An increasing number of vehicles are available with a third row of seats. Some reviewers, myself included, often evaluate these vehicles based on the suitability of their third row seating for adults. And mahy car buyers will make the same evaluation. Should you?

When I take a step back to think about this question, it becomes clear that the answer is going to be different for different people. Some people will need to put adult-sized people in the third row. Others will just have children there. Similarly, some people will use the third row on a daily basis, others will need the third row only occassionally.

Since it was introduced three years ago I’ve given points to the Ford Freestyle for having an adult-friendly third row. The new Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Mazda CX-9 also do well in this regard.

And then we have many more vehicles with barely passable third rows, the BMW X5, Subaru Tribeca, Chrysler Pacifica, and Mitsubishi Outlander among them.

When I consider the question objectively, I realize that if I had a vehicle with a third row I’d be using it only occassionally, and for pre-teens. For this use, pretty much any third row would do.

Oddly, my desire for an adult-friendly third row falls in the same category as people who desire the go-anywhere capability of an SUV, but who will only leave the pavement for an unpaved road, not to crawl across fields of boulders. Or those who desire a sports car than can do 180, even though they’ll never drive over 80.

Capability has an inherent appeal in all three cases. And in all three cases it’s important to recognize how much of this capability you’ll actually use.