Any thoughts as to the best 3rd row vehicles?

We are in the process of considering a replacement for our current sedan which was bought pre kids 11 years ago. Now 3 kids and a minivan later we are considering other options. We love our van but don't necessarily want two of them in the house.

For those of you with larger families what vehicles do you recommend?

TIA

Given the cost of a new car we would look first at a CPO or used with decent miles and checked out by a mechanic.

Current ones we have discussed are the pilot, highlander, suburban and the VW Atlas intrigues me.

I know the sequoia is outdated and needs a refresh, but my wife absolutely loves hers.

Sequoia by far has the most room and highest quality interior - unless you want to buy a huge boat like the suburban

for reference, we also looked at the tahoe and the yukon. there were some issues in the back (weird carpet separation in the middle of the seats, third row room non-existant, etc) that made us choose sequoia.

I too recommend the Highlander and Sequoia.

Not sure where you are getting that sequoia has more room than a suburban / everywhere I look the suburban has way more room - especially with the 3rd row up.

We occasionally take family too so something that can haul 6/7 people comfortably is a must

The Sequoia is between the Tahoe and Suburban in interior volume, but its third row is roomier and more comfortable than both because of independent rear suspension. The Sequoia also lets the three second row seats slide independently of each other, so you can customize your space better between the two rows.

Suburban
Third row leg: 34.5 in
Third row hip: 49.3 in
Third row head: 38.5 in

Sequoia
Third row leg: 35.3 in
Third row hip: 50.4 in
Third row head: 34.5 in

You also have the Ford Expedition (Tahoe sized) and Expedition EL (Suburban sized, renamed to Expedition Max for 2018) in that class.

I think the Ford and Toyota models are both better than the Chevy/GMC options in that class. Ford Expedition is all new for 2018, so you should be able to get a good deal on a 2017 if you wait awhile. Sequoia is dated, but should be a reliable vehicle.

I like that 2nd row seats slide on the Toyota / do they do that on all year models or more recent ones?

I never said that the Suburban had less room. We did not want a car that was that long, so we didnt even look at it. The tahoe and the yukons are comparable with the sequoia, and the sequoia without a doubt had more room than those.

Thoughts on the new Nissan Armadas?

wsjag said:

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I like that 2nd row seats slide on the Toyota / do they do that on all year models or more recent ones?

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It was introduced when the second generation of the model was released in 2008, and they've kept it since. First generation models had a 60/40 split bench, along with a ton of other differences.

My wife loves her Sequoia. I love driving it too compared to my tundra. So smooth.

If you want to go a little smaller and lower price point, we have been very happy with our CX9

We love our Expedition and with the new body style coming out you can get a smoking deal on the 17s

rusty v said:

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Thoughts on the new Nissan Armadas?

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One of the ugliest SUVs on the road today.

How's the 3rd row in a Land Cruiser? I know they're like fold down jump seats, but do they have much room? Easy to get to them or do you have to either climb over the 2nd row or climb in the back?

hatchback said:

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rusty v said:

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Thoughts on the new Nissan Armadas?

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One of the ugliest SUVs on the road today.

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I like the QX/Armada more than most SUVs but I usually like ugly cars.

dlp3719 said:

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If you want to go a little smaller and lower price point, we have been very happy with our CX9

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I'll second this. Love our new CX9 and the boosted engine makes it a little fun too.

My wife and I like our CX-9 a lot also. If you don't have significant towing needs, you owe it to yourself to check them out. A lot more fun to drive than my old suburban was.

I love my Honda Pilot. It's roomy, nice, and has good power.

Third rows are often uncomfortable, even in the larger SUVs. I opted for an Explorer since I'd only need the 3rd row occasionally but wanted the option. It only has 2 seats but is roomier than others of comparable size.

drumboy said:

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How's the 3rd row in a Land Cruiser? I know they're like fold down jump seats, but do they have much room? Easy to get to them or do you have to either climb over the 2nd row or climb in the back?

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Third row leg room is 28.3 inches, so 7 inches less than the Sequoia. Hip room and head room are comparable.

Mercedes GL 3rd row H-38.9. L-35.