Graduating from the minivan...

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

OP we have a T & C and the chevy trav and I hate it (trav). Family of 5 and it has something stupid in the middle row like the front row and it doesn't move at all. Youngest DD only 9 hardly has any leg room in the trav. We went to the auto show a few weeks ago and I fell in love with the Ford Exp..It back row seats fold flat (not the middle row) and it is bigger than the minivan IMO but hopefully will still fit in the garage (I really want the suburb size SUVs but it has to be able to fit in our garage) I liked alot of other SUVs the size of the Exp but the seat thing sold me on it (I fold mine all the time for different things I haul with the girls etc)

So the Traverse has a middle console between the second row seats? That doesn't sound good for my family of 5! oh wow, I just looked and saw the pic of it, and now I remember that! I was hoping it was just an option or something!! Now it makes sense why they were showing people popping the entire captains chair up just to get to the backseat in the video I watched! This could be a deal breaker for sure!

 

[arthuruscg]

I find it interesting that most of the people commenting on buying the Transverse, previously own a minivan.
I am guessing in a few year the "soccer mom" stigma with become firmly attached the Transverse.

I would suggest staying away form the crossovers. They don't excel at anything.
They look like the have the ground clearance wit the old SUVs but the AWD systems suck (excluding Subaru) so they can't go anywhere in the snow.
The handling sucks because the center of gravity is higher then a minivan so they feel like they are going to roll over.
Some how they are bigger then a minivan and don't have the same amount of useable space.
The MPGs are usually worse then a minivan.
I can't find one thing that they do better then a minivan.

Now, the Flex is a minivan just missing the sliding doors.

 

[mafibisha]

OP we have a T & C and the chevy trav and I hate it (trav). Family of 5 and it has something stupid in the middle row like the front row and it doesn't move at all. Youngest DD only 9 hardly has any leg room in the trav. We went to the auto show a few weeks ago and I fell in love with the Ford Exp..It back row seats fold flat (not the middle row) and it is bigger than the minivan IMO but hopefully will still fit in the garage (I really want the suburb size SUVs but it has to be able to fit in our garage) I liked alot of other SUVs the size of the Exp but the seat thing sold me on it (I fold mine all the time for different things I haul with the girls etc)

So the Traverse has a middle console between the second row seats? That doesn't sound good for my family of 5! oh wow, I just looked and saw the pic of it, and now I remember that! I was hoping it was just an option or something!! Now it makes sense why they were showing people popping the entire captains chair up just to get to the backseat in the video I watched! This could be a deal breaker for sure!

It IS an option.

The 2nd / middle row only has a console with captains seats.

We chose not to have captains chairs and the kids love the room they have in both the 2nd and 3rd rows.

As far as visibility, when DD1 started driving it, she put down the section behind the passenger in the middle row. She said it gave her better visability (she is much shorter than other kids) But now that she's an experienced driver, she doesn't need to and her visibility is just fine, as is it for us.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

So the Traverse has a middle console between the second row seats? That doesn't sound good for my family of 5! oh wow, I just looked and saw the pic of it, and now I remember that! I was hoping it was just an option or something!! Now it makes sense why they were showing people popping the entire captains chair up just to get to the backseat in the video I watched! This could be a deal breaker for sure!

Mine definitely does not have this! The one I test drove with captains chairs didn't have it either, maybe it depends on the year or the model. I have a split bench seat in the middle and it has a little console thing that folds down from the middle seat with cupholders, then it folds back up into the seat so someone can sit there. The split seats can move forward and back for legroom, each end independently.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Okay I just have to ask "no one has had any trouble with their traverse's?" I have a 2011 traverse and it has had a lot of problems. In fact last week it was back in the shop for blown coil packs that blew the spark plugs. Before that the power steering had to be replaced and before that the back brakes. My traverse only has 14,000 miles on it! I do love the space and the way it drives but I am getting a little tired of it being in the shop. I am hoping that all the kinks are out of now.

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Sounds like a lemon.

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[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

Ok..I'm glad to see that the second row console is an option because my kids love the captains chairs. My parents have a minivan like ours without the captains chairs and they hate riding in it! There is definitely no way I'm gonna flip the captains chair up each time someone needs to get to the back either.
Also, I may have missed something..does the entire backseat area not fold down? That is also important to us since our oldest will be going off to college in 2014, and this will give us a lot of options.

 

[pyrxtc]

the whole backseat folds down very easily. Also, forgot to mention, I like my back up camera. Still haven't really learned to use it since I guess I am old school and like to turn around and see but it does help in a bunch of situations.

 

[DVC-Don]

We did 12 years of minivans and then moved on to a 7 passenger Cadillac SRX AWD.

 

[Sugar Jones]

My van finally died right before Christmas. Before we headed out to test drive vehicles I told my dh that we were NOT going to get a Ford Flex and definitely not one with a white roof!

We test drove a couple of different vans & a Traverse. Then the salesman said I have this Ford Flex, so I said okay we will test drive it.

OMG I loved it! The look of it is something to get used to, but the vehicle is so comfortable and roomy. The kids have more room in the Flex than they did in the van. We got a 6 seater, but you can get 7 seaters. There is lots of space in the trunk as well.

So now I drive a Ford Flex with a white roof

 

[mafibisha]

Okay I just have to ask "no one has had any trouble with their traverse's?" I have a 2011 traverse and it has had a lot of problems. In fact last week it was back in the shop for blown coil packs that blew the spark plugs. Before that the power steering had to be replaced and before that the back brakes. My traverse only has 14,000 miles on it! I do love the space and the way it drives but I am getting a little tired of it being in the shop. I am hoping that all the kinks are out of now.

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Sounds like a lemon.

Definitely must be a lemon (and would guess rare)

As posted earlier, we're on our second Traverse and absolutely no problems whatsover. (knock wood )

Just have to add:

DH just called from work and I told him what a love fest the Dis is having with the Traverse

He said the Traverse recently received an award, vehicle (crossover?) of the year from some group or magazine, he doesn't remember from where but will look nto it (He said, and he probably patted himself on the back for choosing such a great vehicle )

 

[disneysmyhappyplace]

Sounds like a lemon.

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I think so too. Unfortunately, it does not qualify under the law as a lemon. To many "different" things. Tried to trade it and they offered half of what I paid for it. Very frustrating!

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[4HppyCamprs]

I think so too. Unfortunately, it does not qualify under the law as a lemon. To many "different" things. Tried to trade it and they offered half of what I paid for it. Very frustrating!

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We had to hire a lawyer to get us out of our lemon. It did not qualify under state but it did federal. The worked under the "if you don't get paid, we don't get paid" our 2009 was in the shop 45 days during the first 36 months for various reasons. It was also a brand new sour lemon. I still get nervous I am going to be stranded somewhere. We took the cash settlement and got rid of the vehicle.

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[disneysmyhappyplace]

We had to hire a lawyer to get us out of our lemon. It did not qualify under state but it did federal. The worked under the "if you don't get paid, we don't get paid" our 2009 was in the shop 45 days during the first 36 months for various reasons. It was also a brand new sour lemon. I still get nervous I am going to be stranded somewhere. We took the cash settlement and got rid of the vehicle.

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Good to know may have to look into the federal law. However, mine has not been in that many days may not qualify but it is worth a shot. Thanks for the info

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[momof3ds]

Just drove my veracruz through 12 inches of snow the other day (no AWD but it does have ESC). Drove past several cars, trucks, etc that were either stuck on ice or in the snow. We did have to rock out of a sticky spot but it was an ice covered street and traffic was stopped because another car was stuck.

My minivan would never have made it. Also, our van gets 15-18 mpg, the veracruz gets 17-20.

I find it interesting that most of the people commenting on buying the Transverse, previously own a minivan.
I am guessing in a few year the "soccer mom" stigma with become firmly attached the Transverse.

I would suggest staying away form the crossovers. They don't excel at anything.
They look like the have the ground clearance wit the old SUVs but the AWD systems suck (excluding Subaru) so they can't go anywhere in the snow.
The handling sucks because the center of gravity is higher then a minivan so they feel like they are going to roll over.
Some how they are bigger then a minivan and don't have the same amount of useable space.
The MPGs are usually worse then a minivan.
I can't find one thing that they do better then a minivan.

Now, the Flex is a minivan just missing the sliding doors.