As I’ve mentioned on another recent used car purchase thread, I’d focus my efforts on Honda’s/Acura’s, Toyota’s/Lexus and Mazda’s. I wouldn’t buy a Hyundai, Dodge or GM product. I prefer cars with strong resale value, ease and cost of maintenance and reliability.
I like a few German cars too, but you have to close your eyes and open your checkbook, when it comes time for maintenance and parts. 
But that’s JMHO. Good luck!
Do you need to haul more than 5 people or do you haul lots of equipment/stuff? Just asking because you had a Yukon.
For my H it was important to him that he could get a 4 x 8 piece of wood (or whatever size - I think that’s it!) in the trunk with fair ease. He ended up with a Honda Pilot and loves it. To me it’s big, to him it’s just right.
My S has a Tucson and likes it a lot. It’s pretty roomy and many of the Hyundai’s have a great warranty.
We have owned a couple Mazda’s and loved them. But it seems they can be pricey.
I do love my Subaru Forester!
I think it might be hard to find the “popular kid” brands like Subaru in your price point without getting tons of miles on it. But there are plenty of other choices out there!
I haven’t had a sedan in decades and honestly I can’t ever imagine having one again no matter how luxurious it is. I don’t even like riding in a sedan.
For a buyer like the OP who is likely to buy used, strong resale value is a disadvantage.
Which brands of dealer are nearby (for warranty service, if you buy a vehicle still under some manufacturer warranty)?
Which brands do you have local garages (dealer or independent) who can work on them reliably and not at excessive expense?
Mileage is not necessarily a good indicator of wear. A vehicle that ran up high mileage in highway cruising may be in better condition than one driven low mileage in the city, or by a teenager who drove it a quarter mile at a time.
Strongly disagree. Strong resale value extends well beyond the original sale or any one resale, assuming the car hasn’t had an accident and has a history of being well-maintained. As an example, there’s a reason why generally used Toyota trucks continue to have a strong resale history as the truck passes from owner to owner.
And if you pick them right, then there are a few cars and trucks that hit the bottom of their depreciation curve and their value actually trend upwards. Modern classics I believe they call them.
Strong resale value may put some years/makes/models out of the OP’s price range, at least in the condition that the OP prefers.
Because of the Toyota Tacoma rusty frame recall? Many of the trucks were bought back (at generous valuations) and scrapped, reducing the supply of them on the market. Many others (presumably the better ones) were rebuilt around new frames to replace the rusty frames, so the remaining (smaller) supply of those trucks should be better condition-wise than typical for vehicles of their age.
Or strong resale may NOT put it out of price range. We don’t know.
Did you see the word “generally”? Or did you miss that word? I personally wouldn’t condemn all Toyota trucks just because of that problem from the mid 90’s to the mid 00’s on the Tacoma. And Toyota never actually issued a formal recall for that issue.
Nonetheless, Toyota trucks still do have great resale value.
BTW, Toyota also makes or made the Tundra and Land Cruisers, FJ Cruisers, Sequoias and 4Runners too.
I am thoroughly confused. The more I look at vehicles the more confused I am. There are several that I like but none that really stand out as being the best choice. I don’t want to pay too much but don’t want to get something that I will have problems with or regret buying. The last week or so everything seems to be piling on at once, meaning I am exhausted and stressed and can’t think clearly. I can’t keep borrowing a vehicle though so I have got to figure something out.
Mazda has different cx5 models so read up. My wife has a 2019 but hers is new and a higher end model. She loves it. We had the cx9 model to shelp the kids when young and their band of friends etc.
I am not sure if you get a great deal from Carvana but it seems the price and mileage you want.
Costco also has a car buying service.
The interest rates on new cars are so low that you may find a better deal at a dealer. Honda often has 0.9% financing, and almost all repairs are covered for 5 years. Some dealers even include oil changes.
I’d decide on the model I wanted, and then look at new and used. I’ve owned 4 cars in my life, Datsun, Honda, Mazda, Honda. The only one that I bought used (about 18 months old) was the Mazda and it was the only car I didn’t like.
We attempted to use the Costco service last year just to check it out. We just constantly got better deals negotiating out own deal. Just saying.
@twoinanddone. What model didn’t you like? Just curious.
To the OP. I agree with staying with Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Mazda in general. Cross off Lexus since they are pricey but one of the nicest riding suvs. Had a few of them. Suburu like the outback seem to be very popular. My neighborhood is littered with them and many older models. But any car you look for look up that specific year/model for issues and have a mechanic expect it especially if buying from a small lot type of place.
Had to add my $.02 about the Mazda CX5. We have a 2017 CX5 and like everyone else, we LOVE it. We looked at and test drove all the small SUVs in this category. I thought FOR SURE I wanted the Subaru Crosstrek but after driving it and the CX5 it was off my list. I LOVE Subarus but compared to the Crosstrek, the CX5 drove better, had more room it in and had many more features. Not one day of regret buying this car. Good luck to you! Keep us posted on what you end up getting.
Costco was useless for us, we got better prices just asking the dealer.
The big benefit of caravans is inventory. If you know what you want they likely have more than one and will bring it to you (or relatively close). You can also return it if you are not happy with it after you drive it for a few days. I know folks that have used it more than once.
I vote for the Mazda CX-5 (don’t know what the CR 5 is…was that a typo?).
The RAV is an excellent car with good reliability from what I know.
We have friends whose kid had a Tucson that lasted well over 10 years. But I think she hit it lucky.
We went to today to check out some vehicles and look at some that I had talked to a couple of salesmen about. A friend had given me the name of one and we have texted last week about a couple of vehicles, the other name my mother gave me and I spoke with him yesterday. Turns out they were at the same dealership so I felt kind of bad about that but did get to look at the vehicles.
I looked at a 2016 Hyundai Tuscon that was nice but a little smaller than I expected and didn’t wow me. They had a Honda Pilot that was okay but a little more expensive, and a CRV which I didn’t really like the looks of much, it seemed like it didn’t know whether it wanted to be a car or suv. They had a nice Toyota Camry which would be practical I suppose but it is similar in size to my aunt’s buick verano that I have borrowed right now. It drives and rides well but doesn’t have much room, I can’t even get my cooler in the trunk and the back seat isn’t very comfortable.
The one that I really liked, but not sure if it is the right decision, was a Mazda CX-9. It is a 2011 with 93,000 miles but only $11,500 out the door. It has leather seats and most options that were available on that model. The guy told me that an older couple that just bought a new GMC traded it in and that they were very meticulous. It hadn’t even been cleaned up yet but looked better than some of the used ones that I have seen that are only a couple of years old. I saw one small scratch and everything else looked great, obviously garage kept and well maintained. I realize that the gas mileage won’t be as good as a small car but would still be better than my yukon xl and would be an easier transition. I could put about $4,000 down so would only have to finance about $7,500.
What do ya’ll think, would it be a mistake to get the older CX-9? Of course I would have my Dad go check it out and look at the mechanical side of things.
I am in the same situation. Would you consider a car that was used in a rental fleet. Avis seems to have some decent cars/suvs in your price range. Most appear to be 2019 models with 25-50K miles. They have some RAV4s that might work for you.
My daughter is leaning toward a Kia Soul+. Seems like a decent compact SUV. MPG for class is on low side. Like others here, I also like the Prius but you would find the sitting position low.
For the CX-9, 2016 was a redesign year. I wouldn’t buy the first year, but if affordable, then I’d buy a 2017 or newer CX-9, which is when they become extremely reliable. The older CX-9’s didn’t have the best reputations.
How big is your cooler that you can’t fit it in the trunk to a Camry? Just asking!
The CX9 was not the most reliable in the Mazda SUV fleet. The CX5 was. But you seem to want something that is almost as large as your current old vehicle. I’m sure you noticed that almost every car manufacturer is making smaller SUV or crossover vehicles now.
Our kids both drive Camrys. They love them. Dependable (knock on wood) and the back seats are fine unless you are very tall or otherwise large. But if that’s not what you want, I would keep looking.