Question What 3 row vehicle?

S

seattlemom

New member

• Apr 9, 2009

• #1

It is getting close to the time that I will need to replace my aging minivan. I could do with another Sienna, but dh wont drive it.
We have two preschoolers in Nautilus's - one of whom will probably move to a Monterey in a year or two. We also often have various friends in the car and/or my dss (adult belt).
In my Sienna, I moved the GN's to the 3rd row and use the 2nd row for errands/lunch with coworkers during the day.
We live on top of a hill in Seattle and although it doesn't snow that much here (except for this last year!), when it does, the city can't keep up and our residential streets are a mess. Because of this, I want something that will handle well in the snow.
Any suggestions for something that works well in the snow, and with the GN's and a variety of boosters for play dates?
TIA

 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Apr 13, 2009

• #2

We live near each other and have the same criteria for a vehicle.. I want to replace our aging (2001) SUV with something that can get us up the mountain for boarding here and there, but does well in the city. This last winter really made me realize that we're going to need AWD or 4wd since it's a second vehicle, but for a primary vehicle I would be good with FWD.

Does your DH not WANT to drive a minivan, or he just doesn't drive your vehicle? Big difference

Some of the vehicles I would consider are:
Volvo XC90, Toyota Sienna AWD (I have an Odyssey, doh!), Mitsubishi Montero Limited, Acura MDX, Lexus LX 570, Toyota Landcruiser, Infiniti QX56, Mercedes ML*, Land Rover LR3, BMW X5 (has a third seat as of last year)...

What's your pricerange? That would help.

-Nicole.

 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador

• Apr 13, 2009

• #3

Just an FYI, the X5 third row SUCKS! Seriously, when we were looking last year, we only looked at vehicles with 3rd rows, and it was the worst out of any vehicle we looked at. It's like a rumble seat; it sits REALLY low. My DD was 10.5 at the time and sitting in the 3rd row, she basically just stared at the seats in front of her and could barely see above them (and she's wasn't short for her age) and her knees were way up in front of her. DH's knees were at his face and we couldn't actually put the 2nd row seats back into place, else his knees would have been crushed. The X5 seems designed for the driver only (okay, partially for the front seat passenger) and they forgot about everyone else. For the man (or woman) who desperately wants a BMW but has to drag that darn family along...

 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Apr 13, 2009

• #4

It's because the X5 third row was added to the cargo space.. It's a bit of an afterthought

I realize I didn't mention why the Honda Pilot didn't go on to my list.. It's SO spartan!! And getting access to the rear row is horrible.. I prefer slide and flip seats like the MDX or the XC90.. mm!

-Nicole.

 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador

• Apr 13, 2009

• #5

QuassEE said:

It's because the X5 third row was added to the cargo space.. It's a bit of an afterthought

Click to expand...

Yup, and it definitely shows. It kind of seems like the whole vehicle from the 2nd row back was added as an afterthought....okay, except for the rear hatch door which is an awesome split design. It rocks! The bottom portion is low but holds things from rolling out and you can flip it down if you need to slide something big in. LOVE it. I think the Pontiac Aztec had a similar design, too bad the rest of that vehicle was so terrible hideous!

The Toyota Highlander also has a 3rd row, but there aren't any top tethers for the 3rd row if that's something you want. I also found it soft to drive and not near as much fun as what we bought. But I did like a lot of things about it.

 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Apr 13, 2009

• #6

I didn't like the Highlander much, either.. I'd get one if I needed a used car, since they didn't hold their value very well (something I consider, as well) for what they are.. I had a 4Runner and LOVED that, but the Highlander just felt too crossover-y for me. Since tethering is mandatory here, the tether issue is big I like to be able to use all or most seating positions.

-N.

 

keri1292

Well-known member

• Apr 13, 2009

• #7

We just got a Ford Freestyle with AWD. So far, I love it. One seat is lacking LATCH and I'd settle for just a top tether, but three full sets for four seats isn't bad. It also gets fabu crash ratings.

It is supposed to be dh's vehicle, but I'm already thinking about trading in my minivan for another next year. I really like it. It drives like a car, but has almost as much room as the van. I can't wait to try it out in the snow next winter. And the best part is that we got a great deal on it.

 

S

seattlemom

New member

• Apr 14, 2009

• #8

QuassEE said:

Does your DH not WANT to drive a minivan, or he just doesn't drive your vehicle? Big difference

Click to expand...

Well, both, but mostly he doesn't want to drive a minivan - especially if we ever have to switch for work - he doesn't want to drive a "mom car" to a construction site.

QuassEE said:

What's your pricerange? That would help.

Click to expand...

For price range - I want to spend the minimum needed to get me a safe, reliable vehicle that will last many years. I am generally rather cheap, but will spend more for long term value. I do not want to go over about 40k, but would rather spend less. I haven't really looked around yet to see what is reasonable, though. That doesn't give a very firm amount does it? Sorry!!

 

MoreLatte

New member

• Apr 14, 2009

• #9

Chevy Suburban or GMC Yukon XL. Love mine! Access to the third row is cake! I've had no problems installing any of the seats I've owned, with the exception of the Regent, but that seat just has that reputation.

 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Apr 14, 2009

• #10

AT $40k I'd totally go for a new XC90 R-Design or MDX Tech..I guess that doesn't account for state tax at all, though. The MDX is cheaper to maintain, and they maintain their value better IMO.

Landcruiser, LX570, QX56, LR3, X5, ML...out at that price point.

I still love the Montero, even though it hasn't been made for a few years..

What about getting a nice SUV that's a year or two old? Especially if you look into buying in Portland, since there's no state tax there and you can quite often get a vehicle that's a year old for 5-8% less than a used car locally as the initial cost of the vehicle was lower. My last car came from Portland.

Plus.. if you look at something a year or two old you can get an amazing deal right now. People are tight for cash, and over-financed..and dealers aren't moving vehicles, either.

-N.

 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Apr 14, 2009

• #11

I just found out that the Mitsubishi Outlander XLS (and only the XLS model) has a third row.. I love them, but I have never seen the third row. They have great safety features and they're around $25k! I've only done one install centre and one outboard in the back (not third row, obviously) but it was easy enough. My LATCH manual isn't here to look up third row TAs.

-Nicole.

 

S

seattlemom

New member

• Apr 14, 2009

• #12

Thanks for the info! So you would definitely go for the XC90 R-Design or MDX Tech over the Pilot or Highlander (or other non high end options)? I don’t know anything about the XC90, but a neighbor has the MDX, maybe I can take a look and see how it is with my car seats.
Thanks again!

 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Apr 14, 2009

• #13

The MDX is great for seats in all positions. Initially, Volvo had a rear seat restriction (boosters only) but I believe they dropped that in lieu of saying that if you can get a good install back there it's fine.. I'm not 100% sure that's the exact wording, but I'm sure a quick search around here and you'll find that history. In my own consideration of a vehicle, it doesn't factor in since 3/4 of our kids are in boosters in our second vehicle.

-N.

 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador

• Apr 14, 2009

• #14

seattlemom said:

Thanks for the info! So you would definitely go for the XC90 R-Design or MDX Tech over the Pilot or Highlander (or other non high end options)? I don’t know anything about the XC90, but a neighbor has the MDX, maybe I can take a look and see how it is with my car seats.
Thanks again!

Click to expand...

I would and did, we bought an MDX Elite (Tech + Entertainment in the U.S.). The '09 Pilot wasn't out quite yet when we bought our MDX so we purchased over the '08 Pilot. The '09 has some cool upgrades and is now on the same platform as the MDX, so I definitely would have taken a look at it. But the MDX still looks way cooler and will be a more sophisticated driver than a Pilot.

The MDX gets a better score at Informedforlife.org if that is something that's important to you.

ETA: by the way, I'm in Canada in a province that gets a ton of snow and our MDX was awesome this past winter. A set of winter tires and we were rock solid on the road while everyone around us slipped and slid all over the place.

 

Last edited: Apr 14, 2009

Heather98012

New member

• Apr 14, 2009

• #15

Hey...I'm a bit north of you in S. Sno County! We DID have a crazy year with weather here & I can't imagine the hills of Seattle (Capitol Hill, Magnolia, Queen Anne...any would be horrible!).

You can get screamin' deals on a used XC90. I'd actually get one over the MDX. Many reasons why.....including the fact that I just like them better. But Volvos do fantastic in snow, have excellent safety ratings, & if you can snag a 2-3 year old one...then you can get a good deal. Check www.autotrader.com. Both Barrier & Sandberg have a ton of 07s & 08s that are great deals (I found a 08 for 31k!). I know a guy at Barrier if you want a name of a sales guy that isn't a loser. LOL!

Another option would be a Toyota Sequoia. We have one & love it. The second row has the flip & fold over. It isn't as nice as captain's chairs for accessing the 3rd row, but if you have the middle row empty, you could easily flip it up & get to the back that way.

Oh, & I personally the Mercedes R class. 3 rows, captain's chairs in the second row (or a bench if you prefer) & a third row that can actually seat adults. What's not to love?!

Oh...Volvo has a new SUV coming out, but it's similar in size to the RDX & only seats 5. So, I'm assuming that's not an option. But it IS sweet looking!

 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador

• Apr 14, 2009

• #16

Heather98012 said:

Oh, & I personally the Mercedes R class. 3 rows, captain's chairs in the second row (or a bench if you prefer) & a third row that can actually seat adults. What's not to love?!

Click to expand...

Sweet vehicle, a little station wagon looking, but awesome features and great interior! The only thing that bothers me, it only got an "acceptable" side impact rating at IIHS. And NHTSA hasn't tested it. I just won't consider a vehicle in that class without top ratings, since there are several to choose from that do have top ratings (like the MDX and the XC90).