What 3rd row SUV for Snow season use?

We have the Pilot and love its winter driving aspects, but you might have trouble fitting three car seats in the second row unless they are very compact (but you can bring your seats to the dealership and give it a try). Access to the third row for infants will be a major PIA.

 

Looking down the road you'd need a top box anyways - the vehicle is not long enough to fit skis inside unless the back row and one of the middle seats is folded down. Then you can only fit four bodies.

 

I'd take the masculinity hit and look at the AWD Odessey instead. Access is easy, and the seats fold down flat for carrying bulky items. You can fit 4'x8' sheets of plywood inside.

 

I'm not a minivan fan at all, but if they'd have offered the AWD version in 2006 we'd have bought one.

I vote Highlander...

I have a pilot too. What I don't like is the ability to put it in 4wd like I have on my XTerra. The pilot has 4wd but only for when you need to get unstuck. You can't (or at least I can't figure out) how to keep it on.

Also, you can have 6 people with two rows of seats folded down (not just 4) although they will have to be small people; like kids. Actually, in your case the twins would be sharing a bench ( two of three seats) and the oldest could be in the back row with the gear. This assumes your skis are not over 180ish and three passengers are kids. Don't quote me on the length but that should work. Room for Gear bags will probably be your biggest problem. Kids are a logistical nightmare!

Everyone will be more comfortable on the drive with a cargo box and it will also let you get something smaller. Cargo boxes have their downside too; picture five years from now, you're in the parking lot, wife is getting the kids ready and you're getting the skies down ( or visa versa). You can do it but on a snowy day, you would rather have someone to hand them to you so you don't have to keep going up and down. I did this with the XTerra and didn't much care for it. Being 5'7" didn't help and Xterras are tall.

A cargo box on wagon or at least something that has a roof low enough for you to reach in the cargo box without climbing up, might be the way to go.

I really like the Pilot but it didn't solve all the ski traveling issues I thought it would. I do like the heated seats! It also had much better reviews than the other SUVs in the same class from Consumer Reports; safety and reliability.

You can make anything work. It's a matter of what you, and more importantly your wife, are willing to deal with. The latter is why I don't have a mini van or station wagon. The Pilot was a compromise for her as she thinks it's "too girly" and is a minivan with doors that open out. She drives the XTerra.

Ken

 

 

Nooooooooooooo.............

M-B R63 AMG

 

 

Drives like grandma's fridge, zero road feel, great big sail in a crosswind, understeers like a pig with no front legs, wallows in corners like two Muranos stacked on top each other.   Somewhere on this forum is a hair raising tale of when I drove one of those from Vegas to Heavenly just after the blizzard of 2008 (including the part where the wind picked the loaded truck up and hurled us into the guardrail, 3 feet from dropping into the canyon), nowhere on this site is the tale of my intense hatred for the one I had during the JH gathering (and the creeping crawl we had to do driving back from Grand Targhee because of the aforesaid wallow).

 

Of course, it is nice inside with plenty of room.  And, if you were (hypothetically speaking), to wish to drive from Tonopah to Hawthorne at 90mph with less than 1/3 of a tank, it'll do the job.

Edited by cantunamunch - 7/1/12 at 6:27pm

 

As far as I know (and a quick google search could not find it), there in no AWD Odyssey. There is an AWD Toyota Sienna, but it requires run-flat tires as the space where the spare is located in front-wheel drive versions is used for the rear drive train.

 

I have 2003 Pilot and made it through last winter without using my ski rack. One trip was me and three almost 20 year-olds and we easily fit inside with two or three pairs or skis and two snowboards. My Pilot has only let me down once in the snow as I got stuck leaving Heavenly in January 2005. They had 40" of new snow and had not plowed parking lot very well. My Pilot settled onto (sub-)frame and did not have enough traction to get moving. 

 

Tires make a big difference and I'm now about halfway through some Michelin LTX/MS. There were excellent the first two winters, good the third and acceptable last winter. I was still able to get started from a stop over pass between Northstar and Tahoe last winter that put others including a CRV into the bank when they could not get going after stopping on steep hill.  

Do not get the Highlander.  3rd row does not split which makes it useless for hauling lots of stuff with 2 kids in the 2nd row and one in the 3rd.  Whatever you end up with you absolutely need a roof box for the skis.  I have the same needs with 3 kids real close in age.  When they were all under 6 we had a minivan with a roof box.  Now that they're a little older we've done well with the Mazda CX9.  We also have a wagon which is nice because the roof box is so accessible, but you'll never get 3 carseats in the 2nd row of a wagon.

I have three kids (boy /girl twins and another daughter), and we have owned 2 odyssey minivans , a pilot , and now an Acura mdx. Once you start shuttling your kids to all their activities you will rapidly learn to appreciate a minivan and forgive its obvious shortcomings. Honda makes a great van and if it's now available with all wheel drive that's even better. Also , the Odessey may get slightly better gas mileage than the Pilot or Mdx. We actually had a van and pilot at the same time and once our kids were in high school got rid of the van . I recently passed the pilot over to my son and purchased an Mdx. We loved the pilot and never had a problem in snow. However, if full time all wheel drive is your preference, the Mdx has it. The pilot can be locked in all wheel drive- but only up to about 15 mph then kicks in as needed.The car top box is a great idea with any of the above just in case you need the extra space inside for a particular trip. Last month Honda was offering 0.9% financing on all 3 vehicles , and I think that is still in effect. I would recommend checking out all three and decide which would work best for you. The base Mdx should run no more than 5k more than the Pilot, not sure about the current Odessey. Good luck. Jim

if all you are going to use the vehicle for is to ski local areas you might even bite the big one and go full out suburban style. Buy one in nice shape, older but well cared for. 5 years (at least) of commuting with kids you are going to love the room (roof box still required). Depending on how far you drive for skiing, low cost of purchase could help offset gas costs; if you don't drive crazy you can get reasonable mileage. Maintenance is way easy and sometimes not having wall to wall electronics is a handy thing under adverse conditions. Of course when the kids have friends and you give them rides up (races and trainning, competitions, who knows what the future will bring) you can always hit up the parents for their share of gas money.

 

just 2 cents worth, and that's not adjusted for current inflation.

Stay with Subaru, but go bigger.  Tribeca can seat 7 adults with the 3rd row, the 3rd rown can split.   The 2nd row can split 3 ways.

Think about something like the Toyota Sienna. 

http://www.toyota.com/sienna/?srchid=google%7CSUV%2FVans_Sienna%7Ctoyota_sienna

AWD minivan.  

 

When its time to trade in my YukonXL, I'm seriously thinking about going this direction.  

It gives you space for all the kids plus some moving around room inside to assist the kids when you need to. 

 

I could totally see you and Sheena in this video

I have a 2011 Pilot and love it.  I've fit 3 car seats in the back before, but it's worth noting that the third row seats are more substantial and one side does include anchors for a car seat as well.  Even so, you're going to need to get a box top.

Edited by JayT - 7/2/12 at 1:40pm

My wife had a 4X4 Suburban to haul foster care home clients. I buried it in the middle of a 100-yard-long, hood-high snow drift once, but that's the only time it got stuck .

My 2009 Forester has been recalled due to an issue with the center rear safety belt not being car seat compliant due to the way the locking mechanism works or doesn't.  However, that said, I have been able to fit three boosters back there prior to the recall notice.  2 rear facing infants and a booster in the middle for the tot may be possible, but very tight for sure.  Thankfully my kids have surpassed the 8 or 80 requirements for car seats, but I will still get it updated when I get the notification that the parts are in.

 

I agree that a wider or larger vehicle is in order if you're really planning to bring three kids under age 4 on a ski trip or any other kind of cross country vacation.  Personally, I would never even consider that unless there was a grandparent they could stay with at the resort destination. 

 

Down the road, 5 skiers is definitely a Suburban/Escalade/Sienna/Excursion/Tribeca kind of box. 

Side comment regarding ski boxes - If you love your kid(s) and your own heads use a ski box no matter how much room you have inside. In January an oncoming pickup truck lost control and I hit it head on. Fortunately my skis were in a box which was ripped off the car, crossbars and all, and flew about 20 feet and exploded. If those long, sharp heavy skis had been inside the car there is a good chance I wouldn't be writing this post.

Tromano, here's another Toyota Commercial you may like - RE: Highlander

 

The comments on Youtube are hilarious. What a brat!

Just saw a great response for that ad:

 

 

Can't believe Toyota tried to insult the Roadmaster with that ad. That wagon freaking rocked! LT1 Vette engine and RWD! Way cooler than Toyota's suburbanite mommy-mobile.

While I agree with you, and the kid portrays a spoiled, entitled brat, I love when he said, "My mom even likes it and she's like.......38"

 

Like 38 is ancient. 

Nobody's mentioned a Ford Explorer yet.  Can't imagine why, it's right up your alley needs-wise.  I've had 2 (1992 and the current 2006 model), and just drove a 2012 for a week as a rental.  Awesome RSC system on the 2006 keeps you from skidding (you can't even do donuts in the frozen parking lot unless it's turned off).  I put studded snow tires on it all winter and it goes anywhere.  Split 3rd row seats, decent access to one side of the 3rd row, and does OK on gas, even with a Mustang V-8.

 

The 2012 was pretty cool (love the rear backup camera), had lots of bells and whistles, but might be unaffordable (<$35K).  Do your due diligence, but do yourself a favor and pop your head in an Explorer.  The Ford FLEX is front wheel drive, and looks like a toaster.  I'm not sure why Ford puts out two vehicles in the same customer niche.

 

You can get the Flex with AWD. They are both on the same chassis, and presumably have the same awd system (fwd bias even in the Explorer). Maybe that's why Ford puts them in the same category.

 

Why would you go with the Flex? Maybe the mpg is better. My mother-in-law has an AWD Flex. Thing is pretty roomy in the back. Did a round-trip from Billings to the Yellowstone area in April. Very comfy.

 

That being said, the new Explorer's pretty nice, and the interior and ride has seen a HUGE improvement over previous iterations. Too bad it's no longer a true body-on-frame 4x4 anymore, but is totally car-based now, but I guess that serves their target market better anyway. Probably a smart business move on Ford's part.

We've owned both a Pilot and an Odyssey plus a Toyota Avalon. Honda and Toyota make great vehicles. The mini van is probably the most practical for little kids but I bet the highlander woul be a more satisfying vehicle to drive. I agree the box may be the way to go because with three kids you will also get thee friends and fill every seat.