flyromeo3

So, the good news is my wife is pregnant with twins.

Bad news: As she put it ( the TL or that yellow shit...has to go )

The "yellow shit" she is referring to is my 2001 S4.

I've been researching cars for several weeks and seem to have made a decision between an MDX or Pilot.

I really want something with a functional 3rd row. I've sat in an MDX and it seems that back row was meant for migets.
The pilot seems reasonably bigger but havent had the experience of driving, or being in one.

I've read the MDx forums and so far people seem to be happy with their purchase. Aside from the occasional creaks and squeeks ( seems Honda/Acura is known for that ) its a reliable car that likes to suck a lot of fuel.

Has anyone had any dealings with the Pilot? I'm looking for something in the 09,10,11 range. Since my wife will be driving it.

Yumcha

I know people who drive the Pilot and are generally satisfied with it.

The best thing for you is to test drive a used one in the model years you are considering and make your decision there. But, if I were to venture a bet, I would say you'll be happier in the MDX.



And oh, @ what your wife calls your S4...Not nice!

00h2itr

First of all, contrats on the kidlets!!!

I own an 06 Odyssey currently (wifes) We LOVE it for kids. I know, it's a van... but trust me with 2 hands full of little ones, you'll want the sliding doors. Think of it this way, it's raining, your about to walk out. Click Click, the doors open and you run and put kids in.

Also, as they get older, you don't have them swinging doors open and hitting other cars.

Last bonus, the 3rd row has plenty of room for Adults.

If an Odyssey is absolutely out of the question (I recommend you drive one first before taking it off the list, drives like an Accord, seriously) then I'd look at the Pilot over the MDX. Better fuel economy, takes regular instead of premium and so on.

HTH

Guiltyox

I have an '07 Sport/Tech MDX with all the fancy stuff including 3rd row seating. I love it! It's been reliable so far, and I recently took it on a road trip from Charleston, SC, all the way to the east coast for several big stops: VA Beach, DC, Philly, NYC, and upper PA. It made this trip with flying colors, safe and sound and comfy!

The 3rd row seating is kind of small (especially since I'm 6'3"), but the 2nd row is more than comfy. I've also heard many satisfied Pilot owners rave about their cars too.

I'd personally choose the MDX, just because of the styling and options, but either seems a good choice!

ff4930

congrats on your twins!!!

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

First off congrats on the good news. We have a 16 month old daughter and me and my wife have no clue how people with twins (or more) do it. All I can say is goodluck my friend, your in for a crazy ride lol.
Something bigger will for sure be a requirement.

LockDots

What does your wife drive? Tell her to get rid of THAT shit

NetoAzul

The B5 S4 is a beautiful piece on engineering. I loved mine.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Wow Romeo.....twins.....yellow shit....best of luck!

iSeeYouTwo

I vote Odyssey! Much more convenient!

But if a mini van is out of the question, then Pilot for sure!

Sarlacc

I have twins that will be turning 2 in Feb...

That said my wife REFUSES to be a minivan mom.

We spent nearly the first 20 months of their life with a Prius as the family hauler and it worked just fine, though sometimes a pain. I had leased it prior to her getting pregnant (like a month prior).

I recently dumped it early and got a 12 Highlander SE...and frankly we love it. I never thought I would...personally I wanted the Dodge Durango having had one as a rental and loving it...OR the Ford Flex which we also had a rental and I really liked.

But the Highlander has proven quite good, with a functional 3rd row when needed (and we have used it)...the center of the 2nd row bench removes easily and stows out of sites to make the 2nd row in captains chairs with a pass through.

It drives smooth and spritely for a car its size. Handling is more caddy than sport, which is fine since I have sport when I want it.

Bottom line, my wife likes it a lot (she disliked the Prius and I grew to not love it) and my boys like it a lot...they can see out of it and love looking around...they call it "new car" and get excited.

charliemike

Do you have family close to you? If so, you're going to end up wanting a 15-passenger van from the way people talk on here.

My brother has a 2010 Mazda CX-9 and really likes it.

MTEAZY

I don't see why your wife has to talk like that Romeo. That is borderline abusive.

NJSGTI

Congrats on the twins. Between your two choices I would say the Pilot. Main reason being that it cost less than a MDX which might be the smart choice with 2 kids on the way. If money is no object that MDX all the way.

Have you checked out the new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder? I personally like the look and the interior looks much better than older Nissans. Gas mileage is also pretty good for the size and 3rd row looks roomy with easy access.

F23A4

I'm on my second 2G MDX, having gone from an 09 base to a 12 Tech. Although I've heard nothing but great reviews from its owners, the Pilot's styling does absolutely nothing for me.....so I'll take my MDX's style along with it's need for premium (not to mention its 300hp and the ability to handle corners almost as good as my Accord).

But in all honesty, the OP will find the Odyssey to be far more practical than the Pilot or MDX. Once you get past the fact that it's a minivan, it's all upside.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I vote mini van as well. Its tough to get a lot of stuff in an SUV with 2 kids.

LockDots

not if you put the kids on the roof

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

True.

LockDots is right. Keep the yellow shit, buy a roof rack.

LockDots

aimtimes100

my thoughts exactly. A mini van does seem the way to go. May I suggest an infiniti jx? or are you looking at honda products only? You also didn't mention which car you're getting rid of(assuming you're gonna do what your wife said) I say keep the TL of course

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Totally unrelated - ISeeYouTwo wins for best Avatar.

PyroDave

+2 on roof rack.

i had a previous version of the pilot, something like the 07/08? a year or two before the ugly version. mainly i hate where they put the gear shifter lol. i saw it at the auto show and puked. beside that, loved the car, it was a great drive. first thing that i drove when i was 15 without a license ;P

have the 11 MDX now, its a great car, extremely luxurious and sporty. the engine really does pick up. now im 19, so kids have never been an issue, but i have driven into NYC(that damn bridge toll hahaha) with the MDX packed. im talkin me and my boy in the front, 5 girls in the back. they fit in the "midget" seats just fine with their heels hahaha. though i agree, i would never be able to sit back there, it is not meant for full grown adults. but a baby seat or two? should fit just fine, and legroom is not necessary. we usually have the seats down for storage though because well, we dont need the third row. that thing munches gas though. im talkin nom nom nom

aimtimes100

I noticed it too at first and I strongly agree

UA6

Usually that is "frowned upon" by people...and by people I mean the cops.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

You do know he was kidding....right?

flyromeo3

thank you all for the well wishes. I'm definitely in for a treat with my twin sons.

I'd prefer to sway away from the minivan scene but am all up for options at this point.

I'm going to lehigh valley acura this weekend to take a look at an MDX.
Following that I will drive to PhillipsBurg Honda and see what the pilot has to offer.

Wifey doesnt like the s4 because I wont teach her how to drive 6spd. lol

Hopefully this weekend I can make my decision .............and not come home with a minivan.

Ohh I forgot to mention.
Wife never drove since living in NYC you dont need to..or if you have someone ( me ) chauffer her around.
Now that we live in PA, she needs to get behind the wheel.

dnd2984

iTrader: (6)

Congrats !! We been talking about kids and wifey has a 2010 CRV, and I want to trade it in for a Pilot. And to be honest the Odyssey isnt a bad ride.....reminds me of this video

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I always read people saying they would rather stay away from a minivan because it is essentially throwing in the towel. The truth is that twin strollers and oversized diaper bags take up a lot of space. We have one kid and when he was younger doing trips was tough even with the Pathfinder. After you pile in a stroller, a pack-n-play, toys and bags you're lucky to have room left over.

My sister has a Pilot and even that is packed tight when she takes a road trip.

If we had a second kid we would have traded in the Pathfinder for an Odyssey.

LockDots

No I wasn't...

Sarlacc

I'm going to repeat this once...

I HAVE twins

And we made due just fine for almost 2 years with a Prius...WITH A HATCHBACK

How much crap does one REALLY need to travel with? Yes traveling with a child (or two) does require you bring things with you...but people go nuts with "needing" shit tons of wasteful space.

The only time I would take issue with the size of our vehicle was on larger costco runs with boxes of diapers and wipes...Sometimes that could get a little fun to pack.

Other than that, do you NEED a shit ton of space? And even though we did just upgrade to a larger vehicle and its been nicer overall...we are at the point where we don't always take, need, or want the stroller since they like to walk. To have a larger vehicle...much like a house is a luxury more than a necessity.

Basically, I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from getting the larger vehicle...I'm just sitting here laughing at people with only one child...or two children of differing ages and how much overkill they had and thought they needed.

Twins are very unique experience. And if I of all people (the one here who actually has twins) managed to do more with less....then so could 90% of the people trying to give advice in this thread.

That said, I would also look at the new pathfinder...that easy access seat with a car seat in it to the 3rd row is a huge selling point if you ever plan on using it.

Personally, the Pilot and the MDX are dated and really only for people who can't see past the Honda/Acura badge. Even most reviews have stated the 3rd row in the MDX is one of the worst when it comes to space.

dnd2984

iTrader: (6)

I agree with you on a small car, its do able with almost anything you have, but just easier if you have the extra space. I know growing up my parents weren't that well off and it was 3 of us kids and my dads 1970 something 2 door chevy. It worked.

The new pathfinder is hawt!!! Drove the Infiniti JX and I was really surprised how it exceeded my expectation. And the Pathfinder is pretty much the same truck minus the premium.

fsttyms1

Ford Flex with the V6 EcoBoost AWD. Go test drive one. You will be surprised. (that and a 450$ tune and you will be very low 13s in the quarter mile

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

It's hard to argue with that.

I base my responses on my personal experiences. We do about 8-12 road trips a year and sometimes it got tight when Elliott was younger.

I also have 2 sets of friends with Twins and both of them have a Prius. No joke. But the Prius is their second car. Both have said it was tight when the kids were young.

It can definitely be done though.

Sarlacc

If you do lots of road trips than its a little different. Which why on those two occasions I had a Durango and a Flex as a rental.

We do short little day trips..like an hour or two...the prius worked fine.

Dont get me wrong, Im much happier to have the larger car now. And the 3rd row helps now that my dad is living up the block from us while he is working out here.

mmafighta

If I were you, I'd keep the 4, and sacrifice the TL. Its really not even a question. The TL is a dime in a doze, w.e car.

The S4 is rarer, drives better, just more enjoyable car. The biggest thing, is that you might regret getting rid of it.

and cant go wrong with the MDX, luxury + space + decent mpg for what it is.

F23A4

While raising our two older kids (now 22 and 21 y/o) we had an 89 Eagle Summit (aka Mitsu Mirage sedan) subcompact. Granted, we do use our 12 Accord on a daily basis in transporting our two younger kids (5 and 2 y/o).

However, it's going to be a PITA making both our luggage and our Baby Jogger City Select stroller fit in the trunk of the Accord as opposed to the MDX when making our trips from NJ to Florida/Ohio/Michigan/Canada.

We'll revisit this when our logistics change in time.

fsttyms1

Also all depends on how big the parents are as well. Being 6'5 even my TL is a tight fit for 2 forward facing car seats and the legs of the kid behind me

Last Acura

I also recommend a minivan, preferably an Odyssey or a Sienna. I understand the wife doesn't want to drive a minivan but have her test drive one, they aren't bad at all. I love my Odyssey, the sliding doors are perfect for kids and the extra room comes in handy. They are also very comfy for long road trips. Don't forget that insurance rates are lowest for minivan as well, and generally they are safer and protect your passenger better than any SUVs.

For as long as I have kids, I will always have a minivan around. Nothing even comes close to its utility for a family with multiple kids (and pets).

UA6

I was also kidding.

neuronbob

I vote Pilot, but then I'm biased, having owned a pretty much bulletproof Pilot for just about six years and 65k miles. Sarlacc makes excellent points, however.

In any case, congrats on the twins! That is awesome. My wife and I wish we had been so blessed.