<p>I would like to tap the knowledge base of the CC car fanatics. </p>
<p>My Durango has 150K miles on it … and it uses a lot of gas … but it is very comfortable for our family and it hauls a lot of stuff and it has 4WD and can go anywhere all winter and that’s important for us. (Our driveway is 600 feet long with a 12% slope UP to get out … and I own and manage a business I need to be able get to without fail every day. We are in southern New England.)</p>
<p>So … I want to park the Durango (not sure if I am going to keep it, give it to S2 or even S1, or trade it) and get something newer. It doesn’t have to be a new new car.</p>
<p>I need — 4WD, room for 5, hauling room but maybe less of that than I have now, reasonable gas mileage (I’d like 20 mpg around town and better on the highway) and comfortable on long trips. We do a lot of 4 hour trips (one way) in the spring – sometimes up and back in a day. I’m tall – we’re all long legged – so leg room is not a luxury.</p>
<p>Suggestions? Anyone have an Infiniti FX35? </p>
<p>H is driving an Infiniti G35x with AWD – <em>nice</em> car.</p>
<p>I can identify with you. I also have a Durango with about 145K miles on it. It still looks like new and I find it tough to part with. I also still like the vehicle but I know it’s growing old and have been looking at other SUVs. I research things to death and have even made a spreadsheet of many contenders but none jump out at me. I’m also interested in a bit of luxo without getting ridiculous and would like decent (for an SUV) handling as well. I want an SUV to comfortably haul 7 when I need to as well as serve the dual-duty as the home depot vehicle plus my wife likes SUVs but I don’t want a huge one (Tahoe size is too big for me).</p>
<p>If you’re looking for a 5 passenger model you have a lot more choices. I like the FX35 but of course it doesn’t seat 7. If you’re considering it also take a look at back seat ingress/egress since it’s tight with the way the door entry’s shaped. Also keep in mind that a new replacement model, the FX37, is due out I think next year. They have a new smaller model, the EX35, if you’re willing to take something smaller and still sporty. Also consider the Acura RDX, the BMW X3 or X5, Lexus RX 350, and the Mercedes ML350. If you want more fuel economy but still luxo consider the RX350 Hybrid. </p>
<p>Other contenders - </p>
<ul>
<li>Mazda CX-9 - supposed to handle well and seats 7, SUV of the year.</li>
<li>Acura MDX - seats 7, luxo, handles well, not as expensive as a BMW/Merc, or similarly equipped Lexus.</li>
<li>Buick Enclave - Nice new luxo design despite being a Buick - big though.</li>
<li>Toyota Highlander - Can get a hybrid if desired, can seat 7, kind of boring.</li>
<li>Hyundai Veracruz - you might be surprised by it - quiet, targets a Lexus but for less cost, seats 7.</li>
<li>Hyundai Santa Fe - can seat 7, smaller, built in Alabama, new clean design.</li>
<li>Hyundai Tucson - low cost, nicely laid out, I bought one of these.</li>
<li>All of the Hyundais have a great factory warranty.</li>
</ul>
<p>Love my new Suburu forester. Not fancy but full time 4wheel drive and lots of space. (plus an ipod plug!) Got the box for a new 9’ artificial Christmas tree in the back last night at Costco (please don’t start a real-vs.-fake Christmas tree thread!). 3 in the back is crowded but ok for short trips but fine for 2 for longer. Not as comfortable in back as my old American car. Huge, huge sun roof. My D laughs that she could put her boots and snowboard on from the backseat with the snowboard in the roof rack, but then she’d be suspended upside down and we’d have to flip her over to get on the snow… I get about 20 mpg but do the huge majority of my driving on under 5 mile trips and using the AC. No highway trips yet.
We’re renting the Volvo SUV at Thanksgiving - will report. Are you tall in legs or sitting height? It can make a big difference - D2 can’t get the clutch all the way in on her bro’s car no matter where the seat is. Short legs, she’s 5’6"</p>
<p>Don’t know if you would consider a minivan, but I drive a Honda Odyssey. Seating room is fabulous for comfort and flexibility, mileage is around 18-22, and I usually stuff it to the gills when we travel. I mean, golf for 3, some large pieces of equipment for handicapped child, and luggage for 5. It’s great in the snow (although I don’t like driving in the snow!!) and has plenty of pickup on the highway with its 6 cylinders.</p>
<p>Forget the Highlander if you need the 3rd row of seats, they are only big enough for small children.</p>
<p>zimmer brings up a good point - some of the SUVs with a third row have a row that can have difficult ingress/egress and are really designed for kids. Others (like the Durango’s) are more reasonable. I think the OP said they’d do fine with a 5 passenger model though.</p>
A couple of good points - according to all of the periodicals and manufacturers, A/C in modern vehicles has a negligible effect on mileage, < 1mpg.</p>
<p>You might want to consider renting the SUV candidate if you can find it for rent someplace. You can only tell so much on a 5 or 10 minute test drive with a salesman sitting next to you.</p>
<p>Not good with gas at all, but a Chrysler Pacifica has leg room, and you can put the last 2 seats down (they are seats for little kids, IMO anyway) and have room to haul. If you can go a bit smaller you might consider a Toyota Highlander hybrid. We are going to check it out for our next car. We know someone who has one and it rides like a car. We loved the smooth ride, and with gas prices we might go for the hybrid.</p>
<p>How about the new Arcadia? We have an Envoy, but the Arcadia is the newer nicely smaller model of the Envoy - still seats at least 6 I think…don’t know about the gas mileage…</p>
<p>No way you can take five adults more than 10 minutes in a Forester…</p>
<p>I’d take a Mazda CX-7 before a CX-9 unless you need the extra room. The Ford Edge is a close cousin to the CX-9 and might save you a couple of bucks.</p>
<p>Toyota makes a nice minivan… H’s boss bough one when his kids went to college. We asked “Why do you need a minivan now?” He hauls their expensive bikes in it when he and his wife go on trips around the US. One of my bosses had a minivan for the same purpose.</p>
I probably would too except I’d still like a 7 seater and the CX-9 has received some very good reviews and accolades. Even though it shares some chassis components with the Ford Edge the Mazda is supposed to be tweaked more for handling and IMO it looks a lot better. </p>
<p>Another new one that looks nice but I haven’t read enough reviews of - the Nissan Rogue. It’s lower cost, smaller, and will probably get better mileage than a Highlander Hybrid without the huge hybrid cost hit.</p>
<p>The GMC Acadia is a sister vehicle to the Buick Enclave but both are larger than what I’m looking for and the Buick has much nicer styling than the GMC IMO.</p>
<p>We recently purchase a lightly used Ford Freestyle (now called a Taurus X) This is basically a Volvo (!), as far as I can tell. We got the AWD model. Plenty of room for hauling stuff to and from college, 3 rows of “theater seating” that very easily turns into 2 or 2-1/2 rows. Very comfortable ride and good fuel economy for an AWD. We’re pleased with it.</p>
<p>I own an Infiniti FX45 and it is hands down the best combination of sports performance and utility on the market in its price range. In fact, I’d say it has no competitors within its price range once you really see what it can do.</p>
<p>That said, it doesn’t sound like something you’d want to replace your Durango. I think it would be too small for your intended purpose. </p>
<p>I think the Acura MDX or the Buick Enclave would be worth considering. They both have a pleasant ride and good techology. I haven’t done much research on it, but the new Lincoln MKX may also be a candidate. I looked at a Subaru Tribeca at an auto show not long ago. I like the interior, but not a fan of the styling. However, they have both, a 5 and 7 passenger model, and generally, Subarus are pretty decent. </p>
<p>Friend drives an Infinity SUV and loves its handling. It feels sporty and makes a nice roaring sound when it accelerates Her car got compliments from some Porsche drivers! It does require premium gas, so be prepared to pay even more at the pump. </p>
<p>We bought an older Lexus RX 330 van (now comes in a hybrid), gets about 20-23 mpg in our mix of highway/city street driving depending on the driver (H’s driving results in mpg consistently 10% less than mine, and it is not due to “payload” - we carpool). H likes the Rx’s soft ride after driving a truck for several years! The RX and another model (a sedan) are the only two Lexuses (Lexi?) that do not need premium gas.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is oil changes/repairs. If you get a newer car, chances are you get stuck with your dealership service center, and they will make you pay an arm and a leg!</p>
<p>BTW, Toyota/Lexus hybrids get better milage on city roads than on freeways! Do not know about the others.</p>
<p>We’ve owned just about every SUV/crossover over the years and each has its own pros and cons. My overall favorite would have to be the Lexus but I’ve also enjoyed some of the others. The Acura MDX is a great buy for the money (I had it before the third row of seats was available). The best for handling of the ones I’ve had is the Range Rover Sport but it has several small annoying things that would probably prevent me from getting another one. I have to admit that I am very picky! We’ve never had a Subaru SUV but have had two other Subaru models and they’re great cars, and terrific value for your $$. My H loved his X3, better than the X5. Another option might be the Audi All Road wagon. Fabulous car to drive.</p>
<p>We only use our dealer for covered repairs. H has an extended warrantee, and I don’t put on the milage so everything that happens is covered while I have my car (leased). We take our cars elsewhere for oil changes and always have done so. We have never had a problem.</p>
<p>Also, a hybrid can run 5k, so you need to figure out the milage, how long you will have the car, and guess at the average gas prices in the next few years to see if it is worth it. My H thinks that it will be worth getting, and he will probably buy a hybrid. Also, if you take out a loan and that 5k, you’d need to factor in interest.</p>
<p>A friend bought another Subaru SUV after surviving a terrible rollover accident in his first one! He accidentally drove off the side of a gravel forest road, and the car rolled down the hill several times before stopping upside down. The car was totalled, but the family and their dog did not have a scratch!</p>
I’ve always done my own oil changes. The one time in my life I took a car to a dealer for an oil change they messed it up - failed to put the cap back on. This was very recently at a Hyundai dealer and I only did it because it was free but it wasn’t worth it. The main thing is to document when the oil and filter were changed.</p>
Her car got compliments from some Porsche drivers! It does require premium gas, so be prepared to pay even more at the pump. </p>