3 Row SUV

[mothafuckinteatime]

I am in the market for a new vehicle. We are hoping to buy in July-ish, but am not in a rush. I want something with 3 rows, but it has to have captains chairs in row 2. Also key is independent air vents in the back. My CX-7 doesn’t have any air in the back at all (wtf?) and it’s definitely a deal breaker.

I’m open to anything, any brand. Not tied to luxury or otherwise, but I’m somewhat hard on my cars (kid, 2 dogs, lots of outdoorsy activities and high miles) and I would like to pull a boat eventually. Open to new or used. My family gets friends and family with both Chrysler brand and GMC brand vehicles, which is a plus, but isn’t required.

I have my eye on the Kia Telluride, but can be wildly swayed in any direction.

[Deleted]

I highly recommend the Chevy Traverse. I used to have the Equinox (no 3rd row) and upgraded to the Traverse once we had our second. The captain's chairs are great, and we have had 3 adults sit in the 3rd row comfortably with no complaints. There are air vents in both the second and third rows and the back has it's own climate control.

Mine is a 2019.

[brux]

I very much love our VW Atlas. Our lease comes due soon and we might just keep the car.

I made a review that still holds up.

howeverithappened.proboards.com/thread/14967/vw-atlas-brux-review

[brux]

My friends who went on the RV adventure last summer towed their rv behind the atlas, so I assume it can tow a boat.

[Deleted]

Jun 9, 2020 6:58:19 GMT -6 HilarityEnsued said:

The real clincher with the 3 row SUV to me is whether or not you will need the third row up all the time. If no, then you have a certain class of car like the Yukon etc where you sacrifice some trunk when the third row is up. (A lot of trunk tbh)

If you will keep the third row up always and still need the trunk then you need to look at ones the sIze is the Yukon XL. Lincoln Navigator. Chevrolet Suburvan. Ford Expedition (or whateve it’s called now)

This is true.

With my Traverse, I feel it has a pretty decent trunk space even with the seats up but that is subjective. With the seats up I can still fit the stroller (Uppababy Cruz for size reference) which is nice. And it has a like secret compartment under the trunk that is extra storage that I keep all of my grocery bags, diaper bag stuff, extra towels, extra clothes, etc, which is a huge game changer.

[tinyjoys]

I have an older (2012) Acadia Denali & I love it. I have 3 kids (9, 5, & 2) and 2 dogs (a yellow lab & an Aussie) and it works great. But, they’ve shrunk the newer ones considerably, so I’m eying the Subaru Ascent for in the next couple of years.

[armpants]

I recently got a Subaru Ascent and love it. I also test drove the Telluride and liked the way the Ascent handled better.

[snowmoon]

I ended up with a minivan because $ but I test drove the VW Atlas and the Subaru Ascent and loved them both. The Subaru would have been my first choice.

[imapenguin]

My personal vehicle doesn’t meet your requirements (no captains chairs available), but I do love my moms traverse as well. The trunk space is enough for my double stroller with the 3rd town up and the 3rd row has enough room to install rear facing car seats without cramming the second row, so it’s a good amount of space.

[toebeans]

H drives a VW Atlas.  He loves it.  DS says the third row is roomy and comfortable.  I've never been back there.

[sullivan]

We just leased our second Ford Explorer in a row. I really love it, but I live in the land of the Big 3, so I usually don’t even look at anything outside of those.

[angelashly]

My sister has the traverse and loves it. It is very nice and we fit 7 adults comfortably in there when we all went to an event

[mothafuckinteatime]

HilarityEnsued

Do you feel there was a huge learning curve with the Yukon? I get nervous driving my dads truck and assume the Yukon is similar size-wise. I know that’s just because I’m not used to something so big, but I’d like to avoid slamming it into things willy nilly.

Also, I’m not a garage parker for this reason and more.

[cnf]

We bought a new Subaru Ascent last fall. It has everything you're asking for. We love it so far, it's worked well for us and we're rough on cars. The trunk space isn't super impressive with the third row all the way up,but the third row is big enough for adults to ride comfortably.

We'll be trading in H's outback for the new 2021 Tahoe this winter. It also has all of what your asking for, but they made them over a foot longer, so it's in the same class as your typical 3 row mid sized SUV but it actually the size of a current Suburban. It has great trunk space even with the third row up. So if you're looking for something big disguised and priced as a mid sized SUV they might be worth looking at. Dealers should have them on lots any time now.

[frantastic]

I love my Toyota Highlander. We have captain's chairs in the 2nd row and a tow package.

[hawkward]

I really like my Traverse. Like @frank, we upgraded to it from an Equinox. The third row is decently comfortable and when it’s down, we have tons of storage space. We can fit my dog’s large kennel, a cooler, and luggage in there when we travel. When the third row is up, I can still fit a normal load of groceries.

I feel like it’s a good compromise between big and feeling like I’m driving a tank.

[mc13]

Jun 9, 2020 6:59:12 GMT -6 brux said:

I very much love our VW Atlas. Our lease comes due soon and we might just keep the car.

I made a review that still holds up.

howeverithappened.proboards.com/thread/14967/vw-atlas-brux-review

This was going to be my suggestion. I’ve been researching/test driving, currently drive a Honda Odyssey but need AWD in our new city and the VW Atlas is at the top of our list even with 3 kids and a 50 pound dog that goes most everywhere with us.

[donnameagle]

Jun 9, 2020 6:59:12 GMT -6 brux said:

I very much love our VW Atlas. Our lease comes due soon and we might just keep the car.

I made a review that still holds up.

howeverithappened.proboards.com/thread/14967/vw-atlas-brux-review

I have the smaller version of this in the Tiguan, but also love it equally!

[donnameagle]

I have my eye on the Telluride as well.

[Pistol]

A Yukon is top of my list for if we decide to get a third row vehicle. I'm torn between wanting the standard length or the XL since we won't need the third row all that often.

[cnf]

Jun 9, 2020 7:42:15 GMT -6 HilarityEnsued said:

Jun 9, 2020 7:27:48 GMT -6 cnf said:

We'll be trading in H's outback for the new 2021 Tahoe this winter. It also has all of what your asking for, but they made them over a foot longer,

oh this is interesting. Is this true on all models? The Yukon XL is 22" longer than the Yukon, which is a shit ton of car.

I have no idea. He's wanted a Tahoe for forever and is pretty hooked on either getting a 2021 Tahoe or a 2020 Suburban since the price difference is pretty minimal. I know Chevy and GMC are the same company so it be something to look into!

[Pistol]

Jun 9, 2020 7:42:15 GMT -6 HilarityEnsued said:

Jun 9, 2020 7:27:48 GMT -6 cnf said:

We'll be trading in H's outback for the new 2021 Tahoe this winter. It also has all of what your asking for, but they made them over a foot longer,

oh this is interesting. Is this true on all models? The Yukon XL is 22" longer than the Yukon, which is a shit ton of car.

If I remember correctly the Tahoe is like the standard Yukon (but a foot longer) then there's the Yukon XL which is longer than both. Unless they have changed that.

[sweetp]

I have a Yukon XL. I love it. I don't find it hard to drive, but I also live in the suburbs so I'm not navigating tight parking garages.

[fikafairy]

We will likely be going with a Traverse once my beloved Equinox bites the dust, and I also have told H that captains chairs in the middle are a must. My dad has a GMC acadia with the third row and a bench seat in the middle and it's great, although I don't love the bench seat. However he doesn't keep the third row up most of the time and for him the bench is plenty.

[cheeze]

I have a Ford Explorer with 2nd row captain chairs. There isn't a ton of trunk space if you need the 3rd row seating, which we do, but folded down there is a lot of space. We got the upgraded tow package and can haul our boat no problems.

[Sweetjane]

I want the Ford Expedition with Captain's chairs. That way the boys can have a seat each, DD gets the 3rd row and we still have room for cargo.

[Sweetjane]

Jun 9, 2020 8:44:46 GMT -6 cheeze said:

I have a Ford Explorer with 2nd row captain chairs. There isn't a ton of trunk space if you need the 3rd row seating, which we do, but folded down there is a lot of space. We got the upgraded tow package and can haul our boat no problems.

Is the 3rd row a 2/3 split?

Edit: NVM I saw that you said explorer. I want the expedition for more cargo space.

[taconight]

I have a Toyota Highlander that I absolutely love. I've kept it longer than I've ever had any car before. It has 2nd row captains chairs, but also has this insert thing to slide in and make it essentially a bench seat. With the 3rd row up, the trunk is tiny, but we don't use the 3rd row often, so it's not an issue for us.

[cnf]

Jun 9, 2020 8:18:14 GMT -6 Pistol said:

Jun 9, 2020 7:42:15 GMT -6 HilarityEnsued said:

oh this is interesting. Is this true on all models? The Yukon XL is 22" longer than the Yukon, which is a shit ton of car.

If I remember correctly the Tahoe is like the standard Yukon (but a foot longer) then there's the Yukon XL which is longer than both. Unless they have changed that.

Probably. I don't know jack about SUV lengths. H has been religiously obsessing over it, so I'm just regurgitating whatever I haven't tuned out at this point, lol. It's probably inaccurate.

[Dr. Cox]

My Subaru Ascent doesn’t get here until middle of this month, but I did an extended test drive and I LOVE it. It has the independent air vents/control, captain chairs, and is pretty spacious without feeling like you’re driving a huge vehicle.

If you’re wanting brand new, Subaru had halted production due to Covid, so there are delays.