Opinions on 3 row SUVs

8,536 Views | 85 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by drumboy
EliteZags
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Complete Idiot said:





I guess some people only use "ego" as an insult and I'm thinking of it more in the true psychology definition. A minivan doesn't put out into the world the image I want and strangely/sadly/whatever I tie my car's perception to my own. And I'm an engineer who's only supposed to see the incredible utility of it, which I do and I like - as long as it was my wife driving it daily. Eh, maybe it's an insult and I'm insulting myself but I can't see truth as an insult. Maybe that poster meant it as an insult to you as well, I just didn't read it that way.

yep cus a Suburban is soo much cooler than a minivan

Complete Idiot
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Go big or go home or go live in this big home on wheels.

texpdx
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Infinity Qx80 is plenty large with a great interior compared to Ford Exp, Chevy Tahoe / Suburban. There is a lower cost Nissan equivalent as well. Also good to 200k miles so you are set for a long time.

The next size down in in SUVs with 7 seats limits the amount of stuff and people you can put in it. GM Traverse / Enclave or Audi Q7 just don't have much storage if you use the 3rd row.

Good luck.
bam02
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Complete Idiot said:

Silvertaps said:

Complete Idiot said:

With people needing street legal freight trains for a family of 4, I don't know how the Excursion was discontinued - massive room even behind 3rd seat, could tow over 10K from the factory.

I've had a pickup truck, an Excursion, a 3/4 ton Suburban - all because I just had one vehicle for myself and had travel trailers to tow at the time. They towed well, but are just miserable to live with on a daily basis - for me, just my opinion obviously. Massive, unwieldy, inefficient, only fun/nice to drive when towing or going down a straight highway. I figured out I can have two vehicles or more if I shop well and shop used, one for big family trip needs or towing and then one for driving the 90% of days I don't need something massive or a building on wheels to tow with.

I don't know why the ego comment was considered an insult, I often tout how a minivan is the perfect family vehicle if you have multiple young kids or older grandparents needing easy access and you take longer trips - without the need to tow anything. I'm an engineer and I appreciate that they are the swiss army knife of vehicles and do it all comfortably and with reasonable efficiency. However, I would never drive one daily myself due to ego, no 2 ways about it. I was able to convince my wife it was the way to go and she went along with it - for a few years anyway.

You know absolutely NOTHING about a person, yet you label them as having an ego due to their preference of an SUV over a minivan? Perhaps there are other factors I hadn't mentioned, but I didn't realize I had to initially list them all out to defend myself.


I guess some people only use "ego" as an insult and I'm thinking of it more in the true psychology definition. A minivan doesn't put out into the world the image I want and strangely/sadly/whatever I tie my car's perception to my own. And I'm an engineer who's only supposed to see the incredible utility of it, which I do and I like - as long as it was my wife driving it daily. Eh, maybe it's an insult and I'm insulting myself but I can't see truth as an insult. Maybe that poster meant it as an insult to you as well, I just didn't read it that way.


It's definitely an insult.
reddog90
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ChoppinDs40 said:

Agreed but a Tahoe isn't much bigger than a LC.

He also said he needs a third row to actually sit people.

When we were car searching 7 months ago we looked at every mid-size SUV with a third row… we liked the Pallisade and new JGC- Ls.

But, ultimately, if wanting to haul 5 people, skis, coolers. Tow a trailer or boat. Or carry 7 people plus a few things, nothing was going to comfortably work other than moving up to the bigger SUVs.

I get some people just saying Eff it, and pay the extra 3k for a suburban vs a Tahoe.

We just hauled 6 people, 2 small dogs, luggage, golf clubs, coolers, and camping chairs 800 miles to Colorado. Needed a box on top and a hitch carrier for the kennels and cooler.

There's no way that was happening in a Pallisade.
My third row does actually seat people. But I have nobody to sit there, so I removed it.

If I traveled like what you just described, I would need a trailer with this vehicle. But I don't, and it's the perfect vehicle for 97% of the miles I put on it. I think we are saying the same thing.
Lt. Joe Bookman
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Love our Expy Max.

These threads are always hilarious with dudes *****ing about other dudes preferring an SUV over a minivan. Especially since this board is probably full of guys who own a 4x4 truck to drive to their job in Houston every day.
htxag09
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Lt. Joe Bookman said:

Love our Expy Max.

These threads are always hilarious with dudes *****ing about other dudes preferring an SUV over a minivan. Especially since this board is probably full of guys who own a 4x4 truck to drive to their job in Houston every day.
I resemble that remark
mosdefn14
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Lt. Joe Bookman said:

Love our Expy Max.

These threads are always hilarious with dudes *****ing about other dudes preferring an SUV over a minivan. Especially since this board is probably full of guys who own a 4x4 truck to drive to their job in Houston every day.


I could never live in Houston
drumboy
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mosdefn14 said:

Lt. Joe Bookman said:

Love our Expy Max.

These threads are always hilarious with dudes *****ing about other dudes preferring an SUV over a minivan. Especially since this board is probably full of guys who own a 4x4 truck to drive to their job in Houston every day.


I could never live in Houston
99% of Ags that have jobs in Houston live in Cypress or Katy, not Houston.

I'm the opposite, live in Houston, work in Katy, and drive there in a poser 2wd Tundra TRD.
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Street Fighter
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HollywoodBQ said:


Canyon, since you're closer to working the land than most of us, you'll need to consider the yuppy (for lack of a better word) perspective. Since you're older and have had time to acquire the things you need and have acquired things that are built for purpose, consider that young folks gotta start out somewhere.

There's also a female angle to consider for those of us who are on wives #1 through #4.

I live in SoCal where you are what you drive (never work with a Sales Rep driving a Hyundai/Kia/Honda - unless it's an S2000, etc.) but I think for most of us, the hatred for minivans can be explained as follows:
  • We work white collar jobs so we're already emasculated to some degree. We never break a sweat at work, we never have to lift anything heavier than a ream of printer paper and we never get sunburnt. If anything, the only injuries we might get at work are carpal tunnel and eye strain.
  • For those of us starting out, we don't have the luxury of having 4 cars (I didn't get there until I was 36). We are probably going to buy at least one new car and it's going to be expensive. So, we need it to perform multiple roles.
No decision making criteria yet but here goes.
  • We don't want to look like every other emasculated lemming out there who gets led around by their wife.
  • We would rather drive something that is closer to a farm, ranch or drill rig. Even though we're doing inside office work, we'd at least like to feel some masculinity when we're in our vehicle.
  • Serving those multiple roles, we know that if we need to tow a trailer, we can.
  • I'm sure they make AWD minivans but, when we finally save up enough coin to take that ski vacation to Colorado and we want to drive our own vehicle there, we've got 4WD the the M+S tires in our SUV.
  • When people ask us questions about our vehicle, we don't want questions from old ladies who are thinking about getting a minivan to transport their dogs when they go out of town to beanie baby swap meets.
  • From the ladies perspective, they like the SUV because it sits up higher in traffic so they can see what's happening on the road ahead.
In summary, there are a few more practical angles to having a SUV versus a mini-van but when it comes to the primary decision criteria, it's mostly machismo.

But, if you're going to spend a bunch of money on a vehicle and own it a long time, you really should feel good about driving it. You don't want to have a vehicle as your daily driver that is something that makes you feel depressed every time you drive it.

My 2020 Wrangler was in the shop for about a month while they replaced the rear axle and transfer case. They gave me a Dodge minivan as a loaner. I wanted to slit my wrists every time I had to drive that thing. It's not the same feeling at all.

I have a Prius and my balls are intact. Come at me bro!
AggieDruggist89
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Prius Prime or GTFO!
Average Joe
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I have an '09 MDX and do just fine with 3 kids in the middle row. One in a booster, other two in full size car seats. Oldest will move her car seat to the third row on occasion, but she does sit in the middle row on longer trips when we need the trunk space.
goldenag17
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We have a 21 VW Atlas SEL that my wife loves. Huge car on the inside as well, and very well optioned. 30k miles and not a single issue either.
FarmerJohn
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This thread would be a lot shorter if they still made this.

Yes, you would need an oil well to make it to the northeast, and in a wreck it will kill everyone involved. But that's a small price to pay to be a god among men.

[EDIT] To save you a Google search, that is Evel Knievel's 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood El Deora.
Silvertaps
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FarmerJohn said:

This thread would be a lot shorter if they still made this.

Yes, you would need an oil well to make it to the northeast, and in a wreck it will kill everyone involved. But that's a small price to pay to be a god among men.

[EDIT] To save you a Google search, that is Evel Knievel's 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood El Deora.

Is that a battering ram in the front?
drumboy
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Seats 7
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Use my referral link to buy a Tesla and get awards like 3 months of Full Self-Driving Capability.

Schedule a Tesla Demo Drive using my referral link.
 
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