EZZ

I love my minivan. Will probably be with me longer than any of the other cars i've ever had.

Striker223

That would be a no from me! My cars are all far enough apart full door swings won't hit the others......provided everyone parks where they should.

SW17LS

Unfortunately my garage isn't big enough for that

AMIRZA786

Actually we had an 84 VW Vanagon (water cooled) when I was a teen, and we took it off road several times camping. Because it was rear engine and rear wheel drive, it could pretty much go most places off the road. We once camped in the middle of the California high desert, we just drove it off road 10 or 12 miles, found a river and setup camp. Most non off road cars would have gotten stuck

Striker223

At least your garage can fit both cars well, from your pictures you have a very nice house and a real garage. A lot of places now can't really fit anything bigger than a mid size car and "2 car" garages are more like 1.5 since it would be impossible to open the doors on one of the cars.....however I am sure you know a lot about that considering your field lol!

A lot of the new places around me under 600k can't fit my A8/your S in the garage.....I'm also fairly sure your kids are well behaved if you are anything to judge them by! From my observation/interactions with you here you are definitely someone I would want to have a chat with over some drinks and a cigar regardless of any differences in opinion we may have on certain matters.

SW17LS

Yeah they fit fine, and they're both big cars! Yeah they are good kids, but even good kids act before they think at times. By the time it comes to replace the Pacifica they'll be almost 9...I think it will be fine

Absolutely! If you're ever in the DC area I have a chair on the deck and a cigar with your name on it!

Striker223

I had no doubt they are good kids! Everyone sometimes acts before thinking, it's gaining wisdom/discernment from it that is important IMO......I would think your flagship at the time of the Pacifica's replacement will be safe lol!

Likewise if you are ever in my area or passing though, I stock Gurkhas and 12-18 year scotch and you are also more than welcome to as many/much as you would like! We have two world class restaurants here as well if you prefer exotic meats , not nearly as many options as the east coast but we hold our own lol!

SW17LS

Nice! Sounds like a plan lol. I've actually never spent any time in Ohio, I drove all the way across it once from Ann Arbor, MI back to DC.

mmarshall

Like Michigan itself, Northern Ohio, particularly in the Northeast Snow Belt part of the state, has some of the most torn-up in roads in the country. The salt, cold temps, and freeze-thaw cycles really do a number.

CMK

To be frank, most "crossover" SUVs these days also can't do any serious offroading, making them the worst of both worlds.

Striker223

Agreed, if I can't fly up and down a 30* hillside and over 10 inch logs it's not a real off-roader to me. My old Jeep can and does do it often, the only reason I keep it around is because of how much abuse it can take without parts failing.

CMK

Yeah, not many "real off-roaders" seat seven comfortably. Crossovers are much more form over function, and a minivan would suit the majority of 7-seat crossover buyers much more.

The extra ground clearance and AWD could be useful in those rare (or rural) instances where the roads aren't flat or even paved.

situman

I have a feeling the 2.4t 4cylinder will be available as an option another yr or two down the road. I mean it would just make too much sense not to do that and pray that it will be available for the 2023 model. I mean that would be a much better alternative to the crappy hybrid system. I test drove my friend's 2022 and I couldnt wait to end it due to the horribly unrefined engine. It has good pickup from a stop, but a slightly enthusiastic throttle brings a hive of bees and vibrations and buzzing from the engine. And then that hard plastic steering wheel. He had the Highland or Badlands edition or whatevers its called.

CMK

Apparently Mazda did all kinds of research into the typical 7-seat vehicle owner's commute and determined that more low-end torque was the way to go, and ended up with the 2.5 Turbo. It may not get 33 mpg in a CX-9 but it sure makes for a refined, smooth drive without the penalty to fuel economy of the last gen's 6-cylinder. It can be done!

situman

And it should be done sooner rather than later. I would wager the Sienna sales could double if that was the case. It will still be a less refined driving experience than the V6, but at least it will make up for it with decent power.