Now that Iâve put myself out there as a genuine fan of the Enclave, I thought I would take a moment to highlight another well thought out feature. Took it to the grocery store last night and when it came time to load up my bags full of gin, tonic and limes, I discovered this handy underfloor storage bin. Not only did the recessed well keep my precious cargo from rolling around, the lid was sturdy and it stayed up on its own. Seems simple, but Iâve been in numerous SUVs that didnât even have cargo nets let alone underfloor storage, so this was a nice surprise...
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 9,578
firstwagon says:
06:30 PM, 01/17/08
That's cool, out of sight always good these days.
Where's the spare?
billt9 says:
06:58 PM, 01/17/08
This is the best minivan ever!
stovt001 says:
08:03 PM, 01/17/08
I agree with billt9. It is really a large, stylish minivan, but it truly is the best minivan ever.
altimadude00 says:
08:37 PM, 01/17/08
Minivans are still more useful because of their sliding doors.
--If a kid gets out of the rear door and traps in the adult behind the swing-out door, the kid is free to run out into traffic. (Not setting the lock-out switch is easy to do.)
--Kids jump and use the door for leverage, and thus bang on the next car with the door repeatedly.
--You're always fighting the door when installing car seats.
--There's no button to automatically open a swinging door.
--Parking spaces aren't getting any smaller and family vehicles aren't getting any smaller.
Although cross-overs are gradually becoming the family car of choice, I believe that the minivan still holds some advantages over them.
7driver says:
11:24 PM, 01/17/08
1stwagon, I believe you get to the spare by lowering it from underneath.
billt9 says:
11:34 PM, 01/17/08
altimadude00, wow whatever happened to regular 4-door sedans as the standard family car...
sliding doors are used by a minority of families. Most kids use regular doors, without suffering injuries or dying.
Now that's anxiety to the max! What if my poor baby this and that...
nwfmlymn says:
07:04 AM, 01/18/08
I dunno billt9. I think altimadude00 was just emphasizing the practical advantages of a minivan. Perhaps we'll soon see a crossover with a sliding door . . . Talk about blurring the lines! I'll throw out there, however, that a sliding door presents its own risks--it allows for a more likely running exit from the car and it makes it more difficult for other drivers approaching the car from the rear or front to see that a door is open (and that a child might be exiting). Of course, a minivan is kind of like a school bus--you just assume that ankle biters will be running in, out, and around it.
bobw3 says:
09:15 AM, 01/18/08
Actually, minivans have twice the cargo space behind the 3rd row and a lot more legroom in the 2nd & 3rd row, even compared to the big Enclave.
jriz says:
09:24 AM, 01/18/08
Ed went to the grocery store and all he bought was a whole bunch of gin, tonic and limes. I find that amusing.
redliner says:
09:40 AM, 01/18/08
The next "family car" will be the 4-door coupe (read: VW Passat). Think about it, it's purfect becuse it has no headroom in the back were the kids ride, and plenty in the fron were MOM and DAD ride.
bimmerjay says:
10:24 AM, 01/18/08
I noticed that too... BAGS of gin, tonic, and limes. Sounds like somebody had a fun evening.
Anyway, when will there be a blog post for the LT Veracruz?? I want to complain about it already!
desmolicious says:
01:50 PM, 01/18/08
gin and tonic. Not just for breakfast anymore.
tjbeck says:
09:57 PM, 01/18/08
Yea, that is a good point. No matter how nicely packaged the SUV cargo area is, it still sucks compared to a minivan.
Don't get me wrong - the space packaging in the Enclave looks great - that's a very large underfloor space, and it's not just there to hold the stupid third-row headrests when you fold down the seats (Honda Pilot and others).
But considering this thing only has front wheel drive, I can't think of any advantage over a minivan other than perceived sportiness and styling.
actualsize says:
06:21 PM, 02/ 1/08
We used the underfloor space in the picture to good effect during our Christmas trip. It is amazing how many small and delicate packages can be carefully hidden from view in this spot.