OT: Help me decide on a car/suv

[adub]

Mini van for the win. Soccer moms drive them for a reason.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by adub

Mini van for the win. Soccer moms drive them for a reason.

And that's the A#1 reason men avoid driving them as much as possible.

[Epicus07]

2015+ Subaru WRX
Torklift Invisi hitch + Kuat NV with 2 bike add on as needed.
Comfortable seating for 4 and a blast to drive. way less body roll / top heavy handling than an SUV. decent MPG too.

At least drive one before you say no

FWIW my wife has an outback and it is exceptionally boring to drive and handles like a boat.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by Epicus07

2015+ Subaru WRX
Torklift Invisi hitch + Kuat NV with 2 bike add on as needed.
Comfortable seating for 4 and a blast to drive. way less body roll / top heavy handling than an SUV. decent MPG too.

At least drive one before you say no

FWIW my wife has an outback and it is exceptionally boring to drive and handles like a boat.

My Impreza hatch isn't quite a WRX, and has a fraction of the horsepower, but I'm quite happy with the handling. No nautical handling analogies there.

[CaptStash]

My wife has a Porsche Cayenne that she bought used with low miles. We purchased an aftermarket warranty. Overall, it has been the best vehicle either of us has owned. They are quite reasonable used, are a hoot to drive and hold up well. Vhecks all of you boxes at once except one, they do like to drink their gas.

CaptStash....

[jh_on_the_cape]

Sorry to revive this...
I am also looking for something similar to replace an 2006 Volvo V70.

I want to fit 3 kids across the 2nd row. I looked at a highlander a while ago and the middle seat was really small. Still the case?

I like the new Pilot because the MPG is better but it was redesigned in 2016 and I my budget calls for an older model.

My research comes to the Pathfinder, which is an SUV/thingy like a subaru but has a 3rd row. Anyone have one and like it? Can you put a bike in the back without folding down the 2nd row with wheels on?

[stien]

Newer gen Highlander is cavernous compared to gen 1. They are best of the best in terms of reliability.

If I end up buying a car (debatable, sold mine in Jan) it's 85% probably going to be a minivan. Because 1 passenger, 6 bikes and 2 dogs in the car is a possibility.

[kurto]

I recently went through this experience, and we ended up in a weird spot. We traded in our Nissan Murano for a Buick Enclave and I couldn't be happier. It's nice (though not at the level of the lux Germans), and has insane amounts of interior room. We got it with 2 captain chairs and a split bench in the back, but you can get them with a middle bench. The kids love it cause they can stand up in the car, and it's just a really solid vehicle. We looked at all the imports, and seriously considered the Pathfinder, but the Buick just worked. Don't sleep on Buick - they sell cars to people under 70 now.

[saab2000]

I haven't really looked at GM cars much lately seriously but the current GMC Acadia Denali has me thinking twice. It's very nicely styled and gets quite good reviews.

Based on prior experience with GM, I'm gun shy. They haven't been awful, but long term durability seemed to be a weak point with a Pontiac I once owned and a GMC Yukon my family owned ran like a top for a long time, but experienced terrible underbody rust, which finally led to its demise. The fact that the fuel tank looked new after 18 years and the rest of the equipment underneath proved to me that it CAN be done. Rust of that nature and severity needn't happen.

I wish I knew that GM had turned the corner WRT long term quality and durability.

[Ken Robb]

I have little experience with SUVs but-------a pal who is a used car/RV dealer has got 150,000-200,000 miles of gopher service, trailer towing from Suburbans and the slightly smaller GMC version (Acadia or Yukon maybe?) I drove them a few times helping him move vehicles from auctions to his sales locations. Once I got used to their size relative to my MINI (No kidding) I thought they were ok--cushy ride--numb steering feedback--pleasant response from 350ci V-8 and auto trans. He gets about 18mpg on the cheapest gas available. I think his were NOT 4WD but I'm not sure. They have a bunch of room and probably are cheaper to buy/operate that many imports.

[kurto]

Originally Posted by saab2000

I haven't really looked at GM cars much lately seriously but the current GMC Acadia Denali has me thinking twice. It's very nicely styled and gets quite good reviews.

Based on prior experience with GM, I'm gun shy. They haven't been awful, but long term durability seemed to be a weak point with a Pontiac I once owned and a GMC Yukon my family owned ran like a top for a long time, but experienced terrible underbody rust, which finally led to its demise. The fact that the fuel tank looked new after 18 years and the rest of the equipment underneath proved to me that it CAN be done. Rust of that nature and severity needn't happen.

I wish I knew that GM had turned the corner WRT long term quality and durability.

I know what you mean, Saab. We looked at GM vehicles as a bit of an afterthought after we'd seen Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc. This platform (Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse, and GMC Acadia) has been around for a while now and has been very well-received and very reliable. I was frankly shocked after coming from Japanese and German cars, but the Acadia (especially in the Denali trim) is awesome.

[cnighbor1]

Subaru engines are leaking oil with no fix except a short block replacement per Subaru mechanic I spoke to a week ago
They are not sure why some engines develop oil leaks

[booglebug]

Highlander #1
4 runner #2
RDX #3
Have owned all three ( currently the RDX ) none are a bad choice. Like the smaller size of the RDX best but overall it's hard to beat a Toyota

[jh_on_the_cape]

Originally Posted by stien

Newer gen Highlander is cavernous compared to gen 1. They are best of the best in terms of reliability.

If I end up buying a car (debatable, sold mine in Jan) it's 85% probably going to be a minivan. Because 1 passenger, 6 bikes and 2 dogs in the car is a possibility.

Which minivan? I want Awd but the sienna Awd only fits 2 in second row. I really want an Awd minivan with a big wide bench 2nd row

[jh_on_the_cape]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

I have little experience with SUVs but-------a pal who is a used car/RV dealer has got 150,000-200,000 miles of gopher service, trailer towing from Suburbans and the slightly smaller GMC version (Acadia or Yukon maybe?) I drove them a few times helping him move vehicles from auctions to his sales locations. Once I got used to their size relative to my MINI (No kidding) I thought they were ok--cushy ride--numb steering feedback--pleasant response from 350ci V-8 and auto trans. He gets about 18mpg on the cheapest gas available. I think his were NOT 4WD but I'm not sure. They have a bunch of room and probably are cheaper to buy/operate that many imports.

I would love a suburban but the mpg is terrible and they are more expensive than you think.