Jamalisms Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 If you own an SUV, report here. Thanks! What SUV do you own (and what model year)? If it's a small breed, do you often wish it was bigger? If it is bigger, do you find that you often utilize the added size? What do you do in an SUV that you couldn't do in a sedan? How often do you do that? What features do you wish your SUV had that it doesn't? What features did you think you would use that you never do? How many miles to the gallon do you get? Does the (lack of) gas mileage bother you? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 What SUV do you own (and what model year)? 05 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7L HemiIf it's a small breed, do you often wish it was bigger? If it is bigger, do you find that you often utilize the added size? Size wise, I'd say it is more of a 'medium' sized SUV. I don't have a family or intend to for some time so a lack of third row is perfect for me. I have two dogs, one large, so they get tossed in the back so they don't scuff up my leather seats. What do you do in an SUV that you couldn't do in a sedan? How often do you do that? Take my dogs back and forth without having them crammed up in the back seat. I bought it so I could have something that could easily move a U Haul, and of course I don't have any problems.What features do you wish your SUV had that it doesn't? What features did you think you would use that you never do? Mine is basically loaded, I just wish it had in dash navigation. It has UConnect that is an absolute solid feature. The onboard computer is always pulling up a warning for spare low tire pressure, even though it isn't. I wish this kind of stuff would start to disappear.How many miles to the gallon do you get? Does the (lack of) gas mileage bother you? 13, and I try very hard for that 13. Yes, it is a pain in the ass. Though, I have more power than most SUVs, so I guess it is an even trade. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 I personally own a car, but my brother owns an SUV and I drive it all the time Infinity QX4 fully loaded - 2003 It's not overly bulky, and I can only imagine the gas mileage if it was any bigger. It only gets 16 mpg, and that's without traffic. The 4x4 feature has come in handy in the snow, where my little dodge avenger would go skiing all over the place. I do like the extra room and you can see so much more because you're higher up from the road. I stopped driving the suv for a couple of months and got back into it. I felt like a King on the road. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 In spite of the fact that I have 3 kids below the age of 9 I have resisted the SUV thing. I consider myself a real "driver" and those things are just an affront to anyone who considers himself a driver. In my world SUV's are in a no man's land…they are not as good and conformable as people movers as some other options, and as "driving" cars they suck. Now for my wife I bought her a Honda Odyssey. Because if your #1 goal is to have a people mover car then a family van cannot be beaten. I love that car. It carries everything, it has sliding doors, tons of room, it's way more practical than an SUV to carry the kids, cargo and dog. It drives great too. I am very happy with that decision. For me…the lease on my 335XI M Sport is coming up in 3 months. For awhile I have considered this car the best all around car on the road. It's a 4 wheel drive little tank yes….but it also is twin turbo 310 HP and goes 0-100KM in about 5 seconds flat and is about the best handling car out there. But due to it's smallish size it has become totally impractical for me. So what does the man who can afford anything do when he wants the performance of a sports car and the bigger size of an SUV? When that man is me he buys himself a Porsche Cayenne GTS. This thing is incredible and will be my next car: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opus74 Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 I've owned two, well actually three but two were the same so that only counts as one. I owned two Suburbans from 1995 to 2003. I loved them for their utility. We travelled a lot with lots of stuff and/or people and there was nothing better. Big, powerful, comfortable and reasonably easy to drive once you got used to the size. It would pull my 20' boat like it wasn't even there. The best feature was that you didn't have to pack..........just open the door/tailgate and toss it in. Gas mileage? Don't ask. If that is a major factor just don't buy one. I would have liked some more options like sunroof and GPS but these weren't available back then and I got along fine without them, really. I did find one unexpected benefit to the 'Burb - you can stop a black Suburban in the middle of the street, turn on the flashers and get out, take as long as necessary to unload stuff or people and no one bothers you! My current "beater" ride is a smaller one - a '99 Blazer ZR2. It is the 4WD off-road package and will go pretty much anywhere in any weather. It's main drawback is size - it's only a two door and that is a pain in the butt. It also is as hard on fuel as the big Burbs and with the short wheelbase, heavy duty suspension and big tires that are part of the ZR2 package the ride is godawful. But I only drive it 3 miles to work and for odd jobs so I can live with it. As I said before, the "work" part of this is driving and delivering rental cars, so I've driven everything out there. For a big rig, the Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon platform is still unequaled. The smaller ones have more variety but the Koreans have the best products going. Hyundai/Kia make several small and medium sized SUVs that are pretty much the class of the category. Nissans and Toyotas are pretty bland and the Europeans (Volvo, VW, Audi, etc) are absurdly expensive. Fords have annoying and fiddly controls for everything and the small Jeeps are junk although the big Grand Cherokee is nice. If I were in the market I would start by driving the Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson and the Kia Sportage and Sorento. They are virtual clones mechanically but are different in trim and "flavor." Then go try some of the others. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFCman Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 "It's a gas gas gas! " Gas mileage is why I'm in a car right now. I had an SUV in the late 90's, but if I could afford it today, I'd be in a truck. I'd rather have a four door truck than the SUV. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Whatever you do run from the Cherokee. They are pieces of shit. Especially the older models. Look I'm about to give you the correct advice based on you. It sounds like this is going to be the family car that you and the wife use. And, in spite of the fact that family vans are way more practical in every way, you feel like a pansy driving one as your main car amirite? Or even on the weekends you want to feel more manly that that? And it's not like a GTS is very practical or in your reach. Hey man I gotcha on all that. Here is what you need to do. You need to buy an Acura MDX. Even new this is a 80K-90 SUV dressed that goes for 50-60K. It seats 7. It is always top of it's class from year to year especially one's where value is part of the criteria. It's reliable. it drives great (for an SUV). It has more than enough power. It's only a v6 and is not nearly as gluttonous on gas as most would think. You can drive an Acura forever until it rusts. That engine will never die. Resale value is great. If value is big up on the criteria…do not lease do not buy new. Find a second hand MDX with low KM's and is 2-3 years old and plan to drive it for the next 8-10 years. That is your best plan Jamal. Any other decision is the wrong decision. A Honda Pilot would probably be your next best decision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctm Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 "It's a gas gas gas! " Gas mileage is why I'm in a car right now. I had an SUV in the late 90's, but if I could afford it today, I'd be in a truck. I'd rather have a four door truck than the SUV. Agreed. Very practical for just a couple of people. Frontier, crew cab, 4X4 is next for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Nator Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 In spite of the fact that I have 3 kids below the age of 9 I have resisted the SUV thing. I consider myself a real "driver" and those things are just an affront to anyone who considers himself a driver. In my world SUV's are in a no man's land…they are not as good and conformable as people movers as some other options, and as "driving" cars they suck. Now for my wife I bought her a Honda Odyssey. Because if your #1 goal is to have a people mover car then a family van cannot be beaten. I love that car. It carries everything, it has sliding doors, tons of room, it's way more practical than an SUV to carry the kids, cargo and dog. It drives great too. I am very happy with that decision. For me…the lease on my 335XI M Sport is coming up in 3 months. For awhile I have considered this car the best all around car on the road. It's a 4 wheel drive little tank yes….but it also is twin turbo 310 HP and goes 0-100KM in about 5 seconds flat and is about the best handling car out there. But due to it's smallish size it has become totally impractical for me. So what does the man who can afford anything do when he wants the performance of a sports car and the bigger size of an SUV? When that man is me he buys himself a Porsche Cayenne GTS. This thing is incredible and will be my next car: You going with the baby shit green? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamalisms Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Thanks for the responses so far. Just a bit of an explanation on what I'm thinking: I'd probably at least test drive a minivan but the wife is dead set against one. It's a matter of domestic tranquility... and, yes, the manly factor makes it not so bad a thing. Generically, about the only thing we'd really like in a vehicle that our current cars don't do is that they be better equipped to handle our bikes and kayaks on road trips. Apart from that, an SUV is appealing because of the space + utility factor, combined with 20+ mpg in many non-huge models. We went to the auto show last week and sat in about 78.35 different SUVs. Based on that alone... not driving them or quality/dependability, just initial feel and perceptions from sitting in them (likely a very overrated thing)... the Ford Edge really surprised me in that we both thought it had the best feel (of reasonably priced vehicles, relative to me). I'm paranoid about American cars, though, so... A number of friends also have Muranos and they come highly recommended, plus they've at least seemed nice when I ride in them and I again liked them at the auto show. Personally, I'd feel much safer investing in either a Toyota or a Honda (more the Toyota because Honda's always feel cheap to me despite their durability). I'd also consider a Hyundai or Kia because I've had a good experience with my Elantra... but about the only complaint I have regarding my Elantra is that the seats are maddeningly uncomfortable on longer car rides and I don't know if that is a Hyundai thing (the Santa Fe seats felt the same at the auto show) or more a size thing with the Elantra being, technically, a compact car. The other issue is that the seats feel comfortable enough at first, so I don't even know that a test drive would settle my concerns. Initially, we are looking at the Edge, Murano and Highlander. We need to test drive each go from there, then research online more... but I also feel like actual owners of things often have good insights about real utility versus perceived utility, plus if someone knows that XYZ SUV is crap - that would be good to know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercalius Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 My mom has a Murano. Pretty nice vehicle. Had two Infinity QX4s prior which she was a big fan of but has said she likes the Murano better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrus Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Do the Toyota Highlander if you're thinking about dependability and value. Not even a difficult decision. I don't dislike the Honda SUVs, but they're more suited for basic city driving. I don't really care for their suspension (too soft) and handling. If you're driving in a straight-line on paved roads it's certainly comfortable, but if as soon as you want maneuverability it feels sluggish. You might want to opt for more power and AWD with the Highlander which will cost you more. My suggestion is to buy a certified used model with AWD so you get better value, but have AWD for icy condition since you have to deal with weather. This is especially true with a baby on board. Plus I think the Highlander looks better than the Pilot or Murano. None of them are beautiful cars, but it's certainly better looking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctm Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 My sister has a Murano and we just recently drove it to Fla. and back. Nice vehicle, I can recommend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
volntitan Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 My wife has the new Sante Fe and so far she loves it. Getting roughly 25 mpg and she does 80% in town driving. Plenty of room. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiscotitansfan Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Gotta go with the Kia! If it can survive a zombie apocalypse, what the hell can you throw at it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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