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When we hauled 7 around for an extended period of time, the carseat went in the middle 3rd row seat and the rest of the kids went back there too. This way adults get chairs. It worked fine for everyone.
I would not put the elderly back in the 3rd row. Too much of a pain to get back there. They deserve a real seat.
Rather than tear up an interior, I'd opted for a roof rack to handle lumber or a ladder.
it's not horrible to get daughter out of actually and I can see her much better in the rear view mirror than when she's in 2nd row.
also save reconfiguring when picking up g'parents for a day out or a visit
Twins (2 and half year olds) go in 3rd row, erasing space for anything else back there.
Newborn's carseat goes in the "40" portion of the 60/40 split in 2nd row.
"60" portion of 2nd row reclined all the time to provide some visibility to/from twins in 3rd row, unless anybody is visiting (rare.)
No, he's right, TL doesn't have a comfortably backseat either! And there is nothing sporty about Acura handling.
I though the CX9 was the vehicle you wanted. :confuse:
I can't say i don't like it. Though it shows it's dimensions, at least the third row seats look okay (don't know about leg room though). Has huge potential.
Chrysler better not screw up their version, though. It better be able to compete in a sense with MDXs, and XC90s- maybe an ML 350? This better be a huge step over the minivanish Pacifica it replaces (namesake too). That means they need a bigger V-6 with about 270 hp. If it's badge engineering, they have really messed up!
No pressure. Can't wait to see it. :P
Me and husband
Kids - 18, 16, 14 and 4 years old.
I am the carpool mom and today I had all 7 seats loaded, with my youngest in his carseat. All said they were comfy for the 20-30 minute ride home. Works for me! Most days it's just me and the youngest.
I can't figure out how they made a 09 model year vehicle have an interior that already looks dated. :confuse:
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
I haven't sat on the back of the new TL, but in the previous model it seemed as big as the back seat of my old Mercury Sable.
We'll have to disagree on the handling; the RSX, TSX and the RL are all cited by the entire press as the best examples of good handling this side of BMWs and Porsches.
No so much with the new TL.
I though the CX9 was the vehicle you wanted.
It is, but the VC's interior seems closer to a Lexus than the CX-9 does; if not for the materials, at least for the design.
The last thing I want is for someone to look at our CX-9 and say it looks like a Lexus, as if the reason why I bought it was because I really wanted a Lexus and could only afford a copy-cat version of one. The CX-9 looks good on its own merits, period.
Make a car-based lengthened version of the RX with 3 rows of seating and *then* I will have the proper CUV envy :-)
I will 100% agree with you in that case.
Direct competitor:
1) Kia Sedona SWB
Others:
2) Kia Rondo
3) Mazda5
A few years from now, my Accord Coupe will give room to a 2nd car and *that* is something I would consider...er...actually I would try and fit everything inside a Mazdaspeed 3 first :-)
This would be a second family vehicle for running around the city.
In my opinion, of course...
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
I think the back of the vehicle is very well done, although I'll probably have trouble telling it apart from a Magnum from a distance.
I don't believe I've said anywhere it looked better than the Sedona and the Rondo or vice versa. FWIW, none of these are lookers; actually, I think the Mazda5 is at the bottom of the four in terms of styling, at least in my books. Then again, cars in these segments are not about looks but more so on safety, practicability, among others, which are some of the reasons why Kia has a stronghold in the segment, remaining as the only player with three entries, including the safest minivan out there.
My CX-9 comfortably took 5 regular sized adults + 3 kids in 3rd row (4, 6, 11) to the baseball game and back. 4 hr trip.
CX-9 = happy in-laws = :shades:
just curious
I wish they had a way to make 3 seatbelts in the 3rd row for a lot of 7 passenger vehicles. In reality, the hip-room of those with and those without seating for 3 in the 3rd row isn't that much. It would be nice if the seat belt connections were adjustable, so if you had two adults, you could slide the middle buckle to the center and just use the outer 2, but if you had three kids you could use all three. Even in the 2nd row, the seatbelt for the middle position is usually so narrow that even an average size person is sometimes sitting on the buckle.
Oh, plus a nanny. So 5 in the car routinely, more than that fairly often as well.
This summer we car pooled and 3 other kids rode along, so it was 5 kids in the back carpooling to camp.
This weekend we went out with friends and both families fit in our vehicle, so we had 7. 2nd time we've done that, and we've only had it since May.
This fall we're planning a road trip and the in-laws will come with us, so that'll be 6 people plus luggage.
4x8 sheets of plywood or lattice panels on 2 seperate occasions. Inside, raining heavily one of those times.
Should be no surprise that given the not-uncommon need for space and/or 6+ seats we opted for a minivan, though we did test drive an Outlook, a CX9, and a Tribeca. Earlier on we had sampled just about every single crossover out there.
While I do admire many of these crossovers I still believe none of them could haul the way a van could, plus they would cost more, plus they could not match my 30.6mpg on a trip to the beach with 5 people, luggage, and the A/C on the whole time, all while enjoying 266hp for passing. :shades:
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
jc8: please stay and update the rest of us on what you got.
Honda allows for 4500 lbs towing on the Pilot if it's a boat, due to aerodynamics. Better yet, MDX would even be in the same price range as the Q7 V6.
I suggest you weigh the trailer with the boat, loaded with gear. I've seen people use the weight scales at the town recycling centers, which you could check out.
The Q7 is nice but costly, so why not also consider a Touareg? The VW interior is still quite nice, and it can tow a bunch as well. You may not need a 3rd row given you have one kid and plan on 2 total.
Motor Trend, ah, gotta love 'em. They compared the Tribeca to (get this) a Dodge Magnum Hemi and (get this!) a Volvo XC70.
Next month, we'll see a Ford Taurus X vs. Dodge Caliber SRT-4 vs. Lamborghini Diablo with viscous coupling AWD. The test will focus on towing abilities.
Journey - looks like a clever package, actually. I too thought of the Mazda5 and Rondo. Lots of shiny plastics turn me off, but look! You can have a 12 pack of beer on ice! LOL
The seats sure look flat, though. All of them, even the fronts, just look too flat. Wonder if any one of those 7 seating positions would actually be comfortable.
Dodge seems to have brilliant ideas, but do the interiors have to look so Rubbermaid? The cooler and under front seat storage are ingenious but I'd be embarassed to be surrounded by all those shiny plastics. Hopefully it's the flash from the cameras making it look worse than it is.
AWD models do have VSC standard, making it easier to shop. For 2008 Toyota finally made VSC standard on all models (FWD).
It's funny, but I'm an AWD fan yet I got a FWD, because AWD models only came as 7 seaters and only with run-flat tires. I wanted the 8 seat model. Our other car is a Legacy so we're OK when it snows.
fitzmall.com has 2008 LE AWD models for $27,879. That's with a new extra value package, you still get power sliders on both sides for that much.
I bet it'll hold its value well enough to make up the difference you pay up front. At least go drive one.
The interior on the Magnum isn't bad, I was referring to the Caliber and the new van and crossover, primarily.
MHHMMM-yeah- you definitely didn't ask your riders if they were comfortable. And I'm guessing you won't be haveing them along with you for a LONG WHILE. I feel sorry for those poor kids.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
Umm, so which is it? Are you sad to see it go, or is it time for a change? :P
but then again its ok around here to tow a 4500PLUS lb boat with a lambda that's only rated for 4500lbs so we really shouldn't be suprised.
Was it safe? Heck no. Was there anything else that would haul 5 and a dog and all our stuff? Nope. Did it work? Heck yes. If we were too loud, he would pull out the airlock and close the window. Then they did not have to hear us killing each other in the back. If minivan existed at teh time, I'm sure we would have had one.
It's amasing that anyone survived before 1990.
apparently I'm just not good at that.
Maybe you can convince the moderators to create a "Driving habits" forum.
What we think about what people do with their cars does not seem relevant to a CUV-comparison forum.
Instead of bashing the OP why not make suggestions on where to have the trailer weighed, like I did?
It's not that single post, it's a pattern of sniping at every opportunity you get. It gets old fast.
It would be nice to have an active thread, with new members joining regularly, and sticking around. Can we try not to scare them away?
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I knew the engine was sourced from Ford, but the brakes too?
Speaking of Ford, just saw the latest pictures of the Flex at the Ford website. Not sure whether I like it or not, I get a different impression every time I look at it.
I read about it being mechanically similar to the TX, a couple of inches lower, with 5 extra inches in wheelbase and 2 in length.