Need vehicle w/ 3rd row seat options

[JTK]

Like said above, I don't see the point in 3-row SUV style vehicles unless you're talking Suburban or Expedition XL. What's the point if you have NO cargo carrying capacity with people filling the 2nd and 3rd rows?

It's tough enough to shuttle 5-6 kids to school with their book bags in this type of vehicle configuration. Kids with sports gear? No way.

 

[nthach]

Really can't beat a minivan like the Sienna. Unless we're talking Suburban or EXL.

 

[HemiHawk]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Like said above, I don't see the point in 3-row SUV style vehicles unless you're talking Suburban or Expedition XL. What's the point if you have NO cargo carrying capacity with people filling the 2nd and 3rd rows?

It's tough enough to shuttle 5-6 kids to school with their book bags in this type of vehicle configuration. Kids with sports gear? No way.


From experience when I was younger... We had a Ford Explorer with the 3rd row. 5 person family. Parents up front, 2 kids in the middle seats, and usually me in 3rd row. Thats fine for around town, but on long trips there is no where to put anything. We needed a rooftop carrier for use on vacations. Before the Explorer we had a Minivan (windstar). Never an issue with space.

A Tahoe or expedition would probably have a good amount of space behind the 3rd row. The other thing to consider is leg room in that 3rd row. In most SUVs its fine for smaller kids... but adults will have a hard time. I always suggest Minivan as people haulers.

 

[gofast182]

We've had very good luck overall with our 2011 MDX. It does use a little oil, we're trying to take it easy on the trans. at 7-8 years old/96k miles as it does slip a bit on cold winter mornings, and it has needed two sets of sway bar end links but it has been very reliable overall and is great to drive (SH-AWD is a fantastic AWD system). If you can find one that you're confident in its maintenance, I'd recommend it.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Like said above, I don't see the point in 3-row SUV style vehicles unless you're talking Suburban or Expedition XL. What's the point if you have NO cargo carrying capacity with people filling the 2nd and 3rd rows?

It's tough enough to shuttle 5-6 kids to school with their book bags in this type of vehicle configuration. Kids with sports gear? No way.


Quote:
We already have a minivan for long distance trips and such where comfort with a lot of passengers comes before "looks." A newer minivan doesn't pass the wife test as a 3rd vehicle. Needs to be something with semi-easy access to a third row without being a minivan unfortunately, because there are a lot of good cheap minivans out there.


I'll repeat-- we just need a vehicle that seats six. It will not be a vehicle packed with kids and cargo, we have a minivan for that. This is just a wife vehicle that she drives around that has the flexibility to carry our four kids and I from time to time, probably rarely, but flexibility is GOOD! No minivans (I'll repeat, we already have one in case someone missed it) and I don't trust her to park a Suburban in most parking lots without making a yearly insurance claim. I'm serious. I just want a mid-large size crossover, or mid-size SUV that seats six and is not gigantic that is in the price range shown in the OP. Sorry for being blunt.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Originally Posted By: gofast182
We've had very good luck overall with our 2011 MDX. It does use a little oil, we're trying to take it easy on the trans. at 7-8 years old/96k miles as it does slip a bit on cold winter mornings, and it has needed two sets of sway bar end links but it has been very reliable overall and is great to drive (SH-AWD is a fantastic AWD system). If you can find one that you're confident in its maintenance, I'd recommend it.


Thank you for the suggestion, we'll look into those-- same motor as my Odyssey (some with VCM of course) so at least I have oil filters for it!

 

[Brigadier]

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[4WD]

Originally Posted By: HemiHawk
Originally Posted By: JTK
Like said above, I don't see the point in 3-row SUV style vehicles unless you're talking Suburban or Expedition XL. What's the point if you have NO cargo carrying capacity with people filling the 2nd and 3rd rows?

It's tough enough to shuttle 5-6 kids to school with their book bags in this type of vehicle configuration. Kids with sports gear? No way.


From experience when I was younger... We had a Ford Explorer with the 3rd row. 5 person family. Parents up front, 2 kids in the middle seats, and usually me in 3rd row. Thats fine for around town, but on long trips there is no where to put anything. We needed a rooftop carrier for use on vacations. Before the Explorer we had a Minivan (windstar). Never an issue with space.

A Tahoe or expedition would probably have a good amount of space behind the 3rd row. The other thing to consider is leg room in that 3rd row. In most SUVs its fine for smaller kids... but adults will have a hard time. I always suggest Minivan as people haulers.


We had a 2015 Explorer and now a 2017 Tahoe … 3rd row was for limber grandkids with the Ford even though the auto fold seats were clever. Tahoe has midship buckets … so a bit easier to reach 3rd row … but still 5 with extra cargo (one side folded flat) on the road and six if going to lunch …
They are not mini vans and I’m good with that … 4 in comfort plus good cargo space is where we use it most …
Now flying solo … and all seats flat … a big SUV can haul some stuff …