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MelissaClaire
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| Posted: June 19 2013 at 1:53pm | IP Logged
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We're expecting #7 in November and will be outgrowing our 8 passenger Sienna and are in the market for a larger van. We thought we were limited to Ford and Chevy, but just saw that Nissan has a 12 passenger NV 3500. I've never seen one around and don't know anyone who has one. Hopefully we'll drive one this weekend, but was wondering if anyone here had one and what you thought of it.
The biggest draw for me is that all the seats have headrests which is something that worries me that the Ford and Chevy are missing.
Thanks!
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Booksnbabes
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| Posted: June 19 2013 at 7:42pm | IP Logged
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We do not own one, but have been researching. We test drove one today, and it was nice! It rode a lot nicer than the Ford and Chevy vans we've been in (think stiff truck ride rather than floaty van ride in the back seat) and the seats were comfortable (dh and I both sat in multiple positions). If we upgrade to a larger vehicle (currently driving an 8-passenger Suburban), this is the vehicle we will get.
With three LATCH positions and five tether anchors, there are a lot of options for positioning carseats, and the seatbelts fit the older kids better than the Suburban belts do. One thing about our Suburban is that even though it has 8 places to sit, two do not have headrests, and one of those has only a lap belt--and the lap belt spot is not carseat friendly. So it is effectively a 7-passenger vehicle, and we will have 7 people in a couple weeks!  This is a concern as we often have friends or family ride with us, and with carseats there will be no extra spot that can accommodate a normal-sized person.
Because there are headrests in every position of the NV, rear visibility is virtually non-existent. The column behind the front seats is a big blind spot, so one would have to get pretty good at using one's mirrors. But the seats being able to accommodate grown ups makes the reduced visibility worth it to me as we often cannot see out the back anyway because of all the cargo we are hauling!  The gentleman at the dealership told us the headrests were removable, but we did not actually attempt to remove them, so if you have positions that did not need them, you could increase your visibility by taking some out.
Both short me and tall dh found the driver seat very comfortable. The van is a big breadbox on wheels, so it will take getting used to to drive something that big, but it drove nicely and was responsive with both acceleration and braking.
Parking was a challenge, and I am not certain whether it would fit through regular garage doors as it was taller than our Suburban.
One thing we really like about this van that may not be a consideration for you is the 9000 lb. towing capacity with the factory-installed towing package. We pull a couple different trailers, so that is important for us.
Gas mileage is low, but we are used to that . It will be about the same as our current vehicle. There are not nearly as many bells and whistles available as there are in minivans; it is mainly utilitarian (no rear power windows, no power rear door or sliding door, etc.).
But for hauling a lot of people, especially considering carseats, I think it is a great option!
We found this review helpful.
Sorry I do not have more real-world experience to share!
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 19 2013 at 8:31pm | IP Logged
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We've looked at it some, too, and it is our first choice for down the road right now. I wish someone made a large capacity vehicle that was as family friendly and well thought out as a minivan, but they don't.
I have a friend who has one, and her least favorite thing is how the latch is only in the middle seats, which means the carseats have to be climbed over if you need the seats on the other side and yet, you have to climb all the way in to buckle them.
She's also said that the storage in the back is practically non-existent if you want all the seats in.
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MelissaClaire
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| Posted: June 20 2013 at 7:20am | IP Logged
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Thanks!
I just found this review from a larger family that was really helpful.
Review
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SallyT
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| Posted: June 21 2013 at 1:30pm | IP Logged
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Some of those factors -- low cargo capacity w/seats in and poor rear visibility, chiefly -- just are big-van things. I have a 12-passenger Ford Econoline, and the #1 thing I've had to learn to make part of my life is the reality that I can't see behind me *at all*, and that if a person were standing right behind my van, I would not see them before I backed over them. Mirrors don't help with that directly-behind-you blind spot, so you do have to make checking that you're clear back there part of your driving routine. All my kids have had it instilled in them that the driver *cannot see them* if they're behind the van (my two youngest were about three and four when we got the van, and I did really worry and enlist my older kids to help me look out for them, until finally they were old enough to have some sense!).
So -- not a review of the Nissan, but something to consider for anyone moving up to any vehicle that size. I love my big van, but I've definitely had to adapt my driving habits to its size and shortcomings.
Re the cargo capacity -- I can't tell from the picture whether there's space under the Nissan seats, but in our Ford there's definitely room to stow things underneath, and we make use of it on trips. We also have a canoe rack on top that we can use for a cargo "pod" if need be.
OK, again, not a review, just general big-van thoughts that may or may not be helpful.
Sally
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Anyone have a Nissan NV 12 person van?
