Outlook/Acadia/Etc.. owners anything I need to know?

DH is dead set against a minivan. So we have to find something else that will the seat the six of us next year. We looked around some last weekend and it looks like the outlook/enclave/acadia/traverse is our best option but is there anything I should know about them? Anything else we should look at? We thought about the flex and we both agree it's ugly, but dh said it was less ugly than a minivan so maybe worth a look? I know the acadias/etc have one ta in the third row center.
Children will be
4.5 harnessed
2.5 rfing currently most likely will be when baby is born
1.3 rfing
newb.

Suggestions??

There's no headrest in the center 3rd row, 3rd row outboard headrests aren't adjustable. The seats seemed shallow to me.

Captain's chairs only have one position (front to back; they don't slide (well, they do, but they only lock into one position for driving.)) My sister's really regretting getting one with her three kids; it's not very accommodating.

Are you doing captains chairs or 2nd row bench? I'm guessing bench?

How are you hoping to configure seats?

You really need a vehicle with more than 1 TA in the 3rd row, or at the very least, you need the TA to not be smack in the middle for things to work, no?

We haven't decided on bench or captains chairs. I like that the captains chairs makes it easier to get into the third row, but like the idea of an extra seat too. I was thinking of putting ds2 and ds3 rfing in the third row and loading from the hatch. That's how I load them in my mom's van so I'm kinda used to it and ds1 and newb in the center. I'd really prefer something with more TAs but don't know what to look at.

Currently I drive a 00 Durango and have all three in the center. I have my niece in the back ffing on occasion and load from the hatch, but there aren't any approved TAs so she rides untethered. When she was small I used the cco rfing back there and loaded from the hatch as well, but it's the only rfing seat I've been able to fit back there. I'd prefer something with better mpg and less truck like ride and more cargo room with the third row in place. Dh is trading in his 07 milan on the new to us vehicle and keeping the durango for a while longer as he uses it to pull his boat and I don't want his fishing stuff and wetness in the new car.

Are you looking at used or new? The 03-10 Explorer had two TAs in the 3rd row. Of course, there are only two seats in the 3rd row, and the anchors are the cargo tie downs on the rear sill- which means they'd cross your cargo area.

The current generation has LATCH passenger side in the 3rd row with the TA on the back of the seat.

Spam said:

We haven't decided on bench or captains chairs. I like that the captains chairs makes it easier to get into the third row, but like the idea of an extra seat too. I was thinking of putting ds2 and ds3 rfing in the third row and loading from the hatch. That's how I load them in my mom's van so I'm kinda used to it and ds1 and newb in the center. I'd really prefer something with more TAs but don't know what to look at.

Currently I drive a 00 Durango and have all three in the center. I have my niece in the back ffing on occasion and load from the hatch, but there aren't any approved TAs so she rides untethered. When she was small I used the cco rfing back there and loaded from the hatch as well, but it's the only rfing seat I've been able to fit back there. I'd prefer something with better mpg and less truck like ride and more cargo room with the third row in place. Dh is trading in his 07 milan on the new to us vehicle and keeping the durango for a while longer as he uses it to pull his boat and I don't want his fishing stuff and wetness in the new car.

Click to expand...

I only have a second...

Getting two rf seats in the 3rd row is going to be very tough. It's a pretty short 3rd row in terms of front to back space.

The middle-only TA really hoops you in terms of convenient configuration. Id suggest putting your middle kids rf in the 2nd row side by side (ie:bench) and putting your ff 3rd row outboard and the infant seat 3rd row outboard, and leaving a 2nd row outboard seat folded flat, BUT, that silly middle-only TA means you can't, really.

I can't imagine hatch loading two rf kids into a tall SUV like that, but I'm not tall myself so maybe that's why...

With four kids close in age I really really think you should find something with either two TA's in the 3rd row or at least have 1 TA back there but it needs to be outboard.

Pp mentioned previous gen Explorer, and I'll second that. I adored mine, and hauled five kids quite often.

The new Durango is one I'd look at.

And any MY of Honda Pilot.

We're looking at used, however with Ford dh gets a pretty good discount since his grandfather retired from ford, but idk if it'd be enough for us to want brand new again. I wish manufacturers would put TAs in every rear seating position. I looked briefly at a Pilot, where are the TAs in the third row? It didn't look like it had much cargo room. The previous gen explorer doesn't look like it gets better mpg than our current Durango, or even the Expedition. I'm tall so loading from the hatch is almost easier than bending down and climbing in some vehicles.

I thought we'd just suck it up and get a van, but even looking at those, many only have one TA in the third row except of course the beloved odyssey and sienna which is what I wanted. We test drove one van, dh is just not having it.. suckage. What about the Flex, how many TAs does it have? Or the Journey? I know it's smaller but does it have TAs in the third row? We looked at the veracruz and new sorento but both of those are lacking TAs in the third row altogether and sorento had zero cargo room. I don't need a huge cargo space just enough for a double stroller, grocery run, suitcases if we decided to go on a trip lol.

The Flex has LATCH passenger side. The Journey has no TAs in the 3rd row.

Go ahead and rule out the Mazda CX-9, too. No 3rd row TAs, 3rd row access sucks with car seats installed in the 2nd row, no cargo space when 3rd row is up, and gas mileage is lousy. Plus, the rear doors are super long, making loading kids at total pain if you're parked next to someone.

You really should just get a van.

From the 2011 LATCH manual -

SUV/Crossovers with more than 1 TA in 3rd row-

Acura MDX 01-11
Ford Explorer and clones 03-10
Honda Pilot 03-11
Subaru B9 Tribeca 06-11
Suzuki XL-7 01-06

not much to choose from.

In the 03-08 Pilot, the 3rd row TAs are in the rear sill. In 09 and newer, all 6 are on the seat backs.

thank you! yeah I know we should just get a van, but I also think they're ugly and having 4wd is useful, we live in a lake effect snow belt area. We've got six months to figure something out lol. Guess we'll do a little more looking this weekend.

fyi on the Flex: Rf seats don't work on the middle 2nd row bench because of the plastic hinge cover. At least Radian and MA don't. You can easily load a RF or FF kiddo through the hatch with 1 side folded down. At 5'2" I can buckle through hatch for RF or from back side door for FF.

It has a love it or hate it style. We've really liked ours. It's low like a car so kiddos can climb in easier. It's available in AWD.

I know i am late to this party (been away on vacation ) but i wanted to pop in a give a HUGE thumbs up for the MDX. I'm not sure if it's in your budget but my inlaws have a 2007 or 2008 4WD, and i drive it occasionally when they need transport to/from the airport.

Keep in mind that I absolutely, 100% LOVE my Sienna and will buy another when my current one bites the dust - BUT if all of the Sienna's in the world suddenly blew up and i HAD to drive a SUV - i would choose the MDX. My other set of inlaws (i have two thanks to divorce/remarriage!) drive Fords and GMC's and so i have toted children around and driven Expeditions, Explorers, Escapes, Suburbans and Tahoe's and hands down i prefer the MDX.

Not just for the way it drives but b/c of how seats install..... I got a RF TF, FF TF, and Turbo 3 across in the 2nd row of that thing And it really wasn't THAT hard. The third row i got a RF TF back there with front/back room to spare. Now granted - as with any smaller SUV if you have that third row up your cargo is going to suck - but they make lovely roof top carriers for road trips

Would a Toyota Sequoia work? I don't know about top tethers in that third row though.....

And just a piece of advice from a resistant DH to buy a minivan situation..... have him drive the Oddy.... the newer the better. That thing is pretty sporty and has very responsive handling. It drives a lot like an SUV/Truck in terms of handling (which is why i disliked it conversely lol!) and he may just not HATE it if he drove one. My DH preferred the handling of the Oddy but disliked everything else so we went Sienna, but the Oddy just might sway him!

Not sure if you're still looking...but.. FIL has 2012 enclave with captains chairs. We've been with him a good bit lately since we don't want to buy extra parking passes for football games. I personally wouldn't get one for more than 2 kids (we looked at the Saturn version while preg with dd2). His seats do lock in more than one spot (sliding front to back). We (dh and I) have to sit in 3rd row. He barely fits (not too comfy @ 6'1+). I am okay (5'6). There is no way we could fit a 3rd person between us. Headrests in back are super short. Dd1 climbed in back while waiting in parking lot and at 43in it wont take her long to fit torso wise. Dd1 is in captain chair in fr85 (seat reclined a notch with seatbelt install-actually got it rock solid lbp). Dd2 is in chaperone in other captain chair. We tried to put it without base in 3rd row, but there was NO way it could fit-even wth captain chair in front of it slid all the way forward. It is also a pain to get around dd1 to get in 3rd row, but we are adults.

Not sure if any of that helped..and sorry if I was rambling

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