OC 335d

Not my twins, but I am helping one of my best friends look for a new vehicle.

Background:
The car will be for him and his wife. They are expecting twins. They require the vehicle to seat at least 6 comfortably (keep in mind 2 baby seats) because my friend's grandparents live in Las Vegas and he frequently visits them with his parents.

They are looking in the price range of a loaded 2011 Toyota Sienna SE (Low 30k). The wife really isn't feeling mini-vans but they recognize it has the best utility. She likes the CX7 but I think my friend feels there is not enough luggage room with the 3rd row seating. He also feels the third row seating isn't nearly as comfortable as the Sienna (I don't know if this is true or not). The 3rd row needs to be at least comfortable enough for a pair of adults to sit in the back on a 4-5 hour road trip.

100plus

How about the Mazda 5?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

how about honda pilot, my friend loves his

we also checked out the space and such and i think it's a pretty good car

OC 335d

He specifically does not want a sedan. How can a Mazda 5 accommodate 4 adults and 2 baby seats?

How's the luggage space with the third row up?

RXSF

for that price range, its either minivan or tier 3 SUVs with 3rd rows. I have a friend that is also looking at the honda pilot. It doesnt seem like a terribily good value, but I understand it has a lot of utility. Personally, I would go with the Toyota Highlander.

^^ mazda 5 is not a sedan, yet not quite a minivan.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

The 5 can be a bit cramped and I don't think it'll be able to fit 6 people. I think the Sienna would be a great vehicle for them especially with all the baby stuff they'll have to bring around. How about an Odyssey? You can probably get a pretty good deal with the new model coming out soon.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

The 5 is the mini-mini van

OC 335d

Ahhh, my fault. We looked at the Highlander and with the 3rd row up, there is virtually no luggage space behind the third row. With the Sienna, there is a ton. If the Pilot is the same way, that would take it out of the discussion as well. The 3rd row seating did not look very comfortable either (highlander).

He ruled out the old Odyssey. He does not want to buy a vehicle before it is being refreshed. The new one looks pretty darn ugly, although we're open to checking it out.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

why not put the baby seats in the third row on trips where all seats are needed? comfy third row seats are NOT going to be had in an inexpensive suv. an odyssey or sienna is probably better though.

bnizzle87

congrats on your friend's new blessings. we've been looking at some SUV's and minivans as well, and the pilot, RX 350/450h, hyundai veracruz and the mazda cx-9. the veracruz looks and drives great. the RX seats only 5, so thats out. the cx-9 was very spacious, although neither one of us liked the gauges and the nav system. we're testing the pilot later today, so i'll see how that one rides and feels soon. best of luck to your friend!!

OC 335d

That's a thought I did consider. I'll have to ask him how he feels about that. Luggage room is still a concern, considering luggage for 4 to vegas and a larger stroller to accommodate twins.

We liked the way the Veracruz looked too, I was saying, why can't they make mini-van interiors like this? The Sienna dash and plastic feel a bit cheap inside compared to their competing SUVs. No luggage space like the other ones though.

Let me know how the Pilot is. Thanks for the kind words.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

been there and done that.

NOTHING will beat the minivans in the 3rd row seating comfortably with proper storage space except the full suvs: expeditions, esv, suburban

and with those suvs being higher up, it's hard on the back when lifting and carrying the babies with their car seats up and down.

and with twins, which means the limo-stroller and double the crap to lug around

we prefer the front to back since it's easier to maneuver around vs. the side-by-side which takes up alot of space around stores, disneyland,...

go luck and congratulations

tex2670

Forget the Mazda 5--no way that fits OP's description in any way.

The Pilot is a great vehicle--I have the 1st Gen. The cargo room is not immense with the 3rd row up, but what are we REALLY talking about here? You just need to have room for a stroller and the diaper bag back there. With the Pilot or any crossover (and probably any minivan too) those baby twins have to go in the middle row. There's no way I'd ever put an infant in third row. Plus--you would need to reach back there every time to get them into the car. With the infant seats, then later toddler seats, LATCH'ed into place in the middle row, you can't fold the middle seat forward to access the rear seat. So--whoever's sitting back there would need to hop over.

Here's the thing--your friend's wife is opposed to minivans, but with the middle row captain's seats, the third row is easy to access. It's also bigger than your avg mid-size crossover, and minivans usually have more cargo room behind the 3rd row. Chevy Traverse (and GM siblings) and Ford Flex can be ordered with captain's chairs in the middle row. But--those crossovers are pretty long, and probably not as functional as a minivan. I think, with twins on the way, illogical opposition to minivans just has to fall by the wayside.

As to the Highlander--the thing I don't like about that is that the 3rd row isn't 50/50 split. So if you only have 1 rear passenger, you can't fold down half the seat to make room for the stroller. Otherwise, I really like that car.

jaseman

Don't know anyone who has one, but you might wanna have them look into the Ford Flex.

Edit: I see Tex beat be to it...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

with the 3rd row up (which are pretty respectable seat space btw), there are still some space in the back for luggage. that's why i think it's pretty good, considering that both the highlander and 4runner, i don't think they have as much space (negligible by comparison)

also on the pilot, if you put 2 car seats in the middle row (on both ends), you can still sit a person in the middle. that shows how wide the space is