Best SUVs?

CO2CA

Perpetually Planning
Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Hi everyone,
Looking to get another car and wanted opinions on the best SUVs. There's so many to choose from and I know there are a lot of car people on here.

So far, I'm looking at:
Nissan Pathfinder
Chevy Traverse
Kia Sorento

It will be used, definitely. Want it to be a 7-passenger, good quality, and a good commuting/road trip car. What say you?
 
We bought the pathfinder last year and I love it so far, we had outgrown our minivan but still wanted something we could use for road trips comfortably. We very rarely use the third row but I’m glad it’s there when I need it.

We took a road trip last year with five people and are planning on it again this summer, it’s worked out well but there is definitely less storage then a minivan, I wouldn’t try cramming 6-7 people plus luggage as it was tight with five plus luggage.

It’s very comfortable and nice to dry, I love all the features, I would recommend it.
 
Not an SUV fan to say the least, minivans are far more useful for carrying people and their stuff, but it's an image thing. Cars are my life, so....as SUVs go...

Top of the pile in the size you're looking at is going to be Pilot, Highlander, Mazda CX series, Sorrento, Santa Fe. Highest quality, best ride, somewhat decent room (though again, they aren't space efficient no matter what). The new Palasaide/Telluride is worth a look, but they're a bit bigger. Bottom of the barrel is going to be Pathfinder, Durango, Mitsubishi. Nissan product line is a mess and the Pathfinder is no exception (sorry PP, glad you like yours, but they are what they are). Durango is ancient, Mitsubishi is circling the drain in the US market. Everything else, such as Traverse, Exploder, is in the middle.
 
Of your list, I'd take the Kia. We've had Hyundai's (pretty much the same as Kia) and have very few issues. My Tuscon has 103000 miles on it and it still looks new and drives great. My wife's Sonata just passed 113000 miles and still ticking. Both purchased new.
 


If looking to buy used, what matters most is the age/condition of that particular vehicle not generalities about an entire product line. How well was it maintained, how many miles does it have, etc. Get a known/reputable mechanic to look over the vehicle. If the place you want to buy it from is reluctant to let you do that, probably a good reason to walk away.

SUV's are a great way to carry the family and/or whatever you want to put in the back. Gives you a lot more flexibility then a car.
 
If looking to buy used, what matters most is the age/condition of that particular vehicle not generalities about an entire product line. How well was it maintained, how many miles does it have, etc. Get a known/reputable mechanic to look over the vehicle. If the place you want to buy it from is reluctant to let you do that, probably a good reason to walk away.

SUV's are a great way to carry the family and/or whatever you want to put in the back. Gives you a lot more flexibility then a car.

While a vehicle history and how well maintained it is important, it is not more important than generalities about a product line. At all. As example, no matter how well a Fiat or Alfa Romeo is maintained, you want to step as far away from them as you can. You're much better off with a poorly maintained Honda. No question about it. This is especially true if you're looking at a lightly used car, such as under 50,000 miles.
 
We have a Kia Sedona (minivan) and it has been great. I would definitely go with their Sorrento for an SUV. What I did want to say, however, is that we bought our Kia from a car dealer who buys from Hertz and other rental companies.
I was able to pay several thousand less than I would elsewhere. The car had 26,000 miles on it and Kia allowed the warranty to be transferred to me till 60,000 miles. (They allow one warranty transfer if you sell the car but the warranty then drops from 100,000 down to 60,000.

It was a great deal because any other used car would never have an additional 34,000 mile warrant on it.

Maybe this could be a possibility for you as well. I would look for dealers who buy from rental companies. The one downside is the cars are about two years old with high mileage. But we have found that the cars are serviced regularly and have overall been treated very well.

Good luck in your car shopping!
 


Hi everyone,
Looking to get another car and wanted opinions on the best SUVs. There's so many to choose from and I know there are a lot of car people on here.

So far, I'm looking at:
Nissan Pathfinder
Chevy Traverse
Kia Sorento

It will be used, definitely. Want it to be a 7-passenger, good quality, and a good commuting/road trip car. What say you?

How many people and how much luggage will you have in the car for those road trips? Be sure there is enough cargo space in the SUVs you're looking at. I made the transition from minivan to SUV 2 years ago. I now have a GMC Acadia -- which is the same exterior dimensions as my old minivan but far less cargo space. With the minivan, we made several trips to Disney World and other places with 7 people and all of our luggage (and I'm the queen of over packing) in the van. We could never do that in the Acadia. We did a 4-day trip with 5 people and associated luggage a few months ago and we were crammed. And we were staying with family on that trip so there were a lot of things I didn't need to pack that I would normally take with us on vacation. When I was looking for the SUV and test driving various models (I test drove 9 different vehicle models) it was very apparent that I was going to be giving up a lot of cargo space from what I had been used to. The first SUV I test drove was a Hyundai Santa Fe. I absolutely loved it (we have other Hyundai vehicles in our household and several friends/family members have Santa Fe's and love them). I was sure I was going to buy that vehicle...until I opened the lift gate and realized that with the 3rd row seats in place I'd be lucky to put 7 small bags of groceries in the cargo space. There was no way I could get enough luggage in there for 7 people. It would have been a tight fit to get 2 small duffel bag type suitcases back there. But the sales guy did his best to convince me that it was the right car for me (it would have been if we didn't have any kids living at home anymore). I went home and got 2 small carry-on suitcases and returned to the dealer. He opened the lift gate and I put the suitcases in the back. They didn't fit behind the seats. I moved on...but I kept the suitcases in my car and tried them in all the other SUVs I test drove. It definitely helped to give me a better perspective of how *little* cargo space there is in some SUVs.

I love my Acadia and despite being a little tight on cargo space if there are 5 or more people in the car, it works well for us as we only have 2 kids living at home anymore so we should always be able to keep the 3rd row seats folded down when we head out on vacation. And there is plenty of cargo space with the 3rd row seats folded down.
 
In 2016, we bought a Chevy Traverse LTZ. It's a great vehicle! I've not had a moment's trouble with it. I would definitely recommend getting the LTZ line, rather than just an LT. I know it's more money but you'll absolutely fall in love with all of the features that come with the LTZ model.

Around here, my wife and I say that the Z in LTZ means that the vehicle came with the "optional" turn signals. (People don't seem to realize what that little stick thing on the left side of the steering column does.)
 
Well cars are NOT my life, but we have a Chevy Traverse "in the family" with about 140K miles on it and it's been a workhorse. I think it's a 2013, and it's a fairly no frills version.
My mother first bought it after having rented one twice (she lives in another country party time, and my folks often flew into West Palm Beach w/ their dog. They were able to fly in the cabin of the airplane w/ the dog no problem, but he was to big to fly commercial in the US, so they'd rent a car and drive up to MD.) That car has made more trips back & forth to Florida than I can count. It has sat out in the cold weather all winter long, sometimes garaged, sometimes not, without being used. I've used it to transport my two very large dogs a few times, everyone fit. The car transitioned in the last few years to a extra vehicle (technically it's a Company vehicle, so we keep it at the shop). Anyone who has had a car in the shop and needs a ride for a few days uses it. It's had the tires rotated and oil changed regularly. Never any major issues - third seat. My husband is tall, he fits in back seats comfortably. We didn't get rid of it because while on paper it may not be worth a bunch to have traded in, it's got no issues and it is nice to have an extra vehicle around in case.
Most recently my nephew hit a deer and his truck was in the shop so he drove it for about a month, after it had sat for about two months with no use.

I have a Lincoln SUV, and I like it a lot.
 
How many people and how much luggage will you have in the car for those road trips? Be sure there is enough cargo space in the SUVs you're looking at. I made the transition from minivan to SUV 2 years ago. I now have a GMC Acadia -- which is the same exterior dimensions as my old minivan but far less cargo space. With the minivan, we made several trips to Disney World and other places with 7 people and all of our luggage (and I'm the queen of over packing) in the van. We could never do that in the Acadia. We did a 4-day trip with 5 people and associated luggage a few months ago and we were crammed. And we were staying with family on that trip so there were a lot of things I didn't need to pack that I would normally take with us on vacation. When I was looking for the SUV and test driving various models (I test drove 9 different vehicle models) it was very apparent that I was going to be giving up a lot of cargo space from what I had been used to. The first SUV I test drove was a Hyundai Santa Fe. I absolutely loved it (we have other Hyundai vehicles in our household and several friends/family members have Santa Fe's and love them). I was sure I was going to buy that vehicle...until I opened the lift gate and realized that with the 3rd row seats in place I'd be lucky to put 7 small bags of groceries in the cargo space. There was no way I could get enough luggage in there for 7 people. It would have been a tight fit to get 2 small duffel bag type suitcases back there. But the sales guy did his best to convince me that it was the right car for me (it would have been if we didn't have any kids living at home anymore). I went home and got 2 small carry-on suitcases and returned to the dealer. He opened the lift gate and I put the suitcases in the back. They didn't fit behind the seats. I moved on...but I kept the suitcases in my car and tried them in all the other SUVs I test drove. It definitely helped to give me a better perspective of how *little* cargo space there is in some SUVs.

I love my Acadia and despite being a little tight on cargo space if there are 5 or more people in the car, it works well for us as we only have 2 kids living at home anymore so we should always be able to keep the 3rd row seats folded down when we head out on vacation. And there is plenty of cargo space with the 3rd row seats folded down.

I completely agree on space. I have a 2009 Acadia we bought new to replace a minivan. I was so disappointed at the lack of space in the back! We bought a Thule roof top carrier that worked great for us. My Acadia just started leaking transmission fluid and acting weird so we took it in, and they want $3500 to rebuild the transmission. So I’m now looking for something new. It was a great car up until now.
 
RUN from the Nissan. Especially used. Just Google Nissan transmission problems to find out why.

I'd test drive a Ford Flex. Funny looking, but we bought a new 2018 and it is amazing. Most comfortable vehicle I have ever driven. Once you drive it, you'll buy it.
 
RUN from the Nissan. Especially used. Just Google Nissan transmission problems to find out why.

I'd test drive a Ford Flex. Funny looking, but we bought a new 2018 and it is amazing. Most comfortable vehicle I have ever driven. Once you drive it, you'll buy it.

I'd call the Flex more of a wagon than an SUV, but I would wholeheartedly agree with you. I love the Flex, nearly bought one a few times. 2019 was the final year for it, but if you don't mind lightly used or can find a leftover, it's a great option.
 
I'd call the Flex more of a wagon than an SUV, but I would wholeheartedly agree with you. I love the Flex, nearly bought one a few times. 2019 was the final year for it, but if you don't mind lightly used or can find a leftover, it's a great option.
My sales paperwork and the DMV registration list it as "FORD TRUCK"
 
Toyota 4Runner over the Pathfinder.

Toyota Highlander over the Chevy and Kia.

I wouldn't buy anything from Nissan, Chevy, or Kia.

When I bought my Mazda, Mazda had some nice cars fairly inexpensive. But now for 2020, my $17,500 lowest end Mazda 3 turned into the lowest end being the high end of my year and start at $24,000 now. Used I would look into 2-3 year old Mazda SUVs. My 3 I just don't like because of the physical size and the extreme amount of blindspots.

My thoughts which I did not follow this last time around is, if you like something brand new in a certain price range, buy the better equivalent vehicle 2-3 years old for the same price. Thus, if you're looking at a Nissan Pathfinder new, buy a 2-3 year old 4Runner, or looking at the Chevy or Kia new, look at the Highlander used.

I would only look at Toyotas and Hondas in my opinion except for special reasons such as me wanting to move from a manual to an auto except I still want easy full manual control of which expensive luxury/sports cars have or I'm only left with VW and the DSG transmission. I will forgo the negative of possible future weird electrical gremlins to get a better driving vehicle over the 2 winners of Toyota and Honda. Hence, I should have used my own advice and bought a used VW GTI hatch (because I also want the turbo and like how VW does the turbo) instead of a new Mazda 3 hatch.
 
I was going to suggest the roof carrier, too. We only used ours once but it made a big difference. I was fortunate to find a nice one at a yard sale. We drove in the rain and everything stayed dry, even. (Ours was a hard shell - read reviews.) But normally, putting one of the second or third row seats down if that is a possibility makes a difference in carrying luggage. That’s what we generally did in our seven seat crossover, but the one time we needed the rooftop carrier we were combining two different types of trips including a regular vacation at the lake followed directly from there by a sports trip so we had a bunch of different stuff with us. DH is a wiz at fitting luggage in the car, too, even w rentals at WDW, so the luggage issue has t been a big one for us w either our crossovers or our SUVs.
 
I have a 2015 7 Passenger Chevy Traverse LTZ that I purchased brand new in 2015. It currently has 52,000 miles on it.
I really like how it drives - the AWD is amazing in the snow, ice and rain. I like sitting up higher than I did in my Pontiac G6 GT.
I like the Onstar Navigation System, the Rear Back-up Camera, the Bluetooth hands free calling and the grandkids love the DVD entertainment package.

But - and here's the big but - had I known then what I know now - I would have gone with a MINIVAN!
When you have the 3rd row of seating up - (and I have to because I have 4 grandkids ages 7, 5, 3 and 1 and ALL are still in car seats) - there is no storage room in the trunk area.
It's also a pain in the keister to try and navigate between the 2nd and 3rd rows. The leg room in the 3rd row seating is just mere inches because we have to have the 2rd row seats pushed way back to accommodate the car seat that is required by law to still be rear facing.
The 3rd row bench seat is narrow and with 2 of the car seats back there, you better be a skinny mini to have to ride back there comfortably.

Another issue of concern is the mechanical problems that have cropped up in the past 2 years - the first is the A/C, which I Googled and it's an ongoing problem that Chevrolet will not address. There are hundreds and hundreds of complaints online. To fix the A/C, the entire rear end has to be torn out. Of course my car warranty expired 2 months prior to having the A/C go. Cost? I think it was around $5,000.

This past November, my power steering pump went out - and the odometer still had less than 50,000 miles on it. Again, I Googled and this is yet another ongoing problem with the Traverse. It cost me over $1,000 to fix.
It's a pain in the butt to change the oil, too.

A friend of mine has a Toyota minivan and the interior is so spacious. It's pricey - but sooooo fine!

If you have more than 2 kids or grandkids and they are in carseats, I would not recommend a Traverse.
 
Had to lemon out a Nissan Pathfinder due to it needing 3 transmissions in 10 months. Not sure if the issues are fixed, but I would put money on their transmissions still not working right.

I purchased a 2019 Honda Pilot this summer and it is amazing. Best car ever :)
 
I have a 2015 7 Passenger Chevy Traverse LTZ that I purchased brand new in 2015. It currently has 52,000 miles on it.
I really like how it drives - the AWD is amazing in the snow, ice and rain. I like sitting up higher than I did in my Pontiac G6 GT.
I like the Onstar Navigation System, the Rear Back-up Camera, the Bluetooth hands free calling and the grandkids love the DVD entertainment package.

But - and here's the big but - had I known then what I know now - I would have gone with a MINIVAN!
When you have the 3rd row of seating up - (and I have to because I have 4 grandkids ages 7, 5, 3 and 1 and ALL are still in car seats) - there is no storage room in the trunk area.
It's also a pain in the keister to try and navigate between the 2nd and 3rd rows. The leg room in the 3rd row seating is just mere inches because we have to have the 2rd row seats pushed way back to accommodate the car seat that is required by law to still be rear facing.
The 3rd row bench seat is narrow and with 2 of the car seats back there, you better be a skinny mini to have to ride back there comfortably.

Another issue of concern is the mechanical problems that have cropped up in the past 2 years - the first is the A/C, which I Googled and it's an ongoing problem that Chevrolet will not address. There are hundreds and hundreds of complaints online. To fix the A/C, the entire rear end has to be torn out. Of course my car warranty expired 2 months prior to having the A/C go. Cost? I think it was around $5,000.

This past November, my power steering pump went out - and the odometer still had less than 50,000 miles on it. Again, I Googled and this is yet another ongoing problem with the Traverse. It cost me over $1,000 to fix.
It's a pain in the butt to change the oil, too.

A friend of mine has a Toyota minivan and the interior is so spacious. It's pricey - but sooooo fine!

If you have more than 2 kids or grandkids and they are in carseats, I would not recommend a Traverse.
You really can’t beat minivans for babies, car seats, and all the other equipment babies require! I think in your case I’d be looking to trade that thing in! :lmao: I cannot imagine having four in car seats! We had twins, though, and though I swore I’d never do it, we did go to a minivan then (for a few yrs) and it really was nice to be able to walk down to the back without getting out of the car or take a seat out completely and keep a potty on hand during toilet training, bring the double jogging stroller along, etc. Very comfortable. (I had a Town and Country AWD LXi and it was much like the Jeep Grand Cherokee I had just prior, except the T&C was more luxurious and of course, spacious. I’d actually considered buying another not too long ago but it no longer comes in AWD which I like having as an essential employee who has to drive in everything.)
 
I've had 2 Kia Sorento's and LOVED them. Reliable, well-priced, nice looking, good size, plenty of room, low maintenance, etc. The only thing is I don't know if they can seat 7 people. Maybe newer models can? But I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee now (which has also been a great car) that I plan on trading in the spring and will probably go back to a Sorento.

However, I love the look of the new Kia Telluride and if I am able to get one used with the next year or so I would absolutely spring for one.
 

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