# Third Row Comparison Photos



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

With so many cars in this segment, lets take a look:

Acura MDX









Audi Q7 









Buick Enclave









Chevy Traverse









Dodge Durango 









Ford Explorer









GMC Acadia









Honda Pilot









Hyundai Santa-Fe









Infiniti QX60









Kia Sorento









Lincoln MKT 









Lexus RX350L









Mazda CX-9









Mitsubishi Outlander 









Nissan Pathfinder









Subaru Ascent









Toyota Highlander 









VW Atlas









Volvo XC90


----------



## juched (Nov 12, 2004)

One thing I did notice... there are some really Ugly 3rd row headrests. I'm looking at you Infiniti QX60 & Mitsubishi Outlander. Ewww.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

juched said:


> One thing I did notice... there are some really Ugly 3rd row headrests. I'm looking at you Infiniti QX60 & Mitsubishi Outlander. Ewww.


One thing that I notice is that many of the third rows do not match the design/materials of the first two rows. The Atlas SEL premium is a good example of this where the third row is not perforated like the first two. It drives me crazy! Another example is the Acura MDX or the Infiniti QX60 in which the third row stitching design pattern does not match the first two rows. 

A few on here that stood out as having universal designs were the new RX350L and XC90, both of which have a perforated third row, and the Kia Sorento SXL which has a quilted third row!


----------



## richyrich999 (Oct 20, 2008)

Thanks for taking the time to do this, really shows the variation in space back there. Some are pretty shocking:


Audi Q7 - looks way tighter than I expected from such a big vehicle - did it get smaller?
Dodge Durango - rented one of these in the summer and it was all-round fantastic, including the huge third row space. Changed my opinion (V8 helped!).
Infiniti QX60 - kids only, or people with 6" feet!
Nissan Pathfinder - a few inches between the seat height and the floor? Knees go around your ears I suppose?
Subaru Ascent - also super-tight, kids-only by the looks of it.
Volvo XC90 - there is literally no space for anyone with legs! WTF?

Clearly a bunch of these are kids-only, if that - token third rows. Others look like they'd be reasonably comfy for teens and adults.


----------



## sedelstein (Jul 13, 2017)

richyrich999 said:


> Thanks for taking the time to do this, really shows the variation in space back there. Some are pretty shocking:
> 
> 
> Audi Q7 - looks way tighter than I expected from such a big vehicle - did it get smaller?
> ...


The funniest third row I've ever seen is in the new Tiguan. Only legless fetuses could fit back there.


----------



## DJMcGoven (Mar 2, 2007)

This comparison shows that when you're searching for a vehicle that you expect to occasionally carry people in the 3rd row, take them with you on the test drive. Vehicles like the CX-9 might be attractive but no adult is going to comfortably fit back there, where the Traverse could handle it.

But I think the images aren't really representative of the point. From what the car journalists are saying, adults could fit in vehicles like the Ascent (which is fresh on my mind), where the images here make it look like it's pretty much useless. Also notice the seat tracks in the Ascent and Atlas photos. Altas' seats are further forward than the Ascent making the Atlas appear to be roomier but I don't believe that's the case.



sedelstein said:


> The funniest third row I've ever seen is in the new Tiguan. Only legless fetuses could fit back there.


While I get the reason they did it, because we like bigger vehicles and the Rogue offers a 3rd row in the compact class and that sells well, I still think it's a wasted effort. The time and energy to engineer this option could have been spent elsewhere. Maybe if they didn't make it standard in the FWD trim, they could have dropped the price. But I digress, this thread is about the midsizers lol.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

sedelstein said:


> The funniest third row I've ever seen is in the new Tiguan. Only legless fetuses could fit back there.


If you think that one is bad, check out the Nissan rogue sv with family package or worse the discovery sport. Cars like this have no business with a third row.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

capclassicv2 said:


> This comparison shows that when you're searching for a vehicle that you expect to occasionally carry people in the 3rd row, take them with you on the test drive. Vehicles like the CX-9 might be attractive but no adult is going to comfortably fit back there, where the Traverse could handle it.
> 
> But I think the images aren't really representative of the point. From what the car journalists are saying, adults could fit in vehicles like the Ascent (which is fresh on my mind), where the images here make it look like it's pretty much useless. Also notice the seat tracks in the Ascent and Atlas photos. Altas' seats are further forward than the Ascent making the Atlas appear to be roomier but I don't believe that's the case.
> 
> ...


I did my best with the pictures. It's harder than you might think to get them all sizes right and having the right way lol. But to your point this is just the first step in deciding. You need to test them out. Some have no thigh support so even though your head and legs have room, your knees are in the air (cx9, qx60, Pathfinder). Others have too short of a seat back and the headrest acts as an integral part of the seat (Highlander, outlander, ascent). And some are deceivingly good (XC90, atlas). 

Btw the Tiguan we get here is the lwb. It is called the Tiguan allspace. There is a shorter wheelbase which we should've gotten. So no additional engineering. I think it was because the xtrail (eu rogue) has had the third row and they needed something to compete. With the rogue offering the third row in the us it just made sense to offer the lwb.


----------



## DJMcGoven (Mar 2, 2007)

ice4life said:


> I did my best with the pictures. It's harder than you might think to get them all sizes right and having the right way lol. But to your point this is just the first step in deciding. You need to test them out. Some have no thigh support so even though your head and legs have room, your knees are in the air (cx9, qx60, Pathfinder). Others have too short of a seat back and the headrest acts as an integral part of the seat (Highlander, outlander, ascent). And some are deceivingly good (XC90, atlas).


I agree with that, it is really difficult especially when you consider there are so many online resources yet it's still hard to compare things without spending a day testing driving or even worst, pulling out measuring tape. When test driving cars, I used to be so one track minded that when I had purchased my Cruze and lived with it for a while I realized there was something I never tested, and that was storage compartments. As stuff started to build up, I ran out places to put things. Now I make sure I have a sunglass holder and a huge center console for example. The same could be said about these 3-row vehicles. Loads of people buy them without actually sitting behind yourself (or attempting to) in these 3rd rows. Good example: My best friend has two kids (4 and 7 I think) and he brought an Explorer JUST because he thought he needed one. He never carries their friends and doesn't actually use the 3rd row but keeps it in place for some reason. And he is the complete opposite of a car guy.


----------



## sedelstein (Jul 13, 2017)

ice4life said:


> I did my best with the pictures. It's harder than you might think to get them all sizes right and having the right way lol. But to your point this is just the first step in deciding. You need to test them out. Some have no thigh support so even though your head and legs have room, your knees are in the air (cx9, qx60, Pathfinder). Others have too short of a seat back and the headrest acts as an inegral part of the s
> 
> Btw the Tiguan we get here is the lwb. It is called the Tiguan allspace. There is a shorter wheelbase which we should've gotten. So no additional engineering. I think it was because the xtrail (eu rogue) has had the third row and they needed something to compete. With the rogue offering the third row in the us it just made sense to offer the lwb.


It's funny you mention the standard wheelbase Tiguan, because a few months back, I was reading an article where they were interviewing Hinrich Woebcken about the new SUV lineup, and when he was asked if the T-Roc is in the plans, he said that it wasn't and that they had something else in mind to take its place and potentially something even smaller. When asked if the SWB Tiguan was a possibility, he smiled, chuckled, and said something to the effect of "anything is possible". I took that as he basically let the cat out of the bag.


----------



## edyvw (May 1, 2009)

Since you have likes of Audi, Acura here which are much more expensive then Atlas, you forgot Mercedes GLS. Nothing compares to that behemoth in third row category, all things considered. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

edyvw said:


> Since you have likes of Audi, Acura here which are much more expensive then Atlas, you forgot Mercedes GLS. Nothing compares to that behemoth in third row category, all things considered.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The reason i included those cars is because they are V6 or turbo 4. The GLS is V8 and up (save the forgotten diesel). I could have included many other cars, but this is only for this segment. Here are the others that are not really in this segment and thus not included.

Nissan Rogue SV
Land Rover Discovery Sport
VW Tiguan
Dodge Journey*-could've included*
Ford Flex*-could've included *
Toyota 4-Runner
Chevy Tahoe/Suburban
GMC Yukon (XL)
Nissan Armada
Toyota Sequoia
Toyota Land Cruiser
Land Rover Discovery
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
BMW X5
Lexus GX
Cadillac Escalade (ESV)
Infiniti QX80
Lincoln Navigator
Lexus LX
Mercedes GLS
Tesla Model X
Bentley Bentayga
Kia Sedona
Toyota Sienna
Honda Odyssey
Chrysler Pacifica
Ford Transit Connect Wagon


My favorite is the bentayga- It is essentially a Q7 setup


----------



## Gromicide (Nov 1, 2017)

Durango is hard to beat in terms of space, bang for buck, towing (V8). It's definitely the most macho looking of the bunch for guys or gals that want a tough looking mid sizer. I had a 2014 V6 with the RT looking black package. The only regret was not going for the RT. I might still have it if I did. It was solid for the 37k miles that I had it.


----------



## edyvw (May 1, 2009)

ice4life said:


> The reason i included those cars is because they are V6 or turbo 4. The GLS is V8 and up (save the forgotten diesel). I could have included many other cars, but this is only for this segment. Here are the others that are not really in this segment and thus not included.
> 
> Nissan Rogue SV
> Land Rover Discovery Sport
> ...


Since model year 2015 GL450 (since 2017 GLS) is 3.0 V6 bi-turbo, 362hp and 369lb-ft. I drove it few days ago and most certainly buying that used. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

edyvw said:


> Since model year 2015 GL450 (since 2017 GLS) is 3.0 V6 bi-turbo, 362hp and 369lb-ft. I drove it few days ago and most certainly buying that used.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Again- V6 or 4cyl turbo. not 6cyl turbo. The GLS is getting a redesign real soon. Don't be stale.


----------



## edyvw (May 1, 2009)

ice4life said:


> Again- V6 or 4cyl turbo. not 6cyl turbo. The GLS is getting a redesign real soon. Don't be stale.


And Audi is 3.0 V6 SC? I get it has 4cyl, but put some equipment in Q7 and it is in GLS territory price wise. That is why I mentioned GLS. 
I do not buy models that are fresh on the market. I wait at least couple of years or redesign. Do not need latest gadgets. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## rob97ag (Dec 3, 2017)

My family will be in the market for a three-row vehicle in the next year, and I have started looking around. The third rows in a majority of these vehicles are pretty useless unless only kids will be back there, and even with that...some are near impossible to even get back there...especially without second row captains chairs where you can go in between them. 

I have sat in the third row of the Explorer, Highlander, and Acadia...and wouldn't even consider them based solely on the lack of third row room. So far, the Atlas is easily the best third row (ease of access, and room) that I have sat in. I am 6'2"/6'3" and could actually easily get back there even with a second row bench (a must for me)...and have enough room for a long ride. I haven't tried the new Traverse (have to assume it has a lot of room also, due to its size), or the Pilot...but really don't care for either of those two vehicles (can't even get second row bench in the upper trims). Gonna wait until next model year to hopefully get some of the first-year kinks worked out...and hopefully grab an Atlas.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

rob97ag said:


> My family will be in the market for a three-row vehicle in the next year, and I have started looking around. The third rows in a majority of these vehicles are pretty useless unless only kids will be back there, and even with that...some are near impossible to even get back there...especially without second row captains chairs where you can go in between them.
> 
> I have sat in the third row of the Explorer, Highlander, and Acadia...and wouldn't even consider them based solely on the lack of third row room. So far, the Atlas is easily the best third row (ease of access, and room) that I have sat in. I am 6'2"/6'3" and could actually easily get back there even with a second row bench (a must for me)...and have enough room for a long ride. I haven't tried the new Traverse (have to assume it has a lot of room also, due to its size), or the Pilot...but really don't care for either of those two vehicles (can't even get second row bench in the upper trims). Gonna wait until next model year to hopefully get some of the first-year kinks worked out...and hopefully grab an Atlas.


Idk why you're not into the traverse. Far superior to the atlas. And even though there's no bench, the third row seats 3 adults comfortable. It's massive! Make sure to go for the high country. The 55k sticker becomes 47k after incentives at the right dealer.


----------



## TeamAtlas (Oct 17, 2017)

I have to admit, scrolling through those, the only one that made my face visibly distort was the Acadia. It's just so "GM". Same issue with the Traverse.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

TeamAtlas said:


> I have to admit, scrolling through those, the only one that made my face visibly distort was the Acadia. It's just so "GM". Same issue with the Traverse.


Ironically it's one of the more comfortable and one of the few that is real leather and not pleather. I think the worst comes from nissan/Infiniti. There's no leg support! Flat.


----------



## Daekwan (Nov 5, 2017)

Great pictures.. but I cannot stress enough how the pictures dont mean anything. TEST DRIVE THESE VEHICLES.

Some of the pictures like the Highlander make it seem *MUCH* more roomier than it is actually is in person. Further more some of the seats are on the ground.. which means your knees will be at your head level. Others the seats are so high in the air your head is literally rubbing the headliner. Its just something you cannot convey with a picture. 

My "test" when shopping for a 3 row vehicle was this. Sit in the drivers seat and adjust the sit for my comfort. Sit in the 2nd row, behind the drivers seat and adjust for my comfort. Finally sit in the third row, again on the same side as the drivers seat and adjust if any. There were very, very few vehicles that I found comfortable enough to tolerate for more than 30mins or so in the 3rd row. Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, VW Atlas. Thats it. Everything else was simply too small for my purpose. Granted I'm 6'3" 230lbs.. and the vast majority of people are smaller than me. But I come from a big family with big friends.. and it would have been stupid to spend $40K on a new car that sits 7-8 people.. but none of us would fit in the 3rd row.

The other reason to test drive is that all of these vehicles have a different function for sliding the 2nd row seat forward so you can get into the 3rd row. Some work much better than others. I found the Pilot to be the best. The Atlas to be 2nd best. Supposedly the 2nd row seat release on the new Transverse/Acadia is also rated really well. Do your homework! Do not end up bitter and at poorly thought out purchase.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

Daekwan said:


> Do not end up bitter and at poorly thought out purchase.


You mean by getting an Atlas that is in the shop every other week?


----------



## Daekwan (Nov 5, 2017)

ice4life said:


> You mean by getting an Atlas that is in the shop every other week?


Correction. Your Atlas in is the shop. Ours has been perfect. Im sorry you regret your purchase. But instead of spending your days complaining about it to a bunch of strangers on the internet, why not get rid of it and move on to a brand that you deem "more reliable"? 

The Atlas is my wife's daily driver. She drives it daily and doesn't have a single complaint. Hell she loves it so much, Im not even allowed to drive it. And Im the one who usually do the driving! We did our research well, test drove everything in our price range and am perfectly happy with our purchase. Yes.. Toyota and Honda have better reputations for reliability but neither of us were interested in paying $40K for a Highlander with an aging design, useless 3rd row and no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. When Toyota announces the next generation Highlander, with a bigger 3rd row and finally supports AA/CP.. then I will consider one as my own vehicle. As for the Pilot, I honestly thought we would end up with it. So much so I already joined the Honda Pilot Internet forum before this one to look for clues on pricing & recommended options. But we both drove the Pilot and Atlas back to back.. the Atlas was the clear winner. The Pilot felt like a big, boring, blimp. Its literally is a 4 door minivan. And it was actually my wife who made the ultimate decision as she had no interest in driving such a bland vehicle everyday. 

You win some. You lose some. I've never understood people like you. You are the ultimate passive-aggressive individual. You are so unhappy with your purchase that you complain about it daily.. but yet you won't do the one thing that will fix your problem. Get rid of it!! Why stress yourself out over a material item that can be so easily replaced.


----------



## rider5000 (Sep 28, 2017)

Mine is in the shop almost every other week also. It's in the shop right now getting 3 of the 4 fender trim pieces fixed.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

Daekwan said:


> The Atlas is my wife's daily driver. She drives it daily and doesn't have a single complaint. Hell she loves it so much, Im not even allowed to drive it. And Im the one who usually do the driving! We did our research well, test drove everything in our price range and am perfectly happy with our purchase. Yes.. Toyota and Honda have better reputations for reliability but neither of us were interested in paying $40K for a Highlander with an aging design, useless 3rd row and no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. When Toyota announces the next generation Highlander, with a bigger 3rd row and finally supports AA/CP.. then I will consider one as my own vehicle. As for the Pilot, I honestly thought we would end up with it. So much so I already joined the Honda Pilot Internet forum before this one to look for clues on pricing & recommended options. But we both drove the Pilot and Atlas back to back.. the Atlas was the clear winner. The Pilot felt like a big, boring, blimp. Its literally is a 4 door minivan. And it was actually my wife who made the ultimate decision as she had no interest in driving such a bland vehicle everyday.
> 
> You win some. You lose some. I've never understood people like you. You are the ultimate passive-aggressive individual. You are so unhappy with your purchase that you complain about it daily.. but yet you won't do the one thing that will fix your problem. Get rid of it!! Why stress yourself out over a material item that can be so easily replaced.


You make the same assessments in every thread that the Highlander has no Android auto/small third row and that the pilot looks like a minivan. I get it you're mesmorized by vw as many people have been far before you. From a fiscal responsibility standpoint, you don't get rid of a $50k car one month after you buy it and take a $5-7k hit. I did drive many cars before purchasing. Just surprised at how bad the atlas is relative to other vws I've owned. 

And I wasn't asking you to get me or roast my opinion. You said your wife doesnt even let you drive the car. So what value can you possibly add at this point when you're not even in the car on a daily basis? No need to respond. Let's move on.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

rider5000 said:


> Mine is in the shop almost every other week also. It's in the shop right now getting 3 of the 4 fender trim pieces fixed.


I guess it's not just mine then after all..


----------



## Daekwan (Nov 5, 2017)

ice4life said:


> You make the same assessments in every thread that the Highlander has no Android auto/small third row and that the pilot looks like a minivan. I get it you're mesmorized by vw as many people have been far before you. From a fiscal responsibility standpoint, you don't get rid of a $50k car one month after you buy it and take a $5-7k hit. I did drive many cars before purchasing. Just surprised at how bad the atlas is relative to other vws I've owned.
> 
> And I wasn't asking you to get me or roast my opinion. You said your wife doesnt even let you drive the car. So what value can you possibly add at this point when you're not even in the car on a daily basis? No need to respond. Let's move on.



Since you want to teach financial responsibility to strangers on the internet, lets look at it from the other side of the fence. Why would you buy the most expensive trim and spend $50K on unproven vehicle with the reliability history of VW? I would imagine someone that concerned about depreciation and reliability would have looked somewhere else from the start with Toyota, Honda and Subaru at the top of the list. FWIW nothing is guaranteed. My coworker's brand new Civic has also been to the dealer for several repairs, so at some point you must consider any purchase is somewhat of a crapshoot.

As far as what value can I add? I may not physically drive the vehicle but I ride in it almost daily. I'm also the one tasked with taking care of it mechanically, learning the controls/technology/capabilities and ensuring the vehicle is safe & reliable to for my wife and newborn kids to ride in. Just because I'm not behind the steering wheel when it moves, doesn't mean I shouldn't be personally invested in how her Atlas drives, performs and works on a daily basis. 

Don't confuse your experience.. with your Atlas.. to be the same as everyone else on forum. Im sure it straight out sucks that you apparently got a lemon (or are extremely picky). But just because you had a bad experience with your Atlas purchase.. does not mean that is the only story to be told. Others like myself have had great experiences. Why is it that you are allowed to share your negative Atlas experience.. but my positive Atlas experience needs to be hushed. This is a public forum and we all have a story to tell.

If you don't want my opinion, then stop quoting my posts. Check your own post history. If you respond to me, then chances are Im going to respond to you. That's the way conversation works.


----------



## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

Daekwan said:


> Since you want to teach financial responsibility to strangers on the internet, lets look at it from the other side of the fence. Why would you buy the most expensive trim and spend $50K on unproven vehicle with the reliability history of VW? I would imagine someone that concerned about depreciation and reliability would have looked somewhere else from the start with Toyota, Honda and Subaru at the top of the list. FWIW nothing is guaranteed. My coworker's brand new Civic has also been to the dealer for several repairs, so at some point you must consider any purchase is somewhat of a crapshoot.
> 
> As far as what value can I add? I may not physically drive the vehicle but I ride in it almost daily. I'm also the one tasked with taking care of it mechanically, learning the controls/technology/capabilities and ensuring the vehicle is safe & reliable to for my wife and newborn kids to ride in. Just because I'm not behind the steering wheel when it moves, doesn't mean I shouldn't be personally invested in how her Atlas drives, performs and works on a daily basis.
> 
> ...


1) My other 3 new vws were all reliable. That's a major reason I bought the atlas. Many atlas owners are having issues not just me. Per the post at the top of this page, I'm not nearly the only person with issues. 

2) I've provided plenty of positive and helpful posts (since I drive the car daily unlike you) ie: media control, off-road gauges, quick question answers etc. Hell I even started this thread which you were happy to bombard with negativity. 

3) Never asked for your input. You were the one who called me out when it's my right as much as yours to post true information. If you don't like what you read move along. Your opinion of my "negative experience" is worthless to me and frankly my realistic view of the car is the right of the people to know.

You posting things like "people like you" is not only discriminate, but it's ignorant. I'm not trying to preach fiscal responsibility, I'm just not a horses ass who wants to throw away money due to a bad experience.


----------



## Hedgehodge (Nov 7, 2008)

sedelstein said:


> The funniest third row I've ever seen is in the new Tiguan. Only legless fetuses could fit back there.


lol it provides less truck space with 3rd row up than the GTI. 

I'm 6' and if you have ever wanted to lick your knee, this is the 3rd row for you. Kids sure, teenagers ehhhh


----------



## Drive by (Mar 13, 2017)

Thanks for this. When I was shopping the Atlas, MDX and XC90 were the final 3 under consideration. MDX was _just_ too small, both leg room 3rd row and actual useable cargo for our use case. Volvo XC90 was _just_ big enough but barely. Atlas smoked both of them in those categories. So I think its very important to load the cargo as you'd do so for that large job you'd do regularly. Ours was the cabin trip with people and stuff. We actually took out all the rubbermaid keepers, coolers and such and loaded the MDX, XC90 and Atlas in our driveway. We'd have to leave stuff at home with the MDX. So fail.

Also I think you need to have different people sit in the 3rd row. I fit OK in the MDX but my wife hated it. Our leg to torso ratio is different I guess. So while I wasn't super excited about being in there all day she couldn't even get comfortable enough to spend time there. Again, Atlas no issues for either of us. Ironically we haven't yet had anyone in the 3rd row in 2 months of ownership but we have done the cabin trip. We had similar space left over like last year in the Honda Odyssey. I consider that a win!


----------



## comish (Oct 3, 2005)

Daekwan said:


> Great pictures.. but I cannot stress enough how the pictures dont mean anything. TEST DRIVE THESE VEHICLES.
> 
> Some of the pictures like the Highlander make it seem *MUCH* more roomier than it is actually is in person. Further more some of the seats are on the ground.. which means your knees will be at your head level. Others the seats are so high in the air your head is literally rubbing the headliner. Its just something you cannot convey with a picture.
> 
> ...


We agree completely. 

We have 3 kids, drive 4.5 to 5hrs one way every weekend for ski team. 11yr old lives in the back, twin girls in the 2nd row. We sat in most things. Atlas has by far the most usable 3rd row. Believe it or not, I thought it was even better than the GLS. 2020 Explorer is worse than '19 due to lowering the 3rd row seat, Honda pilot had good leg room, but seat very low, Ascent too small although close. Only one close is the new KIA Telluride / Hyundia which is pretty dang good. 

We are coming from a '15 Q7, only reason we are replacing is to have more room. Volvo and MDX fall into the same category. Would much rather drive any of those last 3, but they didn't have the room and the comfort in the 3rd row, and space behind the 3rd row for luggage.


----------

