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I'm on the hunt for new vehicle and am pretty overwhelmed! The current cars we have are Toyota camry '09 with 71K miles (that one will be traded in) and Subaru Outback '12 which is the family car to drive my family of 4. Two small boys; one in FF converible booster seat and other in RF convertible seat.
We also have 55 lbs boxer that i bring with kids to parks, the vet and the beach so good cargo space is important to us. It'll need to hold the dog safely, umbrella stroller and misc items. I usually do lots of costco runs at least twice a month and groceries with several big reusable bags, so big cargo space for those days too.
we need 3rd row to tote the kids friends down the road & visiting grandparents, like to have captain seats in second row, and good safety features, also good number of slots for USB to charge the iphones & kids iPads while driving long distance. we'd like to keep this around up towards of 55K.
hit me up!
P.S i was looking at Buick enclave as my neighbor has one, but i was not impressed with cargo space when 3rd row is up and in use. Someone suggested GMC suv? i'd like to avoid dodge as never cared for it after having a dodge as one of my first cars.
i need just a few solid brands so i can begin my search. When is generally good time to trade in/buy new vehicle too??
I would suggest the Honda Pilot. I owned a 2009 for a few years and it worked really well. It had a lot more cargo space than my current Acura MDX, because of the shape. If you like the look of the current Pilot, you can get really good deals on them as there is a new version coming out this year. A brand new EX-L should be around 31k.
Sounds like a Tahoe or Suburban is really the size OP is looking for. Most of the more mid size 3 row SUV's are not going to have much cargo room behind the third row, and the OP sounds like they will need a lot of cargo room on top of seating areas.
Since the Enclave is too small for your wants, you probably need to look at the larger model of the full size SUVs. For domestic vehicles, you have the Suburban, Yukon XL, and Expedition EL, then you go up above your budget in price for the Navigator L and Escalade ESV and most all of the comparable foreign makes. You should be able to get a decently equipped mid range Suburban, Yukon XL or Expedition EL for around $50-$55K after discounts. Any of these will fit your needs with 3 rows, captains chairs, and about a 3-1/2' to 4'x4' cargo area with the rear seat up for the dog and shopping. When our kids were young we really enjoyed our Yukon XL as we could haul almost anything and 7 people with ease.
If they are too big, you will have to compromise in cargo area and occasionally fold down 1/2 of the 3rd seat for cargo. We did that when we downsized to our Explorer and while we missed the extra space, my wife enjoyed driving the Explorer more.
Cadillac Escalade ESV --> 45.8 cubic feet of cargo & 34.9 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
GMC Yukon XL --> 45.8 cubic feet of cargo & 34.9 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Chevrolet Suburban --> 45.8 cubic feet of cargo & 34.9 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Ford Expedition EL --> 42.6 cubic feet of cargo & 37.7 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Lincoln Navigator L --> 42.6 cubic feet of cargo & 37.7 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Some people have recommended the following, and I wouldn't recommend them because either there isn't enough cargo room (something like the Nissan Maxima has 14.2 cubic feet of cargo room) or the leg room isn't enough. I think you need 32.0 inches of legroom for the 3rd row passengers.
***Remember the cargo space is with the 3rd row up
Chevrolet Traverse --> 24.4 cubic feet of cargo space & 33.2 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
GMC Acadia --> 24.1 cubic feet of cargo space & 33.2 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Buick Enclave --> 23.3 cubic feet of cargo space & 33.2 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Ford Explorer --> 21.0 cubic feet of cargo space & 34.9 inches of legroom for the 3rd row (33.2 inches in 2013).
Ford Flex --> 20.0 cubic feet of cargo space & 33.0 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Nissan Armada --> 20.0 cubic feet of cargo space & 32.2 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Dodge Durango --> 17.2 cubic feet of cargo space & 31.5 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Honda Pilot --> 18 cubic feet of cargo space & 32.1 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Acura MDX --> 14.8 cubic feet of cargo space & 29.1 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Toyota Sequoia --> 18.9 cubic feet of cargo space & 35.3 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Mercedes-Benz GL --> 16 cubic feet of cargo space & 34.0 inches of legroom for the 3rd row
Since you thought the Enclave was too small, then anything 23.3 cubic feet of cargo is obviously too small.
A full size SUV is what you'll probably need if you'll be using the 3rd-row and carting the dog around often.
Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon Industry standard for decades in full size SUV category
Chevy Suburban Same as above with extra space behind 3rd seat
Ford Expedition Ford's version of full size SUV, also available in EL version which is extra long like the Suburban
Toyota Sequoia Almost as big as the domestic versions but will cost you more for the Toyota name
Nissan Armada Similar to the Toyota but with a horrible reputation regarding reliability and quality. New model in '15 or '16 which manufacturer promises to be better
The Navigator from Lincoln is a luxury version of the Ford Expedition and the Escalade is a luxury version of the Tahoe or Suburban. If you are looking for utility bang-for-the-buck in a tried and proven product I highly recommend the Tahoe or Yukon. The 2015 model (assuming you are looking at brand new) is freshly redesigned and has substantial updates while using tried and proven technology for most of the components. Our family is on our 3rd Suburban (not new) and my wife refuses to drive anything else now. I work as a fleet manager and have had literally hundreds of the Tahoes and Suburbans in fleets for years and can tell you the mechanical issues with them are minimal compared to any of the other full size SUV's on the market.
If you choose to go smaller GMC offers the Enclave and Chevrolet offers the Traverse with 3rd row seating but they will be the same platform as the Buick you are not fond of. The Ford Flex has a poor reliability history, which is a shame because it is a great utility vehicle otherwise. Imports are more expensive for comparable options.
Last edited by Rynldsbr; 04-01-2015 at 01:47 PM..
Reason: formatting
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