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Maybe some people dislike their image (including women I know), but you may have missed the part where I say I do drive minivans too. If I go on a road trip with it, I would hate every single second of it. Nothing to do with image, just the way it drives... err floats.
And while a vehicle like the X5M is supreme, they also have regular X5s with a sport suspension option (adaptive drive) - handling is not about power, obviously. It's more common than you realize so you're not exactly well informed.
If you're going to put down the avg SUV, at least name one superior-handling minivan and why. Which one doesn't drive like a boat?
I have a few vehicles which all have different uses. My most comfortable easy driver is my Sienna XLE. Getting in & out is easy as I don't have to climb up like my Lex GX or climb down like my Lex RX, I just slide in. Its engine is the same as my RX. The turning ratio is excellent, the 360 sensors and back up camera make parking a breeze. Got rid of the 2nd and 3rd row seats and put together a simple storage system that allows me to purchase nearly anything and throw it in back. I purchased some chair mats from Staples to cover the carpets and purchased boating anti-slip paper so nothing would slide. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it didn't come with a spare tire so I had to co purchase one and build an enclosure for it (or you can bungie it to something in the cabin).
I have a few vehicles which all have different uses. My most comfortable easy driver is my Sienna XLE. Getting in & out is easy as I don't have to climb up like my Lex GX or climb down like my Lex RX, I just slide in. Its engine is the same as my RX. The turning ratio is excellent, the 360 sensors and back up camera make parking a breeze. Got rid of the 2nd and 3rd row seats and put together a simple storage system that allows me to purchase nearly anything and throw it in back. I purchased some chair mats from Staples to cover the carpets and purchased boating anti-slip paper so nothing would slide. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it didn't come with a spare tire so I had to co purchase one and build an enclosure for it (or you can bungie it to something in the cabin).
Do Sienna passenger seats fold down into the floor (like Chrysler Stow'n'Go) or do you have to remove them?
Totally agree (except the wretched Tesla bit) however a word of caution with 3 row SUVs and kids...they are practically useless if your kids are in car seats. Try getting in the 3rd row with the second row full of car seats. It's nearly impossible. Try strapping a kid in a 3 row car seat and you'll be adding a chiropractor visit to your list of errands.
They were intended to help sell the wife on a SUV vs a minivan knowing very well nobody brings their 3 car seats on a test drive. It's not till you get home you realize you should have swallowed your pride and accepted and embraced your fate as a minivan family.
Up to two kids, you're good to go with any SUV. Three kids equals minivan.
3 row seat SUVs are ok if you want an emergency jump seat for a couple other nimble passengers for short distances.
Not really. In fact, the minivan we had wouldn't have been suitable once we upgraded from 2 to 3 kids. We'd have had to remove one of the middle seats and put our older 2 in the third row. And they were at an age they couldn't buckle themselves in so it wouldn't have been the easiest chore to do. We had no problem at all getting them into the middle row of our Sequioa though.
I know a lot of people want to assume people drive full size SUVs for egotistical reasons but remember 2 things 1) No matter what the subject, if it's a discussion of what people do some are doing it for egotistical reasons (even driving a minivan) and 2) not everyone chooses to upgrade from minivan to SUV for egotistical reasons. We had very practical reasons when we made the switch.
To be fair, I'll gladly admit that I don't like minivans for style reasons, but as I said: it was practical reasons for making the switch to an SUV. I don't begrudge anyone's opinion here, but I definitely think it's high time some people show a little honesty and come right out and admit they just don't like full size SUVs!
Not really. In fact, the minivan we had wouldn't have been suitable once we upgraded from 2 to 3 kids. We'd have had to remove one of the middle seats and put our older 2 in the third row. And they were at an age they couldn't buckle themselves in so it wouldn't have been the easiest chore to do. We had no problem at all getting them into the middle row of our Sequioa though.
I know a lot of people want to assume people drive full size SUVs for egotistical reasons but remember 2 things 1) No matter what the subject, if it's a discussion of what people do some are doing it for egotistical reasons (even driving a minivan) and 2) not everyone chooses to upgrade from minivan to SUV for egotistical reasons. We had very practical reasons when we made the switch.
To be fair, I'll gladly admit that I don't like minivans for style reasons, but as I said: it was practical reasons for making the switch to an SUV. I don't begrudge anyone's opinion here, but I definitely think it's high time some people show a little honesty and come right out and admit they just don't like full size SUVs!
I raised my 3 kids all while having a minivan. I'm failing to understand why you had to remove one of the middle seats? When our kids were too young to buckle themselves in, we removed the 2nd row bench and put the third row bench in the second row, leaving a huge cargo area in the back. That can't be done with the newer stow and go, but the seats do move to get easy access to the back. What was the problem you had? I can't see needing to upgrade to a huge SUV for that, but I'm willing to listen.
I won't admit to not liking big SUVs because I do like them. However, I've never had a reason to get one. I like the current Explorer size better than the bigger SUVs myself.
I raised my 3 kids all while having a minivan. I'm failing to understand why you had to remove one of the middle seats? When our kids were too young to buckle themselves in, we removed the 2nd row bench and put the third row bench in the second row, leaving a huge cargo area in the back. That can't be done with the newer stow and go, but the seats do move to get easy access to the back. What was the problem you had? I can't see needing to upgrade to a huge SUV for that, but I'm willing to listen.
I won't admit to not liking big SUVs because I do like them. However, I've never had a reason to get one. I like the current Explorer size better than the bigger SUVs myself.
The car was a 2008 Chevy Uplander, a very poorly designed vehicle all around. Ours had the two chairs in the middle instead of a row. The sliding door wasn't large enough to reach behind, and it was too far to reach the 3rd row. So if we'd had our 3rd child while we still owned that vehicle we would have had to remove one of the seats to allow easier access to the 3rd row.
That's just the seating configuration. I could go on forever about the poor design and all around horrible usability of that make/model. I've never owned a Sierra or Odyssey but I imagine they have better functionality than what we had. Still, neiher of those would have sufficed to meet other lifestyle requirements we need from our vehicle and were not viable options.
The car was a 2008 Chevy Uplander, a very poorly designed vehicle all around. Ours had the two chairs in the middle instead of a row. The sliding door wasn't large enough to reach behind, and it was too far to reach the 3rd row. So if we'd had our 3rd child while we still owned that vehicle we would have had to remove one of the seats to allow easier access to the 3rd row.
That's not a bad configuration anyway, and we use it when we're travelling with our dog.
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