Best Family Haulers–That Aren't Minivans
It's the era of sexy moms and alternadads, and now the automakers want to do their part to make sure parents don't feel frumpy. For nearly two decades, the ungainly minivan, with its cavernous seating and multiple cupholders, was the only real option for families with kids, pets, gear, and places to go. But don't look now–there's been a minivan-ishing act going on. Since peaking in 1995 at 8.5 percent, minivans' share of the U.S. car market has dipped below 6 percent, according to Power Information Network. And it's likely to keep falling.
One big reason: a flotilla of new models that have many minivan features–including a standard or optional third-row seat that raises capacity to six, seven, or more–but a lot more curb appeal. The new Mazda CX-9, for instance, is as sleek as a Porsche Cayenne and more fun to drive than many sedans. The GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, a fresh pair of SUVs from General Motors, offer real off-road capabilities with some of the nicest refinements available under $30,000. Even relatively small crossovers, like the Toyota RAV4 and the forthcoming Mitsubishi Outlander, offer a third-row option for families whose kids can tolerate confinement in tiny spaces.
With such a wide range of choices, U.S. News teamed with Intellichoice, a car-research website, to analyze all the three-row runabouts on the market and highlight those that offer the best mix of space, economy, and performance. Intellichoice counts more than 40 such models–not including minivans–and they vary widely.
The Nissan Pathfinder Armada, for example, has tons of space, but it gets just 13 miles per gallon in city driving. That's not very family-friendly. The Acura MDX is a ferocious road machine–but its third-row leg room is well below average. The Hummer H2 comes out as a double loser. It has the lowest gas mileage on our list–11 mpg–and the optional third-row seat has even less hip room than that in the petite RAV4.
To find the best minivan alternatives, we measured four basic factors: fuel economy, third-row space (a combination of head room, leg room, and hip room), cargo space with the third row intact, and power-to-weight ratio, which gauges performance. We sorted our results to suit a range of consumer interests. Since many families are on a budget, we isolated the least-expensive choices, along with those that get the best gas mileage. But beware: Many of those have tiny third-row seats, since they tend to be small.
We included a "Sweet 14" list: the vehicles that get gas mileage above 16 mpg, the median for our overall list, with list prices below our median of about $32,000. Those cars offer the most bang for the buck. When price isn't an issue, our overall top-10 list ranges from the modestly priced Suzuki XL-7 to the luxurious, diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz GL320. Still think you need a minivan? Before you cave, consider these top alternatives.
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