happy people mover time....

so my brother, his other half, and the two teenagers need to get a new car. her durango is taking a dump hardcore. ive kept it limping as long as i could, but its time to puit a bullet in it and put it out of its misery.

they use the durango as a truck (for big things he cant get in the sonata) as well as a family car. they want to replace it with something similar. must be a 2010 or newer, automatic, and stone ax reliable. also must either fit normal homeowner stuff, 4 full sized humans, etc, or be able to pull a 4X8 trailer for the normal homeowner stuff, and get decent gas milage (20+) hes hung up on SUV's for some reason as the only thing that can fit his needs. not opposed to anything but suburbans, trucks, and stuff that doesnt fit the criteria. (miata and late 80's cherokee are NOT the answer here) im hung on wagons. i have a small list going in my head of stuff i commonly see on the road, but as this is a segment of the market i avidly ignore (new and SUV BOTH), my knowledge is limited. this thing is just a pure appliance to them. also, i probably wont work on it due to being too new. so repair and mantenance costs and common troubles should be taken intyo account. hope for a budget of 15k or so

so, my partial list is this: subaru forester, legacy, outback, impreza (wagon variants all. no turbo cars.) volvo wagon (reliable? expensive repair? ford explorer ford flex freestyle/mazda clone (what the hell were those?) crv scion xb

and thats about all i can thik of. i know nothing about any of these.

most of you guys are in the industry, so i will lean on your judgement on what to send them looking for.

my personal reccomendation was avalanche, but failed on all counts for them. followed by a subaru wagon and a trailer. he kinda liked that idea....

so, please help me gather a list that i wont regret giving to my brother.

michael

cut and paste from the "What SUV ? Helping a friend... thread

I own a Terrain - its friggin awesome. Pulls down 23mpg mixed avg with the V6 - 300 hp direct injection. Third row? No, but the back seat is huge - my 6'6" 320lb father fits in there with EASE!. Good storage capacity, great sound system, plenty of power on tap. V6 gets AWD and dual exhaust, and can haul 3500lb trailer with the factory 1.25 hitch receiver. The biggie for us tho was the real hydraulic power steering, not the electric stuff. You get real road feedback, not a vague empty feeling in the steering. I want to say sticker on our SLT2 trim terrain (roof rack, premium stereo, towing package, backup camera, leather heated seats, machined 19" wheels, NO chrome or touchscreen) was somewhere around $37k IIRC (we get a family discount due to SWMBO grampa retiring from GM after 30 years, so our actual cost was less). Used market prices?...I have no idea...

We have put a lot of miles on ours in the few years weve had it - its a 2010 model, and has 65k+ on the clock (been to Florida a few times, Alabama a few times, Chicago, Gatlinburg several times, Michigan...lots of road trips). Drives great on long trips - very comfy, handles like a car, not like SUVs Ive driven before (Im looking at you Blazer). Consumables are pretty easy - we have yet to replace the factory set of pads - still a surprising amount of meat left, but will probably get done before winter. Factory tires still have plenty of tread depth. The computer calculates oil life and tells you when youre due for a change, so we are getting about 7k miles out of a change - and as long as we get the changes done at the intervals provided by the computer, warranty is intact.

Lastly, a big selling feature is that even tho it has a lot of people room and decent interior capacity, it fits easily inside a standard two car garage: I was able to park my sedan in the garage next to the Terrain and have no issues with spacing.

This gets my vote...great SUV, would buy again

So he is opposed to a truck? A modern-ish crew cab truck will do everything an SUV will but does truck stuff better. My Silverado is a soul sucking appliance, but damned if it doesn't do it's job spectacularly. If you need to keep stuff dry in back, a cap works. They're not fancy. They're not expensive. You have about five brands to choose from that are all pretty much do the same thing.
Edit: read it again, no trucks. I'm leaving this up because I still think it's a solid plan even if he hates it.

Oof, I would not give a list full of Subarus and Volvos to a family member that will never take care of a car!

Also, full frame 4 passenger + full load SUV's sure as heck don't get 20+ MPG.

Alright, let's dial this in a little. 2010+, auto, 20+ MPG highway, SUV/Wagon, will fit 4 full size people, with low maintenance:

• Buick Enclave
• Chevy Traverse
• Ford Explorer (2011+)
• Ford Flex
• GMC Acadia
• Honda Pilot
• Hyundai Sante Fe
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• KIA Sorento
• Nissan Pathfinder
• Nissan XTerra
• Toyota 4Runner

Minivan.

Or Toyota 4Runner.

I think the answer here is 08+ Dodge Grand Caravan.

HHR? Bonus for SS model.

First thing i thought was Honda Ridgeline.

Out of the 'mazda clones', i think pretty highly of the CX-9. I still think Ridgeline is the answer.

Don't expect good mileage out of a 4Runner. The current generation truck weighs approx. 4,500 lbs and is motivated by a 4.0L V6 making approx 270 HP. The engine & transmission are somewhat outmatched by the chassis. I have a 2010 with a tick more than 100k miles. I average 20-22 MPG including about 50% highway miles.

Also, functionally the interior space is less than what would be expected. Very thick pillars, doors etc. The backseat is reasonably comfortable but the third row (on those that have it, it's not a popular option) is only fit for amputees.

friend of mine ... extremely well taken care of

http://knoxville.craigslist.org/cto/4025723272.html

szeis4cookie wrote: I think the answer here is 08+ Dodge Grand Caravan.

QFT - this is "The Answer" when it comes to a people/stuff mover with comfort, mileage, and capacity.

Our '06 Rav4 V6 meets the criteria. Sliding back seat gives extra room in back, 3500lb towing capacity, AWD for when you need it, and very good fuel economy. I get 22-23MPG in mixed driving, and have gotten in the very high 20s on a highway trip. I've done several 1,000 mile days, and it's very comfortable in those situations.

Don't expect good mileage out of a 4Runner. The current generation truck weighs approx. 4,500 lbs and is motivated by a 4.0L V6 making approx 270 HP. The engine & transmission are somewhat outmatched by the chassis. I have a 2010 with a tick more than 100k miles. I average 20-22 MPG including about 50% highway miles.

Im very happy to know your standards are higher than that, but FYI that's REALLY good mpg for that type of vehicle. Im actually impressed.

I can also second the recommendation of last-gen Rav4s in general. The 2nd row is super roomy and comfortable for a small SUV (best part: seatback reclines). If anything the front is a little cramped but im 6'0 and have driven one for 4 hours at a stretch several times and never had a complaint. The v6 motor is giggle inducing.