Suggestions for SUV wanted...

As a Pilot owner, that would be my choice. I looked at the MDX, but it was smaller (the rounded edges), and the same applies to the current MDX/Pilot twins.

While you sacrifice the off road ability, most of us really need just poor weather traction - the Pilot is very good at that. It's also very versatile and quite large in terms of cargo capacity. I'd add in the quality of Honda, although we uncovered an issue that is prevalent with Honda cars.

Apparently, Honda's auto trans, when mated to ANY of their V6 engines, can fail prematurely. This is not an isolated issue - it's been happening over many years. Search Google and you will find more. Lo and behold, we had an issue around 40K miles. Good thing is, Honda replaced it, no hassles and no questions. Our Pilot now has 85K miles, no problems anymore. I am satisfied enough to recommend this as an SUV to consider.

 

I had an '05 Explorer for the last three years - trouble free through 45k miles. Got up to 22mpg on the freeway, great stereo, third row and was a fine looking car. I only had an XLT, but there are obviously nicer models to be had.

 

+1

We currently have 2 pilots now, and '04 and an '08 and couldnt be happier with them.
the 3rd row is pretty roomy considering its a mid-sized SUV, IMO it has more room that our friends Denali.
Both the 2nd and 3rd row fold flat for great cargo room if you need to haul anyhting , and poor weather driving is excellent.

57k and 8k miles respectively and NOT AN ISSUE !

Good luck

 

My second car was a 1991 Ford Explorer. The thing ran great until I sold it around 180k miles in 2001. Fast forward to last year, I seriously thought about picking up 2006/2007 Eddie Bauer but I just couldn't pull the trigger. I commute 600+/- miles a week and it just didn't feel right.

The only thing I couldn't get over in the new explorers is the funky door handles and the gear selector that just kind of stuck out on the center console. They should have stuck with a column selector.

You can get a relatively low mileage 2007 Eddie Bauer for around $20-21k.

 

You might want to consider a previously-owned Lexus LX470.

My wife owned a white 1999 and a metallic gray 2003 one. She now drives a dark red 2008 LX570 as her daily driver.

These cars make great "snow tanks", have plenty of room (3rd row seat that folds down), get almost 20 mpg on the highway, and have plenty of power. They have many luxury features inside, they have a smooth ride, and are the most reliable car we've ever owned. Literally no problems for 100k miles. We did the typical service schedule, that is, a big service at the dealer every 15k miles and oil changes in between.

It is the same chassis as the Toyota Land Cruiser so it is a full-fledged 4x4 (body on frame construction I think) with a hi/lo transfer case and a super-slow "walk out of anything" switch that is amazing to try off-road or in deep snow. They also go up & down in ground clearance height so that you can raise it a few inches up in the snow. You never have to shift into 4WD since the default is an AWD configuration. The other 4WD modes are only used if you get stuck or really get in some deep snow or mud.

If you've never driven one, I recommend you give one a try. My wife continues to go back and buy a new one, even though for her it is mostly a "soccor mom" car (except when it snows).

I have no idea if a used one will fit in your 30k budget or not. Should be close. I guess it depends on how many miles are on it.

Some more info here:
http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/lx470/review.html

 

There are plenty of Cayennes available in the used marketplace for less than $30K. You can find a nice used Cayenne S with 50K miles or less in the low 20's I believe. there was another thread in Porsche section where a the Cayenne owners said they were very very reliable. The V6 could be too small though. Drive both before you decide on the V6.

I have driven the latest Forester in non turbo mode and it was nice. We may be getting one for my wife. No third row seat in the forester or the Cayenne. I have always wanted to get a Land Cruiser however it is too big for my family at this time. Maybe in the future.

 

x100!

Back in UAE that truck, as well as the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Nissan Patrol were the most fun to be had. They are amazing in deep sand. I am looking at the Lexus for my dad in the near future and I'll try it out in snow instead of sand.

 

No mention of a pre-owned MB ML320? A new 09 Ford Escape Limited V6 AWD with leather and all the bells and whistles still comes in under 30K.

 

I have to agree here. I owned one a few yrs ago and it was a GREAT truck. You can steal one these days and they last FOREVER.

 

My suggestion is to just say NO to SUVs...to quote the great philosopher, Jimmy Buffet "...they're ugly and square and don't belong here...". although I believe that he was referring to house trailers in the Keys. Seriously, why do you want/need an SUV anyway? Since some of your choices only seat 5, why not just go with a nice sedan? If you need AWD too, there are plenty of AWD sedans on the market.

 

We get too much snow in my part of Virginia for most AWD sedans to handle. We don't get many snow storms, maybe 5 good ones a winter, but we can get snow drifts deeper than 2 feet high. (The people who live farther north are probably laughing at that statement!). A 4WD SUV or Pick-up does okay in that kind of snow - I think it is the ground clearance and weight per square inch of tire surface that makes the difference. Also, the mid-Atlantic states like VA and MD don't get snow all winter, so they don't plow the roads well when it happens.

Members of my family also own a Subaru Legacy AWD sedan and a Lexus GS300 AWD sedan, so I've actually tried a few times in those types of sedans. When the snow gets deep, I leave those sedans at home and go to work in my Chevy Silverado 4x4 pick-up.

Here is a pic of the driveway in front of my detached garage from a few years ago. Our Lexus SUV did okay in this stuff.
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While I have often heard that snow/weather argument, how do you supposed Northern Europe and the rest of the heavy snow parts of the world get around in the winter months? There are not a lot of SUVs sold in Finland or Denmark or Switzerland, ect...

 

X6 50i

 

Maybe that has to do with the price of gasoline and the dimension of the roads in the countries you mentioned?

SUV's do come in handy when you are hauling a lot of stuff - like babies with strollers and groceries. They can be great in the snow. There are some SUV's on the market that drive and handle pretty well too. In previous posts you have made it clear that you think SUV's are not the right vehicle choice for yourself and everyone else. When you chose to get a V10 Sedan no one asked - did you really need V10 and 500 available HP to get around? I do not think anyone did but I could be wrong.

By the way, I am glad you chose the MazdaSpeed 3 for your daily drive and you are enjoying i so much. It seems like a great car for the money.

 

I certainly DID NOT need my V10 M5 or my V8 M5 or I6 M5 or most cars I have ever owned for that matter. But they were performance oriented cars that were fun to drive. My dislike of SUVs has nothing to do with how much gas they use per se. It is more to do with their lack of fun to drive factor. As a web site catering to Ferrari owners. it just seems to me that most posters would be auto enthusiast and also want to drive something fun rather than a boring SUV. My wife has owed a couple of the turds over the years and I would rather drive a rental car. She is now driving a minivan which is almost as bad...

 

toggie, they make these things called snowblowers. Check them out for clearing your driveway. I hear they're pretty useful.

I like the comment about bagging the SUV's and going for a crossover or AWD sedan/wagon. I do like the Subie products, but Volvo and Audi have their crosses. BMW X3 is a nice vehicle too. You have to prepare for the inevitable $4.00 gasoline despite the current pricing break we are now enjoying.

 

My girlfriend has an '08 Pilot and she loves it. I've driven it a few times and I have to say it's very impressive for a big car, good power, handling, etc. It's great on gas, although it is the 2WD and not the 4WD.

If I were in the market for one I would choose a pilot, especially if you need a real 3rd row.

 

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but does anyone think MB G wagon is a good choice for a winter SUV?

 

It may be a little small for what you're looking at but have you considered a Toyota FJ Cruiser? I got mine with a 6 speed MT and in 4 LO with the rear-locker on it will go through damn near anything! It would be awesome for little kids too, the seats are waterproof and the floor is rubber. I clean mine with a mop!!

Last summer in Moab, UT


Back when it was stock, ~2 weeks old


Hmmm, not sure why the pics didn't work...

 

As it turns out, I happen to own a snowblower.
It is a pretty good piece of equipment for cleaning up the left over sections.

Here is my main snow removal device (JD 4020).
This is the time of year I put the blade on front and keep it plugged in to heat the engine block.
It is kept behind one of those 10 foot high garage doors in post #12 of this thread.
Note that it is a bit too tall for the standard 8 foot high doors on the garage attached to the house.
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I think that you should stick with a Toyota SUV like others are saying. I have a 98' 4Runner Limited 4x4 with a rear locker and I can drive up or through anything. I get 18-19mpg with a 3" lift, 33" tires, heavy ARB bumper, and winch in the front. Plus the proven fact that Toyota's are bullet proof. There are many used 03-08 4Runners for sale for under 23k. You can probably get a brand new one for around 30k even.
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Subaru Tribeca

 

This is in the private section but ill tell it here too.

We were in a head on collision sunday in my 08 pilot. It protected us very well. The firemen said that they have seen few suv s protect the cabin as well as it did. the 06-08 had the upgraded safety design. Fyi