Exciting sports cars like the Porsche 911, Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, and Audi R8 make for exciting reading, but for most people, such chariots remain dreams. Their horsepower figures, sprint performance, and sky-high prices are the subjects of many bar conversations. The reality for most of us is that we need something we can use on the daily grind. Carpooling, Saturday-morning brunches with the in-laws, and the school run often dictate that said conveyance should be an SUV or crossover with at least seven seats. Here, cargo space and a back seat that can fold into the floor are far more important considerations than a huge engine.
The rising popularity of the SUV means that more people are opting for these practical vehicles nowadays, but a minivan is still a wildcard option. They often offer even more seats and have plenty of space, although they are not as adept at rough-road driving as an SUV. Still, keep them in mind as an alternative way to move many people at once. They are geared for families and offer many family-friendly features. Sometimes, you just have to transport seven people in safety, each with their own seatbelt and car cushion.
The Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Seven-Seater, As Opposed To A Five-Seater
Most people would argue that seven seats aren’t necessary, often because SUVs with a third row that can actually be used by adults on long trips are rare and expensive. If that third row is good for shorter distances only, why bother? Wouldn’t that make a five-seater with a proper luggage area preferable? Well, yes, but why not have both? Here are some of the advantages of going the seven-seater route:
- Seven at a pinch. Sometimes, you just have to transport seven people in safety, each with their own seatbelt. Our previous examples of carpooling, the school run, or taking the children and in-laws somewhere in one go apply here.
- Larger luggage area. SUVs that allow seven-seater configurations are usually larger to allow for the third row. This means that when the third row is not needed and is folded flat, you have lots of luggage space – even more than in the typical five-seater SUV.
- Options. You simply have more seating options available to you in comparison to a five-seater or normal sedan. With a split third row, you can even accommodate six people and some luggage.
- Size. A mid-size seven-seater SUV with a smallish back seat is about the size of a normal sedan such as a Honda Accord, so they don’t actually take up that much space on the road and are still easy enough to park with the help of a backup camera.
Of course, there are some disadvantages too:
- Poor fuel economy. These cars are larger than normal sedans and their weight and height make them deliver worse fuel mileage. This can often be justified by their added practicality and the fact that they can move enough people to take the role of two cars in some scenarios, negating the fuel-economy disadvantage.
- Size. They might be simply too big for some people to maneuver, but size goes with the territory if you want lots of seats. Most brands offer automatic parking nowadays.
- Price. The largest options are also quite a lot more expensive than a normal car.
Seven-Seater Options
There are several sensible seven-seater options among the mid-size SUVs that offer spacious accommodation for five people and an occasional third row. Here are just a few examples:
- Hyundai Santa Fe (or the full-size eight-seat Palisade)
- Audi Q7
- Volvo XC90
- Mazda CX-9
- Kia Sorento (or the eight-seat Carnival MPV)
- Land Rover Discovery
- Mercedes-Benz GLE (or the full-size G-Class or GLS)
- Nissan Pathfinder
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Land Rover Defender
- BMW X5 (or the full-size X7)
Conclusion
There are many ways to move up to seven people and the SUV is the preferred template for that kind of job nowadays. However, the biggest models’ high prices will be a deterrent. The best way to move seven (or eight) for the price of a mid-size SUV is still the minivan or MPV. A minivan like the Honda Odyssey is a car-like alternative, while the new Kia Carnival has more rugged SUV styling and a marginally better ride height, so you can transport eight people and be mistaken for driving an SUV if you like that idea.
And whenever you don’t need the third row, just fold it flat and you have a five-seater with an enormous luggage compartment. There are really more advantages to driving a seven-seater than disadvantages. It just depends on how much you want to spend. There are also many used options available on the market and the advantage of that is that the car will suffer less depreciation while you own it.
