[sarends]

How have you liked the 8 passenger seating arrangement/

Why did you opt for it? Did you want to save the money? You really needed 8 passenger seating?

Do you like the way it was executed?

How do you get into the 3rd row? It is very cool how you access the 3rd row from the captain chair models.

I know DFC101A has a cocoa 8 passenger, how do you like this arrangement so far?

 

[ralleyone]

I can't report on how I like it yet because I don't have it, but I thought it would be useful for me to address the reason I opted for it, because it isn't that I need to have seating for 8.

I need a solid divider between my 130lb dog and my newborn. The bench seat provides this and doesn't force me to put the monster in the far back behind the third row (and yes, I meant the dog lol)

 

[mss42]

i dont have it and dont want it.... the 2nd row captains chair provide and airiness that you cant get w/8 passenger seating plus that center seat on that 2nd row bench is totally worthless. its too narrow and i dont even think a child saftey seat can sit there. any cuv w/o a 2nd row captains chair option is totally out of the question.

 

[sarends]

MSs42, if captain's chairs were an absolute requirement, what options were you left with?

 

[Jay]

We opted for the bench seat option based on experience owning several mininvans with 2nd row captain's chairs. After sitting in both setups at the last auto show in March, my wife and I concluded that the comfort of the bench and chair was equal. (Neither recline very much, btw...a flaw we don't understand.) We now have about 5K miles on our CXL awd (cocoa, cashmere) and frankly, having the extra seat is a plus, having the extra $411 is a plus, and having a fold down armrest with storage is a plus. Other than "fashion" I don't see any advantage to the chairs.

(BTW, as an aside, since we've owned many cars and minivans, we know ourselves: On long trips we enjoy quality talk time. Therefore, we opted for the standard sound system. I don't believe "vegging-out" kids with dvd video in a car is healthy. We do like the XM radio especially when the Tribe is playing, and the ability to plug our iPod directly in to the radio is useful, but we've got the 5.1 surround theater at home. That's not to say we didn't add every other option. "Dave the Enclave" is the best large vehicle we've ever owned.)

Jay

 

[titelines]

ordered the bench because my daughter sits back there and wants to be able to lean over for a nap on a pillow.

plus, i am an outdoorsman and i typically bring a lot of gear in the back and didn't want anything flying through the captain chairs when i hit the brakes. it provides a clean wall for the stuff stored in the back.

 

[marzetta7]

I opted for the bench seat as well. Hopefully, I can confirm the reasoning of my decision tomorrow! In any case, to my wife and I, it made sense to go with the bench seat configuration because not only did it save you around $450, but it also provided us with another place to sit given that four other seats are taken with car seats from the kids. That way, at the very least, we have two more places for friends of family to sit when we have company. Furthermore, it is just as easy to smartslide the bench out of the way as it is the captain chairs. But to each his own, heh?

 

[comiccolec]

I ordered the bench also, but have not gotten my vehicle yet. I ordered it because I have no kids but instead I have 2 dogs (mini schnauzers). They wouldn't sit in the chairs and would both try to get into one seat. The bench allows the to sit side by side.

How is that for a reason?

 

[mss42]

MSs42, if captain's chairs were an absolute requirement, what options were you left with?

thats not what i said..... read it again

 

[sarends]

Well, I am confused, you said,

"any cuv w/o a 2nd row captains chair option is totally out of the question."

Doesn't "out odf the question" mean that 2nd row captain's chairs were a requirement?

I was honestly asking what CUVs have captain's chairs available as an option? If it is out of the question (for you) to own a CUV without captain's chairs in the center row, what choices did you have in your CUV decision? It was an honest question -I don't know - none come to mind other than the Enclave.

Steve

thats not what i said..... read it again

 

[mss42]

Well, I am confused, you said,

"any cuv w/o a 2nd row captains chair option is totally out of the question."

Doesn't "out odf the question" mean that 2nd row captain's chairs were a requirement?

I was honestly asking what CUVs have captain's chairs available as an option? If it is out of the question (for you) to own a CUV without captain's chairs in the center row, what choices did you have in your CUV decision? It was an honest question -I don't know - none come to mind other than the Enclave.

Steve

this is what i said:

any cuv w/o a 2nd row captains chair option is totally out of the question.

w/o = without

acura mdx
toyota highlander
mazda cx7 & 9
volvo xc90

no 2nd row captains chair options so i didnt give these a second look..... i was saying i love the 2nd row captains chairs because they provide airiness in the car..... im clostophobic and the bench seat is just too much for me reminds me of a car.... and im getting a cuv for more room and air as not to feel closed in. same reasons for getting the beautiful moonroof and skylights.

 

[sarends]

I understood that the 1st time. I was wondering what CUVs were on your short list (because of this requirement)?

this is what i said:

any cuv w/o a 2nd row captains chair option is totally out of the question.

w/o = without

acura mdx
toyota highlander
mazda cx7 & 9
volvo xc90

no 2nd row captains chair options so i didnt give these a second look..... i was saying i love the 2nd row captains chairs because they provide airiness in the car..... im clostophobic and the bench seat is just too much for me reminds me of a car.... and im getting a cuv for more room and air as not to feel closed in. same reasons for getting the beautiful moonroof and skylights.

 

[mss42]

ok... ty

 

[axiama]

I understood that the 1st time. I was wondering what CUVs were on your short list (because of this requirement)?

2nd row captains chairs were a requirement for me, also. Other CUV options with the 2nd row captain's chairs are the Ford Freestar (or Freestyle?), the Outlook, the Acadia, the Rendevous (there may be others). The Freestar and the Rendevous limit you to 6 passengers with the 2nd row captains chairs. The Outlook only has captian's chairs available with leather so that eliminated them from my list. I didn't care for the Acadia interior so only one vehicle met all of my requirements in a car - the Enclave.

 

[shappy]

I don't have an Enclave yet, but when I do get one, it will be with the bench seat. I want my 2-year old daughter in the center position (the safest position). That is an absolute requirement for me. I recently purchased a Recaro Young Sport seat and did a test fitting in an 8-passenger Outlook. I was able to mount the seat in the middle position and still be able to flip forward the 40% side for access to the third row.

 

[dfc101a]

We opted for the bench seat option based on experience owning several mininvans with 2nd row captain's chairs. After sitting in both setups at the last auto show in March, my wife and I concluded that the comfort of the bench and chair was equal. (Neither recline very much, btw...a flaw we don't understand.) We now have about 5K miles on our CXL awd (cocoa, cashmere) and frankly, having the extra seat is a plus, having the extra $411 is a plus, and having a fold down armrest with storage is a plus. Other than "fashion" I don't see any advantage to the chairs.

Jay

ordered the bench because my daughter sits back there and wants to be able to lean over for a nap on a pillow.

plus, i am an outdoorsman and i typically bring a lot of gear in the back and didn't want anything flying through the captain chairs when i hit the brakes. it provides a clean wall for the stuff stored in the back.

We hunted for the 8 passenger for the same reasons that Jay and titelines have already noted. I disagree with those that say the extra seating position is worthless and do not personally understand the "it's more airy with captains chairs". The extra seating postion is extremely useful with three children (1, 5, and 8 years old). With three kids, the third row is an option, not a mandatory use. For those with kids in booster seats, the middle position works very well, but toddlers in the Britax Marathon (like our very big, too be 1 year old) will need to stay seated behind the driver seat.

The bench does have one flaw not discussed yet -- the center arm rest. The arm rest height is fine for kids, but far too low for adults. The arm rest in the CX-9 for example is executed much better than in the Enclave. And I do agree with Jay that the seat backs should recline more in the second row and should recline period in the third row -- Pay attention GM. But the seat back recline is the same in both 7 and 8 passenger versions.

 

[kidsenclave]

Reasons we purchased 8-passenger:

1. To maximize the Enclave's passenger capabilities
2. Price (the -$495 basically paid for our tow package)
3. To be able to carry another family of 4 to dinner, movies, etc.
4. Because the flip fold seats are so useful, and easy to use, there's no need for the space between the seats in the second row for reasons of getting to the third row.
5. To acheive a completely flat (without a missing space) when the seats are all folded down for cargo.

 

[Huskers]

I have three kids and we will always go with captain's chairs after having both a bench and captain's chairs. It is a no-brainer for us.

 

[sce]

I will second the previous post. I have three kids as well (one with a car booster seat) and even with a decent slide mechanism, they would have trouble getting in and out (and would put a lot of wear on the slide mechanism over time using it every day--sometimes more than once a day). If I get rid of the car seat, they could probably share the second row for short trips, but I am hoping to keep this car long enough that I will eventually have three teenagers in it. I think that the decision probably comes down to whether or not you would be using the third row every day or not. If you generally get by with two rows and only use all the seating occasionally, then the extra seating position (and money saved) makes sense.

 

[hawkeye]

We have 6 kids-14, 13, 12,11,8,and 5 (boosterseat). We needed the extra seat, but I would have ordered it even if we only had 5 kids. It allows that extra spot for a friend or grandma, or anyone extra. I totally disagree with the center spot being worthless. Our kids will even fight over it because it's right in front of the video screen . I will say that the back of the middle is a little harder than I like, but the hip and legroom are excellent, and a carseat will fit there. The seats still slide for and aft and will recline slightly. Getting access to the back is easy for all of the kids, but the smaller ones sometimes are a little slow putting the seat back in place because it requires pushing the seat down, too.