Help deciding on a new SUV------>

Len_A said:
Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, VW, Mercedes, BMW...they all make great cars and they all make crap cars. Quality differences are now measurably so imperceptible that it's more luck-of-the-draw than anything else.
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I agree. Although I still think it's a good idea, however tempting, not to buy any first year model. I know that VW had its share of problems with their early 2003 Touaregs, but they've been pretty well squared away now.
 
The Lexus S.U.V. is a good choice given the criteria the couple have in place. They have an exceptional repair history, and would be a good candidate for a re-sale purchase as apposed to buying brand new.

Best of luck to them and their new bundle of joy, no matter what their finale choice may be!



Cheers!
 
TW85 HHI said:
Mechanically, maybe. Material quality? Not at all. There is a definite difference in the quality of materials used between Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Lincoln, Cadillac, GM, Ford, etc. The Japanese manufacturers use higher quality materials whereas the American manufacturers love hard plastics and cheap leather.
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The last thing I want to do is start a flame war, but seriously: When was the last time you were in a luxury SUV from Ford or GM? I especially mean a 2003 Lincoln Navigator (or more recent) or a 2003 Lincoln Aviator, or a 2003 Cadillac Escalade? Have you been in a 2005 Cadillac STS or a 2004 Lincoln LS sedan?



I ask, because I see neither hard plastics, nor cheap leather in them. I call on some of the auto industry, mostly suppliers now, and I can tell you absolutely that the seats and instrument panels (and door panels) in the Acura's made in the USA/Canada, the Lexus RX330 made in Canada are all coming from the same vendors that supply Lincoln and Cadillac. The same applies to Toyota, Honda, & Nissan verses GM, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler's Chrysler Group.



In fact, one auto trim & plastics plant, a Collins & Aikman Plant, is ten minutes from my house here in Westland, and one of my nieghbors is part of the plants management team (and this is a UAW represented plant). They supply interior trim panels for both the Chrysler minivans, and the Toyota Sienna, all coming off the same manufacturing line, off the same equipment, and using the same plastic resins coming from the the same storage silos. They also do the bumper facias for two Jeep models, and have supplied Nissan with both interior and exterior pasts as well.



When I mentioned your post to my firends there, you know how they reacted? They laughed.



As far as the interior parts, let me repeat myself: Same materials, same mold suppliers, same plastic resins, same fit & finish specifications (within that plant).



Instrument panels for many vehicles are coming from only a few vendors as well. Nissan Quest made in Canton, Mississippi gets it's instrument panel, guages, audio system, controls and call, including trim, and the entire front end (grill and headlights) from former Ford division (and now independant company) Visteon, who also supplies the same parts to the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans, and supplies parts for the Chevy Corvette.



Eagle Ottawa, LLC , based here in the Detroit, MI area (Rochester Hill is a Detroit suburb), is the leather supplier to all the non-Detroit car manufacturers you mention...and the Detroit automakers. Don't believe me? Click here and Here



So to close this out before I get even more long winded - what would it take to get you to go check out some of the more recently made Detroit sourced luxury and non-luxury cars?



Just curious.....
 
Nissan Murano great vehicle that you could compare to the Lexus SUV for about $14,000 less. Great gas mileage, very safe and plenty of room.
 
My wife and i just purchased a 04 Infiniti FX35 yesterday, what a great sporty SUV. It handles better than most cars and has 280 hp! Great built quality and tons of options.

I was planning on buying a Lexus RX330 since i work for Toyota and get a great discount but after drving the FX35 it was not a hard choice! Way more power, better looking, way better handling, more options and the Infiniti dealer matched my price on the RX330!

Take one for a drive, the suspension is a little stiff but its worth it for the handling!
 
Speaking of quality materials on the inside of a vehicle, VW is doing a heck of a job in this regard. I had to see it for myself to believe it. Upon seeing the interior I thought; wow this is a VW!



They use real brushed aluminum trim, not silver plastic faux aluminum. They also have 3 different types of real wood trim. Their dash at night is a sight to behold. It almost looks like a cockpit of a fighter jet. On top of that their leather is very nice.



I think that the VW's interior compares favorably to anything else at its price point.



clic pics





 
I have looked at the recent American vehicles and yes, they are a drastic improvement over past years. Still not the same level of quality (materials) found in the foreign competitors though. Foreign manufacturers tend to use more SOFT plastic throughout a vehicle.



Laugh all you want.
 
TW85 HHI said:
I have looked at the recent American vehicles and yes, they are a drastic improvement over past years. Still not the same level of quality (materials) found in the foreign competitors though. Foreign manufacturers tend to use more SOFT plastic throughout a vehicle.



Laugh all you want.
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I'm not the one laughing - it was a few engineers for a supplier common to both Toyota and Chrysler, and it's something that in the last five years I've seen a few times.



I'll keep your comments in mind when I do my annual visit to the auto show in January. It will be interesting to see if the differences, between the different manufacturers, is as pronounced as you feel it is. My gut says that while it was once true, it's not as true any more.



Then again, Detroits automakers are also famous for screwing up a good thing.
 
The American's are still behind in the quality of materials used. My 20K dollar Integra (Acura's entry car) has much sturdier handles than the PLASTIC ones (that the "chrome" is coming off of in just 2 months) that are in my dads nearly 60K dollar Escalade. That is unacceptable! You wont find this in the foreign competition(well Nissan/Infiniti possibly). The money a friend of mine just paid for a basic Envoy would have gotten him a pretty nice Pilot or Highlander. While they may use the same suppliers, the parts are made to each manufacturers specifications.
 
joburnet said:
Seriously, get a van, either honda or toyota.
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That's what I was thinking. I don't know these people, but I don't think they even really need something as large as any SUV or van just to carry three people and a diaper bag around. Unless it's an unusually large baby. :p
 
I'll probably be a parent in a couple years, and I don't get it either. These days a sedan like an Avalon is pretty big, and I would think offers just as much (if not more) rear passenger room.



One thing I have noticed that bothers me is that all the equipment for babies seems to be really huge. Car seats and strollers are mega-sized and tough to fit even in my sister's Honda Odyssey. I wonder if there are some smart alternatives to all this huge plastic crap.
 
lammarwell said:
My wife and i just purchased a 04 Infiniti FX35 yesterday, what a great sporty SUV. It handles better than most cars and has 280 hp! Great built quality and tons of options.

I was planning on buying a Lexus RX330 since i work for Toyota and get a great discount but after drving the FX35 it was not a hard choice! Way more power, better looking, way better handling, more options and the Infiniti dealer matched my price on the RX330!

Take one for a drive, the suspension is a little stiff but its worth it for the handling!
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My sister picked up an RX330. Saying the FX35 is better looking than the RX is purely subjective. My sister thought the FX was butt ugly compared to the RX and I had to agree. The RX definitely had a more luxurious ride compared to the FX which my sister favored since she has children. My brother-in-law definitely favored the RX330 as well. In fact he's already considering trading in the RX330 for the RX400h. My suggestion would be the RX400h that is around the corner. It has proven Toyota hybrid technology and Lexus has been number 1 in reliability for like the last seven years :xyxthumbs
 
Auto Care USA said:
Nissan Murano great vehicle that you could compare to the Lexus SUV for about $14,000 less. Great gas mileage, very safe and plenty of room.
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A closer comparison would be between the Murano and the Highlander. There is definitely a noticeable difference in build quality when you jump to the Luxury brands of both Nissan and Toyota. I'd personally take a Toyota(Lexus) or Honda(Acura) over a Nissan(Infiniti) any day.
 
Len_A



***2003 Lincoln Navigator (or more recent) or a 2003 Lincoln Aviator, or a 2003 Cadillac Escalade? Have you been in a 2005 Cadillac STS or a 2004 Lincoln LS sedan?***







I love the way all the new american "luxury" cars/suvs look, but every single tv show that I have seen on Speed tv complained about the interior not matching the euro or japanese competition.



they all said that the interior materials felt/looked cheap for that segment.



Maybe your friends need a reality check.



Sit in a golf GL (base model) that cost $15580 msrp that looks like this.



gal_zm_int_2.jpg








Now sit in a civic at any price and you will also see a huge difference there too.



Back to topic.



I'd say to go for Toyota/lexus or Honda/Acura.
 
tdekany said:
Len_A



***2003 Lincoln Navigator (or more recent) or a 2003 Lincoln Aviator, or a 2003 Cadillac Escalade? Have you been in a 2005 Cadillac STS or a 2004 Lincoln LS sedan?***







I love the way all the new american "luxury" cars/suvs look, but every single tv show that I have seen on Speed tv complained about the interior not matching the euro or japanese competition.



they all said that the interior materials felt/looked cheap for that segment.



Maybe your friends need a reality check.



Sit in a golf GL (base model) that cost $15580 msrp that looks like this.



gal_zm_int_2.jpg








Now sit in a civic at any price and you will also see a huge difference there too.



Back to topic.



I'd say to go for Toyota/lexus or Honda/Acura.
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Then back to topic it is, and I'd say Aviator first, and MB M-Class a very close second. Especially if your friends budgets can spring for the ML-350 Special Edition or ML-500 Special Edition. I'm still partial to full frames on an SUV. Just personal preference.
 
SpoiledMan said:
A mini van is the best idea. Honda or Toyota.
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From a practical sense, you're absolutely right.



The thing is that a lot of people don't like the "minivan driving suburban soccer mom" image that minvans seem to have, regardless of the brand. Nissan tried to both style and market their way out of that image with the 2004 Nissan Quest, and even they've admitted that their efforts haven't lived up to their expectations. In the August 23, 2004 edition of Automotive News , Nissan's Japan based design chief admits that the style was a bit too radical.



SUV's "tough" image still has a lot of appeal to many buyers.
 
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