I have loved my Highlander Hybrid but I have an older model and it was nice and small but the third row works for small kids and short distances. They went bigger with the Body for a while but I think it's smaller now and more like a crossover.

That being said...if I could afford a Tesla X I would wait for it! What a fantastic vehicle!!

Another important consideration (I think - still new to this myself) is whether they are "plug-in hybrid" (PHEV) or just plain-vanilla hybrid. For someone who does little driving, all local commute type stuff, the PHEV should be a much better deal. A normal hybrid extends the gas mileage by boosting the gasoline-powered engine, which is basically always running. (I read somewhere that the Lexus hybrid, for example, rarely if ever sticks in electric mode.) The Volvo, OTOH, is advertised as a PHEV that runs its first 15 or so miles off the charger purely on electric, which could cover all your local driving if you're a light driver like OP is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have the Tesla Model X, and love it. The third row folds down easily when not in use, and it's also pretty easily accessible when you do want to use it. We can fit a ton in there with the third row folded down, and the frunk makes for extra storage space, too. I'm a fan.

Is there a waiting list for it, like other Teslas?

Yes

Love our Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

Anonymous wrote:We have the Tesla Model X, and love it. The third row folds down easily when not in use, and it's also pretty easily accessible when you do want to use it. We can fit a ton in there with the third row folded down, and the frunk makes for extra storage space, too. I'm a fan.

Is there a waiting list for it, like other Teslas?

Anonymous wrote:Op, what about the Pacifica hybrid minivan?

OP here. Minivan doesn't make sense. I have only two kids, and the third row is just for occasional (3x a month) carpooling.

We have the Tesla Model X, and love it. The third row folds down easily when not in use, and it's also pretty easily accessible when you do want to use it. We can fit a ton in there with the third row folded down, and the frunk makes for extra storage space, too. I'm a fan.

Op, what about the Pacifica hybrid minivan?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are your kids? We have a Mazda 5 for similar usage, but our youngest is in a car seat and will be for the forseeable future. The fold down seats in the 5 were nicer than in the Rogue that I test drove, although maybe the newer models are better? Anyway, because of the car seats, I wanted the 3rd row seats to be comfortable for adults in a pinch, and I didn't find the Rogue seats comfy and I am a shorty.

But I don't think Mazda has any electric/hybrid vehicles coming any time soon.

Probably not. I was just letting you know why we didn't wind up getting a Rogue a couple years ago. It was a 3rd row comfort thing since we'd likely be having to put adults back there sometimes rather than just kids.

Anonymous wrote:How old are your kids? We have a Mazda 5 for similar usage, but our youngest is in a car seat and will be for the forseeable future. The fold down seats in the 5 were nicer than in the Rogue that I test drove, although maybe the newer models are better? Anyway, because of the car seats, I wanted the 3rd row seats to be comfortable for adults in a pinch, and I didn't find the Rogue seats comfy and I am a shorty.

But I don't think Mazda has any electric/hybrid vehicles coming any time soon.

If I could afford it, I'd get the Tesla X in a heartbeat.

I'm getting set to replace my Hybrid Ford Escape (good car, but they don't make it anymore and it doesn't have the all-important optional 3rd row). My current first choice is the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. I've looked at them when I was at the dealership, but have not test driven it yet, so I'll be following this thread to see if you get other recomendations.

I did drive a Nissan Rogue as a rental a couple of years ago. It seemed fine except that I didn't like the storage area. It had these odd sides that narrowed and didn't allow you to use the full width of the car for storage. Since I periodically move big things like furniture or building materials, losing storage width did not appeal to me. I'll check out the new Rogues to see if they still have this problem but that was a real negative for me.

My kids are 6 and 2, so only one in a carseat for the next few years.

How old are your kids? We have a Mazda 5 for similar usage, but our youngest is in a car seat and will be for the forseeable future. The fold down seats in the 5 were nicer than in the Rogue that I test drove, although maybe the newer models are better? Anyway, because of the car seats, I wanted the 3rd row seats to be comfortable for adults in a pinch, and I didn't find the Rogue seats comfy and I am a shorty.

I love my Forester, but I'd like to trade it in for an SUV/crossover with a third row. I'm a bit overwhelmed at all the research and would like some real-world straight-talk about where to focus my energies.

Four important points:

1. I'd like the third-row to fold down when not in use (most of the time) for the cargo space, and then pull up when I need to carpool my kids' friends. For the most part, smaller is better (I don't feel like my Forester is too small) so long as the third row is functional *for kids* and easy to convert back and forth.
2. I want a hybrid/electric car. I do almost entirely local driving, and not much of it. (I've had my car 6.5 years and put only 31,000 miles on it.) My habits won't change (much) over the next few years.
3. This is not an urgent need. If it makes sense to wait a year or two for a Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, or the Volvo all-electric line, or to get off of a Tesla waiting list, those are all doable.
4. We have the money for a luxury car if that turns out to be the right way to go, but I'm happy enough with my Forester and see no reason to upgrade to luxury unless it is necessary for my other goals.

From what I can tell, my options are:
Volvo XC90 Hybrid
Acura MDX Hybrid
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Tesla X
Nissan Rogue Hybrid
Lexus RXh