Thinking about replacing my vehicle with a 3 row SUV. Just not enough room for kid, dog (2 dogs likely soon), all the stuff, etc. Plus I need to be able to tow things, maybe even a small travel trailer of some sort. Only looking at things no more than 3 years old, no more than 60k on it, must be AWD/4WD, and preferably sub-$50k. Preferably loaded (I am a sucker for creature comforts and luxuries). My preference was always to buy a CPO XC90, but honestly, like to be more fiscally responsible, the $65k is just too much for the model I would want. Any experience out there with: 2018+ Ford Explorer 2018+ VW Atlas 2018+ Subaru Ascent 2018+ Toyota Highlander / 4Runner 2020? Pallisade / Telluride 2018+ Dodge Durango (V6 or V8) 2018+ GMC Acadia / Chev Traverse Not interested in Mitsu Outlander, Dodge Journey, Nissan Pathfinder at all. Can't afford a Tahoe or Yukon. Anything I am missing to look at or watch out for?
Yeah, forgot those, looking at those as well although they are little behind, they need a model refresh soon
We bought an Ascent just over a year ago - love it. Of all the SUV’s we test drove, it was the funnest to drive - feels more like a car while a lot of the others felt like a truck. We were really looking for something with great clearance and it was #1 in that category. The hitch, since you mentioned it, is one of the best designed and easiest to work with I’ve seen on a vehicle. About the only complaint we had was the battery died a couple of times when I wouldn’t have expected it to. The dealership agreed there was something wrong with it and that it was probably an underpowered battery and replaced it for free. Love all the safety options as well especially now that my son is driving. Of the others you listed, we test drove: - the Telluride. It looks and feels fancy but felt like a toy SUV that wasn’t going to handle the forest roads. - the Highlander - my wife really liked this one but I found the driver’s seat cramped. I believe we googled storage capacity on that one as well and it rated poorest amongst the options we were looking at. - VW Atlas - didn’t actually take it out. I know the finance guy who works at the Subaru dealership we bought ours at. He also works at VW and has the Atlas as his company car right now - always complains about it when I see him so it wasn’t on the list from the start. Not on your list, but the Honda Pilot was our 2nd choice and it was a close call between it and the Ascent. We’ve had Honda in the past and it was a great vehicle - felt at home as soon as we got in. Compared to the Ascent, though, it was missing a ton of features - the Pilot’s been around for a long time and felt like it just needs an upgrade in a lot of areas. In the end, though, the 3 main deciding factors between the Pilot and the Ascent were: - the Closest Honda dealership is a 30 minute drive. I can walk to the closest Subaru. - I’m friends with the finance guy at Subaru and got a great deal. - the clearance on the Subaru was a lot better than the Pilot. Not sure if any of that helps. Have fun shopping!
Grand Cherokee or 4 runner. 4 runner will hold its value well in the long run and be capable of getting you to your fishing spots. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if I didn't need a truck. Grand Cherokee will have your creature comforts and still be capable.
I like those sport cross Atlas, with the sloped rear hatch, pretty great looking. I’m in the same boat, wife’s escape is coming up out of warranty this coming winter/ next spring and I’d like to replace it with an F-Pace lease or possibly a really lightly used year old one if there are any out there at the time but lease is probably the way to go. Also considering EVs but there’s not really any great incentives out there to eat up the inflated msrp right now
Grand Cherokee is too small, just a regular SUV. There is a new Grand Cherokee L (7 seater) but its a 2022 and will be out of reach $$. 4 runner is high on my list, but they are pricey used as well, and more rare to find.
Guy down the road has a new cherokee. I hear his brakes screeching like nails on a chalkboard every time he backs it up
We have a 2018 4runner limited and it is shit Full brake job every 20k Chrome is all delaminating The interior is like a time capsule, analog displays Tahoe or yukon
4 runners are stupid pricey for the ancient platform, ancient tech, horrendously laughable mileage, no power. Unless you’re looking for a body on frame off road SUV specifically, it’s no value. And if you are looking at a body on frame suv then buy a Tahoe/Yukon/expedition or something rwd biased like a new explorer
I have a 2021 wrangler 4 door, surprisingly nice inside, can't tow a ton though (3500lbs) can go anywhere, drives nice enough with the longer wheelbase. doors and roof come off - thats my biased vote you and wife in front seat, kids in back, dogs in trunk
Fun fact - the dog wrote that but yeah - doggos love Jeeps (and so do kids). Girlfriends nephew is obsessed with my Jeep. I put him on my lap and let him steer... kid drives over logs, sand dunes, into the water -- can't fuck with that kind of flexibility haha
I had a brand new 2016 wrangler unlimited Willys...loved it for what it was, never own another as a DD. Highway travel blows, seats are shit.
I have a 2013 Highlander and a 2019 4runner TRD Pro. Highlander is the way to go for a family vehicle!
Love my Atlas Cross Sport. Didn't want the regular 3 row Atlas as I wanted something more sporty. Basically same platform, the car is just 5 inches shorter, curved rear end, and no 3rd row. 2nd row is very roomy, anyone 6ft+ can sit in the back and still have extra leg room. We have the rear facing baby seat behind the drivers seat and I am able to adjust my seat as I want and still have room between the baby seat and the driver seat.
Can't remember exactly now... been 10 months since buying but I think it was around a couple thousand more
I had a JK and now have a JL --- they are night and day man. Granted my JK was a 2 door... but the 4 door is actually pretty nice. Seats are way nicer. You might be surprised....
how heavy do you want to tow? GM is putting the 3L duramax in their yukon's and suburban's but might go above your pricepoint. - what kind of SUV doesn't have awd at the least? nothing in the last 10 years is your answer so you're safe there. we were in this same boat last year, except we didn't NEED a third row. The Atlas was our go to because we like VW's but we did not care for it; so akward looking and styling cues had not forethought, AND still have that dreadful vr6. Honestly we almost ended up a Q5 and loved a lot of things about it but it was a bit of a bore to be honest. Then we started looking at TDI's, so the Q7 naturally came up and are a great deal but what a bulbous monstrosity of a land yaught. great value for what it is though. We were then hell bent on finding a last year model TDI Touareg and didn't want to settle for anything else. We found it but had to get it shipped. I love mostly everything about it; brakes are a little undersized (upgrading to cayenne brakes) lack of tech (its a 2016), but the 7800lb tow rating should get put to use this summer with our travel trailer which will be a lot of fun. We did A LOT of shopping around and test driving though (we had never owned an SUV before), and there's a lot to be comfortable with and to consider. Im partial to diesel's in an SUV, and am happy to see manufacturer's leading that way like Jeep and GM. Its truly a match made in heaven, and reminds me of how the older land cruiser's and land rover's used to be. Good luck on the hunt!
I just picked up a 2011 x5 diesel for a utility vehicle from a customer. It has higher km's, 300ish, but has all the emissions deletes so really not much to go wrong, maybe an egr cooler or an injector. It's super clean inside, has a rock solid chassis and can tow about the same amount. With the deletes it's got almost 600 lb ft of torque. I have another customer who has over 500k on his 2010. Loves it.
I only need to tow less than 5000lbs in the forseeable future. Still shopping, haven't had time to personally test drive much yet.
