Need a vehicle with a 3rd row... what should i get?

[fatti03msp]

Well its that time to get a "real" family car.

Drove up to pittsburgh a few weeks back in the 929 and there is no way I can make the trip next year in the car.

It was my fiance, her daughter and my dog, and we have a little one on the way that is due in may so the 929 isnt going to cut it when i have two car seats and a dog. Cosmo is a husky/German Shepard mix so it going to be a decent size dog when it grows up, only 11 weeks now.

I really like the CX9 just not sure if its cost effective, I like the fact that american SUV's are built on truck frames so they can pretty much tow just as much as a truck would and usually American used cars are a little more cheaper then imports.

I love mazda's but when it comes to larger vehicles that is just not there area.

I will not have a minivan

So let me know what you guys have experienced or looked in to, im searching around now but never hurts to ask.

Im trying to keep the price under 15k

 

[S_]

Have you thought about the 5? I know it's a "minivan" but if you read reviews it's not really a "minivan" minivan. It might be more worth a look than you think.

 

[Secondtyme]

+1 for what he said. Why discount a vehicle just because. Have a look at them and decide on merit, not because its "one of those"

 

[fatti03msp]

They are growing on me and i do like the fact that you can get them in a manual and the 3 suspension stuff works on it.

they have been slowing growing on me.. we have been hitting up a few lots here and there and seeing them more in person they are not that bad.

She likes the Volvo V70 which im not against cause you can snag a V70R for a little bit more and its not a bad setup 300hp and AWD... but its on the smaller side though. With the 3rd row in the back that faces backwards you really lose all your cargo room

 

[fatti03msp]

just looked around on ebay and autotrader... they are actually pretty cheap. Never really looked at the pricing on them and my fiance likes them too which is good since its going to her car.

 

[Secondtyme]

Now you're talking! If you can find a manual trans get one, if you do you will wonder where all the "its underpowered" comments came from. With your current needs you can put the little ones in car seat(s) in the second row, fold the third row flat and the dog will be in heaven LOL

 

[TheDirtyGoatee]

I love my 5. Of course, I miss my MSP and the X-Runner was beastly but... ya gotta grow up sometime. Plus, you can get a 5 in manual like I did. I'd hold off until the goofy ass smile version goes away though, hence why I opted for a first gen facelift.

Or you can go with a Dodge Colt Vista like I also have. Also has three rows, holds 7 and also came in a stick (mine is not because it was left to me by my father once my grandmother passed [long story short- she bought it new when I was 2. Fast forward 24 years later and I now own and drive it]).

At any rate, the Mazda5 isn't a minivan. I know it has sliding doors and thus the controversy but that's where the minivan attributes stop. It comes in a stick (no North American minivan does), it can't hold a s*** ton of crap AND seat 6. It's not got a beastly V6 like most do in this day in age, doesn't come with rear entertainment standard like most minivans do.

I've worked it out and back in the 80's, the Dodge Colt Vista was called a microvan. Now, I've parked my 5 next to my wife's Chevy Cruze (a compact sedan) and they are damn near the same length. Minivans have quite a few more inches front, back, and side to side (3 wheel motion as I get inside... sorry....).

Let me know if you need some more real world info on the 5. Mine's a 2009 but I'm here to inform.