from my experience. 2002 escalade 3rd row taken out. i liked haveing the box furthest from the back hatch pointed at the hatch. closer i got to the door the less output i got. pointed up wasnt as good either. but my next setup will be pointed up because i wont have room to point them back, the sub would be too close to the back hatch. i would pick pointed up over right up agains the back door in an suv...
Well it's not up against the door, it's a decent distance away. If it's just me or me and one person, I fold down the second row and have it pointed at the hatch like 3-4 feet away from it. If I'm crusing with 3 or more people, it's behind the second row of seats facing back at the hatch.
I have an Explorer too and I have my L7's facing up now. Personally, I think it's better that way, then facing them backwards. Honestly, I've noticed that the subs are a lil bit louder for some reason, the only thing I don't like about it is the fact that it now totally drowns out my stock speakers! lol
I had the same problem, I upgraded my door speakers like two weeks after I put my sub in. Lately I've been crusing with it pointing up sometimes though cuz every time I burn out or take a turn fast, my sub will flip over or at least tip over.
well when i had my kicker comps in my jeep i tryed both ways, facing up and back and didn't notice a change in spl or sq, but when i put my atlas's in my jeep i'll have to face them cause the grills would hit the hatch if i had the facing the hatch. the only thing i could see bad about facin them up would be having ppl sit in the back, it probally would be very loud considering the subs are like a few inchs from their head, like i know one kid who can do the "hair trick" with one 12cvr ported, but only because the sub is facing up, and ppl sitting in back pretty much have the port about 5inchs from their head.
bunch of people on the astro/safari forums say they have there sub facing the floor, not on the floor, but with a box on legs or supported above the floor a few inches. but in my van and my 15's it sounds best about 6 inches fron the back doors facing the doors