[MikeyV]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

If you have one or two kids that play hockey or if you go on frequent ski trips or long road trips, you absolutely need the space of a suburban-type vehicle. Minivans also lack the cargo space of a large SUV. If you have three kids and want to take a road trip, you think you'll be able to fit luggage for five people behind the seat of a minivan? Me thinks not.

You sure can, I can fit five, with luggage for a couple of weeks, two car seats, and a mountain buggy in my wifes VW Touran, we've road tripped in it from mid Norway to Croatia, total trip was about 6500km. A roof box also helps.

People in Europe manage long road trips in far more space efficient vehicles than what folks in the US think they need.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by MikeyV

You sure can, I can fit five, with luggage for a couple of weeks, two car seats, and a mountain buggy in my wifes VW Touran, we've road tripped in it from mid Norway to Croatia, total trip was about 6500km. A roof box also helps.

People in Europe manage long road trips in far more space efficient vehicles than what folks in the US think they need.

In many parts of the world, a family of three can use a scooter as a primary vehicle. It doesn't mean it's comfortable.

I'm not saying that it can't be done, but you can't deny that it's a hell of a lot easier in a large SUV, especially if you're doing it multiple times every year. The people I know with large SUVs often have second homes and drive there weekly in the summers/winters so being able to toss your luggage into the trunk and take off is a big plus. I know you said you've done it in a Touran (still not sure how unless you had the rear seats folded down) but I don't think you can deny that it's a pain in the ass.

[CirrusSR22]

Originally Posted by MikeyV

You sure can, I can fit five, with luggage for a couple of weeks, two car seats, and a mountain buggy in my wifes VW Touran, we've road tripped in it from mid Norway to Croatia, total trip was about 6500km. A roof box also helps.

People in Europe manage long road trips in far more space efficient vehicles than what folks in the US think they need.

People buy bigger vehicles in the US because they can, not that they can't get-by with smaller. I see a mid-range Ford Focus hatchback in Norway is 235,000kr. That's $39,000 USD. You can buy a 7 seat/3rd row V6 Ford Explorer, that tows 5,000 lbs, and has about twice the cargo volume as the Focus, for $29,000 USD.

Or the $23,000 Escape still has more interior volume than the Focus hatch.

The base Touran you mentioned is $54,000 USD in Norway.
And this whopper: A Volvo XC90 in Norway? $145,000 USD! It's $39,700 USD in the USA.

And Norway has the highest gas prices in the entire world. Almost 3x what it is in the US.

If Europeans could buy cars this cheap, had gas this cheap and had the space to own larger vehicles, more would be doing the exact same thing.

[rayg]

The front looks really nice, best looking escalade yet. I'm not a fan of those long tail lights at all though.