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I currently drive a fully loaded minivan (Nissan Quest LE). And it's a great vehicle for what it is. It's super nice, and i get asked about it all the time. The exterior styling has grown on me mostly, but it was the interior that sealed the deal for me. The interior of the Quest surpasses both the Sienna and the Odyssey IMO. and since when i drive, what i see is the interior...thats what matters most. But I'm not going to another minivan.
Just test drive one. Its not like a normal minivan nor does it drive like one.
Just test drive one. Its not like a normal minivan nor does it drive like one.
I'm going to venture that the "not another minivan" is all about the exterior looks. That is usually the case and is the key reason why minivans have gotten less popular. For people hauling and stuff hauling the minivan package has everything beat for practicality and comfort. But the outside styling is just too frumpy for many folks. People who don't care about that and see the vehicle as utilitarian still go for the van.
It sounds like you need 3 rows. So, then I would look at an MDX or the Infiniti JX. Both can probably be bought new for under 55,000. However, it seems as if you will be checking every option box so that may not be the case.
Gotta throw in the new Grand Cherokee. The '05-'10's were crap, in my opinion, but the '11 redesign hit the nail on the head. Great ride, plenty of power with the new V6, plenty of room (but, no 3rd seat). Get the Hemi and it'll push you back into your seat on takeoff.
I had a '12 and traded it for a '14. My '12 was nice, but the '14 refresh is much nicer. Much better infotainment system, nicer leather, etc. I have a Limited with the off road group, towing, the 8.4" UConnect system with Nav and UConnect Access and sunroof, ran me about $39K out the door. Sticker was $42K. Your budget of $55K would get you a loaded Overland or Summit.
Volvos are not as costly as Mercedes, out of warranty, generally speaking. The XC60 is built upon the strengths of both the passenger cars and the XC90. There is a premium over a domestic vehicle, and even some Japanese, but the maintenance is on par with Lexus or Acura, though the key to longevity with a Volvo is to have maintenance performed on, or even a little ahead of, schedule.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
You contradicting yourself. You seriously have no choice in 7 seaters. That's why Escalade is so big. You either get it right from the get go, or you'll regret it later with jump seats in the back or little rickety dinky seats folding to the side wall in Japanese makes. Take your team of 7 and simply try them out.
Btw, mind I never said Navigator. Escalade will run for long long time. Heck, turbo or supercharge the engine, and you'll have your fun factor.
I want it to seat at least 7 (between scouts, kids + friends, etc - we will still need the room).
Oh, yeah, there is also that monstrosity from Nissan... Whatever that thing is called. Huge.
We were in the same boat, drove a minivan, could fit the world in it, kids got a bit older, didn't need to bring the world anymore, plus neither one of us liked driving it. We work downtown so parking garages in big cars are a pian but we need the third row for once and while carpool and visiting family members.
We ended buying a fully loaded Toyota Highlander, shorter than the minivan by about a foot, third row is comfortable for an adult and accessible, but folded down you have good storage, the middle row has captain chair setup, so the kids aren't right on top of each other, and you can add or remove the bench seat so you could run a longer object through that space if need be. Drives like a car, with really good visibility, had almost all of the features we wanted and at the mid 30sK it's a nice price point.
Plus it's sleek, so no embarrassment in the valet line.......
You contradicting yourself. You seriously have no choice in 7 seaters. That's why Escalade is so big. You either get it right from the get go, or you'll regret it later with jump seats in the back or little rickety dinky seats folding to the side wall in Japanese makes. Take your team of 7 and simply try them out.
Btw, mind I never said Navigator. Escalade will run for long long time. Heck, turbo or supercharge the engine, and you'll have your fun factor.
I want it to seat at least 7 (between scouts, kids + friends, etc - we will still need the room).
Oh, yeah, there is also that monstrosity from Nissan... Whatever that thing is called. Huge.
I did not contradict myself. And I don't have a "team of 7". My family consists of 4 people - 2 adults, 2 kids (and not having any more). When our family visits, they drive to see us, so even getting a 5 seater would be doable. Below (in a separate post) are the reasons I stated keeping seating for 7 is a convenience, rather than a necessity:
Quote:
Originally Posted by lhafer
Sure will, just like I put lumbar in my fancy minivan that cost $45,000. I do wood working, and have to get it home somehow. And no, trucks are not an option.
I said crossover because while I like the idea of having seating for 7, we REALLY don't use it. Every instance that I have used it, has not been necessary - just convenient. Like I'm a girl scout troop leader. The last couple of times we did a field trip, I was able to take only my car, because we could fit everyone. But it wasn't necessary - the parents could have taken their own kids and dropped them off. It's more of a convenience thing. I have a 7 year old and 3 year old. I'm not sure what the future holds for having play dates, carting friends home afterwards, etc. If we get a 5 seater - that is quite limiting with 2 kids when it comes to friend hauling. But maybe that won't ever be an issue? The other thing is, our best friends have 3 kids. They don't have family around, like we don't either, so we are each other's support system. So if her kids need to be picked up from school - I wouldn't be able to put them all in my car. But again, they are ages 7,3 and a few months...so perhaps that will never be an issue.
I plan on having my next car for 7-10 years. That gets my oldest right at driving age. My current minivan was just a interim vehicle because my old minivan was about to bite it, and we still had strollers, dogs, dog crates, etc that we needed the space. We don't really have stroller needs on a daily basis anymore, and don't have pets anymore so those aren't a consideration.
So if I go with a 7 seater option vehicle - I don't really need the 3rd row to be for adult-sized people. I just need it for taking a small group of girls on field trips, or home from troop meetings. In the past 7+ years that I have owned a minivan - the 3rd row was used the MOST when I worked, and all of my co-workers wanted to go out to lunch at the same place. We could all fit in my car. But, I stay at home now, so the 3rd row is never used. Since I got my new minivan in January of 2012 - I think my 3rd row has been used a total of about 5 times (and every time was for a girl scout troop field trip). I just wonder if that will change as my kids get older, and want to be with friends more. But then again, we live in a master-planned community, and they have bikes they can ride!
More consideration for me is the space for lumber for my wood working projects. But I can make it work in a smaller vehicle as well.
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