Best SUVs?

[tcufrog]

I also long to have a minivan again some days. You really can't beat them for cargo space, gas mileage (for that size vehicle), ability to access the 3rd row seating, and the sliding doors make getting kids in and out of car seats (or getting anything in and out of the back seats) so much easier. I miss that some days. I drove minivans for 20 years while my kids were young but I wanted to move on (the youngest is 15 now) and I really like the Acadia -- much better in snow because of the AWD and the weight of the vehicle. But on those days when we're traveling or transporting a bunch of adults, I want my minivan back. Ideally, I would have bought a minivan with AWD but a slightly used minivan with AWD is much more challenging to find than a slightly used SUV with AWD. I needed to find a car within about 2 weeks, so I just didn't have the luxury of doing an extensive search. And realistically, mentally I was ready to leave my minivan days behind me so I really only looked at SUVs during my search. But hindsight is 20/20. <sigh>

I went through 2 Honda Odysseys and as soon as DS8 could climb in and out of an SUV unassisted I ditched the minivan. It was a very practical car but I hated the way it handled in inclement weather even with brand new tires and brake pads. I never felt safe driving it on slippery roads. It also had a horrible turning radius so I hated parking it in tight parking lots. I also hated having to remove the second row seats if I wanted the back to be totally flat. I love my year-old VW Atlas 4 Motion much better. It handles much better in lousy weather and it has a really tight turning radius for it's size so it's easy to park. The second row seats easily fold flat for hauling stuff. The only things I miss about my Odyssey are: removable front row center console which was great for hauling long, narrow items, mirror that allowed me to spy on the kids in the back, and the cavernous back for hauling stuff.

 

[Klayfish]

My family and I do a lot of road trips and usually bring extra people with us (anywhere from 2-6 people at a time), so I want that extra space. Otherwise, we're having to rent an SUV 2-3 times per year for the seating and luggage. The extra space would definitely get used.

In that case, I'd really look at the Flex. It'll function better than any of the SUVs on your list.

Just food for thought....these cars are all gas hogs. For the 350 days per year (or whatever it is) that you aren't doing a road trip with your family, do you really need that much space? If not, something like the Mazda3 hatch or even Kia Niro will literally get double the gas mileage, go through tires and brakes less often, etc...the money you'd save with that would more than pay for a rental minivan (which is the real answer here, LOL) for those 2-3 times per year.

 

[dish rag]

My family and I do a lot of road trips and usually bring extra people with us (anywhere from 2-6 people at a time), so I want that extra space. Otherwise, we're having to rent an SUV 2-3 times per year for the seating and luggage. The extra space would definitely get used.

Highly recommend Toyota 4 runner. You’ll get 20 years or more out of it.

 

[HeatherC]

I say get a Sedona. The space is awesome and the gas mileage is really pretty good. I drove mine cross country and back and never had an issue. It is so nice to be able to fold the seats up or down, chuck whatever you need in and go. Mine also seats 8 people which is awesome when you need that.

And wth the Kia warranty you can’t go wrong.

 

[caroline5177]

I have a 2018 Toyota Highlander and really like it. I have two teens and it’s plenty of room for day to day carpooling, plus beach trips & weekend road trips, etc.
My last car was a 2012 Honda Pilot which was a great car too.
Overall, service at our local Toyota dealership is far superior which is a huge plus to me.

 

[jliehr]

For safety and visibility the Subaru Ascent is really nice, recently got a Forrester and love it.

 

[jliehr]

Highly recommend Toyota 4 runner. You’ll get 20 years or more out of it.

Extremely outdated, horrible mileage and poor ride. The 4Runner is in desperate need of a overhaul.

 

[tvguy]

Highly recommend Toyota 4 runner. You’ll get 20 years or more out of it.

LOL. I got 31 years out of a Chevy Suburban, so ONLY 20 years doesn't impress me. A friend just retired after 45 years as a Toyota Dealer mechanic. As he put it, if Toyotas were as good as everyone said, Toyota dealers wouldn't have service departments, which is where they make most of their money. But seriously, he says Toyota has had some huge blunders, the difference is, they step up and fix them for free, often for the life of the car. The V-6 head gasket fiasco, and the pickup truck frame failures being examples.

 

[Immadismom]

For safety and visibility the Subaru Ascent is really nice, recently got a Forrester and love it.

I'm very curious about this vehicle. It was on my list, but I recently crossed it off because there are TONS of reviews saying there are issues with the transmission, many within 5,000 miles of new. Not something I want to deal with on a new vehicle.

 

[pens4821]

I own a 2016 Pathfinder, and drove a 2018 Sorrento rental for a week and like my Pathfinder much more. Its more comfortable, roomy, and just feel like it drives better all around. I also rented a 2019 4runner for a drive to Disney. I like the look of the 4runner (inside and out) the best of the three, but as someone else said it's a bit of a rough ride and the gas mileage sucked for something so new.

 

[tvguy]

I'm very curious about this vehicle. It was on my list, but I recently crossed it off because there are TONS of reviews saying there are issues with the transmission, many within 5,000 miles of new. Not something I want to deal with on a new vehicle.

There also have had issues with oil burning. However, at least in my circle of friends, people who buy Subarus tend to be car abusers. So I have hard time judging the car. I mean, people who drive over curbs, change the oil once every 50,000 miles, dent them up. We did have 3 Foresters at my past employer. But TV News use is also harsh. All three had the tailgate hinges break after 30,000 miles. https://jalopnik.com/subaru-settles-lawsuit-over-oil-burning-cars-1752805682

 

[dish rag]

Extremely outdated, horrible mileage and poor ride. The 4Runner is in desperate need of a overhaul.

Proven technology. Amazing quality. Maybe the best engine made. Seen often in harsh climates.

 

[rwdavis2]

Toyota all the way. They last forever if you do the Maintenance. We have had 2 different Toyota’s that lasted 11+ years each. Honda’s as well.
you could not give me a Ford product of any kind.

 

[omniscientmommy]

We made a huge crazy list for all the SUVs and then went and sat everything. My kids are going to be giant and my husband's requirement was that he could sit in the 3rd row. We ended up with the Ford expedition max. We went on usedfirst.com to figure out what the best used year and price would be.

 

[Mirielle]

VOLVO XC90. Great SUV! Rode in one on a road trip last week. Love all the options and safety record.

 

[AP1209]

We bought a 2017 Mazda CX9 about 8 months ago and we love it. Smooth ride with a some power. Plenty of room for storage when the 3rd row is down. Don't need the 3rd row for my family of 4 but we decided to get it for few times a year we may need it. We plan on having this car for at least 10 years.

 

[tvguy]

We bought a 2017 Mazda CX9 about 8 months ago and we love it. Smooth ride with a some power. Plenty of room for storage when the 3rd row is down. Don't need the 3rd row for my family of 4 but we decided to get it for few times a year we may need it. We plan on having this car for at least 10 years.

My only concern with Mazda is, the local dealership here is advertising that they come with a lifetime powertrain warranty. Now, is that because they need to add the warranty, or because they want to sell more Mazdas? I don't know.
This dealership group sells Chevrolets, Toyotas, Hondas, Subarus and Mazdas. They only throw in the lifetime warranty on Mazdas

 

[Disneybuckeye]

DS is a design engineer in the auto industry. Honda and VW are current clients of his. He has worked with several others. He drives an Accord for a reason. I drive a Pilot for a reason. He will tell you Toyota’s are a good second option. He won’t do beyond that for a reasonably priced vehicle. His comment is if you want a premium vehicle look at an Acura.

 

[Klayfish]

Subaru is all marketing hype, their product line is mediocre at best. Sorry, but Toyota reliability far out does Chevrolet any day of the week. They really are as good as everybody says, if not better. Nobody is perfect, but Toyota is among the best of the bunch. The 4Runner is extremely outdated, however it is rock solid reliable.

 

[3threebabies]

Highly recommend Toyota 4 runner. You’ll get 20 years or more out of it.

Totally agree. There is a reason 4Runners basically haven’t changed in decades And why used ones maintain there value. Really old, well maintained ones increase in value.

LOL. I got 31 years out of a Chevy Suburban, so ONLY 20 years doesn't impress me. A friend just retired after 45 years as a Toyota Dealer mechanic. As he put it, if Toyotas were as good as everyone said, Toyota dealers wouldn't have service departments, which is where they make most of their money. But seriously, he says Toyota has had some huge blunders, the difference is, they step up and fix them for free, often for the life of the car. The V-6 head gasket fiasco, and the pickup truck frame failures being examples.

True, but PP referred to 4Runner not pickups. Also, not sure you can compare a fully replaced and funded recall to product lines that regularly have systemic issues upon approaching 100k miles.

OP, I know you said commutable. Are you concerned about gas mileage? What age and total mileage do you want? Service history Carfax do not guarantee a perfect car, but they can help weed out bad ones and differentiate between your final choices. Roof rack is also very important as 3rd row SUVs do not have luggage space to match passenger capacity.