[ant_vas]

I own a Kia Carens and we regularly use 3rd row. Usually its my nephew (6' 1") and me (5' 11") who occupy the 3rd row and i will vouch that the 3rd row in Carens is the most comfortable one.The middle row slides in Carens who enables good leg room for 3rd row occupants. The back rest of 3rd row can also be adjusted making it a pleasant experience.

You don't see with your knee towards your chest like in other car's like Safari, Innova, XUV700 or MG Hector. (Not including Ertiga/XL6 as never sat in one)

Before purchasing Carens, i went to checked out all the above mentioned car's and specifically sat in the 3rd row and tested for comfort.

I believe Carens offers the best 3rd row seating in terms of space and comfort currently in the market

[Ays7]

I have a Hyundai Alcazar 6 seater. And we bought it because the wait period on Creta was too long and Alcazar was more readily available. We bought it as a 4 seater car with just a larger boot space.

However, at times, we have had to use the 3rd row of seats, especially for smaller rides within the city and a couple of extended rides from Mumbai - Nashik and Pune - Goa. Both the journeys, we used the car as a 5 seater, with 3rd row partially used for luggage and partially for one person. As long as person is 5’6 or lower, it seems like the 3rd row is fairly comfortable. I have not tried it with anyone taller than 5’5 or 5’6 back there, but for persons of that height it is comfortable, and sometimes it does feel good to have that flexibility of fitting 6 people and not having to take two cars.

Overall, while the 3rd row is not the best in class, the added flexibility does help.

[Ashar]

I would always prefer a 7-seater the size of an Ertiga or Carens because of the flexibility it brings with very few compromises.
By choosing Ertiga/Carens (almost the same size as that of Creta / Seltos), you are not opting for a really large vehicle and thus parking is not a big concern.
Now, when it comes to the interiors, When you want to travel with 6/7 occupants (You, wife, kid, sister, sister's husband, sister's kid, father, mother), you can either travel together in decent comfort in the same car or take 2 cars. When it comes to family/friends travel, traveling in a single car will always be preferred.
When you travel with 4 occupants, you have a very large boot and a very spacious cabin with all seats that recline and have their own individual AC vents. Almost business-class like travel.

This kind of flexibility is something no other category of cars provide. Hence, my vote.

[kraken]

I have been using a 7 seater 3 row Fortuner since 2015. It's usually just me and the missus. Most of the time we take it out, parents join in. Then sometimes my brother. And whenever we all get in together it's usually for a long drive and a short stay. So there's bound to be luggage !
There is enough space for us 5 and luggage. Soon there is gonna be 6 and we are contemplating having to drive 2 cars for our family trips.

But having the 3 rows was very comforting. We literally have carried extra people without any planning and managed to have a blast travelling together. For me, 3rd row is just like being prepared for an eventuality. It's good to have !

[HrB]

I bought the Triber for small city runs with kids as we live in a joint family. However, using it more as a five seater (hardly used 5/6 times as a 7 seater). But the car is extremely comfortable in long drives. Driven from Gangtok to Guwahati, non stop, in about 16 hours. Next morning, was as fresh as as ever. Now this is our designated long drive car.

[Proud BRV Owner]

I, being an owner of a 3 raw car, would like to share my thoughts as well.

First, I strongly believe that none of the cars being sold in today's time have a 2nd raw seat which is designed to accommodate 3 adults comfortably. I have a clear definition of 2nd raw seat comfort: (1) Under-thigh support extended up to the bottom of your knee joint. (2) Back support with an adjustable incline angle. (3) No part of your body touching the person sitting beside you. Meaning, no fight between legs and no brushing between the shoulders. With all these considerations, I would always prefer to have a third raw to accommodate the 5th person in the car.

With these initial thoughts, here is my usage experience with my Honda BR-V. It is my only car and hence my daily driver. Here is a rough breakup over a period of 6.25 years (i.e., 2300 days) and 1.2 lac kilometer of usage (I have only used the boot for carrying luggage):
(1) Full family (Driver + 5) trips of 2 days or more - 12 to 15 trips, 50 days, 12,000 km
(2) Full family (Driver + 5) overnight intercity loop - 5 to 10 trips, 4500 km
(3) Family (Driver + 2) trips of 2 days or more - 5 to 10 trips, 4500 km
(4) Family (Driver + 1) same day intercity loop - 35 to 40 trips, 20,000 km
Rest of the times and kilometers have been spent driving it alone for daily commute, sometimes for casual city commutes with family and very rarely with full family.

On trips of 1 & 2, the third raw seat would be occupied. And, on trips of variety 3 - often my son would use the 3rd raw seat as his bedroom or gaming/surfing/listening zone.

[NiInJa]

For the most part, my Ertiga's third row remains folded as it accomodates my kid's bike wherever I go. But, having a third row is a big relief during vacation seasons when my relatives arrive from abroad, I can take them to nearby places and temple runs without the hassle of having another car.

I can't think of getting a 5 seater even in the future after experiencing the practicality of having a car with a third row.

[Blue_Silver]

This was the precise discussion we had when we were upgrading. We are a family of five including my daughter who is always travel in a Car seat, so we at any given point needed 5 comfortable seating.

This brings the Carens in our list, which has slideable middle row and reclinable 3 row. Which is used 50 : 50 in complete occupancy to long trips & school drops.

[Jeash.vk]

I have a Crysta and have been using the 3rd row only sparingly. However the flexibility that a third row can provide is very important to me. Even though its used only occasionally, the days when you need it, it does make a big difference. Like GTO said, its the difference between having tons of fun in one car or taking the second car out (crowd split, less fun)

Apart from city rides when 2 adults can be seated reasonably comfortably in the third row, the real benefit for me is highway drives with kids in the last row. Have done a few multi day outstation drives where 3 kids have spent the entirety of the journey in the last row and had awesome fun while seated there. Crysta has the advantage of having a fairly decent luggage space with 3 rows up, which cannot be said about a few other 3 row cars.

[sreejithkk]

I Have 2019 Ertiga, and the 3rd row seats are regularly used, either by kids or by shorter adults of the family (where the height is up to 5ft 6inches), during short as well long trips. Almost 65% of the time last row is occupied, and rest of the time the last row is folded for luggage. I knew that I will be using 3rd row seats extensively, and that is the reason I went with the 7 seater vehicle.

[haisaikat]

Voted for regularly use 3rd row although I would have preferred to have a few more options. I have a Crysta and its 3rd row is probably inferior to only the Kia Grand Carnival (which has recently been discontinued) in terms of space and practicality.

But My argument to have a 3 row seating arrangement is primarily tied to those 3 seaters who have a foldable 2nd row for easy ingress into the 3rd should the need arise and otherwise fold down 3rd row for a massive boot space unlike any Sedans with similarly large boots.

This is because the MPV allows stuffing things up to the roof almost and luggage can be tied down to prevent unsafe movement if the need arises. I have made airport drops with 4 adults on board including myself at driver seat and 8 really large suitcases, had to fold one side of the middle row.

Additionally the middle row being moveable forward - backward calls for loads of flexibility unlike those cars where middle row remains fixed to allow a 3rd row. This ensues that during those moments of necessity, when the 3rd row is required, it is still a respectable option.

But is this for long tours? Answer is no at least in Crysta, I think a Grand Carnival owner would certainly pose a smile here. Why? Because usable boot space is 300 litres with 3rd row up, with recline of 3rd row it will reduce. Probably a better option is with one seat up and one down in 3rd row, we have done several trips like that in the past with extended family but duration of drive was limited to 4 hours and duration of trip was maximum a weekend. But 3 row full city trips, trust me they are utmost fun, those parties in office, with 8 on board rekindles loads of memories.

So I have intentionally gone for the 3 row options, if someone does not know

[satyabrata.dash]

I was very happy with my Ford Figo 1.5L P AT, but having a dog, it was a 2 Human + 1 Dog car, and we could never accommodate another passenger. Lucy, our 10 old lab, is a senior and she deserves a nice comfortable bed and she would not tolerate anyone(dog or human) and would kick them out and stretch and take all the place, to make sure there is no space left for someone to fit in. She has travelled through out India in this car, and even though she is not a wanderlust creature, she just likes to sleep in a moving car with max AC. We have never taken a trip with family after she came into our lives(2 years back, rescued from an illegal breeder). Last month we finally got an XL6, 2nd row will have a bed for Lucy, 3rd for Humans(to avoid waking her up on a bumpy road). 90% of the time, its still 3 of us, but for occasional trips with family, we went for a 6 seater. Additionally, it solves another purpose for us. Having a long car will help us to stretch out and sleep, because we have been denied a hotel room several times in last 2 years and had to sleep in the car.

[Rivoncar]

I got a pre cared Xylo e9 . And it is a proper 8 seater. 6 footers are happy in the third row. And as my in-laws, and my sister's family stay in the same city. I just have the freedom to invite everyone for the trip and still not go in two cars .

[sidoxic]

Yes - Used Once every few weeks, but is folded down for daily duties with plastic from factory intact at 30k KM.

It makes the difference of ferrying a larger party together, rather than splitting up into 2 cars. It comes at the cost of an annoying length for city traffic when there are only 2 occupants and also street side parking in South Bombay, but also it makes up in extra boot space. We've had 6 on board including a baby in his dedicated seat and his stroller in the boot along with an impulsive IKEA haul! One of two last row seats were folded down.

Happy to have atleast one 3 row SUV in the family - not more, not less

[samm]

I will go for 8 seater anyday! We have gone for several road trips, overnight drives with friends and families, and its so much fun to have 6-7 people travel together.

So we have two Innovas in our group, so in 3 cars, almost 18-20 people including a few kids, can comfortably travel.

Good part is, even with all rows up, there is good luggage space as well, as long as you carry only what you need.

Hycross ups this game, and increases the comfort and space even further!