Question Suburban/Yukon XL/Escalade

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bubbaray

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There is zero chance in he!! that my DH would own a minivan. I had one for 5 years and he drove it maybe once a year. He hated it. He has a F150 and doesn't give a darn about mileage. Like most full sized truck and SUV owners, there is more to the equation than sliding doors and mileage. Like towing capacity. Image. Etc.

I won't ever go back to a van and will go from a small SUV (with horrible mileage because it has a 300HP V6) to a midsized SUV. *I* would love a Suburban, but my side of the garage won't fit one. A Suburban would probably fit on DHs side, as his truck fits.

Too bad Dani isn't still around, she'd love this thread.
 
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An Aurora

Senior Community Member
Yeah, to each their own. If you want a minivan and it fits your needs, great. I'll never own another minivan either, because it doesn't fit my needs and I don't like them. Yet don't go onto "which minivan should I buy?" threads to tell people to buy something else that doesn't fit their needs. :)
 

canadiangie

New member
If you are a taller person, then an Odyssey would fit you better and provide more room. There is actually more legroom in the second and significantly more leg room in the third row. It's much easier to get in out of the 3rd row than a Suburban (not sure what that last person was talking about). With the wide mode of the second row captains with the middle seat (removable), you can fit comfortably any car seat ERF or FF better than any SUV or car on the market. It's patently false to say otherwise...minivans explicit purpose is to haul children, and there isn't a vehicle out there that can do it as well. The sliding doors provide ease of entrance to the back as it's a larger opening as well as the lower ground clearance allowing for children to enter and exit the vehicle with ease.

I get it. People somehow associate some sort of negative stigma with minivans. Why? I have no clue honestly since they are the safer vehicle, but fashion wise it's not "cool" to drive one even though it makes the most sense. You will spend $15-20K more for marginally better rear cargo room in a Suburban (that you would have to be a tall person to manage taking strollers in and out, which most women are not), far more upkeep, and far more in gas. You won't be able to park it many places and especially not in your garage.

Funny sidenote: I would love to see the 20mpg mixed driving stats that some have touted (the most it can get is 21). That would break a record that I know Chevy/GM would love to advertise. It's usually always in the 15-17mpg "around the town" numbers which has a small amount of highway driving mixed in. At $4/gallon on a 30 gallon tank...YIKES!


So many minivans are absolute crap when it comes to hauling children safely it almost makes my head spin. If I answer one more flipping email from a Grand Caravan owner saying that their 3rd row can't accommodate two ff seats safely and can I get another TA installed I'm gonna jump off a cliff.

Please, please do not say that minivans across the board are designed to transport kids, and that SUVs simply don't stack up. It's just not true.

Here's the real deal. You want a kid hauling minivan? You better shop wisely and have $35k sitting around (at least in Canada). You want a kid hauling SUV? You better shop wisely and have $35k sitting around. That's about it.

On around June 6 I'm gonna haul six kids under age 8 in my SUV, and all will ride safely, and all will load into and out of my rig just fine, even without sliding doors. I don't exactly know how many miles per gallon I'll get that day, but with 100% certainty my SUV meets my needs, and I'll go to my grave not "needing" a minivan.
 

SavsMom

New member
If you are a taller person, then an Odyssey would fit you better and provide more room. There is actually more legroom in the second and significantly more leg room in the third row. It's much easier to get in out of the 3rd row than a Suburban (not sure what that last person was talking about). With the wide mode of the second row captains with the middle seat (removable), you can fit comfortably any car seat ERF or FF better than any SUV or car on the market. It's patently false to say otherwise...minivans explicit purpose is to haul children, and there isn't a vehicle out there that can do it as well. The sliding doors provide ease of entrance to the back as it's a larger opening as well as the lower ground clearance allowing for children to enter and exit the vehicle with ease. I get it. People somehow associate some sort of negative stigma with minivans. Why? I have no clue honestly since they are the safer vehicle, but fashion wise it's not "cool" to drive one even though it makes the most sense. You will spend $15-20K more for marginally better rear cargo room in a Suburban (that you would have to be a tall person to manage taking strollers in and out, which most women are not), far more upkeep, and far more in gas. You won't be able to park it many places and especially not in your garage. Funny sidenote: I would love to see the 20mpg mixed driving stats that some have touted (the most it can get is 21). That would break a record that I know Chevy/GM would love to advertise. It's usually always in the 15-17mpg "around the town" numbers which has a small amount of highway driving mixed in. At $4/gallon on a 30 gallon tank...YIKES!

I'm all for a van if that is what the person wants. The poster here has clearly stated she does not want one.

For the record I MYSELF find the 3rd row of the Suburban/Yukon/Escalade to be more accesible. Some people may not. To each their own.
 

Dkg28

New member
You guys are so funny! Gotta love the passion! Ok so for the record...my garage is huge. We just built it & our primary focus was to ensure it would be super easy to park 2 very large SUV's inside so voila. Also, I don't mind spending money on gasoline. I really only go about 5 miles a day if I leave the house so has is just NOT on my radar.

Mini van guy....why do you keep saying mini vans are so much safer? My only experience has been with rentals on vacation & stuff like that & I've always felt like they were very light weight & since the wheel base is more narrow, that brings up concerns regarding turn overs. Also, if a child is seated in 3rd row of a mini van, wouldn't there be far less space between the back of the vehicle & the child? Is that not a valid concern?? I never let my son ride in the 3rd row of my Lexus for that reason. I'm affraid if we were rear ended, he would be too close to the back. I'm just curious because you have referenced them being so much safer quite a few times. I really don't care about the stigma. I just want the biggest monster on the road bc this world is so full of crazy texting drivers.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
Lol, I actually linked to that same vehicle (or one very similar) a couple of years ago when trying to pick a big SUV :p

About the safety ratings, large SUVs in general tend to have lower overall safety ratings. You can look up ratings on specific vehicles on safercar.gov and iihs.org. Usually it's the rollover avoidance scores that are lower, because SUVs are taller and more top-heavy and have higher clearance, which means they are more prone to rollover. Again, vehicles with a third row are tested for safety, and it's not dangerous to have passengers in the 3rd row.

I looked up the 2014 Suburban vs the 2014 Odyssey on safercar.gov, and the Ody has 4 stars for rollover risk while the Burb has 3. Overall, the Ody has 5 stars (safest rating possible) while the Suburban gets 4 (due to the rollover risk).
 
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kathysr98

Active member
There is zero chance in he!! that my DH would own a minivan. I had one for 5 years and he drove it maybe once a year. He hated it. He has a F150 and doesn't give a darn about mileage. Like most full sized truck and SUV owners, there is more to the equation than sliding doors and mileage. Like towing capacity. Image. Etc. I won't ever go back to a van and will go from a small SUV (with horrible mileage because it has a 300HP V6) to a midsized SUV. *I* would love a Suburban, but my side of the garage won't fit one. A Suburban would probably fit on DHs side, as his truck fits. Too bad Dani isn't still around, she'd love this thread.

This. My DH won't drive a van. I don't want him to drive a van. Why? Because it won't tow a 20' enclosed trailer and it will drag bottom in the woods. Do you think I want him calling me to come help him get his van unstuck at his camp 90 miles away? No thank you! His F150 has plenty of room for our one child and the two we sometimes borrow, and everyone has a top tether!
 

kaysmom

New member
Just wanted to add my two cents;) we went from a town and country to a yukon Denali XL. We don't have tons of extra money laying around for gas but you know what, I could care less, I LOVE it. My kids are 3 and 6 and get in as out on their own just fine. The 3 year old has trouble with opening the door so she just follows her sister it (she has no problem getting in and out for school drop off either) the power tumbling seats make it super easy for her to get by if she's in the opposite side or the 3rd row. Also living on a long gravel road and driveway in mn the awd has been awesome for snow and mud, no one had to come to my rescue this winter (and the van had brand new tires that wasn't the problem!)
So that's my take, that I would go for it:)!!
 

tl01

New member
It's really hard to fit around two rear facing car seats in captain chairs. I only have two kids, but they are rear facing (one in a Foonf) and I am looking at third row vehicles. I am 5'3, 100 lbs and haven't been able to get around the Foonf very often, if at all.

I would do a bench seat and put the two foonfs side by side and leave the outboard seat open to access the third row.

The Infinti qx60 is nice because when the 3 yr old eventually goes FF in 1-2 years (assuming you will RF as long as your first kid did) and you then have a 5 and 3 yr old who may mess with each other, you can put the FF kid outboard and still access the third row as it will move forward with a carseat installed.

Qx60 trunk is small. It was a total no go for me with 2 kids. We went with what is not the qx 80... And that doesn't have enough trunk space either. The current sienna has the most space I have ever had in a vehicle. Installing rear facing seats was so not an issue in the sienna. There's so much front to back space and the trunk is huge. We are tall people. I have also had an Mercedes GL and would consider another in a few years. But I didn't like it so I'm back to the odyssey. It is perfect.
 

T4K

Well-known member
If it was practical to do so, I would own a brand new Escalade (or ESV) today. OMG. Sooooo pretty.

I did have a Navigator for a while and looooved that thing. It was so nice to have. I did feel a little ridiculous with all the chrome but it was a nice ride.
 

Ltroutwine

New member
We have a 9 passenger '10 Suburban and absolutely love it! It has been our best vehicle to date. We had an Acadia previously and loved it until we needed the third row all of the time so then there was no cargo space. The difference in gas mileage vs the functionality of the vehicle is no comparison. I love that I can fit the double stroller plus everything else we need in the trunk with no worries. This would not happen in a mini van while using the third row. I know this because we've tried.

We thought we wanted an Odyssey until we drove it. I am 6'1" and with the seat all of the way back my knees rubbed the steering column. That is a huge safety concern. So to whomever said the Odyssey was great for tall people is mistaken.

If I were the OP I would get a second row bench. Then you can do as we do and put two seats side by side on the 60 split and use the 40 split to access the third row. Most RF seats will not fit in the third row though. I have 4 children of my own plus an in home daycare and the Suburban has been awesome in fitting our needs.

N (13) seatbelt, H (6) 45 in. Graco booster, L (3) 42 in. Graco Nautilus, and S (6 months) 16 lbs 4 oz and 25 3/4 in. Graco Snugride 35.
 

J-max

CPST Instructor
I am a fellow suburban lover :) We are on our third and very stuck between replacing it with another or jumping to a big van. But I love my suburban :)

I prefer the bench seats to the captains chairs (my mom have the captain's, so I have played with them a bit) The fold and tumble (esp with the power fold) is super nice. I just put my seat belt kid in the position so no seats to move, but you could keep it tumbled all/most of the time. You can get any 3 across in that middle bench row, and RF seats fit behind the driver and passenger without having them eating the dashboard.

Just a word of caution if you do go to the '15. I am supposed to go play with one next week, but the big plastic hinges on the the folding third row may make it more difficult to install a seat there. I did a quick sneak peak review a couple of weeks ago and will update it as soon as I have a chance to put some carseats in one.
 

DawgDad

New member
We thought we wanted an Odyssey until we drove it. I am 6'1" and with the seat all of the way back my knees rubbed the steering column. That is a huge safety concern. So to whomever said the Odyssey was great for tall people is mistaken.

I am 6'1" and don't even have the seat all the way back...no worries. Often times people don't adjust the seat and the steering wheel correctly. There are many manuals and instructions across the internet on how to sit in the driver seat correctly. A huge misconception is the need to sit high so you can see the front bumper of your car. Not only is this impractical, but unsafe as it has now moved the airbag lower on your body for when it deploys...or even worse...closer to your body as you are way too close to the steering wheel. Not saying you, the person I am respond to, is doing this...but there is plenty of room in the Odyssey for someone of your height.

I have friends who are taller than I am who fit just fine in the Odyssey. The seat sinks and goes far back along with the telescoping steering wheel...not to mention the memory seating is PERFECT for couples who have varying height (my wife is 5'4"). If you get any car and you have drastically different heights between you and another driver...memory seats have become a requirement for us forever.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
It's not uncommon for drivers or passengers of identical overall height to encounter differences in leg room and/or head room in the exact same vehicle model. Overall height is one thing, but the build and proportions of the individual's total height, i.e., leg length and torso height, also impact the fit of that person in a vehicle. Someone like my DH who is 6'1" tall and mostly torso (I'm about 6 inches shorter than him overall but we have nearly identical inseams for reference, lol) has difficulty finding a vehicle that he can sit in without his head being jammed into the ceiling, while another person of the same or taller total height may be more proportionate and not encounter inadequate head room at all, or may be shorter torsoed with proportionally longer legs and struggle with adequate leg room (like DH's 6'6" leggier friend who has plenty of headroom in most cars but can't always fit his legs). DH's motto is to try a car on for a fitting before even considering taking it for a test drive or ultimately buying it because a surprising number of vehicles in different categories/size classifications do not have sufficient head room for him. So this is my long winded way of saying that what works for one person may not work for another of the same or very similar overall height, probably stating the obvious, but always try the car out thoroughly for size when possible before buying, much like we recommend trying out carseats in the prospective car, to avoid compatibility surprises.:)
 

kathysr98

Active member
It's not uncommon for drivers or passengers of identical overall height to encounter differences in leg room and/or head room in the exact same vehicle model. Overall height is one thing, but the build and proportions of the individual's total height, i.e., leg length and torso height, also impact the fit of that person in a vehicle. Someone like my DH who is 6'1" tall and mostly torso (I'm about 6 inches shorter than him overall but we have nearly identical inseams for reference, lol) has difficulty finding a vehicle that he can sit in without his head being jammed into the ceiling, while another person of the same or taller total height may be more proportionate and not encounter inadequate head room at all, or may be shorter torsoed with proportionally longer legs and struggle with adequate leg room (like DH's 6'6" leggier friend who has plenty of headroom in most cars but can't always fit his legs). DH's motto is to try a car on for a fitting before even considering taking it for a test drive or ultimately buying it because a surprising number of vehicles in different categories/size classifications do not have sufficient head room for him. So this is my long winded way of saying that what works for one person may not work for another of the same or very similar overall height, probably stating the obvious, but always try the car out thoroughly for size when possible before buying, much like we recommend trying out carseats in the prospective car, to avoid compatibility surprises.:)

I completely agree with all of this!

I'm 5'3" or so, which on the shorter end of average for a woman. However, I have extremely short legs. My inseam is 24"! A telescoping steering wheel is pretty much a necessity so can can reach the pedals without touching the steering wheel in most cars.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
I am 6'1" and don't even have the seat all the way back...no worries. Often times people don't adjust the seat and the steering wheel correctly. There are many manuals and instructions across the internet on how to sit in the driver seat correctly. A huge misconception is the need to sit high so you can see the front bumper of your car. Not only is this impractical, but unsafe as it has now moved the airbag lower on your body for when it deploys...or even worse...closer to your body as you are way too close to the steering wheel. Not saying you, the person I am respond to, is doing this...but there is plenty of room in the Odyssey for someone of your height.

I have friends who are taller than I am who fit just fine in the Odyssey. The seat sinks and goes far back along with the telescoping steering wheel...not to mention the memory seating is PERFECT for couples who have varying height (my wife is 5'4"). If you get any car and you have drastically different heights between you and another driver...memory seats have become a requirement for us forever.

Different strokeS for different folks. She doesn't want a minivan. Let it go, let it go....
 
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