New SUV, what do you think of these 2 choices?

I'm also looking for a new SUV/Crossover and I spent last weekend testing a few. For me the Nissan X was horribl, the ride was rough and it just didn't fit me well. The FJ was much better than I thought it would be, you have to understand that it is one rugged truck and it won't drive like a lincon but for what it is it rides great. The nitro R/T was a good SUV with good power decent ride and great seats. The edge was hands down the best ride out of all that I had tested with good power but a bit high $ for what you get.



This vehicle will be mostly for my wife so as of now we are leaning towards the edge but if it were for me I would go with the FJ.
 
MAC[H]Z said:
This vehicle will be mostly for my wife so as of now we are leaning towards the edge but if it were for me I would go with the FJ.
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Since it's for your wife, you might also want to consider the Nissan Murano, Toyota RAV4 V6, and Mazda CX-7.
 
Mike: I'd say the rental idea is perfect ..so few people ever get the chance to taste the future.



The other thing I like to do: buy up by buying something w/10-15k on it. Let some Doc's wife drive it for a couple of years ..as long as the detailer (Hey!) got the icecream off the leather where the brats sat.
 
The misses and I just went through this and we got her a Saturn Vue(04)

we thought it was the best bang for the buck



It has a honda 3.5l v6 that makes 250hp and should run forvever

and a 5 speed auto tranny

the has a lot of space and plenty of power



I think it is something you should look at before you buy



good luck:woot2:
 
Hmm, interesting ideas/thoughts presented. Have not really looked into some of the ideas you all are presenting, I think I have more homework to do!
 
BigJimZ28 said:
The misses and I just went through this and we got her a Saturn Vue(04)

we thought it was the best bang for the buck



It has a honda 3.5l v6 that makes 250hp and should run forvever

and a 5 speed auto tranny

the has a lot of space and plenty of power



I think it is something you should look at before you buy



good luck:woot2:
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I'm happy with my 04 VUE V6 as well. Definitely not a truck, but great for hauling (hauled a couple bikes halfway across the country)..and you can't complain about high 20's for highway mileage.
 
Nissan - I've had 8 of them and they are good quality vehicles. Most of the time you can get a cheap interest rate and still get a couple thousand off MSRP. I think they are way underated - but the Xterra did win Car & Drivers 5 SUV comparison a while back, check it out on C&D on-line.
 
If your only looking for an SUV then disregard my 2 cents. I too, am looking for a vehicle. I have narrowed it down to the GMC Canyon. Decent interior space., not to big of a truck and most important great gas miledge. Plenty of room in the back seat for guest and keeping something out of the rain if needed. Plus you can haul anything in the bed and fits well in your standard 20 x 20 garage. Easy to drive and park. Has good clean lines and shines well. Easily loaded and under $24K. Let me know what you get and send me a pic I'll do the same. Take care.
 
Function before form. Do you need off-road capability? If so, how much? If you just want the extra cargo capacity of an SUV without the off-road ability, I'd look at a car based SUV. If you need just a bit of offroad ability (for hiking/camping), I'd go with an AWD car based SUV. I'm of the line of thinking that its silly to sacrifice comfort, fun-to-drive and handling for off-road abilities that will rarely be used.
 
Both of those vehicles are off-road capable (which does not help on-road). The drivetrain will also be more expensive (2 speed tranfer case, solid axels, stronger parts). So crossovers will be more fluff for the $. Also check the tire pressure before test driving. I have not driven either, but the Nissan has a nice motor (VQ).
 
I don't like fords much, but i would go with the jeep. But make sure you google for reviews on both suv's. as you can tell it all depends on you.
 
sspeer said:
I'm happy with my 04 VUE V6 as well. Definitely not a truck, but great for hauling (hauled a couple bikes halfway across the country)..and you can't complain about high 20's for highway mileage.
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Chalk up another vote for the Saturn Vue ('04-'07). Yes, they have a few quirks, but the powertrain completely sold me on the Vue. The Honda-sourced V6 engine & tranny REALLY make this vehicle. Feels very quick & light-on-its-feet. Not top-heavy at all. It's smooth, quiet, has GOBS of power, gets great mileage, has plenty of room, dent-resistant polymer panels, yada yada yada. Has excellent crash test scores (cheap to insure).



I average about 19-20 mpg in town & 26-27 mpg on the freeway. Pretty good for living in the mountains north of L.A.
 
Well, I just learned something about the Jeep that would be a deal killer for me I think. First thing...I would not want the hard top option (Freedom top as they call it), simply because I don't like how it separates and it would be impossible to store the rear section at any time while on the road. So, that left the soft top, which I liked better, until I found out it isn't secure. Come to find out that anyone can gain access to the rear cargo area simply by unzipping and removing any of the rear windows. It appears they cannot be locked or anything like that, so what's to prevent someone from just hauling off with the stuff in the back after removing the windows? I have to have more safety and security than that in a vehicle! So, unless I am missing something, I am now ruling out the Jeep, and prefer the Xterra. There are a lot of things to like about the Xterra and it has received much praise for the value it offers and its capabilities. It's just that it can't go sans top, like the Jeep. :(



Here's the article where it shows the guy just unzipping the windows, apparently without any unlocking or security mechanism....unless I'm wrong and am missing something. Project-JK.com-Jeep JK Wrangler Resource » Go Topless - Lowering the Sunrider Soft Topon a 2007 Jeep JK Wrangler 4-Door Unlimited
 
Does the VUE suffer the same 5-speed tranny problems as Acura/Honda? I sold my 01 Acura because of the tranny. I hope they got things fixed by now. But I would be torn to buy another auto Honda/Acura.
 
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