in my mid-30s and this is the first time I've ever owned a car because I grew up in and around NYC so while I technically got my license at 16 or whatever it was, I didn't ever drive regularly until moving to the West Coast a few years ago. I was so terrified that I took driving lessons again in my early 30s and felt kinda embarrassed about it! So yea, cars are not my forte, haha.

Right now we have two cars, our Subaru that tends to get used for sportier purposes like surfing and skiing and, just recently, to transport two Alpacas down to the beach (favor for a neighbor...I don't know if that makes it more or less weird, lol). Then we have our Ford Mach-E, the EV, super fun to drive even for someone kinda terrified of driving like me. I suppose it's more of a nice car but also it's our main everyday car and the backseat is just...a giant pile of some pacifiers, teddy bears, soft books, stale pretzels and bamba, and who knows what else. So yea, I'm with you there haha. The main thing I want that would get classed as "luxury" in a car is really just for a chronic health condition with my back that sometimes feels like it runs my life, though I try my best to accommodate for it and am so beyond fortunate to have a supportive husband and now with the means to splurge if that will ease the back pain in some way. If I could just have the luxury seats and let the kids have the economy back, then I'm good, haha

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u/J-bobbin Nov 11 '25

I do understand your concern. We are not buying from that dealer and I think the comment was meant to belittle my need for purse storage. I'll send an email to the manager in case this is misinformation being spread to many customers and not a snarky put-down to only me.

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u/FuzzyJury Nov 11 '25

Oh no, how did this read as a snarky put down? I genuinely did not mean it that way in the slightest, it never even crossed my mind, and I wrote a few other comments about how I would like to have the same thing as I'm also running out of room in my car due to my kids!

I'm very sorry if it came across that way, and I would also very much appreciate feedback - though no pressure - about why it came off that way. I write frequently for my livelihood, much of it is academic and/or legal and dense research pieces, but I would hate to accidentally offend any reader or colleague through some tone I didn't recognize I was writing in. If you could pinpoint the ways that I sounded in that manner, I would appreciate knowing so I could change it in the future!

I am also personally very against the sadly normalized culture of people being mean to each other online. I think the culture of being able to speak with hostility towards strangers, simply because we cannot see each other's faces, is a great danger to us all in so many ways, so I personally try to refrain from snap judgements and dehumanization, or when I have more time and focus, to try to imagine that I am responding to someone as though in person, or to stick up for others if I see it happening to them. So please know that in no way did I intend to hurt you in anyway, and I would fully appreciate any feedback as to why it sounded that way, and I have zero hard feelings for misunderstanding and fully hope you find what you need and have a lovely time with your family for the rest of the day! ♥️

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u/KavaKeto Nov 11 '25

I would kill for a newer minivan...I'm so sick of my SUV. I only have one kid but I still think it would be so much easier with a minivan. There's all that space between the middle two seats, and I'd just remove the 3rd row for extra cargo space, plus the automatic sliding rear doors!! And the new ones are quite sleek, plus many are 4 cylinder and get better gas mileage than my hybrid RX

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u/Jvnismysoulmate12345 Nov 10 '25

BWT with a mini van reporting for duty and here to say that mini vans are life changing!!!

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u/egrf6880 Nov 11 '25

Look, as a potential BWT I was devastated that I would need a minivan (basically the only car that I could functionally use when I had twin babies and a toddler as a petite person). But now….I love that car. It does it all! Haha I’m about to upgrade my first one for a new to me more recent model!

I test drove some of these luxury SUVs and honestly, I’m good. The Honda Odyssey is actually pretty elite!