comaprime

Really confused,after much research I keep ending up with the GX. I start my research again and keep ending up back thinking I've made a mistake in logic. so here I am! My situation - lease for Audi Q5 is coming to an end in October. About a year into having it, i had a 3rd child. Things got tight real fast. We mostly ended up using my wife's dodge minivan for the most part for travel, but even that ride is getting a bit decrepit for long drives. My parents on occasion ride with me as well since now they're too old to drive on their own. I need something big to haul people. What I don't want is to pack it up like minivan and have the back end drag (you know when the back half of the vehicle is much lower than the front look-yeah, that's me on the highway). Would you recommend this vehicle for a family of 5 ( baby, tall lanky 13 yr old, and chubby 10 yr old) with an occasional 7? Can they fit? Alternatives?


Thanks for taking the time!

bd5400

The third row is most comfortable for small children. It isn't easy to get into and there's very little leg room. You'll want the baby in the second row which will leave very tight quarters for your ten and thirteen year olds. Granted this is just my perception as an adult who has been back there. I don't have any kids.

If if you get air suspension the rear of the vehicle will level itself out even when loaded up.

tecman

No, the GX is not big on the inside. Sure, you can pack 5 in it, but it would be cramped and forget about long trips. The GX would be OK for an alternative viehicle for you to occasionally pack the family into and use the minivan as the primary family car.

Altenatives, get the GX if that is what you really want and it will serve its purpose to get the family around. Use the minivan as the primary family hauler (maybe get a better one for the wife).
Another option is to get a roomy family SUV such as the Chevy Tahoe or Suburban, Caddilac Escalade or Infinity QX80.

I visit 5-10 homes in a work week with my job and alot of my customers have 2-4 kids. No GX in the driveway, typically Tahoe or Suburbans, and yes some minivans.

11GX460

I'd get the top of the line Nissan NV 3500 van. It's got toughness (body-on-frame) and super roomy -You can have even more kids. Otherwise, Sequoia. They should be very competitively priced since they've been out for a while now.

comaprime

Thanks all, just as I feared, sounds like I have to go bigger...yikes.

Craigyyy

GX looks a lot bigger on the outside than it really is. In reality it has the same dimensions as a 4runner. You can definitely do 4 people very comfortably all day long. I think 4 + front-facing baby seat would also work well enough, but really 3 abreast isn't all that nice in any SUV. And the 3rd row is the limiting factor like most 3 row SUVs.

Depending on how old your baby is, might not work. I can first hand say that a rear-facing child seat really doesn't fit in the GX unless you put it in the center. However if that's not an issue for you then that's not an issue. On the occasion that you have the parents in the car too, you should be able to stuff both older kids in the third row. I have ridden in the back before and it's cramped but doable. Not bad like a 911 backseat If they're going to ride back there a lot though, or for long trips, probably not ideal.

Also check out the new 2017 Nissan Armada, which is based on the Nissan Patrol and going to be a much nicer vehicle than the old generation Armada.

S2k4

If your budget allows, the LX or LC could work.

jjscsix

I don't have kids or anyone else to ride in ours except my wife and Standard Poodle, but I agree with this.

Looks aren't everything, but I think the other vehicles in my garage would revolt and make me park one of those about a block away!

Aron9000

I'd say you need one of the following vehicles . . . .

1. Chevy Suburban
2. GMC Yukon/Denali, the long wheelbase version
3. Cadillac Escalade EXT/long wheelbase version
4. Ford Expidition EL, ie the long wheelbase version
5. Honda Oddesy
6. Toyota Sienna
7. Ford Transit

8. Some sort of custom Ford or GM conversion van, depending on your needs. These would be on the old Chevy van chassis or old school Ford econoline chassis, so they'd be big V8 gas sucking type of vehicles.

comaprime

Once again thanks everyone for the very useful feedback. Just by chance my older kids and I were heading to a local ****'s and the Lexus dealership was on the way back. It was a Saturday so I didn't get hassled, it was a madhouse there by the way. I had them get in the 3rd row seat. They fit perfectly with some room to spare. I adjusted the driver seat and sat in the 2nd row. Granted i did not push the 2nd row back too far. The occasions they have to be back there is really quite rare now that I think about it further and for short trips to extended family members living close by (1hr or less). Baby seat is now front facing. I know it was a massive issue in my Audi for rear facing.

The primary use of the car is for work. So I'm hesitant on getting anything bigger than this. In the end I do drive in NYC and do parallel park quite often. The wife has a minivan and at some point will have to upgrade it, but that is the primary hauler on the weekdays around town.

I know for a fact the Sequoia would be great as well, but i know someone who had it and the mgp was horrendous, I think he was averaging around 10 and he eventually got rid of it. My only other choice would be the Tahoe/Yukon non extended. But, I think they're charging a lot more than for what is offered. That will be the next trip. I know those dealers are a bit more 'grabby' so I'm holding off visiting until my lease ends up.

Apologize in advance, I have no clue how to quote and answer.

GoHuskers

Your family is similar to mine as we have 3 boys (15, 9, and 10 months) but we are on the small sides. I am the HEAVIEST at 5'8 and 165 lbs. My 3rd row is folded down 99% of the time unless I have guests (nephews, In-laws...). The baby rear facing carseat is on the middle of the second row and the 9 years old is behind the driver while my older boy and my wife are taking turns on the passenger side. It is VERY comfortable for us and we love the GX for that. I can't say the same thing when we take my Tacoma.

Good luck.

comaprime

Eerily similar, 3 boys and the same height! I just wished i weighed 165

Craigyyy

If the kids fit back there, no reason to get something bigger IMO. And if the parents don't want to sit next to a baby seat on occasion, they can drive themselves

Sequoia and anything else with the 5.7L (Land Cruiser, LX, Tundra) is going to get terrible mileage. Cost isn't that big of a deal, but because they put small tanks in these, you'll be stopping for gas all the time. Tundra offers a 38 gallon tank because mileage is so bad. GX is a little better on that front.