"Fun" vehicle that seats 6?

depends on what you mean by fun. My Land Rover can seat 7 with the optional jump seats

2014 Ford Explorer Sport - Seats 7 and comes with the 385 Hp EcoBoost V6.

Honestly. When the wife and I got married, we rented a Caravan and helped schlep people around and haul supplies for the Wedding. It was comfy, easy for people to get in and out of, pretty quick if you gave it some boot and with the foldaway seats you could haul a ton of stuff as well as people.

You still sat pretty tall in the saddle, so visibility was very good and with the windows and rather small pillars you could actually look over your shoulder and change lanes like a normal car.

I DD a 01 Highlander and I don't like it, I don't get why people like SUV's so much. There's so little room inside, most grass and gravel SUV's suck for anything more than a sprinkle and unless you buy a truly high-end SUV, they handle like crap. If it was a normal Camry wagon like it is based off of, it would be a better all around vehicle and get better mileage and use cheaper consumables, etc.

I've driven and ridden in older Jeep Cherokee's and Grand Cherokee's and they are even worse for comfort, but I will grant that they are much more capable when the road gets nasty, but that's the trade-off you get when you press a truck into passenger service. When you get into vehicles like the X5, Tourag, Cayenne, Range/Land Rover, then you start seeing vehicles that are almost useful on the street (and in the case of the Cayenne and the Rover's, off the road as well), but they are terribly expensive to own and maintain and still don't really haul that many people in as much comfort as a good, well-equipped minivan will.

Funny story: When my older brother and my sister-in-law had their first child, they went out and bought a big Ford SUV (Expedition? I think) to haul the little tike and his junk around. After a few weeks, she truly hated it. It was such a pain in the back to get the kid in and out of the child seat. It was easier to put the kid into my brother's 1st Gen Neon! The gas costs were insane. It was hard to park, etc. So they sold the Ford and bought an Odyssey and never looked back.

Ultimately? Get over the image BS and focus on meeting the need and the best way to do that is with a minivan. Period. The only people who might look down at you for owning/driving a minivan are people who you really shouldn't worry about. A second choice would be a huge old-skool wagon with lots of bench seats.

If it helps, the image projected by SUVs and CUVs at this point is the same as the image projected by an Odyssey at this point. It's not like your wife is going to be riding around in an International Scout II or a K5 Blazer or something.

Honestly, and I think this thread reflects this to some extent, but I think the "hip" alternative at the moment is a wagon, though the way-back in most wagons is not a place for self-respecting adults.

My wife DD's a BMW X5 4.4 with sport package. She it loves it. I love it to. No space I side, but fast a d comfortable. Handles like you would not believe. So, that's why her perspective is what it is

Another vote, realistically its not a large field of vehicles...

mazda 5. it is not a van. it is a people mover!

vazbmw wrote: My wife DD's a BMW X5 4.4 with sport package. She it loves it. I love it to. No space I side, but fast a d comfortable. Handles like you would not believe. So, that's why her perspective is what it is

My wife loves her Highlander and the topic came up to replace it and she still wants an SUV because she says that she can't see over the dash/wheel in most of the smaller cars we've tried, including the Miata. So I've got my work cut out for me and I'll be looking at Mazda's products to provide something fun with the comfort and features she is looking for without the maintenance costs associated with a larger vehicle. Still want to get her in an Elise before kids come along, but that may be a pipe dream :)

Limos are fun..

slow wrote: mazda 5. it is not a van. it is a people mover!

Call it a Mazda3XL if you have to... that's basically what they are.

This is the new Nissan Pathfinder. Sit in one, and you will see that it has more room inside for passengers than the Suburban. Body on frame does no favors for leg room. Any unibody, including the Chevy Traverse, will seem a lot more spacious inside for taller folks.

The Wagon Queen Family Truckster.

My wife DD's a BMW X5 4.4 with sport package. She it loves it. I love it to. No space I side, but fast a d comfortable. Handles like you would not believe. So, that's why her perspective is what it is

Ok, then. R63 AMG. Seriously.

FZJ80 landcruiser, if fun for you is wheeling, good value, rugged reliability, factory locking diffs front and rear, optional supercharger from trd, awesome aftermarket, good (off road oriented coil over/link) suspension. Or if money is no object a new one, v8 (again with optional blower), Independent suspension, opulent interior, still rockin off road vehicle.

I used to hate minivans, then I bought one. Think of it this way; it is the right tool for the job when it comes to moving kids and stuff around.

Get a swagger wagon bitches. http://youtu.be/ql-N3F1FhW4

"I need a device that has a sharp blade yet has many other uses and capabilities and functions too. But my wife will not be seen carrying a Leatheman Tool. Maybe we should buy her a tomahawk."

That sounds like a personal attack but its definitely not. It's just that some people (including me at times) have unreasonable expectations.

turboswede wrote: I DD a 01 Highlander and I don't like it, I don't get why people like SUV's so much. There's so little room inside, most grass and gravel SUV's suck for anything more than a sprinkle and unless you buy a truly high-end SUV, they handle like crap.

I have to say that my Disco handled -much- better than I suspected it ever would. I bought it as I needed something that could haul my boat around, but I did not want a full sized Pickup.

I drove a few SUVs, and found most of them seemed nose heavy and tended to either plow or if really pushed, would go to snap oversteer. The Rover just sticks.

Then again, it is not a gravel and grass SUV either.

What Vigo said. When our third person was born my wife said NO minivans so we ended up with an R350. They were the same or cheaper than a Honda Odyssey with similar mileage and my wife really liked the Merc.

The best thing is that I can sit in the back seats and have plenty of room. Ours has the Airmatic setup on it and with that set in Sport the beast does fairly well on curvy roads as long as you keep the slow steering in mind.

Mr_Estrotica wrote: 4 Miatas.

Hah, your guys love for Miatas crack me up.