Need to upsize....
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Feb 2005
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Need to upsize....
Well, it's time to get rid of our Escape. (***Removed by moderator***)
We are expecting a third child and we need to upsize. Going to have two in child seats and one in a booster seat. Really looking for three rows. I know we want to buy another ford, and we really want/need captains chairs in the second row. Now i'm looking for opinions. What should we buy? We drove a freestyle, and with the seats installed in the second row, our oldest can still get to the back. (That is a nice car by the way). The wife won't do a minivan. So i'm thinking freestyle, explorer, or expedition. I know all three can be bought with three rows. I am looking to buying a used vehicle, something around an 05 or 06. Please let me know what you guys drive, especially if you have three little ones. Thanks for the replies.
Josh
We are expecting a third child and we need to upsize. Going to have two in child seats and one in a booster seat. Really looking for three rows. I know we want to buy another ford, and we really want/need captains chairs in the second row. Now i'm looking for opinions. What should we buy? We drove a freestyle, and with the seats installed in the second row, our oldest can still get to the back. (That is a nice car by the way). The wife won't do a minivan. So i'm thinking freestyle, explorer, or expedition. I know all three can be bought with three rows. I am looking to buying a used vehicle, something around an 05 or 06. Please let me know what you guys drive, especially if you have three little ones. Thanks for the replies.
Josh
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Marion, VA
You should get a really good deal on a used Explorer or Expedition. With their fuel mileage, they are selling really cheap. I would lean toward the Freestyle if you can find one. For room, I bought a Lincoln Town Car that has plenty of room and uses less gas than my Escape. You don't need 3 seats. I gave the Lincoln to my daughter so she could transport her kid (big=safer). I replaced the Lincoln with an Impala and I really miss the Lincoln. Most used Luxury cars are kept spotless by the original owners and you get a better car.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: McKenzie River
My Father recently purchased a used 07 Explorer with less than 10,000 miles on it, He loves it and has experienced zero problems with it. He says its the best used car he has ever bought and says it has almost as much room inside as some of the old full size station wagons.
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Feb 2005
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I like the freestyle a lot. I was surprised at how well it was put together and how nicely it drove. Sluggish, but nice. I do like the expedition though. But that 5.4 and it's mileage worries me. Thanks for the opinions.
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: UT
When the twins were born (numbers 3 and 4), we tried our Explorer with a third row seat. It was adequate. One day, we went shopping for something. It seemed that with the Explorers/Expeditions/minivans/etc. you had to choose between cargo space and the 3rd row seat. Even the newer Explorers or the "bigger" Expeditions didn't seem to have a lot of room behind the 3rd seat. Then we looked at the Suburbans/Excursions, and, in those monsters, we wouldn't have to choose between cargo space and third row seat. We opted for the long SUV.
I don't know how important this issue would be for you. With only 3 kids, it might not be a big deal to you to pile the cargo around them. For us, we really like having plenty of room behind the 3rd seat for junk.
And I recognize this isn't the only consideration that goes into choosing a vehicle. Just to throw this out for your consideration.
I don't know how important this issue would be for you. With only 3 kids, it might not be a big deal to you to pile the cargo around them. For us, we really like having plenty of room behind the 3rd seat for junk.
And I recognize this isn't the only consideration that goes into choosing a vehicle. Just to throw this out for your consideration.
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Feb 2005
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The suburban may still be a viable option. The Ford vehicle we get though will have the split back row allowing the oldest to still get in his seat and still pile items around him. I really want to stick with Ford though, in part because i've been so pleased with mine, but also because they didn't take any of the welfare money from the govt. That's huge in my book. But, in this case, size will matter. Out of curiosity, mrshorty, what kind of mileage do you get in the suburban?
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Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: UT
I average ~15 mixed driving, and got 17-18 on the highway. For comparison, my brother's V10 Excursion gets about the same.
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Feb 2005
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Good point. We are looking to buy used. Somewhere around an 05. Want to trade in the escape and pay some cash if need be. But definitely used. The car ideas won't work for us. Three boys in the back seat, all in some sort of carrier or booster at the same time. My wife does like the Freestyle. That's for sure. May end up with one of those with 4 captains and split 3rd row. We'll see. Thanks
Josh
Josh
Sit. Stay.
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Washington State
That's too bad, vanity can really get in the way of a good, pragmatic purchase. Y'all will be hard pressed to beat the utility, flexibility, cargo space, fuel efficiency and general all-around-family-usefulness of a minivan. Even when I went with my first Excursion with the 4th kid, I still had a minivan. Kinda wish I had another one now. 
Wait until you are carrying two carseats in the rain and some guy parks too close to you and you can't get your rear door open on the Freestyle. You'll then wish you had powered sliding doors (and a sticky bomb for that ***-hole's windshield). 
Folks here will bash Dodge products. That's to be expected here. But their new vans (although butt-*** ugly IMO) are marvels of family "carryingness". The in-floor storage is da bomb, the fold-away seats, the 4.0L V6, 6-speed, 23+mpg...
The Odyssey is actually a sharp looking van IMO but lacks some of the features that make a van appealing to me (fold away seats, etc.)
Maybe you should "try" and put a minivan (brand nonwithstanding) on your "list" of potentials.
Wait until you are carrying two carseats in the rain and some guy parks too close to you and you can't get your rear door open on the Freestyle. You'll then wish you had powered sliding doors (and a sticky bomb for that ***-hole's windshield). Folks here will bash Dodge products. That's to be expected here. But their new vans (although butt-*** ugly IMO) are marvels of family "carryingness". The in-floor storage is da bomb, the fold-away seats, the 4.0L V6, 6-speed, 23+mpg...
The Odyssey is actually a sharp looking van IMO but lacks some of the features that make a van appealing to me (fold away seats, etc.)Maybe you should "try" and put a minivan (brand nonwithstanding) on your "list" of potentials.
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Feb 2005
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Man i'd love to own a minivan. Maybe if I can just get her into one. I ask women about their's when she's around and they all say the same thing. "I didn't want one, but now that i have it, I'm so glad I do." She can't come up with one con to owning one. It's a pride/vanity thing I guess. On the other hand, if she's okay with a station wagon (Freestyle), so be it. I'll happily drive that too.