[J-Chow]

First off, Congrats mate.

I personally have a Toyota Sienna, 2 kids, and I drive my parents / in laws for family outings and trips. My other car used to be a Ford Mustang (the mid life crisis), then was traded for a Corolla Hybrid.

If you don't plan on driving more than 4 passengers, I'd say opt for a compact SUV (Mazda CX5, Honda CRV, or Toyota Rav4).

I originally owned a CX5 when I had 1 child. That car was a blast to drive. I'd say it was the most fun compact SUV available (at that time, 2014)

Then 2nd kid came, and I needed a bit more space; especially with driving parents / in laws around town, family trips, and hauling those damn strollers.

7 person SUV was not an option. The 3rd row seats were cramped as hell, and trunk space was very limited, hence I went with the Sienna.

Now that the kids are a bit older (4 and 5), we usually drive the corolla around town. Way more fuel efficient than the van.
The Sienna stays in the garage until I really need to use it. So a few things to consider;

1. Trunk Space (damn strollers!)
2. Rear seat space (for child seats).
3. AWD / FWD ? IIRC, Toyota Sienna is the only minivan that offers AWD? Maybe someone else can chime in, I'm not too familiar with the Pacifica, Odyssey, Sedona, Grand Caravan.

4. # of passengers / seats needed.

5. Amenities (sliding doors, rear entertainment unit, folding / sliding seats etc..)

That's about all I can think of right now. Good luck!