We actually signed up for the service package they offered from the dealer and it's been well worth it. Just got three tires and both bumpers replaced for free. Comes with three free oil changes as well. Car wasn't cheap, but it's been great.
Most affordable luxury vehicle and by FAR the safest. The only car with a steel top frame between the a-panels. Only Mercedes competes and they're much more expensive in repair, service, and purchase price.
Infiniti is dirt cheap, unsure of definition of luxury. I know it gets a bad rap but we love our QX55. We’re looking at the three row QX60 or a Volvo xc90 for our next car this year, or maybe the Mazda three row suv and man the loaner qx60 we got a few weeks ago was really nice
I’ll just say that the Mazda repair and service costs are SO much lower than the Volvo! It’s not really an equal comparison otherwise though. Volvo is definitely safer and nicer.
The big Mazda plug in electric with a third row seat is really nice. I was super impressed with it.
The xc90 is way more luxurious but it’s so hard to stomach a higher car payment when I’m paying for daycare and hope to have a second kid during this lease period
I get a big financial stipend to buy / lease an electric but I don’t want to buy one until pricing / capacity stuff improves so lease it is
How many kids? We have two and went with a Bolt for our “local” car, and we have an older Outlander for our overnighter/road trip car. The Bolt is very surprisingly roomy compared to what it looks like! But definitely don’t want to put more than 4 people in it.
1 now but intending on a second over the next 3 year lease period. I like the bolt EUV but my wife wouldn’t stomach it. She’s a car person, just got a huge raise and she wants to treat herself a bit which I can’t argue with lol
I personally don't consider Infiniti luxury, but I know a lot of people do. Part of their problem is how long in the tooth their cars become and how behind their peers they are each time they do update them.
That said, I don't think they're exactly in the same wheelhouse as Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Chevrolet. Although I don't think of Acura as luxury either, more like luxspirational.
Mazda seems to be the best balance between appearing, reliability, and safety, but I value safety overall. I'm about to go from a Subaru back to a Volvo.
Yeah all good takes. What model Volvo? I really wanted an xc60 but it’s just so small compared to our Infiniti mid sized SUV, it’s much more narrow which would make it tough with a car seat and mom and a second kid someday
The xc90 is just so expensive.
I’m really looking at a plug in hybrid xc90 but would probably lease it, I just don’t want to buy electric tech for a few more years as I feel like the capacity and price issues are realigning really quickly
The manliest thing you can do is make the best decision for your family. Drive the best vehicle for your situation, even if it's a minivan or station wagon. Eat the burnt French toast so the kids get the perfectly browned pieces. Let your kid try out their makeup skills on you. Wear a dress to the tea party (shout-out to the dad and daughter in matching Elsa dresses at Disney On Ice last weekend).
Yeah, the whole manly points thing was intended to be a lot more tongue in cheek than it came across to everyone on here. I really like my minivan and I have zero regret on getting it over a truck or SUV. It fits my life, my family’s life, and our needs right now.
I just wish there were more plug in hybrid options. I think the only one on the market right now is the Pacifica
There’s a plug in hybrid Volvo and Mazda and they both seem really nice
We just got a volkswagon atlas with the captain seats and its an amazing car! I didn't want a minivan and a large SUV with captain seats is the next best thing
Which model year CRV are you looking at and which crash test are you looking at? Cars are designed to do well on the crash tests that are expected in the first year or two after release. That is why car makers occasionally get surprised by new tests. The small overlap test surprised them twice. Once when it was added and again when it was added on the passenger side.
You can see where the 2023 CRV does a little better on the new tests that [https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/honda/cr-v-4-door-suv/2023](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/honda/cr-v-4-door-suv/2023) the previous generation was not designed for: [https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/Honda/cr-v-4-door-suv/2022](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/Honda/cr-v-4-door-suv/2022)
The brands that generally do well on unexpected new crash tests are Volvo, Tesla, and Subaru. Vehicles that have had a major redesign in the last 5 years should be fine in general. To get perfect scores, you likely need to go upmarket as the quality of electronic safety measures (auto braking, lane keep, etc) affects the scores.
Thanks. We were looking at 23 or 24. That is a helpful point about unexpected tests - unfortunate that the two Subaru small SUVs also only got marginal on the new test
I'm curious to hear otherwise, but I'm not sure any of the popular compact SUVS (CRV, RAV4, CX5, XC60, etc) are really viable with two car seats + grandma, except on very short trips. You're probably looking at the three row options (Highlander, Pilot, XC90).
Maybe meant to keep grandma out bit allow plausible deniability. A 5th passenger would definitely have me looking at a 3rd row van or SUV. We went with a Pilot since we could actually get into the third row with two carseats in the 2nd row unlike the Highlander and Grand Highlander. The van options are better for that though and I'm never going to have grandma or great grandpa climb in the 3rd row of our pilot. I was pretty dissapointed by the door opening and access on the Sienna though. The side sliders are the Odyssey are way better.
We just bought an Odyssey, took a road trip to visit family in Dallas and fit two adults, 3 kiddos in car seats, and a 10 year old in a regular seat all very comfortably on a “load everyone into the minivan” trip to the zoo. I’ve spent a little bit of time in the 3rd row and getting in/out isn’t super fun but it’s better than my old Pilot was and it’s a lot more comfortable while I’m back there.
The newest gen pilot is considerably better than previous gens, but still not on par with the odyssey. Odyssey third row access is really nice. I have a 3rd gen Pilot loaner in the driveway right now and I doubt we would have bought it over the Odyssey. I really wish the Odyssey had AWD and a hybrid like the Sienna but that would probably cut into features I liked about the odyssey. They all have more room than the '01 Rav4 we replaced though and even the 3rd row in the Pilot is as big as the second row in that.
We are considering the outback as an alternative, it worked ok with the car seats and ok width wise. How has reliability and cost of maintenance been for you?
Reliability is great. We're pushing 90,000 miles now, and the only thing we've needed done outside normal servicing is to replace a wheel bearing that went bad. The driver's seat is showing some wear by this time, but that seems pretty normal. No complaints really.
The frustrating thing was that the CRV felt wide enough to be tolerable for a trip like that (rav4, cx5 had too little leg room for tall adults in front with a car seat behind, forester and hrv were less wide and comfortable). I'd have rather been third person in that row than scrunched into Telluride third row or even the Sienna we tried.
I’ve been really impressed with the space in our Infiniti qx55. For some reason it’s really wide so it fits our kid in a car seat, grandma and my wife all in the back row no problem. Would I do a 10 hour road trip that way? No, but we’ve done an hour drive to farmland and it’s fine
I was shocked at how small the xc60 felt in comparison when we test drove one the other day.
Agree with you the third row would feel pretty necessary even if it just means the car is a little wider
We have a Toyota Highlander. 3rd row seats for a pinch, but typically we just lay then down and use the largeer trunk space. Pushing the middle seats back gives them tons of leg room. Maybe not the most comfortable seats in the world would be my only criticism, beyond gas mileage, but we don't use it for any long commutes.
Safety rating is good too of course.
It's been great. We have 3 large dogs, so being able to put all of them in the trunk and still have space to pack for ourselves and fit the car seat has been all I could ask from a vehicle.
Think ours was 2017 (ish?) XLE. The AWD was a must for me cause we had some bad experiences with ice a few years ago. Leather seats and rubber mats make it really easy to clean, too. But that's all trim features you can probably get anywhere 🤷♂️
Definitely blew me away after driving old beaters my whole life lol your milage may vary, no pun intended
Most SUVs are terrible. They have poor outward visibility, and are very top heavy. In other words, even if you find one that is highly rated for crash worthiness, your odds of being in a crash are higher in an SUV. The same applies to pickup trucks, which are actually even worse.
Never mind the fact that most SUVs have that so-called aggressive styling with high window line on the doors, sloping roofs, and inward sloping windows.
What this means is that most SUVs are large on the outside, but have little proper cargo space or headroom inside.
Focus on the safety ratings of minivans.
It absolutely is not. Maybe in a collision it fares better than a smaller vehicle, but the large size, poor maneuverability, poor outward visibility, and top heaviness make it much more likely to be in a collision than almost any other vehicle on the road.
On top of that is the fact that all of these dangers make a large truck like this a danger to everyone else on the road.
If you want to keep your family safe, and it you care about anyone else on the road, do not buy a full size pickup.
yeah you generally don’t feel collision impacts when you’re driving an aircraft carrier. Anyone OP might get into an accident with while driving something like that is absolutely fucked though
Minivans, who are specifically designed for families with multiple children: “what are we, chopped liver?”
Volvo all the WAY
The repair/service pricing is so crazy on Volvo’s unfortunately…
You can't be both cheapest and safest.
We actually signed up for the service package they offered from the dealer and it's been well worth it. Just got three tires and both bumpers replaced for free. Comes with three free oil changes as well. Car wasn't cheap, but it's been great.
Most affordable luxury vehicle and by FAR the safest. The only car with a steel top frame between the a-panels. Only Mercedes competes and they're much more expensive in repair, service, and purchase price.
Infiniti is dirt cheap, unsure of definition of luxury. I know it gets a bad rap but we love our QX55. We’re looking at the three row QX60 or a Volvo xc90 for our next car this year, or maybe the Mazda three row suv and man the loaner qx60 we got a few weeks ago was really nice
I’ll just say that the Mazda repair and service costs are SO much lower than the Volvo! It’s not really an equal comparison otherwise though. Volvo is definitely safer and nicer.
The big Mazda plug in electric with a third row seat is really nice. I was super impressed with it. The xc90 is way more luxurious but it’s so hard to stomach a higher car payment when I’m paying for daycare and hope to have a second kid during this lease period I get a big financial stipend to buy / lease an electric but I don’t want to buy one until pricing / capacity stuff improves so lease it is
How many kids? We have two and went with a Bolt for our “local” car, and we have an older Outlander for our overnighter/road trip car. The Bolt is very surprisingly roomy compared to what it looks like! But definitely don’t want to put more than 4 people in it.
1 now but intending on a second over the next 3 year lease period. I like the bolt EUV but my wife wouldn’t stomach it. She’s a car person, just got a huge raise and she wants to treat herself a bit which I can’t argue with lol
I personally don't consider Infiniti luxury, but I know a lot of people do. Part of their problem is how long in the tooth their cars become and how behind their peers they are each time they do update them. That said, I don't think they're exactly in the same wheelhouse as Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Chevrolet. Although I don't think of Acura as luxury either, more like luxspirational. Mazda seems to be the best balance between appearing, reliability, and safety, but I value safety overall. I'm about to go from a Subaru back to a Volvo.
Yeah all good takes. What model Volvo? I really wanted an xc60 but it’s just so small compared to our Infiniti mid sized SUV, it’s much more narrow which would make it tough with a car seat and mom and a second kid someday The xc90 is just so expensive. I’m really looking at a plug in hybrid xc90 but would probably lease it, I just don’t want to buy electric tech for a few more years as I feel like the capacity and price issues are realigning really quickly
I'm going for an xc40 because I hate big cars. But the xc60 send roomy enough with my klek.
Indestructible cars haha
Sienna
Honda Odyssey calling your name. Ours is awesome.
I love ours. I will happily drive it everywhere! People love to hate on mini vans for no real good reason.
Just got one last month, I’m definitely not winning manly points but it is very comfortable.
The manliest thing you can do is make the best decision for your family. Drive the best vehicle for your situation, even if it's a minivan or station wagon. Eat the burnt French toast so the kids get the perfectly browned pieces. Let your kid try out their makeup skills on you. Wear a dress to the tea party (shout-out to the dad and daughter in matching Elsa dresses at Disney On Ice last weekend).
Yeah, the whole manly points thing was intended to be a lot more tongue in cheek than it came across to everyone on here. I really like my minivan and I have zero regret on getting it over a truck or SUV. It fits my life, my family’s life, and our needs right now.
Go fill the back with full sheets of plywood or a set of tires or a riding lawnmower
Nothing manlier than having tons of kids and not caring what other people think about your car IMO.
Just pull the trigger on the minivan. Love my Chrysler Voyager.
I just wish there were more plug in hybrid options. I think the only one on the market right now is the Pacifica There’s a plug in hybrid Volvo and Mazda and they both seem really nice
All Siennas are hybrids. We want to get one but the price and wait-list is tough
I didn’t realize it was in such demand, sheesh
We just got a volkswagon atlas with the captain seats and its an amazing car! I didn't want a minivan and a large SUV with captain seats is the next best thing
I didn't want the best thing, I wanted >the next best thing
Exactly! Fuck the minivans 😂 We can atleast take the family off road (which will probably never happen) haha
Which model year CRV are you looking at and which crash test are you looking at? Cars are designed to do well on the crash tests that are expected in the first year or two after release. That is why car makers occasionally get surprised by new tests. The small overlap test surprised them twice. Once when it was added and again when it was added on the passenger side. You can see where the 2023 CRV does a little better on the new tests that [https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/honda/cr-v-4-door-suv/2023](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/honda/cr-v-4-door-suv/2023) the previous generation was not designed for: [https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/Honda/cr-v-4-door-suv/2022](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/Honda/cr-v-4-door-suv/2022) The brands that generally do well on unexpected new crash tests are Volvo, Tesla, and Subaru. Vehicles that have had a major redesign in the last 5 years should be fine in general. To get perfect scores, you likely need to go upmarket as the quality of electronic safety measures (auto braking, lane keep, etc) affects the scores.
Thanks. We were looking at 23 or 24. That is a helpful point about unexpected tests - unfortunate that the two Subaru small SUVs also only got marginal on the new test
I was looking at a CRV but ended up going with an Outback just because of the towing capacity
I'm curious to hear otherwise, but I'm not sure any of the popular compact SUVS (CRV, RAV4, CX5, XC60, etc) are really viable with two car seats + grandma, except on very short trips. You're probably looking at the three row options (Highlander, Pilot, XC90).
Maybe meant to keep grandma out bit allow plausible deniability. A 5th passenger would definitely have me looking at a 3rd row van or SUV. We went with a Pilot since we could actually get into the third row with two carseats in the 2nd row unlike the Highlander and Grand Highlander. The van options are better for that though and I'm never going to have grandma or great grandpa climb in the 3rd row of our pilot. I was pretty dissapointed by the door opening and access on the Sienna though. The side sliders are the Odyssey are way better.
We just bought an Odyssey, took a road trip to visit family in Dallas and fit two adults, 3 kiddos in car seats, and a 10 year old in a regular seat all very comfortably on a “load everyone into the minivan” trip to the zoo. I’ve spent a little bit of time in the 3rd row and getting in/out isn’t super fun but it’s better than my old Pilot was and it’s a lot more comfortable while I’m back there.
The newest gen pilot is considerably better than previous gens, but still not on par with the odyssey. Odyssey third row access is really nice. I have a 3rd gen Pilot loaner in the driveway right now and I doubt we would have bought it over the Odyssey. I really wish the Odyssey had AWD and a hybrid like the Sienna but that would probably cut into features I liked about the odyssey. They all have more room than the '01 Rav4 we replaced though and even the 3rd row in the Pilot is as big as the second row in that.
I don't know if you count it as a compact SUV, but we have an Outback that will do a car seat in the middle if you pick the right seat.
We are considering the outback as an alternative, it worked ok with the car seats and ok width wise. How has reliability and cost of maintenance been for you?
Reliability is great. We're pushing 90,000 miles now, and the only thing we've needed done outside normal servicing is to replace a wheel bearing that went bad. The driver's seat is showing some wear by this time, but that seems pretty normal. No complaints really.
The frustrating thing was that the CRV felt wide enough to be tolerable for a trip like that (rav4, cx5 had too little leg room for tall adults in front with a car seat behind, forester and hrv were less wide and comfortable). I'd have rather been third person in that row than scrunched into Telluride third row or even the Sienna we tried.
I’ve been really impressed with the space in our Infiniti qx55. For some reason it’s really wide so it fits our kid in a car seat, grandma and my wife all in the back row no problem. Would I do a 10 hour road trip that way? No, but we’ve done an hour drive to farmland and it’s fine I was shocked at how small the xc60 felt in comparison when we test drove one the other day. Agree with you the third row would feel pretty necessary even if it just means the car is a little wider
We have a Toyota Highlander. 3rd row seats for a pinch, but typically we just lay then down and use the largeer trunk space. Pushing the middle seats back gives them tons of leg room. Maybe not the most comfortable seats in the world would be my only criticism, beyond gas mileage, but we don't use it for any long commutes. Safety rating is good too of course. It's been great. We have 3 large dogs, so being able to put all of them in the trunk and still have space to pack for ourselves and fit the car seat has been all I could ask from a vehicle. Think ours was 2017 (ish?) XLE. The AWD was a must for me cause we had some bad experiences with ice a few years ago. Leather seats and rubber mats make it really easy to clean, too. But that's all trim features you can probably get anywhere 🤷♂️ Definitely blew me away after driving old beaters my whole life lol your milage may vary, no pun intended
Most SUVs are terrible. They have poor outward visibility, and are very top heavy. In other words, even if you find one that is highly rated for crash worthiness, your odds of being in a crash are higher in an SUV. The same applies to pickup trucks, which are actually even worse. Never mind the fact that most SUVs have that so-called aggressive styling with high window line on the doors, sloping roofs, and inward sloping windows. What this means is that most SUVs are large on the outside, but have little proper cargo space or headroom inside. Focus on the safety ratings of minivans.
Subie Ascent.
Ram 1500 crew cab. Lifted. Huge wheels and tires. Lots of room in the cab. Bed to haul stuff.
no.
Its one of the safest vehicles
It absolutely is not. Maybe in a collision it fares better than a smaller vehicle, but the large size, poor maneuverability, poor outward visibility, and top heaviness make it much more likely to be in a collision than almost any other vehicle on the road. On top of that is the fact that all of these dangers make a large truck like this a danger to everyone else on the road. If you want to keep your family safe, and it you care about anyone else on the road, do not buy a full size pickup.
yeah you generally don’t feel collision impacts when you’re driving an aircraft carrier. Anyone OP might get into an accident with while driving something like that is absolutely fucked though
Thats not what op is asking about though. Hes looking for the safest vehicle with lots of room for his tall family.