Small adults can be your friend. I have sat in the back of a Carnival and owned a Yukon XL. There is no comparison.
To each his/her own, and the last time I checked a Kia Carnival was not a “American truck-based SUVs (standard and long wheelbase)” by any measure.
It’s almost like the manufacturer provided specs on legroom, which show the Carnival having pretty comparable leg room to the Yukon XL, are accurate.
Minivans are more practical. I should have one. Of course I don’t. I have an SUV. Nothing wrong with not wanting a minivan but their practicality is hard to beat. If you don’t need the body on frame capacity of a truck based SUV, getting one involves usability trade offs
Minivans are…minivans.
Im all for people getting what they want. It seems like a 4x4 platform here is a desirable feature, which basically precludes all minivans. Im just disagreeing with the notion that there’s significantly more space in the full size long wheelbase suvs.
Yeah I think your best bet is a slightly used GMT T1XX platform with the magnetic ride control and air suspension. Of course those suspension options are only on the top trims, so it’ll be rather expensive still.
Edit: Here’s an example of one… assuming the dealer in Houston isn’t pulling some absolute BS, this Escalade Premium Luxury has the adaptive air suspension and magnetic ride control. It has less than 10k miles and also lacks the sport-appearance/onyx packages that tend to drive up the price for no friggin reason.
Original MSRP (which these still sell for out here in California) was $98k. They’re listing $86k.
Commenting here in this older thread in case any other users were in a similar scenario.
After researching, plotting, and hunting, I ended up purchasing what I will describe (bias) as a home run.
I purchased a low mileage CPO 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV Sport with air ride, among many other options. It’s just missing the upgraded EKG studio audio and night vision. “End of year sale” + first responder discount on an extended bumper to bumper warranty was icing on the cake.
After weighing the cost of some of these Yukon XL Denalis and AT4s, it made more sense to get the luxury vehicle I felt I wanted (for a little more money when transposed over a 6+ year estimated period of ownership).
The Wagoneer series was a surprisingly fun drive but I couldn’t believe how poor the interior quality was when you look at their pricing. I know they discount heavily but I would advise against any Stellantis product. After the nightmare customer service and recalls on my wife’s Jeep Wrangler 4xe, I will never go Jeep again. Thank god it’s a lease.
The Ford Expedition is a phenomenal family ride but I think the GM products do most everything a little better. Plus GMs seem to hold their value in SoCal at a much better rate for the time being. I did not think the Lincoln was as nimble of a drive as the Escalade, nor was I a huge fan of the interior (MY23).
