Nissan Armada vs. Toyota Sequoia

My husband and I are in the market for a new SUV. We have two children (3 and 1) and plan to have another. I have a Honda Odyssey and we are looking to replace our 97 Ford Explorer. Safety is my number one concern. I haven't been able to find much information on the 2006 Armadas in terms of crash testing. I like the fact that the Armada has side curtain airbags for all three rows. I've always been a huge fan of Honda and Toyota but I can't understand why the Sequoia doesn't have third row side air bags.

We looked at the Pilot but it is a little small. With a second row bench occupied with two car seats, you have to climb through the back to get to the third row. Not a great option for a 3 or 4 year old.

We were also focusing on second row captains chairs but in doing some research, heard that the bench is actually better. Is that true? With a bench, is it possible to have three car seats? My youngest is still RF but may be in a position to be FF when we have another child. So, we could potentially have two RF and one FF.

Anyone have any suggestions or experience with either of these vehicles? Or maybe recommend another one that we could look into? Thanks so much.

I have not seen one in person, but the new Jeep Commander also has 3-row side curtain airbags. I believe the Dodge Durango and the all new 2007 Tahoe/Yukon also have side curtains for all three rows. The Volvo XC90 is also an excellent choice for safety if it is big enough.

Bench vs. chairs is really personal preference. Weather or not you can fit 3 carseats on a bench really varies a lot with each vehicle and even among trim levels of the same vehicle in some cases.

I haven't seen the Jeep Commander in person but I read a review in the July '06 Consumer Reports. I always take CR reviews with a grain of salt, but this one got my attention because of one huge negative cited in the review: the Commander's horrible rear visibility due to the third row headrests and wide rear side pillars. CR described the obstructed rear view as appallingly bad and probably the worst ever in their history of vehicle testing. The article included a photo to show they weren't exaggerating. IIRC they also found the Commander's third row very tight in terms of room.

CR also tested the redesigned Toyota RAV4 with the third row option, and loved it enough to crown it their new favorite small SUV in the same article. I believe curtain airbags are available on the RAV4 now.

Good luck with your vehicle shopping.

Thanks for the info. Any thoughts on the Honda Pilot? I had read another thread that someone has three car seats in the second row bench and I've always been impressed with the reliability and safety of Hondas and Toyotas. I am a little concerned with a mid sized SUV of the room in the third row.

Is it safer to put all three seats in the second row vs. having one in the third? That was my original thought (to have the third in the third row) but with the Pilot, captain chairs are not an option and therefore, there is no way for my ds to get to a seat in the third row.

I've also heard a lot of good things about the Tahoe. Does anyone have three car seats in that one? Is there enough leg room in the third row for an adult?

We are going car shopping this weekend but I'm trying to narrow down our search so that we can make a quick decision (I'm ready to sell our Ford Explorer).

Thanks.

My hubby has a 2006 Nissan Titan crew cab which interior wise is basically the same as the Armada (they also have the same motor). We have tossed around the idea of getting an Armada for me since we love his truck so much...but I don't think I am ready to give up my Sienna just yet. Anyway the backseat in the Titan is practically the same size as the bench in the Armada and you would have no problem fitting 3 across. I could easily fit 3 Britax marathons or the like across. I have been meaning to try out the Regent, Decathlon, and Peg Perego infant seat to see if they will all fit...if that would help you out any I could try it out for you.

i would personally look into the new 2007 tahoe/yukon. they got a 5 star frontal crash safety rating and have available third row side curtain airbags also the tahoe comes standard with ride stability control. and in case interior quality is also an issue it has been very much improved in these models and it has flip and tumble second row seats in case you want to put a third child in the the third row.