For what it's worth- I don't like minivans. Not sure why, just always hated them. I'm super uncomfortable driving them just because I feel like they are massive. And I just don't like the "stigma" (lame, I know).
So when we upgraded my car to accommodate a bigger family, I went with a 2012 Chevy Traverse. The inside is kinda set up like a minivan, with two captains chairs in the middle row and a 3 person bench seat cross the back. It has a ton of cargo space in the back, even with the 3rd row up, so it comfortably seats 7 with plenty of extra space. My daughter's seat doesn't come anywhere near cramping the space for the front seats at all. The car is very comfortable for long trips- I have been in the drivers seat, front passenger and middle seats for long trips and all are easy to find a comfortable position.
The visibility is great, I don't find a lot of blind spots- not to mention the reverse sensor and camera, and they have the little curved mirrors mounted on the side mirrors to give you that extra visibility. It does not feel like a big vehicle while driving. The maneuverability is great, so parking and driving in tight spaces is no problem.
I would say that the only disadvantage that the Traverse has to a minivan is the lack of sliding doors. There are times that a car has parked too close to me and a sliding door probably would have come in handy on getting the babe back in the car, but those times are rare and not having to be uncomfortable driving a big minivan everyday is well worth the occasional issue of tight parking.
I will add that we sprung for the upgraded LTZ model to include, among other options, a DVD player that will come in handy as the kids get older and we have the leather seats (heated and cooled in the front) that are easier to keep clean with little ones.
Happy car hunting!