Anonymous wrote:You can get away with a two-row Subaru Outback. It has a very wide 2nd row.
But if you think you will have grandparents, an au pair, etc fairly frequently, you'll want the 3rd row.
That said, mid-size SUVs with pop-up 3rd row are very difficult to get in and out. For example, no way in hell an elderly grandparent can crawl into the 3rd row in a Sorrento, Honda Pilot, or CX-9. It's too tight. Also, when you're using the 3rd row, your trunk storage capacity shrinks big time. So the pop-up 3rd rows are really not that great for roadtrips, in my experience.
Anonymous wrote:We have a Sorrento. Love it.
It just makes life so much easier when parents are in town, anyone visiting to be able to use just one car, carpooling, etc.
You probably don't need three rows now, or maybe even for the next 2-3 years, and there are work around that mean you don't ever really NEED it, but in 2-3 years it'll make life easier.
Anonymous wrote:We’re a family of four and have a three row SUV (Ascent). Here are the reasons:
1. My parents visit a lot but won’t drive around here so we all go in one car when they’re here.
2. We have a dog who isn’t huge (40lbs) but goes to the dog park everyday and needs a place to ride without dirtying the main seating area.
3. One of my kids plays travel baseball and has a massive bag.
4. Before Covid, we carpooled kids to sports from time to time—see multiple giant baseball bags.
5. Sometimes more than one of these things is happening at the same time.
I would absolutely have a 2 row if I could get away with it.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would get 3 rows if you plan on eventually having anyone else in car (grandparents? Cousins? Carpooling? Playdates?).
We have this issue too. I think my ideal setup would be one three-row SUV and one small sedan or hatchback for around the town driving. So in my mind it depends on what the spouse's car is and which car is likely to be replaced first.
Anonymous wrote:I would get 3 rows if you plan on eventually having anyone else in car (grandparents? Cousins? Carpooling? Playdates?).