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Post by dewryce on Jun 6, 2016 23:46:51 GMT
We are in the market for a new mid-size SUV. We have 2 Toyota Highlanders and I love them but DH would like a different car. Fair enough.
We looked at and liked the Nissan Pathfinders. Actually owned one ourself until a deer ran into it while DH was going about 70 MPH. It was working okay at 300,000 miles until that happened. Lots of issues towards the end but we didn't take the best care of it...and well, 300,000 miles. But I found a tons of issues on the 2015 model with the passenger side airbag that dealers weren't fixing. And then Consumer Reports said they are very unreliable.
Honda Pilots are also a possibility, we don't feel one way or another about them. They get okay Consumer Reports ratings, and SIL has one a couple of years old that she hasn't had any issues with. Love the cargo space, but it doesn't feel as comfortable as the Highlander to me.
Kia Sorentos get rave reviews on Consumer Reports, and they have great options available for a few thousand less than Toyota. My concern is the long term quality of the car. BFF has the vehicle Sorentos were made to replace, and little things on the interior are breaking like the sunglasses holder and air vents. The last 2 new cars we purchased we drive u til around the 300K mile mark, so we do want a quality interior as well as mechanics.
The most importent factor for us is comfort. I have a torn disc in the lumbar region, degenerative disc disease, psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia. There are days I can barely get in the car. So we will definitely be getting the automatic adjustable seats, hopefully with auto lumbar, memory and heated seats. A power close on the lift gate would be great too. Oh, and DH is 6'5". We know he fits into all of these mentioned, some better than others but all okay.
Any thoughts, recommendations or warnings?
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Post by elaine on Jun 6, 2016 23:50:35 GMT
We bought a Buick Enclave this past year. It is the most comfortable car, outside of a Cadillac Escalade, that I have ever ridden in. The seats have adjustable everything - including lumbar support. The ride is like butter. I don't know if I'll ever be happy with another car in terms of comfort.
ETA: the stitched leather interior (dash, doors, etc) is gorgeous.
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Post by angie3dpea on Jun 6, 2016 23:55:17 GMT
I just bought a 2016 Pilot. I narrowed it down between it and the highlander and the Pilot just felt more comfortable for me. They were very similar in many ways, and the Highlander had some features I really liked, but I have driven a Honda for the past 8 years and my butt just felt better in the Honda seat.  |
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Judy26
Pearl Clutcher
MOTFY Bitchy Nursemaid
Posts: 2,971 
Location: NW PA
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Post by Judy26 on Jun 7, 2016 0:06:02 GMT
I have a Mazda cx9 and have found it to be a solid ride, good on mileage and they seem to hold their value. A Buick Enclave would be my other choice. They really are a nice car but I wanted my car loaded and the $ was quite high for that.
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Post by marysue63 on Jun 7, 2016 0:15:39 GMT
We bought a Honda Pilot about a year ago. We looked at the Highlander and liked it but the price we were able to get for the Pilot couldn't be beat. Plus I felt the cargo area in the Pilot is much bigger which was important for us. I LOVE my Pilot!
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Post by elaine on Jun 7, 2016 0:18:08 GMT
I have a Mazda cx9 and have found it to be a solid ride, good on mileage and they seem to hold their value. A Buick Enclave would be my other choice. They really are a nice car but I wanted my car loaded and the $ was quite high for that. Yes, they are pricey. I bought my 2015 when the 2016s were coming on the lots and bargained really really hard and got it for $15K below MSRP. It has everything but DVR (which we didn't want). I love all the safety features, like warning signals in the side view mirrors, crossing lane signals, forward collision signals, and rear cross-traffic signals. It is scary how quickly I've come to depend on them and missed them when I had to rent a car. |
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Post by beaglemom on Jun 7, 2016 0:19:45 GMT
Pricey...but the Tesla Model X is incredible!! Crossover, third-row seats go down super easy, easy to get in and out of, very smooth ride, between the trunk and the frunk (front trunk) plenty of storage space, 230+ miles on a charge.
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Post by ntsf on Jun 7, 2016 0:23:56 GMT
we're getting a subaru outback.. our mechanic likes them, consumers reports likes them and they drive very nicely and they have enough flexible room for us.
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raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
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Post by raindancer on Jun 7, 2016 0:24:03 GMT
I dont know your budget, but I love my Audi Q5. Had a 2012 and traded it i For a 2016. So comfy and smooth. I also really liked the Acura (suv but I cannot think of the name). But it was more than the Audi when we bought the 2012 certified pre-owned.
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raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
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Post by raindancer on Jun 7, 2016 0:24:39 GMT
we're getting a subaru outback.. our mechanic likes them, consumers reports likes them and they drive very nicely and they have enough flexible room for us. My friend LOVES her outback. Great car! |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 7, 2016 0:26:37 GMT
elaine That is a good looking interior! Do you know what size SUV it is considered? I ask because of the starting price and 15mpg. Seems more comparable to the Nissan Armada or Toyota Sequoia, which I love. And if I could afford it and pay for the gas I would marry it and have its babies. Anyway, at that starting price it has the features we would be adding to any of the other vehicles we are looking at. Will see if I can get DH to sit in one before he notices the gas mileage. Comfort is so important! angie3dpea See, I think that is what it is going to come down to once we knock a few out for quality issues. But test drives only last so long and they never have the vehicles we are interested in trying out available to rent. Judy26 how comfortable do you find the seating once you've been in it for an hour or so? marysue63 Yes, after a good fit for my husband and comfortable ride for my back and joint issues, cargo space is the next priority. We travel a lot and do not travel light. I spent 5 minutes ogling my SILs rear cargo area when she first got her car. Unfortunately now she keeps the seats up so I can't peek in and admire LOL.
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Post by dewryce on Jun 7, 2016 0:41:19 GMT
We really liked both the Subaru Forester and Outback, and were surprised how well DH fit. U fortunately it is a small SUV and that is too small for us. The Audi Q5 and Tesla are too small as well. We travel almost 5 hours to the in-laws house fairly frequently and pack a lot. We are also hoping to have a baby in the next year, and will be traveling with them to various endurance races for DH. So between our stuff, baby stuff and DH's sports gear we need lots of room.
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Post by dewryce on Jun 7, 2016 0:46:16 GMT
I was just thinking about this the other day. We plan on keeping my Highlander, which is in really wonderful shape but has almost 160,000 miles on it, as our second car to mainly be used for DH to go to and from work which is 3 minutes door to door. We live in a small town and if it is here it is very close. So my car will become our local car and the new car will be for when we travel and go into the "big city"  And I was thinking about how switching back and forth between the cars will work. |
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Post by CarolinaGirl71 on Jun 7, 2016 0:48:06 GMT
I got a 2016 Honda Pilot about 6 months ago and LOVE it! It's very comfortable, has lots of room in the cargo area (we keep the 3rd row seat folded down most of the time) and is a pleasure to drive. It has heated and cooled seats and that's a big plus in the south! I am very happy with it. My previous car was a Lexus RX 330 which I also loved, but it wasn't big enough for us to travel in. (we don't travel lightly either!). I like my Pilot as much as I liked the Lexus!
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Post by smokeynspike on Jun 7, 2016 0:50:12 GMT
I have a 2014 Kia Sorrento and we love it. We also have a 2004 Kia Sedona and a 2014 Kia Rio. We love Kia. We typically drive our cars 10 years too. I love the warranty that Kia offers for peace of mind, although we haven't had to really use them. I don't think you can beat the price either. My dad got a 2016 Kia Sorento after driving in mine, but his is fully loaded.
Melissa
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Post by elaine on Jun 7, 2016 0:50:32 GMT
elaine That is a good looking interior! Do you know what size SUV it is considered? I ask because of the starting price and 15mpg. Seems more comparable to the Nissan Armada or Toyota Sequoia, which I love. And if I could afford it and pay for the gas I would marry it and have its babies. Anyway, at that starting price it has the features we would be adding to any of the other vehicles we are looking at. Will see if I can get DH to sit in one before he notices the gas mileage. Comfort is so important! angie3dpea See, I think that is what it is going to come down to once we knock a few out for quality issues. But test drives only last so long and they never have the vehicles we are interested in trying out available to rent. Judy26 how comfortable do you find the seating once you've been in it for an hour or so? marysue63 Yes, after a good fit for my husband and comfortable ride for my back and joint issues, cargo space is the next priority. We travel a lot and do not travel light. I spent 5 minutes ogling my SILs rear cargo area when she first got her car. Unfortunately now she keeps the seats up so I can't peek in and admire LOL. It is definitely a mid-size. I test drove full-sized Tahoes and Suburbans, which were too large for me to navigate comfortably, in addition to a Honda Pilot, and the Enclave is in the same class as the Pilot in terms of size, but much more luxurious. It was too bad that I test drove the Enclave first, because the Honda couldn't hold a candle to it in terms of luxury and smoothness. I do love Hondas (I traded in my Honda Odyssey, that I loved too), so you couldn't go wrong there, but in terms of a luxury ride, the Enclave is it. |
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Post by malibou on Jun 7, 2016 1:17:47 GMT
I have an Acura RDX. Love it! It's comfy and the front seats are super adjustable. The cargo area is big and the back seats fold down easily. It's fun to drive.
J
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Post by dewryce on Jun 7, 2016 1:43:16 GMT
CarolinaGirl71 I was super excited to read about the ventilated seats! We are outside of San Antonio, and the only reason I want heated seats is for my back pain. Otherwise, ventilated seats all the way! I'm stupidly giddy over the thought. smokeynspike That is good to hear about the Sorento, they (Kia) say the Sorento is trying to compete with the Lexus. My sister had that model Lexus but yes, too small. elaine You really are a master enabler!  First the instapot and now I think we are going to have to take the Enclave for a spin. I'm fine with not having a fancy car, but seat comfort is a luxury we are willing to pay for as it affects me so much. malibou The Acura looks really nice but is a compact SUV. Boo.
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Post by myliesmom on Jun 7, 2016 2:40:35 GMT
I have a Mazda cx9 and have found it to be a solid ride, good on mileage and they seem to hold their value. A Buick Enclave would be my other choice. They really are a nice car but I wanted my car loaded and the $ was quite high for that. We also have a CX-9 and have been really happy with it. Comfortable, fun to drive, good mileage. |
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Post by alissa103 on Jun 7, 2016 3:33:05 GMT
Another Mazda CX-9 fan here! Love it. And it feels like a luxury car without the luxury price tag.
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Deleted
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Oct 7, 2024 17:26:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2016 4:19:00 GMT
We bought a Kia Sorrento this spring, so I can't help you with the longevity question, but I do love the bells and whistles. It's comfortable, gets better gas mileage than the Trail Blazer it replaced, and so far we're satisfied.
My husband is the kind of guy who could break cement, and so far he hasn't managed to damage the interior.
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,676
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Jun 7, 2016 4:55:23 GMT
I have a 2004 Pilot with almost 170k miles. I love it! One thing to consider since it sounds like you keep your cars for a long time. If you are planning on having more than one kid and plan on using the 3rd row for passengers look into getting the bucket seats for the 2nd row (only available at the highest level in the 2016 Pilot). With car seats many 2nd row benches can not be moved/folded for access to the 3rs row. Some companies may have started designing for this fact since kids are in carseats for so much longer than they used to be but that was a huge pain in the butt when carpooling and that 3rd kid's seat wouldn't fit between the other two, only in the back.
I would LOVE to get a new Pilot we are in saving mode right now and I hope there may be some used 2016s when I'm ready to spend.
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Post by malibou on Jun 7, 2016 6:11:00 GMT
The Acura also has a bigger version called the MDX. It also has great ratings.
J
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raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
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Post by raindancer on Jun 7, 2016 11:42:30 GMT
The Acura also has a bigger version called the MDX. It also has great ratings. J That's the one I loved. DH and I went back and forth but ultimately he prefered the Audi. But the Acuras are both nice. |
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Post by snappinsami on Jun 7, 2016 14:30:34 GMT
We were in the market for a mid-sized SUV in January 2015. We looked at and/or test drove SO many my head started to spin. Lexus, Hyundai, Jeep, Acura, Audi, Kia... We were looking for comfort and like our bells and whistles, but what got me was how little (relatively speaking) room there was in the rear hatch area. Tucker, while tiny in my profile pic, now weighs 80 pounds, and eventually we might get another one of him. So having a lot of space in the way-back was important. Much to my dismay, DH wanted to look at the Volvos. My first reaction was  and then  . I mean VOLVO? But then I sat in the XC60 and quickly switched to  . This car is beautiful inside and out, and the way-back area is HUGE. There are two different engine options. DH, of course, went for the larger T6. The gas mileage isn't great by any means, but the car can hold its own on the road. The T5 engine definitely gets better MPG. But did I mention that the storage capacity is awesome? We recently moved, and with the exception of our large furniture pieces, EVERYTHING got moved in my Volvo. We made multiple Ikea trips with it, and never had trouble fitting everything in it (including 80" long boxes). I absolutely LOVE my car. |
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Post by CarolinaGirl71 on Jun 7, 2016 18:17:27 GMT
CarolinaGirl71 I was super excited to read about the ventilated seats! We are outside of San Antonio, and the only reason I want heated seats is for my back pain. Otherwise, ventilated seats all the way! I'm stupidly giddy over the thought. The ventilated seats were the thing that was most important to me (in South Carolina). At the time we purchased they were only on the Elite model, but that may have changed - check it out to make sure before you purchase. dewryce |
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by pridemom on Jun 7, 2016 18:27:26 GMT
I am looking for my next car. I still don't know what it will be, but since you have PsA and I have RA, I will share my list of features I want:
Push button start-my wrist and elbow get stiff, making turning the key hard.
Heated seats-built in heating pads for trips.
Hip height seats for easy in and out.
Cap less gas- no cap to turn; gas caps are hard to turn when I am stiff.
Rear view camera-no turning around necessary.
Heated steering wheel for those days my hands hurt.
Blind spot sensors-safety when i can't turn so far to look over my shoulder.
Foot activated liftgate--helpful because I can't juggle things easily.
Remote start--because I can't handle being cold or it makes me hurt.
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Post by blueeyedpups on Jun 7, 2016 21:04:39 GMT
We have a Mazda CX9 and love it. It's a decent size vehicle, but drives like a car. Very luxurious. We also have a Lexus sedan and the CX9 has all the same bells and whistles plus some (for $20K less!). Love my Mazda!
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quiltz
Drama Llama
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Jun 29, 2014 16:13:28 GMT
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Post by quiltz on Jun 7, 2016 21:21:50 GMT
We bought a Buick Enclave this past year. It is the most comfortable car, outside of a Cadillac Escalade, that I have ever ridden in. The seats have adjustable everything - including lumbar support. The ride is like butter. I don't know if I'll ever be happy with another car in terms of comfort. ETA: the stitched leather interior (dash, doors, etc) is gorgeous. I like the Buick Enclave as well. Such a smooth ride with vreat safety features. |
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Post by ladytrisha on Jun 7, 2016 22:55:32 GMT
Aside from checking prices, check to see what gasoline they use. Some of the higher end require you to use premium gas so that will add to your cost of running the car. My Mom picked up a 2 year old Kia Sorento - she loves it. A friend of mine won't get anything but a Highlander (the new ones are a totally different car than the old one); but she was t-boned by some dumb kids in a Mustang that blew a red light - rolled over multiple times and was slammed into a building. She swears by the Highlander because it saved her life. She went out and got the newer model and just loves it. My ex-SIL has the Mazda - I think it's gorgeous; she misses her BMW. My boss has the smaller Acura because she didn't want the MDX-but they are models that do require premium gas. My neighbor is on her 2nd Pilot - she LOVES it and they use it for everything. My next car will be a smaller SUV - right now I have a paid for 2010 Venza - it'll be very hard for me to give up this car as its a perfect mix of car and SUV. And of course, Toyota stopped making it last year  |
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And I was thinking about how switching back and forth between the cars will work.
and then 
. I mean VOLVO? But then I sat in the XC60 and quickly switched to 
. This car is beautiful inside and out, and the way-back area is HUGE. There are two different engine options. DH, of course, went for the larger T6. The gas mileage isn't great by any means, but the car can hold its own on the road. The T5 engine definitely gets better MPG. But did I mention that the storage capacity is awesome? We recently moved, and with the exception of our large furniture pieces, EVERYTHING got moved in my Volvo. We made multiple Ikea trips with it, and never had trouble fitting everything in it (including 80" long boxes). 
