3-row SUV recommendations

akmflinn

New member
I drive a 2004 Honda Pilot and am in the market for a new car. I am looking for a 3-row SUV--no, I don't want a minivan :)--and am looking for suggestions.

I have 3 boys--9, 7 & 5 months. My 9-year-old 5-steps, so he is just in a seatbelt. The 7-year-old is in a low back booster and the baby is in a RF'ing Britax Advocate ClickTight. The baby will be in a car seat for awhile, obviously, but he is our last so we won't need to fit multiple seats.

I'm looking for something that seats either 7 or 8. Ideally I want to be able to use the 3rd row all the time. We are doing 3 across right now in my Pilot and I don't love it. As my big boys grow it's getting cramped. I'd prefer captain's chairs in the second row, but it's not a requirement. My 9-year-old is huge (5'3" and 118 lbs), and my other two boys are also very tall, so the 3rd row needs to accommodate someone at least the size of a small adult. Right now he can barely get in our Pilot's 3rd row.

My tentative plan is to put my oldest in the 3rd row, and my younger two in the middle row/captain's chairs. However, we do have my parents travel with us fairly regularly, so there will be times that all 3 boys will be in the way back.

I was interested in the Traverse/Acadia, but then I saw the tiny headrests that don't adjust in the third row (and none at all in the middle seat). I think that will render the 3rd row useless for our family before too long.

Suggestions? Is there a crossover/mid-size SUV that checks all these boxes, or should I be looking at larger SUVs? I don't want something as big as a Suburban.
 
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kathysr98

Active member
I have a Ford Flex. It's a large-ish crossover. It's available as a seven passenger (2/3/2) or six passenger (2/2/2). It's very comfortable, rides great, and has tons of leg room in the second row. The third row is fine for me at 5'4", and has nice, tall headrests. The second row has headrests all the way across, and tethers in all three spots. If you're not stuck on three spots in the third row it would probably work well for you. If you get the second row bench, you can get a push button fold & tumble seat for easy access to the third row.
 

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