Need helping narrowing options please...

[melann]

DH & I planning to purchase 2008 or 2009 mid-size SUV. I've researched the 2009 models and have come up with:

-Acura MDX
-Volvo XC90
-Honda Pilot
-GMC Acadia

1. Any thought about these with regard to safety and installation of car seats?

2. The GMC Acadia does not offer dynamic head restraints? Should this be a concern? The other models seem to offer the dynamic head restraints.

3. Does anyone have any thoughts about 2008 mid-size SUV models in case we go that route?

Melissa

[2 blueberry eye girls]

I have a honda pilot 06. The thing I love about it, it has tether anchors in all 6 seating postions, not just one or 2 spots. Only 2 LACTHabel seat positions and thats in the 2ed row out board. I love having a ton of storage up front. The consol is huge then you have a sliding compartment to put, papers, pens, cell phone. I have not had any problems with it. Oil changes are done every
5k. I am at 27k right now and just had a 30k check up on it which cost $625. I find putting car seats in there a breeze, Britax wizard, Regent, and Graco Nautilus. I used seat belts insall all the seats, because I get a better install that way. As far as safety, side curtin air bags, air bags along the side of the car where the driver and passenger are. I feel very safe in my car. We have dvd player and rarely use it. We only use it on long road trips. We have found after driving a good 10hr, the dvd system skips. but hey its been running for 10+ hours. when you do go looking and test driving, take you car seats with you and test them.

Olivia 4.26.04 39lb 45in regent/gn
makayla 9.16.06 26lb 30in rf wizard

[melann]

Good idea! Thank you!

I have a honda pilot 06. The thing I love about it, it has tether anchors in all 6 seating postions, not just one or 2 spots. Only 2 LACTHabel seat positions and thats in the 2ed row out board. I love having a ton of storage up front. The consol is huge then you have a sliding compartment to put, papers, pens, cell phone. I have not had any problems with it. Oil changes are done every
5k. I am at 27k right now and just had a 30k check up on it which cost $625. I find putting car seats in there a breeze, Britax wizard, Regent, and Graco Nautilus. I used seat belts insall all the seats, because I get a better install that way. As far as safety, side curtin air bags, air bags along the side of the car where the driver and passenger are. I feel very safe in my car. We have dvd player and rarely use it. We only use it on long road trips. We have found after driving a good 10hr, the dvd system skips. but hey its been running for 10+ hours. when you do go looking and test driving, take you car seats with you and test them.

Olivia 4.26.04 39lb 45in regent/gn
makayla 9.16.06 26lb 30in rf wizard

[rodentranger]

I have a 2003 Pilot and love it. Seating for 8 and it still gets ~20 mpg. The third row is not awesome for normal sized adults for a long trip, but car seats work fine back there. The middle row is a 60/40 split bench and the split is on the passenger side, so if you are OCD like me and insist that the second carseat be installed passenger outboard, anyone sitting in the third row has to climb in through the tailgate! :whistle: I have ff tether anchors for all 6 rear seats, but could only find one rf tether anchor spot for the middle row.
The 2009 will have LATCH in 4 seating positions, not just the middle row outboard seats like previous years. Installing carseats in the center can be tricky due to the seat belt coming out of the ceiling. I also have gotten better rf installs with the seatbelts than with the LATCH. My theory is that this is due to the slope of the vehicle seat. If you tighten the LATCH enough to have less than 1" of movement, it is tight enough to make your recline nearly non-existent.

[2 blueberry eye girls]

[QUOTE=rodentranger;648748]I have a 2003 Pilot and love it. Seating for 8 and it still gets ~20 mpg. The third row is not awesome for normal sized adults for a long trip, but car seats work fine back there.

On my tank of gas during the southern heat running AC on moderate level, i get about 18miles and or 250mi per tank. when not running the ac i get better gas milliage and 330m on a tank. we live off of a main road where the speed limit is 60mph until you hit town then its 35mph. I really am happy with how much gas i get out of a tank.

olivia 4.26.04 39lb 45in regent/gn
makayla 9.16.06 26lb 30in rf wizard

[danimoo43]

Bump!
I am considering these exact same cars and would like to see if anyone else has anything to say?? Esp. about the MDX!
TIA

[hayleycrabtree]

My Aunt has the MDX and I found it SO hard to install any car seat in the center position. It has latch on the outboard positions, but in the center with the seat belt...I almost started crying! By the time we were done, My husbands hands were raw and I had to take a walk!

[hayleycrabtree]

the Volvo XC90 is easier to install in the center because the shoulder portion of the seat belt doesn't come from the ceiling. This made is way easier to get the slack out

[jen_nah]

Per IIHS the GMC Acadia 2008-2009 did get the highest rating for head restraints.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_restraints/headrestraints.aspx?gmc

[DaniCPST]

I have a 2007 Acura MDX which is the same as the 08/09.

It is super easy to install carseats and is by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. We are super hard to please people and have always had things we wished our prior cars had or would do...but with the MDX we are 100% happy!

There is LATCH in all three middle row seating positions and they can all be used at the same time. The middle row can pretty much take any combination of three across.:thumbsup: There are top tethers in all rear seating positions. I am constantly changing our carseat set up and regularly use the third row which is just as easy for installs as the middle row. The previous posted who mentioned problems with the center seat install must be talking of the first generation MDX as this one has no problems and has LATCH in the center.

I get around 21 MPG on average between highway and city roads. When we go on long trips that are freeway only for hours upon hours we get around 27 MPG.

In my opinion there is no better mid-sized SUV out there that will beat out the MDX on performance, quality, handling, and value. But be aware that once you go test drive one you WILL want one.;) I have two friends that have been car shopping and once they went and drove one (on my persistence) they both brought one home.

Let me know if you have any more specific questions.

[bearwithmoi]

I have a 2008 XC90 and I've been very happy with the carseat installation. I was actually able to install a Frontier in the middle and another Frontier on the outboard side without a problem. I've also installed the Marathon in the center and the Nautilus on the side with ease.

I have to be honest that the real reason I got the XC90 is the fact that it's the only SUV out there that has a factory designed, crash tested barrier. I went nuts looking into this and was happy to know that my cargo or my dog are safely separated from my daughter. A plus if that's something that interests you.

[Judi]

I hate installing in the MDX. Especially looking for rear facing tether points for the middle row.

[DaniCPST]

I hate installing in the MDX. Especially looking for rear facing tether points for the middle row.

I don't now about the first generation MDX but on the second generation (2007+) installations are not an issue at all. And there are plenty of rf'ing tether locations for the middle row.:thumbsup:

[christineka]

Is there room in the back of these vehicles for groceries for a large family? I suppose you could get one of those overhead bins for camping vacations... I'm wondering if we should even consider an suv. We're expecting family member number 8 this summer.

[Melanie]

Is there room in the back of these vehicles for groceries for a large family? I suppose you could get one of those overhead bins for camping vacations... I'm wondering if we should even consider an suv. We're expecting family member number 8 this summer.

I'd estimate around the same amount as the space in a mini-van. Just in a different shape. There is a ton of room with the third row down, but that doesn't sound do-able for you. The only SUV's I know of with a lot of room behind the third row are the Suburban (and clones Yukon XL I think) and the really big Ford (Excursion? or Expedition XL?)

[jen_nah]

Is there room in the back of these vehicles for groceries for a large family? I suppose you could get one of those overhead bins for camping vacations... I'm wondering if we should even consider an suv. We're expecting family member number 8 this summer.

In the Volvo XC 90 with the 3rd row in use no there isn't a lot of room. And the 3rd row is only a 2 seater so it wouldn't work for a family of 8. I am not sure about the new Pilot/MDX but the old verisons it didn't have any room either. The new MDX is nice looking but the Pilot looks like a square box on wheels. I personally think it's ugly with it's truck looking front end. Nothing sleek about it.

The Acadia does have a lot of cargo area behind the 3rd row when in use.

Okay I went a looked up pictures of the cargo area behind the 3rd row. Here are pictures of the cargo room behind the 3rd row when in use.

MDX
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//pictures/VEHICLE/2009/Acura/2009.acura.mdx.20237830-E.jpg

XC90
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//pictures/EI/2008/Volvo/2008.volvo.xc90.20232142-E.jpg

Pilot
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//pictures/VEHICLE/2009/Honda/2009.honda.pilot.20232613-E.jpg

Acadia
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//pictures/VEHICLE/2009/GMC/2009.gmc.acadia.20238039-E.jpg

[Judi]

I don't now about the first generation MDX but on the second generation (2007+) installations are not an issue at all. And there are plenty of rf'ing tether locations for the middle row.:thumbsup:

Thanks!

[Melanie]

I wonder if the angle of the photos above makes it look roomier. I recently looked at the 08 & 09 Pilot (09 has a bigger cargo area). I swear the 09 was not as big as the photo looks. We are seriously considering it for our next vehicle and I remember DH and I discussing that we would still need to have a roof rack or hitch rack for big trips (this is for 5 of us, baby gear and a big stroller)

[jen_nah]

I wonder if the angle of the photos above makes it look roomier. I recently looked at the 08 & 09 Pilot (09 has a bigger cargo area). I swear the 09 was not as big as the photo looks. We are seriously considering it for our next vehicle and I remember DH and I discussing that we would still need to have a roof rack or hitch rack for big trips (this is for 5 of us, baby gear and a big stroller)


I am wondering the same thing. My very good friend has an '08 XC90 with the 3rd row and it doesn't have near the space behind the 3rd row as the stock picture shows. Her dd does competitive cheer and just 3 medium duffel bags we took to her last competition filled the back end up. We could have probably put a 4th in there since we had to stack them but there was no more room for anything else.