Parents - Do you "Need" an SUV with Kids?

[takai]

I beg to differ. On the road, people movers perform better having a lower CoG. Plus it has way more room (try having a 1.3m kid stand upright in a Landcruiser vs say an Odyssey). Then there’s the flexibility if you have captain seat in the 2nd row all the way back so that you could literally lie down, legs up and seat belted.

The reason they don’t get the nod is that we’re all too princess about how it looks (I reckon they look way better than any girly truck) but people are entitled to their opinion on the looks.

Volumetrically they are wider and longer, most of them are almost 2m wide and 5m long. They may have a lower CoG but all of the recent ones i have driven handle like a bucket of pus with the suspension they come from factory with—and im sure as hell not bothering to modify a family hauler.

Realistically we wanted a 7 seat wagon, of which there are none on the market, and so went with the Kluger.

[Sturmovik]

I guess someone who owns a Kluger would know better than anyone what a bucket of pus handling is like.

I'd take a Carnival any day over a Kluger for family haul duties.

[takai]

I guess someone who owns a Kluger would know better than anyone what a bucket of pus handling is like.

I'd take a Carnival any day over a Kluger for family haul duties.

Having driven both extensively now. Both handle like a bucket of pus. The Kluger just a bit smaller bucket. With 3kids in the back the Kluger is a nicer place to be than the Carnival.

[Captain_Slow]

Parents - Do you "Need" an SUV with Kids?

I haven’t driven any of the big SUVs lately but hired a Carnival a few months back. Drove acceptably until we went up to Mt Tambourine with it. Bounce city on that road, to the point where the kids felt a bit off and I didn’t enjoy it too much either. Seemed to be a lack of rebound damping.

I get that a comfy ride is good in these things, but not a jumping castle ride.

I liked the Carnival apart from that. Very strong Diesel engine in particular. (Or should that be particulate).

Big unit though. Something similar but scaled down would be better if you’re not carrying eight adults.

[Mr Purple]

The deal with the vans is similar to the deal with a lot of the sedans these days.

The manufacturers sell a lot more fat trucks, so they upgrade those every few years. Kia Carnival/Honda Odyssey/Tarago get upgraded once a decade or so because they sell about four a year, they're just years behind.

Turns out a 2018 SUV is a lot better than a car or van alternative with architecture dating back to the late 90s.

[irsa76]

Ironically the "better" people movers are actually the cargovan based ones from VW and Mercedes. They shit on the Carnival, Odyssey and Tarago from a great height when it comes to actually using them, tonnes more useable space in a similar size footprint. And having driven the Multivan I have to say it drives pretty well, it's no Golf GTI but it didn't feel like you're going to throw up in it.
I suppose it depends on what you want from a vehicle, personally people movers work very well for me, but they're so bloody hard to find decent ones which is why I ended up in an SUV. Which is dynamically shitful, made worse by the modified suspesnion.

[Mr Purple]

Nissan's current Australian model range is probably what we'll see more in the future.

If you don't want an SUV you get a choice of a 350Z (basic architecture from 2002) and GTR (2007).

Or you could choose from a Juke, Pathfinder, Patrol, Qashqai, X-trail or Navara.

Best bit is they don't have to spend much money upgrading those because the buyers won't notice anything other than a new nose otherwise.

[irsa76]

And if you don't like the Nissan dealer, but like the car then you could buy the same thing from your Mitsubishi or Renault dealer.

[takai]

Ironically the "better" people movers are actually the cargovan based ones from VW and Mercedes. They shit on the Carnival, Odyssey and Tarago from a great height when it comes to actually using them, tonnes more useable space in a similar size footprint. And having driven the Multivan I have to say it drives pretty well, it's no Golf GTI but it didn't feel like you're going to throw up in it.
I suppose it depends on what you want from a vehicle, personally people movers work very well for me, but they're so bloody hard to find decent ones which is why I ended up in an SUV. Which is dynamically shitful, made worse by the modified suspesnion.

Yeah, we looked at a T5 Multivan, but nopics wasnt sold on the diesel, especially around town.

[Gammaboy]

I'd take a Carnival any day

I was at a BBQ with Nopics old school friends and their partners and tribes of kids - a few of the couples are up to 4 kids, and one of the blokes was talking about their dream car being a Carnival - I told nopics later that if I ever reached that point, to take me out the back and shoot me.
To be fair, i later drove a rental carnival loaded with 7 co-workers and their luggage - was ok i guess.

[trdee]

yeah talk about aiming for mediocrity...

[takai]

Ugh, Carnival as a dream car... guy obviously doesn't dream much.

Also, I dont get Carnivals as a haul the kids to the shops/school thing, two families we know with Carnivals have had DPF failures recently because they don't do enough km.

The whole diesel/petrol consideration was one of the reasons we ended up with the Kluger out of the other options.

[Captiva Fan]

The whole diesel/petrol consideration was one of the reasons we ended up with the Kluger out of the other options.

People get told about the DPF thing, and then choose to believe that for some reason it doesn't apply to them.
A mate was looking at Outbacks for his nopix, was warned by salesdroid about how they won't use it on the highway enough ... but last I spoke to him, plan was still to get a diesel one.

[takai]

People get told about the DPF thing, and then choose to believe that for some reason it doesn't apply to them.
A mate was looking at Outbacks for his nopix, was warned by salesdroid about how they won't use it on the highway enough ... but last I spoke to him, plan was still to get a diesel one.

Yup. Family the other side with an Everest complain about having to buy AdBlue all the time. Its basically something that comes with the car, deal with it. That said, they actually use the Everest for towing horses, so it does get a flogging for the DPF.

[Mr Purple]

Even if I had six kids to transport I think I'd dream a bit bigger on my 'Dream Car' than a Kia Carnival.



F650 6 door FTW.