Crossover SUV Comparison

jenniferspence

Can anyone give me their thoughts on the Pilot vs the Highlander? We're planning on test-driving them both this week. Key issues for us are the cargo space and comfort for my 6'4 husband, but I wanted to get a sense of what helped others make their decisions . . .

dampmp

We just test drove the Highlander Friday night and previous the Pilot the week before. The salesman let us take it by ourselves out, but the very first thing we noticed sitting in the Highlander is that we knocked elbows right away and a few times while driving around. We are not big people either. We didn't even think about this after the Pilot test drive. The Highlander is nice and drove real nice too, but it got checked off our list for the elbow reason, along with the seatbelts in front with arm rest. If you test drive, pay attention to how anoying it may get with both. Hope that helps some.

The Highlander was more expensive than the Pilot too for same type of stuff looking at.

bobw3

My mistake for replying to this nonsense...just read the facts in my post...6" more length give your 6" more legroom.

passat_2002

The Pilot by a mile. Especially since the Highlander gets a total redo later this year.

But you owe it to yourself to also look at the Mazda CX-9. It's certainly a more attractive vehicle than a Pilot with a more carlike drive as well. A 6-spd transmission vs. Honda's 5. Has more cargo space too.

arumage

For those not buying immediately, here is a preliminary interior room comparison between the Flex and Acadia. Data taken from Blue Oval News and GMC Website

Flex vs. Acadia

Headroom
Front row 41.8" 40.4"
Second row 40.5" 39.3"
Third row 38.7" 38.4"

Legroom
Front row 40.8" 41.3"
Second row 44.3" 36.9"
Third row 33.4" 33.2"

Shoulder room
Front row 58.4" 61.9"
Second row 57.1" 61.1"
Third row 50.8" 57.8"

Hip room
Front row 55.4" 57.8"
Second row 55.0" 57.9"
Third row 41.1" 48.3"

I'm not sure how the Flex could have less shoulder and hip room than the Acadia since it is wider, but the Flex's numbers aren't official so these numbers are probably subject to change.

[Deleted User]

With perhaps the exception of their full-size SUVs, this is typical of Ford. Ford vehicles tend to have less interior width than GM models, given the same exterior width. There is no reason that the Flex shouldn't have 61 or 62 inches of interior shoulder room, given that it is 80 inches wide. I don't know why they do that. Even the 500/Montego should have more shoulder/hip room than it does, given its 75 inches of width.

arumage

These numbers are not official either. I'll be interested to see if there are any differences when the numbers are posted on the Flex's website. Leg room is impressive though.

hvcowner

Jennifer,

I bought a Hyundai Veracruz after test driving the Pilot, the Highlander, the Mazda CX-9, and the GMC Acadia.

I was looking at the base models for each of these vehicles. I really disliked the Honda's interior feel in the base model. The seats were very hard and the cloth they use is like canvas - - probably tough as nails, but feels horrible. If you are going with leather, then this will be less of an issue. I took my son with me on the test drive, and he hated the fact that it was uncomfortable. The handling was nice, but I thought it was noisy. And I'm not wild about the exterior look of the Pilot - - but that's so personal.

The Highlander definitely was more comfortable, but the third row seat was sooo small that we ruled it out immediately. If you don't need that third row, it may work out better for you.

If I had to pick between the two vehicles, I'd definitely have gone with the Pilot, but I probably would have had to upgrade to the leather seats . . .which was not what I wanted to spend my $$ on.

So I ended up with the Veracruz, and I'm very happy with that. I think the third row seat is more capable of handling an adult. The head room is outstanding in the front - - very non-claustrophobic. The seat material is very soft and comfy, although the seats themselves could be softer. The cost was comparable to the Pilot, and I love the exterior look. You can pick and choose the options more with the Veracruz - - it seemed like all or nothing with the Pilot. So I could spend my $$ on the sun roof and AWD, which I wanted, without the leather, which I didn't care about.

So that was my rationale!! The CX-9 was my second choice.

Good luck with your decision!!!

soderholmd

The only reasonable choice is the Lambda Twins (and maybe Freestyle). They are the only ones I have found that offer good storage in back along with great third seat leg and head room. The other crossovers all have some weakness either in Third seat comfort / Headroom / Storage.

CX-9 - headroom is poor in the third row and storage is not great.

Veracruz - Nice, but storage is ridiculously small!

The freestyle would be a decent choice also, but I'd still like a little more storage space.

The Flex may be an option as well, but thats a ways away yet. Does anyone kn ow the storage on the Flex? How close in overall exterior dimensions is it to the Freestyle?

arumage

The Flex is about 2" longer, 5" wider, and about the same height. The Freestyle is taller at the back than at the front whereas the Flex is the same height all the way down. BTW, the CX-9 only has 2 cu ft less storage behind the 3rd row than the Lambda triplets. The Freestyle actually has about the same behind the 3rd row given the little storage well back there. Although, both the CX-9 and Freestyle both have less overall strorage room from the front seats back.

freealfas

the flex will be the same height all the way front to back as the taller rear portion of the FS allowing even more generous headroom throughout the flex...

soderholmd

That is very surprising, the Lambdas seemed to have a lot bigger storage area.

The more I see of the Flex, the more I like it! I think Ford could have a real winner on their hands! They brought a concept to reality and that is very exciting!

I found a link to some really great photos of it and it has a beautiful interior! This thing is a very unique cool people mover, and I cant wait for it to come out.......!

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47513

texases

Thanks for the link - it does look good. Kind of reminds me of a giant Mini Cooper from the side.

arumage

Mini Cooper vs. Land Rover :P

The white roof is an option BTW.

cude

i'll second the comment that you owe it to yourself to test the cx-9 as well. i'm also 6'4 and with 2 young children was looking to move up to something larger than a sedan but not a monster suv. i didn't really think of mazda until someone just mentioned it to me. i think the dimensions for leg room are a little misleading. for me, with the steering wheel moved all the way in (moves up/down AND in/out), i had room to actually move my seat UP and still be comfortable if i had to, not something 6'4 guys are used to in many vehicles. the transmission is the smoothest shifting transmission that i've driven including some "luxury" vehicles. test drove the GT model and with all the bells and whistles i think you'll come up getting more vehicle for your money with the cx-9 than some of the others being compared. i plan on getting mine in about a month. just my opinion as a fellow tall guy...

arumage

Seriously watch you head when you get in though! I'm 6'3" and it takes a little ducking to get in. It's the price you pay for the sleek design. The center console intrudes a bit on the driver's side too, but overall 1st and 2nd row comfort are good. The Veracuz's comfort is the same, and the 3rd row is marginally better in the Veracruz. There is less storage though since it is smaller in length. The Acadia/Outlook/Enclave has the best storage, but the CX-9 and Veracruz have better 2nd rows. The Acadia/Outlook/Enclave have the best 3rd row though.

albook

Forgiven

albook

Yeah- the five hundred's interior is a little narrow. HOw wide is Acadia? Taurus?

brickfrenzy

I'll add my voice to the Tall Guy chorus. I am 6'5", and just picked up my CX-9 last night. It has plenty of room for my long legs, though when my hair is spikier than usual, I can feel it almost brush the roof of the car (but I have a pretty long torso). Otherwise, there is plenty of room, and even with the seat pushed all the way back, there will still be room for a carseat behind the driver's side.

soderholmd

I think I'll take a look at the cx-9's at the dealer and take one for a drive with the kids............you guys sound pretty happy with it............!

rossdm

I liked the CX-9 a lot when I drove it, but the size of the center console between the front seats drove me away. It's too large and it intrudes A LOT on the front passenger space.

I couldn't get past that.

ushy66

If you can wait for the '08 Highlander, the limited elbow (knocking) space probably will no longer be a problem as it is now on the current Highlander. Toyota has decided to eliminate the small (and uncomfortable) flip down armrests for the driver and front passenger in favor of a single large center armrest whenever they introduce a new complete model change since the 4Runner came out ~2-3 years ago (ala Pilot, MDX, Veracruz, and CX-9). Look at the interior pics of the '08 Highlander to see the changes, posted on the 2008 Highlander Forum on this site.

J

arumage

The '08 Highlander is still more narrow than it's competetors. The CX-9 is the narrowest of this group, and it's still an inch wider. It's also only been lengthened out to the size of the Pilot, which is still 2" shorter than the Veracruz. It still looks like a big improvement over the outgoing model though.

mxylplik21

Other than the CX9, are there any other crossovers (or minivans) that allow the second row to slide forward while keeping the car seat attached to it? I would like to put a baby seat on the second-row seat and be able to slide it forward for others to gain entry into the third row (without having to remove it and install it all the time). The Acadia's seat folds into itself so that wouldn't work. I know it has captains chairs but then only two kids can sit in the second row. Thanks.

arumage

The Hyundai Veracruz' seat works the same as the CX-9.

joe97

Easier entry-exit I found.

arumage

The 2008 Highlander is supposed to slide forware like that as well according to a few websites.

bobw3

At least for passenger space, if you're only sitting 2 across in each row, why do you need the extra width. Of course it adds to cargo room, but not for passenger room in a 2-2-2 seating configuration like a lot of CUVs. I'd take more narrow.

mxylplik21

A little extra width can mean the difference between two or three people sitting in each row.

arumage

The Acadia/Outlook/Enclave are 2-2-3 or 2-3-3. The Pilot is 2-3-3. I think that is where the width matters. I take the Pontiac stance on width, "Wider is better." :P Width adds alot of stability when dealing with taller vehicles. I think most of these could be classified as taller vehicles.

bobw3

It seems like a lot of folks are getting 2nd row captain chairs and a lot of CUVs only seat 2 in the 3rd row, so again, I'd rather not have 5-6" of extra width in my garage or in the parking lot.

PS..I'm only talking about those vehicles with 2 seats in the 3rd row and those getting captain chairs in the 2nd. Or something like the Flex.

arumage

I'd be surprised if the final version of the Flex wasn't capable of seating 8 like the Acadia. It's certainly wide enough, and it would only need minor modifications like making the 3rd row 60/40 instead of 50/50. That could be one of the reasons Ford pulled the specs from the main website for now.

The Flex is about the width of a new Tahoe so I'm not really worried there. It's the turning radius. If it can keep it under 40ft, I'll be interested.

dbt

It seems like a lot of folks are getting 2nd row captain chairs and a lot of CUVs only seat 2 in the 3rd row, so again, I'd rather not have 5-6" of extra width in my garage or in the parking lot.

If you have anybody trying to get to the 3rd row, with captains chairs in the 2nd row, you would be better off having a few extra inches between the 2 captains chairs, to make it easier to access the 3rd row, without having to slide the 2nd row seats forward. And, if you doubt how frequently you would need to use the 3rd row, ask any parent with 2 kids

albook

It seems like a lot of folks are getting 2nd row captain chairs and a lot of CUVs only seat 2 in the 3rd row, so again, I'd rather not have 5-6" of extra width in my garage or in the parking lot.
Oh it helps. Seats (even captains) are wider. And space between captains (if any is better. Ford does something wierd because even though thier exteriors are so wide, interiors feel a bit narrow. Front seats in Montego are narrower than in GM sedans.

[Deleted User]

Ford's interiors tend to be a little less generous with shoulder and hip room relative to exterior width. Don't kow why. I hope they look at that with the Flex. at 80" wide and as slab sided as it is, it should not be offering 3" LESS than the GM CUVs.

cason1

Yeah, if you're used to a mini van or a Pilot, the console is going to feel huge. As a car guy, it is pretty close to perfect. The only problem I have with the console is the lack of storage given it's size.

mxylplik21

Looking at the CX9 and Veracruz versus Acadia and surprised that CX9 did not have any DRL or trip odo. I believe if there is a bit more safety by using DRL, then I want it. My wife is not going to turn on the lights everytime she gets into the car. No trip odo? I usually have one keeping track of my oil change intervals and another one for navigation through unfamiliar roads. The height and width of the thing between the front driver and passenger seats is also a turnoff. Acadia has DRL and trip odo - but the second row seats cannot slide forward with a car seat attached - decisions, decisions.....

mxylplik21

Has there been a discussion on which CUV is the most three-kid friendly? I can see putting a car seat on the second row of the CX9 and using the slide forward feature to have the third kid access the third row. But in order to help buckle in the third kid, there has to be sufficient room to squat back there and not sure the CX9 (even with the second-row seat moved forward makes that easy).

Another option is the captains chairs on the Acadia. Put two kids in the third row, and one in the second row. The free captains chair will be empty so that it can be folded up to have two kids access the third row. Does anyone know the amount of space one has to buckle the car seats in the third row with the second row captain's chair folded up? Thanks.

cason1

DRL's - good for one thing,...bulb manufacturers.

cason1

MotorTrend will be doing a article in it's June 2007 edition comparing the Acadia, CX-9 and MDX. The MDX may seem a bit off topic (price/size), but I think I am down to a CX-9 and an MDX (I'm a car guy and most of the others just don't handle well enough to get my blood pumping) so this is going to be perfect for me. Can't wait for next month's issue to arrive.

I really wish the VC was included too as it's probably my #3 choice. Maybe Edmunds will come through with a comparison article soon....

arumage

My car is a 1999 Camry with daytime running lights. They've never been replaced and work just fine.

brickfrenzy

The CX-9 GT has a trip odometer and automatic light-sensing headlights.

cason1

That's wonderful.

In all seriousness, do a little research and you'll see that DRL's actually being good for anything other than the bottom lines of oil companies, auto manufacturers and bulb companies is very debatable. I certainly can't imagine any informed buyer making the lack of DRL's a reason for not buying a given car. Talk about confused priorities. Stuff like that makes my head hurt.

freealfas

"DRL's - good for one thing,...bulb manufacturers."

That's really an ignorant statement... there are studies that indicate reduced traffic collision occurence due to their use in high traffic areas, 2 lane highways, etc.

arumage

Actually in shadow, like down a heavily wooded road, they're a great thing, and for those idiots who never remember to turn their lights on in the rain. Lack of DRL's shouldn't be a primary reason IMO for dismissing a vehicle, but I would consider it a negative. I'm not sure how it affects oil companies' bottom lines though. :confuse:

bobw3

Some people don't buy minivans because of what people will think of them...now that's ignorant. Not buying a car because of DRLs, as a safety issue for some, seems to make more sense to me.

seloo

My insurance company provides a discount for DRL on my car.

Please avoid fallacies in your arguments!

albook

One thing I forgot to mention about interior narrowness-console in 500 is huge

bobw3

I'll take the Ford legroom advantage over the extra width any day!

bonomojo

After looking at the CX-9, Acadia, Outlook, Odyssey and Sedona, it looks like we are going with the Sedona EX. (Search for and read my post about the CX-9 and young families in this forum.) I think with 2 or more children, the minivan is just much more practical for childseats and all that jazz. I was VERY enamored with the CX-9 and it was hard turning it down in favor of the Sedona. As it is now, I think the CUVs still have a some ways to go in design for families with young children to deliver a knock out punch to the minivan.

Also, I was much impressed with the Sedona in comparison with the Odyssey...and the price point for the Sedona is much better.

I have also determined that options like Navigation, DVD entertainment and back-up cameras are far too OVER-PRICED.