So I joined because we own an '04 XLT and just ordered an '18 Platinum Max last week after a test drive. I was able to test drive a Ruby Red Platinum Max with captain's chairs and it's definitely a massive upgrade over both our old Expy and my lifted '12 4Runner. We really liked the CCD soaking up the bumps as well as the overall quietness in the cabin on the road and comfy seats.
We ended up ordering a Max vs a regular because compared to our old expy the rear lift gate opening is 4" smaller than the '04, which combined with the more sloping roof doesn't allow us to put a very large dog crate into the new expy without taking it apart as well as the fact our '04 expy is the 4.6L V8 and can't really tow our 5000lb+ travel trailer in the mountains.. We plan to build the crate in place since our dogs go everywhere with us and don't really move the crates in and out. It'll be the primary road trip vehicle/towing vehicle for our RV/travel trailer (it's just her and I and the two dogs). I didn't take as much time as I would have liked to fiddle with the tech from an adaptive cruise control and park assist perspective but SYNC 3 is very easy to manage. We checked out a bench seat in a loaded XLT and liked the softness of the captain's chairs in the platinum (our parents are in their late 60s/early 70s and visit often) as well as the ease of access to the 3rd row in times when we have our friends that have kids in town. The acceleration of the 3.5L EcoBoost is phenomenal, especially in comparison to the 4.6L V8 and 4.0 V6 in the 4Runner, I'm really looking forward to towing with it.
The one thing I noticed and could be a turn off (but I didn't override it) is the auto start stop. I actually didn't notice the auto start stop until we were at a light and realized we were in the wrong lane and when to turn the wheel to change lanes without rolling forward and the steering wheel wouldn't budge because the engine stopped and the power steering pump had no power. As soon as I lifted off the brake it fired right up and I was able to switch lanes but it was the first time that I noticed it.
Because we're looking to make it our primary towing vehicle we've already decided to get rid of the 22" wheels and tires for some aftermarket 18s with load C all terrains. Not sure if we'll sell or trade the 22s yet. I'm looking forward to getting it because it is very comfy for long trips with plenty of space and storage for all of our adventures.
We aren't looking to take delivery until late March of '18 so it gave us flexibility to order what we wanted (Mag Grey with Ceramic Interior) and we are fortunate to have "Z" plan through my wife so we'll get a pretty decent deal in the timeline we want it in. They took until Dec. 1-4 to start showing up in the Seattle area and even then there were only maybe 10 between 3 or 4 dealerships, so we didn't see any discounts but we didn't dig deeper because we weren't looking to make a day of purchase. Overall, it's a great vehicle and a definitive upgrade from previous generations.
We were always set on a platinum vs a loaded Limited so we didn't test drive anything else.