SUV/Car questions and suggestions needed...
- Thread starter imported_MCA
- Start date
WSUcommuter
New member
What about a Mercury Mariner? You can get one loaded up for a reasonable price and they share the same platform with the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute, so parts and maintenance won't rob your wallet.
Corey Bit Spank
Active member
Speaking of that--the refreshed Escape should be coming out in a few months.
Edison_Chen
New member
I recently purchased a 2007 Lexus RX350, waiting a week for it to be delivered...
Here are a few choices (mid-sizes):
Honda Pilot
Acura MDX
Nissan Murano
Inifiniti FX
Lexus RX350 (2007)
Toyota Highlander
Here are a few choices (mid-sizes):
Honda Pilot
Acura MDX
Nissan Murano
Inifiniti FX
Lexus RX350 (2007)
Toyota Highlander
I have 3 year old twins, so I can relate to where you will be when your twins are born.
When my kids were born, we had an MDX, and it was fantastic for the most part. I'll tell you the two things about it that you may not think about. First, you will not be able to use the third row because of the car seats, so don't buy it for that. Also depending on how tall your wife is, it may become difficult to lift the car seats into the car as the kids get heavier. There were a few times where my wife (only 4'10") was standing on the step rail to put the car seat in and she slipped off and banged her leg on it. After the MDX lease was over, we needed to cut our payment WAY DOWN! So, we got the new Odyssey because I thought it would be easier for her and the kids to get into the car cause it's lower and has the automatic sliding doors, lots of rear cargo space, etc. Overall, it's great for the kids, they can climb in themselves easily, etc. My wife hates it, though. She feels like she is driving a bus! She would have been happier to give up some of the cargo space, and get into a smaller SUV or crossover. Also, whatever you get, make sure you have enough cargo room for the monster double stroller you will have! Good Luck and welcome to the club!
When my kids were born, we had an MDX, and it was fantastic for the most part. I'll tell you the two things about it that you may not think about. First, you will not be able to use the third row because of the car seats, so don't buy it for that. Also depending on how tall your wife is, it may become difficult to lift the car seats into the car as the kids get heavier. There were a few times where my wife (only 4'10") was standing on the step rail to put the car seat in and she slipped off and banged her leg on it. After the MDX lease was over, we needed to cut our payment WAY DOWN! So, we got the new Odyssey because I thought it would be easier for her and the kids to get into the car cause it's lower and has the automatic sliding doors, lots of rear cargo space, etc. Overall, it's great for the kids, they can climb in themselves easily, etc. My wife hates it, though. She feels like she is driving a bus! She would have been happier to give up some of the cargo space, and get into a smaller SUV or crossover. Also, whatever you get, make sure you have enough cargo room for the monster double stroller you will have! Good Luck and welcome to the club!
Accumulator
Well-known member
The Murano has somewhat compromised rearward visibility. Make sure you and your wife can parallel park it OK.
Both my Subarus had reliability issues, some of which had them off the road for a while, some of which were never fully fixed. I know that's not the norm, but two in a row were enough for us. And my wife and I both disliked driving them anyhow. Funny, as everyone else has wonderful experiences with them, loves them, etc. and we thought we would too.
The friend who bought my dad's Audi A6 traded it on a RX-330. She hates how it drives, but likes that it's so reliable. Not sure what she doesn't like about it other than, well, it's not a $55K Audi sedan. This seems funny too; I thought she'd love the Lexus.
While I'm voicing dissatisfaction, I'll say that my wife and I both dislike driving the MPV minivan too. If it weren't so reliable (*no* problems in four years), hadn't depreciated to where we're basically driving it for free, and if the older dog didn't like its low step-up height so much, we'd dump it for a SUV. We both miss the rent-a-Suburban we had last year. Nothing wrong with the Suburban that a suspension kit and brake upgrade wouldn't solve.
Both my Subarus had reliability issues, some of which had them off the road for a while, some of which were never fully fixed. I know that's not the norm, but two in a row were enough for us. And my wife and I both disliked driving them anyhow. Funny, as everyone else has wonderful experiences with them, loves them, etc. and we thought we would too.
The friend who bought my dad's Audi A6 traded it on a RX-330. She hates how it drives, but likes that it's so reliable. Not sure what she doesn't like about it other than, well, it's not a $55K Audi sedan. This seems funny too; I thought she'd love the Lexus.
While I'm voicing dissatisfaction, I'll say that my wife and I both dislike driving the MPV minivan too. If it weren't so reliable (*no* problems in four years), hadn't depreciated to where we're basically driving it for free, and if the older dog didn't like its low step-up height so much, we'd dump it for a SUV. We both miss the rent-a-Suburban we had last year. Nothing wrong with the Suburban that a suspension kit and brake upgrade wouldn't solve.
My wife has a 2002 CRV-EX and we love it. ZERO problems in 77,000 miles. She averages around 23-24 MPG. It has great crash ratings, reliability is as good as you can get, resale value is excellent, cargo space is very versatile, and the price was good. Has more power than some crummy V6's. About the only negative thing I can say is that there is some road noise at highway speeds but that also improved when we got rid of the pitiful OEM Bridgestones.