We are in the market for an armada. We like the idea of a rear bench seat, but also like the flexibility of removing the center console in the 2nd row captain's seat configuration for easy third row access (without removing outer seat child seats). There are lots of opinions posted on this site regarding captain's vs. bench. I have a slightly different idea:

Can you remove the middle section of the bench seat configuration. In order to get the captain's seat on the 2005 SE you have to upgrade several other items. I would prefer to stay with the bench seat and remove middle section if possible. It is much less expensive and gives us the flexibility for a larger adult crowd when needed. Can someone confirm whether or not this is possible?

thanks

Piece of cake to remove the 2nd row center seat. About 4 bolts and take em away. But the floor is still raised and it would be a ***** to try to get to 3rd row from here. You;d have to get on all 4's and crawl.

Isn't the floor level the same in the vehicle regardless of the use of bench or Captain's seats? Is the width between the captain's seats greater than what it would be if you remove the middle section of the bench seat? How about brackets and such left in the floor once you remove the middle section? I am not sure I follow the crawling requirement :-)? thanks in advance.