Shopping for a BIG SUV

luckyclov · Oct 25, 2011

Yeah, the Nissan/Infiniti 3rd row SUVs are silly for cargo space. Really silly.

Are you not lame enough for a minivan - or is it mostly weather/roads related?

jess71903 · Oct 25, 2011

I'm no help. I'm a fan of the 2003-2007 Expeditions. Those are getting up in miles now, I guess. I don't like the 2006/2007 redesign on the Explorer/Expeditions so much.

An Aurora · Oct 25, 2011

I can't multiquote on my phone--

Dani, that's awesome, thanks for the info! Is it an option to have three separate seats in the second row or is it either captains chairs or bench?

Minivan--I need AWD/4WD and the only one with that option is the Sienna, which doesn't have enough room.

Thanks for the info about the Expedition! I love the room. They are also cheap and numerous!

luckyclov · Oct 25, 2011

Minivan--I need AWD/4WD and the only one with that option is the Sienna, which doesn't have enough room.

Enough room *where*?

With all seats in place, the '11 Sienna's cargo capacity is 39.1 cubic feet. That's more then the '11 Ody, '11 Quest, and '11 Grand Caravan/Town & Country. But yes, fair enough...it's the only minivan with AWD/4WD option. On a side note, the Sienna also puts the '11 Sequoia's 18.9 cubic feet of cargo (all seats in place) to shame. But I think you established long ago the lack of cargo in the Sequoia.

For oodles of room, I think Suburban/Yukon is the way to go. I know nothing about Escalades, other then my DS1 had a battery-powered one with sweet rims and a slammin' sound system when he was 4.

The new Expeditions (did you already rule those out?) are tall and skinny, but have a LOT of cargo space. It looks like the '11 Expeditions have 55 cubic feet of cargo vs. the '11 Suburban's 45.8 CF. The flip side to that, is that, I think, the Suburban's passenger specs are more generous.

An Aurora · Oct 25, 2011

Lol at the battery powered Escalade

Thanks for all the numbers, that's really helpful.

I'm going car shopping this weekend and I plan on taking our bags of gear with us to see how they fit. The salesmen are going to love us

P1ally · Oct 25, 2011

You're selling the X5? :duck: I'm just kidding! Don't kill me!

I'm not in love with the suburban either. My parents have a new yukon denali xl whatever, and it was really difficult to get my FFer out of the 3rd row. (Am I the only one that has trouble getting back there? I'm only 5'6

) But honestly, if it's not a daily driver, can hold everyone you want, AND can lug all your cargo? You can't lose.

An Aurora · Oct 25, 2011

P1ally said:
You're selling the X5? :duck: I'm just kidding! Don't kill me!

I'm not in love with the suburban either. My parents have a new yukon denali xl whatever, and it was really difficult to get my FFer out of the 3rd row. (Am I the only one that has trouble getting back there? I'm only 5'6 ) But honestly, if it's not a daily driver, can hold everyone you want, AND can lug all your cargo? You can't lose.

Yes, to replace it with an 08 or newer diesel X5 with a third row. I am not giving up my X

luckyclov · Oct 26, 2011

I'm going car shopping this weekend and I plan on taking our bags of gear with us to see how they fit. The salesmen are going to love us

Yes, yes, they will. BTDT...with 678587 carseats/boosters, soccer equipment (including goals because my kid is a goalie), camp chairs, 3727 strollers, a dog crate...

An Aurora · Apr 10, 2012

Bumping this up because we've made some progress in our car shopping (no small thanks to Starlight, who helped me check out vehicles in the snow the other day

).

We have ruled out the Suburban and Yukon XL. That 3rd row with the crack in the middle is just not going to work.

I like the Expedition EL, but it's $30k. I'm trying to decide if I'm ok with that.

I like the Excursion and am leaning very heavily toward this one. However, I have concerns about the 3rd row's lack of headrests, and boosters. The fact that the steel-reinforced Monterey isn't ok without headrests makes me wonder if any of the plastic boosters are going to provide adequate protection in a crash.

I like the Sequoia but I don't know if I can deal with the lack of cargo room.

I would love a Nissan NV, but I'm hesitant to get the 1st run of a new model, and the thought of dropping $50k on a vehicle (after the 4x4 conversion) is freaking me out.

tl01 · Apr 10, 2012

What about this Nissan armada? Anyone know anything about it?

An Aurora · Apr 10, 2012

We rented one to drive to Disney from Phoenix...I was 7m pregnant and rode in the middle seat of the 2nd row and my back hurt so bad I was crying. They also don't have much room

luckyclov · Apr 11, 2012

Yeah, don't do it. There's barely enough cargo room in the Armada for Barbie and Ken's luggage on an overnighter.

HEVY · Apr 11, 2012

Are they making new Excursions or were you lucky enough to find one?

An Aurora · Apr 11, 2012

They stopped making the Excursion in 2005.

J-max · Apr 11, 2012

An Aurora said:
Bumping this up because we've made some progress in our car shopping (no small thanks to Starlight, who helped me check out vehicles in the snow the other day ).

We have ruled out the Suburban and Yukon XL. That 3rd row with the crack in the middle is just not going to work.
.

Can I ask why? I am on my third 'burb and have an 08 with the 3 pax 3rd row (some are only a 2). I can not do a 3 across back there, but 2 with space between them is very doable. the only seat that does not work back there is a radian and a frontier. I can get almost anything else back there both FF or RF (have to remove the head rest in front for some)

I actually love the split third row (and I did not think I would), as I can fold down one side of it and get my big honking icechest in for big Costco runs without uninstalling the regent that sits there.

It is our daily hauler for 5 kids and gear and can pull our 24' camper no problem, and can do dirty and gravel roads and snow no problem.

An Aurora · Apr 11, 2012

I want to be able to get three seats back there, which isn't going to work with the Burb. I plan on three in the 3rd row, 2 in the 2nd row with one seat left empty to tumble for access to the 3rd row.

J-max · Apr 11, 2012

An Aurora said:
I want to be able to get three seats back there, which isn't going to work with the Burb. I plan on three in the 3rd row, 2 in the 2nd row with one seat left empty to tumble for access to the 3rd row.

Ya, that won't work

You *might* be able to do 2 coccorros and a RF radian (it fits if you leave the seat tumbled), but I am guessing that is not the combination you need. I had an 98 for my first 'burb and I could prob have gotten almost anything in that third row (and it had a lot more leg room), I hate that they keep making it smaller

I have one not in a seat, so it works well to have her sit in that tumbled-able seat in the 2nd row

Peony · Apr 11, 2012

I have a EL. I had a Burb prior ( couldn't do 3 across the 3rd row either) and a sienna before that. I got the EL specially to last a while with my 4 kids and the 1-2 extra kids I seem to pick up here and there. The
Price tag was hefty, I agree. I have had it 2 years now and I am very happy with my decision. I dream of something bigger just for even more room. We do a lot of sports ( I think I remember a post where your family does as well?) and it is very common that I run out of space everywhere in the EL. We also have to have AWD/4wd since we live very remotely in a snowy mountain state.

TXDani · Apr 11, 2012

Yeah Suburbans/Yukons are not a good choice if you want 3 across the third row as an everyday thing. I have gotten three across with a bunch of different seats but it isn't fun and I have always had boosters in the mix.

Sent from my iPad using Car-Seat.Org

An Aurora · Apr 11, 2012

J-max said:
Ya, that won't work You *might* be able to do 2 coccorros and a RF radian (it fits if you leave the seat tumbled), but I am guessing that is not the combination you need. I had an 98 for my first 'burb and I could prob have gotten almost anything in that third row (and it had a lot more leg room), I hate that they keep making it smaller

I have one not in a seat, so it works well to have her sit in that tumbled-able seat in the 2nd row

Yeah I will most likely have FF'ers in the 3rd row. I'll have at least one boostered back there.

Peony said:
I have a EL. I had a Burb prior ( couldn't do 3 across the 3rd row either) and a sienna before that. I got the EL specially to last a while with my 4 kids and the 1-2 extra kids I seem to pick up here and there. The
Price tag was hefty, I agree. I have had it 2 years now and I am very happy with my decision. I dream of something bigger just for even more room. We do a lot of sports ( I think I remember a post where your family does as well?) and it is very common that I run out of space everywhere in the EL. We also have to have AWD/4wd since we live very remotely in a snowy mountain state.

Thanks for the input :thumbsup: yeah my girls both played hockey this season and I'll have 2-3 in hockey next season. Plus I need room for a double stroller. I did like the EL. Nice tall seatbacks, even though there weren't headrests all around.

DaniCPST said:
Yeah Suburbans/Yukons are not a good choice if you want 3 across the third row as an everyday thing. I have gotten three across with a bunch of different seats but it isn't fun and I have always had boosters in the mix.

Sent from my iPad using Car-Seat.Org

I remember you putting three back there when you had the Ts with you. I just can't get over that middle seat back there.

I like the diesel option of the Excursion. The fact that it gets the best gas mileage out of any of these big SUVs is attractive. Lack of LATCH and crash testing are major cons.

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