Used Honda Pilot or Nissan Pathfinder: Better for 3 across infant seats?

Hey All,

So thanks to the great advice and suggestions from the forum, we've decided that we do need to ditch our Passat wagon for a bigger vehicle to accommodate the triplets coming at the end of this summer.

We've narrowed down our choices to the Honda Pilot and the Nissan Pathfinder. For cost reasons, we're looking at pre-2007 and higher mileage.

Does anyone here have experience with these vehicles? And if so, what are the pros and cons?

Thanks for the great advice so far!

I used to own a 2005 Pathfinder when I had one kid, and I drove my mom's 2008 (same body style) for several months with two kids. I now drive a 2008 Pilot with three kids. Hands down, you will have MUCH more room in the Pilot.

The Pathfinder was tight with two seats, and seriously had horrible front to back space. The passenger seat was not able to give much room with a RF seat behind it. During the same time we were using my mom's Pathfinder, I occasionally used my sister's Versa hatchback. I kid you not, I had more room for the two seats in that car than the Pathfinder. I personally would never recommend a Pathfinder for a family with more than two kids, because the third row is pretty useless except for occasional use.

I have three kids now (one boostered, one FF, and one RF) and have had various seats three-across the second row. I've had two FR85s in the mix which are pretty wide seats. I don't know for sure what infant seats will work, but I do think if you've got a shot at fitting three-across it will be in a Pilot. It has a very roomy second row. The third row is also very usable, and while there's not a ton of cargo space left when its in use it isn't horrible. We are expecting #4 and will be keeping the Pilot and using the third row regularly. I can fit two car seats easily back there. I know you won't be doing that with your babies, but just to give you an idea of the differences.

Good luck, and congrats!

Pilot.

And I'm not biased, either. You'll have significantly more room in your 2nd row in a Pilot. The 2nd row is also very flat, with no humps and bumps, contouring, bolsters or any other stuff that can be annoying when you're doing a three-across. You have three "equal" seats to work with.

I'm going to say the dreaded M word.

I'd get a minivan. :duck:

Then I'd take out one of the captain's chairs, and put two babies in the back. It will be a pain to get the infant seat in the middle of an SUV, and even more so to buckle the middle rear facer when they move to convertibles. With a van, you could have the space where you remove the seat to climb in and snap seats in/out and buckle. You'd also have a platform for on the go diaper and clothing changes. Plus, vans have better cargo spaces for strollers that will accommodate 2 or 3. And you could put the seat back in and have an adult in reach of all the babies if you have a longer drive. Vans are lower to the ground for toddlers to climb in and out (and parents, too), and they generally get better gas mileage.

one last plug- power sliding doors.

Otherwise, Pilot- all the way.

Crunchy, they have a thread going somewhere else, and I think they have decided they don't want a van. (?) I know it was discussed. It's a long thread.


Now, my question is, what is more difficult? Reaching to the middle to load 1 baby into a rf convertible (picture three Radians -- open, easy to load the kid), OR climbing to the 3rd row to load 2 babies into rf convertibles? I have to be honest, I'm thinking that opening the door and plunking a kid to the middle is going to be easier. I mean, I'm 5'4" and can easily stand on the ground and plunk my 2.5yo 30lb dd to the middle of my Pilot and buckle her. I don't climb in at all. Even when I had just two kids I opted to keep them side by side, and it wasn't difficult. And I use my cargo space as a change table, it's fantastic, the perfect height. And I have so much room with my 3rd row folded.. it's just a ridiculous amount of space. Right now I have two SR35, a BabyTrend, a TrueFit, a MyRide, a Radian, and a Parkway in my cargo space, just to give an idea. With room to spare.

JCsMomma said:

I used to own a 2005 Pathfinder when I had one kid, and I drove my mom's 2008 (same body style) for several months with two kids. I now drive a 2008 Pilot with three kids. Hands down, you will have MUCH more room in the Pilot.

The Pathfinder was tight with two seats, and seriously had horrible front to back space. The passenger seat was not able to give much room with a RF seat behind it. During the same time we were using my mom's Pathfinder, I occasionally used my sister's Versa hatchback. I kid you not, I had more room for the two seats in that car than the Pathfinder. I personally would never recommend a Pathfinder for a family with more than two kids, because the third row is pretty useless except for occasional use.

I have three kids now (one boostered, one FF, and one RF) and have had various seats three-across the second row. I've had two FR85s in the mix which are pretty wide seats. I don't know for sure what infant seats will work, but I do think if you've got a shot at fitting three-across it will be in a Pilot. It has a very roomy second row. The third row is also very usable, and while there's not a ton of cargo space left when its in use it isn't horrible. We are expecting #4 and will be keeping the Pilot and using the third row regularly. I can fit two car seats easily back there. I know you won't be doing that with your babies, but just to give you an idea of the differences.

Good luck, and congrats!

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Thanks for the advice! I think we've now ruled the Pathfinder out. If we can get a great deal on one, we may look as new as a 2009. We've also considered the Ford Flex as well, but with being around only since 2009 as well, it may also be out of our price range.

I think the Pilot is going to give you more room, the only benefit the Pathfiner has is the A/C vents are in the ceiling...

iMac6 said:

Thanks for the advice! I think we've now ruled the Pathfinder out. If we can get a great deal on one, we may look as new as a 2009. We've also considered the Ford Flex as well, but with being around only since 2009 as well, it may also be out of our price range.

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I know people here love the Flex as well. I bet you will be very happy with a Pilot though. I just updated my signature with my current three-across and you can see the seat is pretty wide. It's hard to tell in a pic but none of the seats are touching, and my DS's cup holders can be extended on both sides without hitting the neighboring seat or door. Good luck, you'll have to update us when you find your new car!

Friends have that Pathfinder. It's small! Pilot is gonna feel huge by comparison. You can do 3 across in the Pilot. Lots of people have. It's gonna be real hard to do so in the Pathfinder.

The 2013 Pathfinder tho...

iMac6 said:

Thanks for the advice! I think we've now ruled the Pathfinder out. If we can get a great deal on one, we may look as new as a 2009. We've also considered the Ford Flex as well, but with being around only since 2009 as well, it may also be out of our price range.

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The Flex is a great non-minivan family vehicle. BUT-you probably wouldn't be able to do 3 RF seats in the second row. The middle second row seat has plastic on the hinges that gets in the way of the bottom part of the seat. It makes it look to be a snug fit, but if the plastic were to break in a crash, it may make the install lose. I haven't tried many RF seats there, but for sure a Britax Marathon and older style Radian don't work. All other spots are easy for car seats. And that middle spot is fine for a FF seat.

For infant seats, I think the best Flex set up would be 1 in the second row and 2 in the third row. Leave the bigger part of the second row bench folded down and it will give you a large space to maneuver the infant seats to the third row. It's low like a car and the doors are very big so it shouldn't be hard. Or get the captain's chairs and leave 1 folded over for the third row access. For RF convertibles you could do 2 in the second row and 1 in the third. Leave the other third row seat down and load that child through the hatch. I had a RFer in my third row for a while and it was very easy to load and buckle that way.

I'm not sure what your price range is, but I'd check out the cost on the Flex. They don't hold their resale value as well as a Pilot. The basic model has a lot of the bells and whistles that's only on the higher end Pilots. Flex basic model is SE or SEL (with leather).

All that said, I don't think you can go wrong with a Pilot either.

ETA: The Pilot had a redesign in 2009. It got a little bigger (so more cargo room), a little more square and I think there was something improved with the rear A/C vents. Maybe it got rear vents for the third row and didn't have them before? It's just a little better overall than the previous generation.

I can get a RF coccoro in the middle of the second row in my Flex. No part of the seat touches the plastic things. It fits quite nicely next to a RF Radian with angle adjuster behind the driver's seat. So far, that's the only one I can get in there comfortably. Also really like how the Radian installs FF in the center.

mommydev said:

I can get a RF coccoro in the middle of the second row in my Flex. No part of the seat touches the plastic things.

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Great to know that seat fits!