Max or non-Max?

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EngineHostler

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I purchased our used Max for traveling. We have enough room for our baggage and these guys at nearly 100 pounds a piece.the_dogs.jpeg
 

LostProV1

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Max for us, family of six + doggo.

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I love that color. I wish both it and the blue were available on a KR...interior style/color drives my purchase more than exterior, but I was bummed to find basically any shade of white/gray/black I wanted and that was it. But this color had me almost dealing with a black interior (which takes a LOT). Beautiful!
 

sanman28

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Simple. If you are using the entire third row a lot….get max. If not, get non max. My fam is 5, and we fold down one side of the third row and can usually fit everything for a weeks vacation without issue.
 

tangbang

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tempImageY0VAsV.jpg

I need to get it leveled, possibly raised (?) and maybe some more aggressive tires. I was surprised to see it came with Michelin Primacy LTX tires but still want something more aggressive in ~33" size.
 

Husker4theSpurs

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I went for a Max (and a '15 EL before that) because I feel like the non-Max is sort of the worst of both worlds. It's too big to be especially maneuverable, can be a pain to park, but without the extra space. In other words, you're not gaining anything by NOT getting a Max. As for the Tremor stuff, there are better off-road upgrades available in the aftermarket (or soon will be for the Gen V).

As an aside, did you previous one actually get Lemon Law'ed over a mirror?

I agree with this ... if you don't NEED a Max I would go for another vehicle altogether unless you need to tow. Much of this has to do with how congested of an area you live in. If maneuvering is tough and you don't think you'll travel with more than 4 and luggage ever, I'd get a standard length.

We live in an area with ample room for parking etc. We only have 2 kids and no dogs to take along and we have a MAX just in case we need the space. It's come in handy for hauling kids around after practices and a few times when we had to have a mom and child ride with us to a soccer tournament.
 

LanceExp2025

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@VCFP153 Yes the vehicle was lemon lawed for the mirror and some sort of parasitic drain on the battery.
Hi SunnySunshine:
Was the mirror problem (that caused the "Lemon buy-back") with one of the outside mirrors? If so, what was that exact mirror problem and which side was it on? Just curious because our 2024 Expy Limited Max (which we just love) has a RH sideview mirror that occasionally jumps or chatters and makes a temporary noise like gears are stripping, when you change driver mode from number one to number two. Changing back to number one, does NOT cause the same noise, though. Thanks much for any information that you could give me, Lance
 
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SunnySunshine

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Hi SunnySunshine:
Was the mirror problem (that caused the "Lemon buy-back") with one of the outside mirrors? If so, what was that exact mirror problem and which side was it on? Just curious because our 2024 Expy Limited Max (which we just love) has a RH sideview mirror that occasionally jumps or chatters and makes a temporary noise like gears are stripping, when you change driver mode from number one to number two. Changing back to number one, does NOT cause the same noise, though. Thanks much for any information that you could give me, Lance
It was the right side outside. Now it has been a very long time since the buyback (and I've got the memory of a dementia patient due to Long COVID). However it was because the mirror would occasionally not unfold itself from the folded position. Due to the occasional nature of the issue, it did become a safety issue as you'd be driving, and look over to find the mirror still folded. There wasn't any issues with gears stripping or making noise though. The vehicle also had some issues with the battery draining itself for some reason, no clue if that mirror was the culprit or not. That is all I remember unfortunately. My father handled the buyback process, not me.
 

dlcorbett

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It was the right side outside. Now it has been a very long time since the buyback (and I've got the memory of a dementia patient due to Long COVID). However it was because the mirror would occasionally not unfold itself from the folded position. Due to the occasional nature of the issue, it did become a safety issue as you'd be driving, and look over to find the mirror still folded. There wasn't any issues with gears stripping or making noise though. The vehicle also had some issues with the battery draining itself for some reason, no clue if that mirror was the culprit or not. That is all I remember unfortunately. My father handled the buyback process, not me.
Did yall end up with a yukon after all?
 

LanceExp2025

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It was the right side outside. Now it has been a very long time since the buyback (and I've got the memory of a dementia patient due to Long COVID). However it was because the mirror would occasionally not unfold itself from the folded position. Due to the occasional nature of the issue, it did become a safety issue as you'd be driving, and look over to find the mirror still folded. There wasn't any issues with gears stripping or making noise though. The vehicle also had some issues with the battery draining itself for some reason, no clue if that mirror was the culprit or not. That is all I remember unfortunately. My father handled the buyback process, not me.
Thanks much Sunny Sunshine.

I appreciate the speedy reply on this mirror problem. Now that you explained your mirror problem here, I seem to remember hearing about this particular mirror problem before. Sorry that you and your dad had to go through such a messy buy-back lemon. I am also glad to know that 'our intermittent RH outside mirror problem' seems to be more of a mechanical defect rather that some un-fixable computer-controlled mess, that can't be fixed. We love everything else about our Expy and don't want to have to give it back for any reason.

By the way, we had a 2012 Expy Limited EL (Extra Long - like the MAX) and when we recently sold it and bought our 2024 Expy Limited MAX, we would never have considered buying a standard over a MAX, at all. My daughter bought a 2024 Limited (but NOT a MAX) 'only' because a MAX would NOT fit into her garage. (& our family have always been GARAGE kept car people) When her and her family of 5 go on vacation (even for a long weekend trip), often they will take our MAX just for the ease of carrying everything inside. Just something to think about when you're buying a new Expy, it seems to me. Thanks again, Lance
 
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SunnySunshine

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Did yall end up with a yukon after all?
We didn't end up getting a new car. Unfortunately as mentioned I'm chronically ill from Long COVID (infection was Nov 2023 with me slowly getting worse). My previous life of traveling and taking photos is gone at this point. So my parents didn't really get a new car because we're not really heading anywhere. I'm house bound 20-25 days a month and mostly bedridden. I get maybe 2 day trips a month nearby like within 1-2 hours of driving (not that I have that much energy, it's more for mental health), and our current vehicles work well enough for that. We've got a 2005 Lexus LS430 for my mom (she doesn't work, she's my full time caretaker) and I, and my father commutes with a Tesla. Although we might have to replace that Lexus soon though since it's old and lacks modern safety features. Haven't decided on what brand yet.
 
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dlcorbett

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We went non-Max after side by side today at dealer. More over cosmetics and we won’t be using the third row seats much so just drop them if we need the extra room.
I kinda wish I got the navigator L too be honest.
 

Mr Big

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I've owned both. IMHO the non-max rides and handles better.
The EXTRA room in the MAX is only cargo. So, if you don't need the extra space, then a mom-max will be fine. If you need space for cargo or have animals, the MAX is a plus. Also, a MAX will have lower gas mileage, if that would be an issue.
 
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