Looking for an SUV

[freddieB7]

Time for my wife to get a new vehicle. She's been driving a mini-van for 3 years, and we both hate the thing, mostly because of size, handling, and build quality (chrysler T&C). Wife says if we get another minivan, she'll drive my RL.

So she's looking at SUV's. We need something with a 3rd row of seats, and I'd rather not get some huge monster like a Suburban or Expedition. We have kids that are 7, 3 and almost 2, so I'd like something we wouldn't have to collapse a seat to get to the back (want to leave child seats permenantly fixed, and not sure the 3-year-old can clip herself yet.

What we've looked at so far are the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and Saturn Outlook. I like the Highlander because it is the smallest of the 3, the Pilot in 2wd version has cylinder deactivation. The Outlook is the biggest, and in lookng I wasn't overly impressed. We want to keep MSRP right around $30k.

Anyone have other suggestions of vehicles to look at? Anyone deal with teh Mazda CX9 or newer Ford Explorers? Other suggestions? Subaru Tribeca?

[shovelhd]

If you can wait until spring, the 2009 Pilot will be an early release, and it is a completely new vehicle.

[k757]

The Highlander is all new this year and much bigger than previous years.

My bro and his wife just were where you are. They had an Oddy with 83k miles. Their desires: 4WD, SUV (3rd row), ride of the van. They went with the '08 Highlander

[freddieB7]

How much different is the 09 Pilot? We can wait as long as we want, but I unfortunately planted the seed for car shopping, so waiting for incentives/availablity on an all-new 09 may test my wife's patience with me....

[shovelhd]

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0fa49b/0

[hofffam]

We have an 06 Pilot EX-L 2WD. It is probably the roomiest of the "mid-sized" vans although the new GM vans (Acadia, etc.) are similar in size. We also shopped the Pathfinder and Highlander. The old Highlander was noticably smaller and had no A/C beyond the 1st row. Simply unacceptable in Texas. The Highlander 3rd seat was comically small.

The Pathfinder was very nice, but more truck like since it is loosely based on the Frontier chassis.

Our Pilot has been flawless with 55K miles already.

If we were shopping for the same thing I would include the CX-9 in the mix. My sister just bought one and it is nice. Not too big, not too small. And Mazdas in general are very nice handling vehicles. I would also drive the Acadia and similar Saturn. The reviews of them have been good and they should be past the most risky period of time for a new GM vehicle.

I have no problem with Fords per se but the Expedition is too big and thirsty. The Explorer is mediocre and a slug unless you buy the V8.

I think the Pilot pricing is very good now....

[HondaNurse]

My sister in law, brother, girlfriend and parents all have Honda Pilots and love them. I think my parents have 65,000 miles on theirs and haven't had the first problem. Everybody loves the ride and the reliablity of the Honda brand. I almost bought one but decided I needed a truck bed for hauling some of my flying toys. We have all owned a variety of SUVs in the past and have fallen in love with the Pilots. You can't go wrong with getting one of those.

[shovelhd]

We have 115K on our 2003 Pilot with no issues.

[chisoxjim]

I would say you couldnt go wrong with either the Highlander, or Pilot.

I myself would never buy a Saturn, I put them with Hyundai/Kia as the brands of vehicle I would never drive/own.

[spun07RTX]

^ I agree with jim for once

[RTXGuy]

We have 115K on our 2003 Pilot with no issues.

Outstanding! That's some crazy driving with just 4 years. My parents are currently looking for a SUV to replace their 12 year old Mazda MPV and with 108,000 miles. They don't really go anywhere beside work. Anyways, I did test drove the 2007 pilot and I found it to be a bit bumpy. Hopefully we'll give it another test run because it really is a nice SUV.

[ChrisM]

I would say you couldnt go wrong with either the Highlander, or Pilot.

I myself would never buy a Saturn, I put them with Hyundai/Kia as the brands of vehicle I would never drive/own.


I would put Saturn right there with Kia but not with Hyundai. Hyundai is a step up IMHO.

I know that this may not be what you want to hear but I gotta say it. IMHO the SUV is an inferior platform as compared to the minivan. You are going to loose considerable interior space by buying a SUV. My company bought both a Nissan Pathfinder and a Nissan Quest for moving stuff around. (desks, large objects, etc) from location to location. Everytime we have to move something large we revert to the Quest minivan. Large objects just won't fit in the Pathfinder unless you disassemble it or leave the hatch open. Around these parts, you don't want to drive around with the hatch open. It's either too rainy or too flippin cold 5 months out of the year.

You sound like you have a lot of stuff to haul because of the 3 kids. I'd test drive the vehicle you choose, take it home and put the stuff you haul daily put it in the SUV to see if it fits. It may be a tight squeeze.

[shovelhd]

I know that this may not be what you want to hear but I gotta say it. IMHO the SUV is an inferior platform as compared to the minivan.

<snip>

All good points, Chris, but we need AWD.

[k757]

All good points, Chris, but we need AWD.The Toyota Sienna has an AWD option

[5S Dude]

Our pick would be to wait for the 09’ Pilot but the new Toyota Highlander is much improved over the original 03’. Both would be sound choices.

[Engyo]

Outstanding! That's some crazy driving with just 4 years. My parents are currently looking for a SUV to replace their 12 year old Mazda MPV and with 108,000 miles. They don't really go anywhere beside work. Anyways, I did test drove the 2007 pilot and I found it to be a bit bumpy. Hopefully we'll give it another test run because it really is a nice SUV.Replaced 1993 MPV with 2005 Pilot in Feb. of 05. So happy with it that I bought my Ridge!

[freddieB7]

I don't know that I can agree completely with Saturn being of poor quality. As I follow the company, they are on their 4th generation of cars since inception in the early 90's. I can't speak for the first round of SL's, but I owned a 1997 SL (small 4-door), and it was a very solid car. Only issue I had with it was wheel bearings, and that was my fault for driving through some standing water I shouldn't have. We then got a first-generation VUE, and that thing was not a good vehicle. I feel the company runs through cycles, and I think this round, with the Aura and Outlook, is going to be an up-cycle for quality.

That being said, I'm not sure I want an Outlook (even though my wife does). My issues are the size (little bigger than what I want - we have big with the minivan and I hate it), fuel economy, and resale value.

I see on the 2wd Pilots, they have cylinder deactivation. Anyone have experience there? Also, for those who have a Pilot and an RL, do you regret basically having 2 of the same vehicle - i.e. they drive the same, etc.?

Thanks.

[shovelhd]

They absolutely do not ride and drive the same. The Pilot rides like a plush SUV compared to the Ridgeline. That's not knocking the Ridgeline at all, as it rides better than any truck I've owned. It's just that they're not the same. The Pilot transmission is different and shifts at different points. The engine is similar, but the Pilot gearing is quicker and smoother overall. I'd bet the Pilot would beat my Ridgeline out of the hole.

The body integrity on the Pilot is better, too. The only thing on our Pilot that squeaks after 105K is the driver's seat, a TSB we never had done. Compared to my Ridgeline, it's Mercedes quiet.

[hofffam]

The cylinder deactivation of our 2006 Pilot is...um...very active. It regularly shuts 3 cylinders at steady highway speeds. My wife's usual driving is errands so the mileage is 18-20 most of the time. But we've gotten 25-26 on highway trips.

As Shovelhd says - the Pilot feels much softer and smoother than the RL. I don't know why the engine seems smoother considering is is almost the same. I also believe the 2WD Pilot is slightly quicker. I think the RL's transmission has annoying shift points (I have not had the TSB done) plus the drivetrain loss of AWD.

I think the RL would be quicker than the Pilot on a road course, depending on tires.