Advice on a new vehicle? (to augment or replace the LR3)

[bgsntth]

The problem with the Tahoe and Sequoia is that while they are a lot bigger in external dimensions, they do not offer the proportionate amount of interior room. My head brushes the headliner in the Tahoe, and the third row is no where near as comfy and roomy as the LR3. The Tahoe XL does have a lot of room, we rented one for two weeks in Kauai, and the thing spoiled me rotten (you do not pack, you just throw stuff in the back); but we never drove over 50mph.

I have flirted with a Denali XL, but would hate to drive one on a daily basis, and it would not cut it off-road for my needs.

 

[toddjb122]

You'll be past the rear facing stage before you know it. as for the forward facing ones being crowded, they wouldn't be if they were the Radians as mentioned before. A lot of the seats out there are way oversized. Radians are very compact and well constructed. You may just have the wrong child seats.
....

Yes, I missed that tip. I'll look at the seats and see if it is worth switching from the ones we have. Yes, the Britax we have now does seem to lift the kid up and forward a lot more than necessary now that you mention it. I had never noticed, just figured they were all like that.

 

[NickLR3HSE]

Yes, I missed that tip. I'll look at the seats and see if it is worth switching from the ones we have. Yes, the Britax we have now does seem to lift the kid up and forward a lot more than necessary now that you mention it. I had never noticed, just figured they were all like that.

Check out the Recaro Signo (think that is the name). It fits fine in my wifes LR3 and even fits good in the back of my Crew Cab Silverado. We both have one for each car. They both even match the interiors.

 

[kingfishgrapeja]

Here is a pic of the Radian installed. Sorry the truck needs cleaned.....Poor truck. The last person in the passenger seat was my co-worker who is a freakishly 6'7" tall. So the seat is pretty far back. The driver's seat is set for me at 5'10".

 

[whydahdvr]

Not a fan of third row seating personally. I own a 1996 Tahoe and now a 2008 LR3. I love my Tahoe but with 200k miles on it and years and abuse before I got it I decided to semi-retire the truck. I ended up getting a Land Rover for it's off-road and on-road capability but it has some distinct differences from my Tahoe that I miss.
On a recent trip to the beach, three people, a dog, and camping gear in preparation for Hurricane Earl, I was sorely tested to fit everything in the car. As I was going on a ferry and do not have a roof rack, roof stowage wasn't an option. My Tahoe would have easily fit all that gear and critters. My Tahoe also sits a bit higher, gets a little bit better gas mileage, and has roof stowage capacity. The LR3 is about a foot shorter and definitely a bit more narrow. But, the second row seats also don't fold as flush and flat as on my Tahoe, creating a small step-up between the cargo and middle seating areas. That prevents secure stowing of longer boxes and gear, unless tie-downs are used. I had stuff sliding off of bags and gear in the back of my LR3, landing on my poor dog whenever I took a turn, even on the highway. Granted, now I'll use some kind of tie-down to secure things better but I forsee problems with upcoming camping or long-distance trips.
So, take that all into consideration. If I could have bought a brand-new or slightly used version of my old Tahoe, I would have. But the LR3 is a very nice second option.

 

[ryan-in-oregon]

The rear seats in mine fold completely flat!! It is a two step process. You fold them down and pull the loop on the front of the cushion. With that pulled push the seat down to the floor for a completly flat floor!!! Also with all three down you stow the cargo cover in the gap on the two hooks to fill the gap!!

 

[toddjb122]

The rear seats in mine fold completely flat!! It is a two step process. You fold them down and pull the loop on the front of the cushion. With that pulled push the seat down to the floor for a completly flat floor!!! Also with all three down you stow the cargo cover in the gap on the two hooks to fill the gap!!

Yeah, in mine as well. I put some scrap carpet back there and it is great to sleep.

I'll have to look at the new Tahoes though. I only seem to find ones that have really annoying seat folding option (seats fold down and then forward right behind the front row - that fills the useful footwell storage). Plus on the Tahoes the third row has to come completely out and be left at home if you want the storage space. That's okay, but man those seats are heavy and clunky to move in and out.

That said, I appreciate the first hand stowage experience comparing the two. I know when I'm in a Tahoe, it just feels more spacious. Not whining here and saying I don't love my rover, just making a point.

Great thread. Thanks for the continued good insight.

 

[toddjb122]

Here is a pic of the Radian installed. Sorry the truck needs cleaned.....Poor truck. The last person in the passenger seat was my co-worker who is a freakishly 6'7" tall. So the seat is pretty far back. The driver's seat is set for me at 5'10".

Oh man, a picture is worth a thousand words! Thanks for posting that. We have the well reviewed Britax which I've never had a problem with, but you just made me realize the ridiculous amount of space it takes up compared to your Radian. Look how much higher and more forward the seat is!

(you can also see how tight the fit is in my garage and why I'm hesitating buying a larger truck that would have to be left outside. )

 

[kingfishgrapeja]

The back of the child is actually recessed about 2" off of the back of the actual seat as well. I know the britax is the probably the highest rated seat out there but space saving aside I don't care for how it lifts the child up into the window and away from the added protection door frame. Plus with the radian you can keep them in the 5 point harnes until they are 80 pounds. They come with all kinds of inserts to match baby size and head padding options as well.

 

[whydahdvr]

Ryan,
You are correct. I always leave my third row seats stowed. However, I was referring to when you split the middle seat grouping. On my old Tahoe, I can flop down on the the rear passenger seats (or both, and the do fold up against the front driver/passenger seats) and have a longer flat run to stow on. But not in the LR#, unless the seat is fully folded away. Then I contend with the large seat bottom and lose some of that run.
Regardless, there are always trade offs. The step up is only a couple inches. If I'm not carrying a third, or more, passenger, then I can stow all of them and have more space - and store the cargo cover in the gap exposed. On my Tahoe I ended up leaving that at home 99% of the time and never used it.
On my Tahoe I also still had enough space to store flat items or blankets and things in the footwell area or beneath the rear passenger seats. I haven't checked that out on my LR3 yet.
All that aside, I just drove almost 400 miles to Wilmington, DE and enjoyed the drive tremendously, aside from the dump truck that flipped on the NJ TPKE and shut the highway down for 2 hours!