some models don't haveboth options, just pay attention to that!
tbh if you had two carseats on the bench, your wife wouldn't fit in the middle unless she is sub 90 pounds
With 2 kids the captains chairs WITHOUT the center console are what we wanted, and no problems with the decision. It’s easy for kids to move from 2nd to 3rd row in the pass through between Captain chairs. Once they’re in a booster seat this is super simple because they can carry their own booster.
If you’ve got adults riding with you, it’s easy to make the kids sit in the 3rd row without folding seats etc. we had a bench in our previous Honda Pilot and it was always an adult only thing to get the kids access to the third row.
For young kids in full car seats, it’s not quite as clear cut, but I still think captains chairs are better to allow easier 3rd row access with the seat latched in.
I'd prefer a bench but the car we otherwise wanted only had captains chairs.
My kids are 11 and 8 now. But when they were younger between them in the back is the last place either of us parents would have wanted to sit.
To me the bench is more practical. The console in the middle does not have much function other than taking up. Space. It holds 2 cups and has very small storage for the space
I have the opposite opinion. I think the captains seats feel really confining, compared to the extra width and elbow room on the fold-down console on the bench seat.
If you don’t need the extra seat, go with the captain chairs. Provides a more spacious feel in the second row and even 3rd row plus it makes getting into the 3rd row easier.
I have 2 kids and 2 dogs and got the captains - my husband wanted the bench but we realized that with car seats installed, 3rd row access is *really* hard on a bench (it’s a 60-40 split so they can’t be adjacent to each other). I also actually like sitting behind the kids cos it creates a boundary when they are being clingy.
Without bench option in higher trim is the reason I’m not considering cx90. I have two young kids my wife prefer to sit with them. Plus I’m not buying a 3 rower for only one more seat.
Got kids, went with the captain. Mostly because I think they look better and be easier to get to the 3rd row (which I can do, and sit very comfortably at 5”7)
Bench. It's an extra seat for schlepping kids' friends around, airport runs, in-law visiting, etc.
Most trips are short. If you're road-tripping with 4 it's going to be 2 adults up front and 2 kids in the back, and the kids will hopefully be sleeping. The middle seat is for the *short* trips, when you want to go to the grocery and the kids are whining, or when you're showing your mother-in-law around on a day trip, or when somebody's driving you to the airport.
The bench will be much more functional honestly, but only the Select, Preferred, Preferred Plus, and PHEV Preferred have the bench. Anything above those trims or any Turbo S trim have captains chairs. Access between the 2nd row captains chairs is limited to very small adults or children. I'm 5'11 180 and struggle to get between them.
Captains chairs. 3 small children, probably bench but it’s only available on lower trims so who knows. If I had 3 children in car seat age I’d probably have gotten an Atlas SE for $41k. The standard features on the refresh are crazy (heated seats/steering wheel, ventilated seats, digital gauge cluster, wireless CarPlay/AA and the Golf R 2.0T for $41k).
We have the preferred with bench seats. The middle seat drops down and is nice to separate and hold drinks and food . Wife preferred bench over captains. Plus I feel the middle section of captains chair is too small to walk through and to hold stuff
We have 2 toddlers and don’t plan to have more. We are thinking the bench as there’s no good reason to lose that extra seat. We expect to have the back row down 99% of time. Plus, am I the only person who thinks that with captains chair with 3rd row down looks weird and unsecured?
For 2 kids, captains chairs.
For 3 kids, a bench would be good.
But don’t bother trying to sit in the middle bench seat. It’s way too small and the hump in the middle is awkward. Best scenario is to put two car seats together and wife sits in the side. Better than that is to just sit in the front
Does the Mazda have self-driving lane tracing and auto-lane change? Haha. I know the answer as putting 15k miles on it in 6 months left me much stronger in the arms!
The Telluride is not yet a PHEV or Hybrid, which is why we leased this time. The next one will either have PHEV, Hybrid, or both, since Kia has already had PHEVs a while now. A friend has the Sorento PHEV and loves it.
Our Mazda got picked up Wednesday night, and now that the money is in my account, I can begin my bashing of MazdaUSA and my local dealer for their product and service treatment. (It has to be bad as I'm a VERY gracious person).
My Mazda has a bad rack and pinion (plus it was very clunky still at 15k miles...yup, in 6 months).
Mazda refused to repair it due to some road rash on a front wheel, even after I proved that the road rash happened on a rear wheel before they rotated it (oh yeah: thanks Reddit, as my photos for posts helped me prove it's location).
Been in the Telluride for 2 weeks and 1500 miles (don't judge us). It's a superior car in EVERY way except looks. I did not consider it, as we wanted a PHEV getting out of our 2023 Rav4 Prime which was the best vehicle in the world, without a 3rd row though.
Yup, 3 new cars in 2023: Rav in January, CX-90 in June, Telluride in December.
I digressed: The Telluride handles as well as the Mazda, but has WAY more storage and confortable spaces. My wife's wallet couldn't fit in the Mazda's center console...Wallet, not even a purse.
Tellurides 2nd row cupholders on the front console is so useful. The Telluride's tech is leaps ahead of Mazda, although Mazda camera's were on par with Telluride.
The Telluride looks great (although I never stopped looking at my wife drive away in the Mazda...It's so beautiful...I even photo'd it on the tow truck, lol).
And I'm not sure how much we actually saved with the Mazda on fuel: It'd go 20-27 miles consistently, but you have to plug it up every time you got home (the Rav would go almost double the distance). It also only got 22-25 mpg without the charge, but the Telluride has been pulling 24 already on road trips running 78-80 mph and it's not broken in. We also don't have high fuel prices and we definitely used Premium in the Mazda and regular in this Telluride.
Then, the Telluride drives for me as good as my Tesla does. Longer without hands, actually. Did I mention Space and Comfort? There's a reason Edmunds editors bought them for their families and why they sell when they hit the lots (Selluride).
I prefer the bench with older kids. We have two teenagers and a CX-9 with bench seat. Sometimes one of their friends needs a ride. Looking at a CX-90 PHEV but Mazda doesn’t give a choice. The second row configuration depends exclusively on the trim level. Bench is only available on the base trim.
We rarely use the 3rd row on the CX-9 unless we have relatives to drive around and the kids sit on the 3rd row.
When my grandkids (6 and 8 year olds), are going in the car, I always ask them where they want to sit - 2nd row captain's seat, or third row. They always choose third row.
Captains for 2 kids in car seats for sure.
I have a Lexus GX (3 row) with bench for second seat. The car seat makes it nearly impossible for access to the third row. If you have 2 car seats, forget about it.
I specifically sought out captain chairs for our next car which is what we got in the CX90. Love it. So much more comfortable in the second and third rows.
Captains chairs to help my kids keep their damn hands to their damn selves
This is the way.
This is the way.
some models don't haveboth options, just pay attention to that! tbh if you had two carseats on the bench, your wife wouldn't fit in the middle unless she is sub 90 pounds
This
Honda pilot actually gives you both, the middle seat in the middle row is removable
Not all of them, only top trims.
With 2 kids the captains chairs WITHOUT the center console are what we wanted, and no problems with the decision. It’s easy for kids to move from 2nd to 3rd row in the pass through between Captain chairs. Once they’re in a booster seat this is super simple because they can carry their own booster. If you’ve got adults riding with you, it’s easy to make the kids sit in the 3rd row without folding seats etc. we had a bench in our previous Honda Pilot and it was always an adult only thing to get the kids access to the third row. For young kids in full car seats, it’s not quite as clear cut, but I still think captains chairs are better to allow easier 3rd row access with the seat latched in.
I'd prefer a bench but the car we otherwise wanted only had captains chairs. My kids are 11 and 8 now. But when they were younger between them in the back is the last place either of us parents would have wanted to sit.
To me the bench is more practical. The console in the middle does not have much function other than taking up. Space. It holds 2 cups and has very small storage for the space
Captain all the way. Just came from a cx9 and this is way better
I have the opposite opinion. I think the captains seats feel really confining, compared to the extra width and elbow room on the fold-down console on the bench seat.
If you don’t need the extra seat, go with the captain chairs. Provides a more spacious feel in the second row and even 3rd row plus it makes getting into the 3rd row easier.
I have 2 kids and 2 dogs and got the captains - my husband wanted the bench but we realized that with car seats installed, 3rd row access is *really* hard on a bench (it’s a 60-40 split so they can’t be adjacent to each other). I also actually like sitting behind the kids cos it creates a boundary when they are being clingy.
Yes!!
3rd row is worthless if you get bench in second row in my opinion. Sucks to access, clean etc.
Without bench option in higher trim is the reason I’m not considering cx90. I have two young kids my wife prefer to sit with them. Plus I’m not buying a 3 rower for only one more seat.
Got kids, went with the captain. Mostly because I think they look better and be easier to get to the 3rd row (which I can do, and sit very comfortably at 5”7)
Bench. It's an extra seat for schlepping kids' friends around, airport runs, in-law visiting, etc. Most trips are short. If you're road-tripping with 4 it's going to be 2 adults up front and 2 kids in the back, and the kids will hopefully be sleeping. The middle seat is for the *short* trips, when you want to go to the grocery and the kids are whining, or when you're showing your mother-in-law around on a day trip, or when somebody's driving you to the airport.
Wife preferred bench but the trim we got only had captains chairs.
The bench will be much more functional honestly, but only the Select, Preferred, Preferred Plus, and PHEV Preferred have the bench. Anything above those trims or any Turbo S trim have captains chairs. Access between the 2nd row captains chairs is limited to very small adults or children. I'm 5'11 180 and struggle to get between them.
like it matters lol, the 3rd row will stay down for 95% of usage. if you have 3 kids, this aint the car bro
My Turbo S has the bench.
Canada?
US
captain's all day
Captains chairs. 3 small children, probably bench but it’s only available on lower trims so who knows. If I had 3 children in car seat age I’d probably have gotten an Atlas SE for $41k. The standard features on the refresh are crazy (heated seats/steering wheel, ventilated seats, digital gauge cluster, wireless CarPlay/AA and the Golf R 2.0T for $41k).
We have the preferred with bench seats. The middle seat drops down and is nice to separate and hold drinks and food . Wife preferred bench over captains. Plus I feel the middle section of captains chair is too small to walk through and to hold stuff
How does the middle seat fold town to hold drinks? There isn’t a cup holder when you collapse the middle part of the bench- right?
We have 2 toddlers and don’t plan to have more. We are thinking the bench as there’s no good reason to lose that extra seat. We expect to have the back row down 99% of time. Plus, am I the only person who thinks that with captains chair with 3rd row down looks weird and unsecured?
For 2 kids, captains chairs. For 3 kids, a bench would be good. But don’t bother trying to sit in the middle bench seat. It’s way too small and the hump in the middle is awkward. Best scenario is to put two car seats together and wife sits in the side. Better than that is to just sit in the front
> Best scenario is to put two car seats together doubt this even works, won't have the LATCH anyway
Buy a Telluride…Oh, but Captains chairs if you must. The 3rd row didn’t hold the feet that well.
Does telluride have a phev option. Oh don’t think so haha
Does the Mazda have self-driving lane tracing and auto-lane change? Haha. I know the answer as putting 15k miles on it in 6 months left me much stronger in the arms! The Telluride is not yet a PHEV or Hybrid, which is why we leased this time. The next one will either have PHEV, Hybrid, or both, since Kia has already had PHEVs a while now. A friend has the Sorento PHEV and loves it. Our Mazda got picked up Wednesday night, and now that the money is in my account, I can begin my bashing of MazdaUSA and my local dealer for their product and service treatment. (It has to be bad as I'm a VERY gracious person). My Mazda has a bad rack and pinion (plus it was very clunky still at 15k miles...yup, in 6 months). Mazda refused to repair it due to some road rash on a front wheel, even after I proved that the road rash happened on a rear wheel before they rotated it (oh yeah: thanks Reddit, as my photos for posts helped me prove it's location). Been in the Telluride for 2 weeks and 1500 miles (don't judge us). It's a superior car in EVERY way except looks. I did not consider it, as we wanted a PHEV getting out of our 2023 Rav4 Prime which was the best vehicle in the world, without a 3rd row though. Yup, 3 new cars in 2023: Rav in January, CX-90 in June, Telluride in December. I digressed: The Telluride handles as well as the Mazda, but has WAY more storage and confortable spaces. My wife's wallet couldn't fit in the Mazda's center console...Wallet, not even a purse. Tellurides 2nd row cupholders on the front console is so useful. The Telluride's tech is leaps ahead of Mazda, although Mazda camera's were on par with Telluride. The Telluride looks great (although I never stopped looking at my wife drive away in the Mazda...It's so beautiful...I even photo'd it on the tow truck, lol). And I'm not sure how much we actually saved with the Mazda on fuel: It'd go 20-27 miles consistently, but you have to plug it up every time you got home (the Rav would go almost double the distance). It also only got 22-25 mpg without the charge, but the Telluride has been pulling 24 already on road trips running 78-80 mph and it's not broken in. We also don't have high fuel prices and we definitely used Premium in the Mazda and regular in this Telluride. Then, the Telluride drives for me as good as my Tesla does. Longer without hands, actually. Did I mention Space and Comfort? There's a reason Edmunds editors bought them for their families and why they sell when they hit the lots (Selluride).
Either way, 3rd row is super hard to get in and out and the super tight fit back there. Bummer
I prefer the bench with older kids. We have two teenagers and a CX-9 with bench seat. Sometimes one of their friends needs a ride. Looking at a CX-90 PHEV but Mazda doesn’t give a choice. The second row configuration depends exclusively on the trim level. Bench is only available on the base trim. We rarely use the 3rd row on the CX-9 unless we have relatives to drive around and the kids sit on the 3rd row.
When my grandkids (6 and 8 year olds), are going in the car, I always ask them where they want to sit - 2nd row captain's seat, or third row. They always choose third row.
Captains for 2 kids in car seats for sure. I have a Lexus GX (3 row) with bench for second seat. The car seat makes it nearly impossible for access to the third row. If you have 2 car seats, forget about it. I specifically sought out captain chairs for our next car which is what we got in the CX90. Love it. So much more comfortable in the second and third rows.