Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

[jkust]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

but used Trailblazers or Envoys are pretty solid vehicles that can be found at some good prices right now. Knock on them is mileage, but my wifes averages 18 to 19 mpg, which seems to fit into this discussion. They tow around 3000lbs, haul a lot of stuff in the cargo area, and hold 4 to 5 adults comfortably. Ours has 145000 miles, and still runs great.

We have the Buick Rainier which is the top-of-the-class Envoy/Trailblazer which gets poor mileage even in 4 cylinder mode as it is a 5.3 liter v8 but it is our tow vehicle rated at 6500lbs. They are fantastic as it is my wifes but it is a full body on frame vehicle so not practical with expensive gas. Of course 5 people is a stretch. If we didn't have a heavy boat, I wouldn't own it. We've owned two, and I think it would make us go broke if we commuted in it.

Wife LOVES her Acadia ... she is a lead foot and I get better gas mileage in it than she does (and I don't drive slowly). I would probably recommend the FWD over the AWD if you are wanting to increase your mpg ... I get about 24 on the highway and 17/18 normal driving. Seats 7 very comfortably and has some nice options. You can get an older one with decent mileage for about the price you are talking about.

I like the Buick version of the Acadia as it is more our style/decked out but they are really big and real world mpg is as bad as our V8 but the new tech v6 has nowhere near the guts to get the same mileage. Several friends have one of the three variations of this vehicle with similar complaints as above.

I get the sense the Flex didn't sell many as I have seen maybe 5 since they came out. The look is too much for my taste but they sure get good reviews.

I'll tell you what, you my friend are the perfect candidate for a minivan. Take all the best attributes about all the vehicles mentioned above and you have a minivan. The literally can't be beat and for seveal years they have had just under 300hp. The towing over 3500lbs is still their weekest drawback. Once you own one you can't live without one. We've towed 4000lbs with ours, carried 2000lbs of bricks home in ours and carries 7 people with ease as that is what it was built for. Ours is now 11 years old has cost next to nothing to own all those years and as much as I'd now like a non minivan now that it's showing its age, we can't live without the massive cargo capacity. You can fit full sheets of plywood with ease which is amazing to me.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

Buick Enclave and the new Durango might be worth checking out as long as you're checking out everything.

 

[jkust]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

Buick Enclave and the new Durango might be worth checking out as long as you're checking out everything.

The new Durango is the hands down winner for muscle and tow capacity of all of these. You can get their Hemi v8 in it but think of it as similar to the new Jeep. Again, the mileage is bad.

 

[CobiaXL]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

Jeep grand cherokee....I got a 97 and has 180,000 on it and runs like day1.I tow a 3300lb. boat all day long.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

The new Durango is the hands down winner for muscle and tow capacity of all of these. You can get their Hemi v8 in it but think of it as similar to the new Jeep. Again, the mileage is bad.

I'd kill for one of those new Grand Cherokee's. We LOVE our '05 (and we've hated most vehicles). However, the gas mileage is abysmal and the range even worse.

 

[jkust]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

Jeep grand cherokee....I got a 97 and has 180,000 on it and runs like day1.I tow a 3300lb. boat all day long.

My buddy had a 99 JGC he had bought new with the v8 and it literally wouldn't die. He ran it with almost no oil in it unknowingly for a while and still was good to go. Only a Hummer H2 broad side finally killed it at 180,000 miles.

I'd kill for one of those new Grand Cherokee's. We LOVE our '05 (and we've hated most vehicles). However, the gas mileage is abysmal and the range even worse.

I'd love one of those too. The new technology all these newest vehicles have is such a leap forward. I'd put our 07 Rainier's mileage up against your Jeep's any day. Under 300 miles per tank and that is with displacement on demand. The problem is that the V8's are addictingly powerful. We've owned this one since January and I've only driven it a handful of times but every time I get out of it I am impressed by the sheer power. For us, the full time AWD and 3.73 rear end kills any hopes of improving mileage even with a light foot. I actually saw a 2011 Durango for sale used already on CL this weekend.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

I'd love one of those too. The new technology all these newest vehicles have is such a leap forward. I'd put our 07 Rainier's mileage up against your Jeep's any day. Under 300 miles per tank and that is with displacement on demand. The problem is that the V8's are addictingly powerful. We've owned this one since January and I've only driven it a handful of times but every time I get out of it I am impressed by the sheer power. For us, the full time AWD and 3.73 rear end kills any hopes of improving mileage even with a light foot. I actually saw a 2011 Durango for sale used already on CL this weekend.

14MPG all the time. City, highway, who cares, 14MPG. As you said, AWD will do that too you. We have the 4.7 and it is really peppy. We want one with the 5.7 because heck, once you're at 14, what's 12? The 5.7 at least has DoD. It only has a 20 gallon tank and a pessimistic gas gauge. We've had it for a year now taking it from 80k miles to 90k with not a single repair. I was leery of it being a Chrysler product but they seem to have gotten it right with Jeeps (I did buy a bog 'ol extended warranty though). The new ones are getting lots of accolades.

 

[CobiaXL]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

My grand cherokee(Laredo)actually has Select Trac,so in 2 wheel drive W/OD on I get 18-22 mpg on highway.If towing it drops to 16-18.I have the Straight 6 cylinder 4.0 Litre.Owned it since she had 5 miles on her.Oil has been changed every 7500 miles and not once has she used even a teaspoon of oil.Now granted I have replaced almost all suspension parts due to poor ride or wouldn't pass state inspection anymore,not because they broke.180,000 miles and everything still works like day 1.I will buy another one and it will have the v8,not because the 4.0 lacks power but a little less strain on the girl with the v8 and weight of boat....We have a lot of big mountains here.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

2009 or older Kia Sorrento - comfortable ride, will fit 2 6ft people in the back seat and tows 3500-5000 depending on how it is equipped. My wife had an 03 that was just passed down to my son, been a great vehicle with almost no issues in the 8 years we have owned it.

The 2009 and older are body on frame not a unibody.

 

[jkust]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

will buy another one and it will have the v8,not because the 4.0 lacks power but a little less strain on the girl with the v8 and weight of boat....We have a lot of big mountains here.

Agreed. My boat is only 4,000lbs on the trailer, but even in flat MN there are times when even my 5.3 liter v8 could use some more power. My platform offered a 400hp v8 as well under the Trailblazer SS but mileage is old school GTO with one of those and they didn't have 4 cylinder mode either.

14MPG all the time. City, highway, who cares, 14MPG. As you said, AWD will do that too you. We have the 4.7 and it is really peppy. We want one with the 5.7 because heck, once you're at 14, what's 12? The 5.7 at least has DoD. It only has a 20 gallon tank and a pessimistic gas gauge. We've had it for a year now taking it from 80k miles to 90k with not a single repair. I was leery of it being a Chrysler product but they seem to have gotten it right with Jeeps (I did buy a bog 'ol extended warranty though). The new ones are getting lots of accolades.

We've had our second Rainier since January and we've put just over 1000 miles on it now. I knew it when I bought it but it needs what I am assuming is a coil since it acts like it and I know it is affecting our MPG to some extent. Since my wife travels in a 2 mile radius we could have a nice 5.7 and not really notice it either. It is the many trips up to the cabin and the far away lakes we visit that you really pay the price. 12-13mpg towing with our last Rainier depending on the wind and I expect this one to do the same when I fix the bad coil.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

jkust, I had a Ranier sold out from under me the day I was supposed to go buy it. It would have been a ridiculously good deal too! (probably why the deal suddenly went away). But it's just as well I suppuse since we love the Jeep.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

OK, someone suggested minivan; I don't see myself in a minivan, that Flex thing is as close as I'm willing to come. Furthermore, remember that I am looking for used, probably 2-3 years old. I have come to realize that even with these small SUV/crossover vehicles, it's going to be tough enough to find something kitted out the way I'd like (tow package, AWD), in a minivan that's going to be near impossible.

I have researched just about every wagon/crossover/small SUV on the market--including everything suggested in this thread--and other than those I've identified (Ford Flex, Mazda CX-9) it looks like they all lose out on one or more of: 2nd/3rd row seating room, cargo space, tow capacity or expected price range. The newly redesigned (2011+) Explorer (and maybe the Durango?) would be worth a look if it were 3 or 4 years into the future and those vehicles had a track record and affordability in the used market.

I'd really like to put at least one or two more models on the list. And I'd like to be sure those models will definitely have the seating room, cargo space and tow capacity I want, without necessarily having to hunt around for factory packages on the used market. Of course as has been suggested, that leaves only one option: the full-size SUV.

What would I want in a full-size SUV?

• Still in the $20-$25k price range for say a 2008+ model.
• Likely V8, RWD, frame-on-body so it will tow plenty, even without any special factory package (just an aftermarket hitch and some wiring).
• Seating for 7+ in 3 rows of seats, and ideally the 3rd row would fold flat (instead of leaving a hump or having to be removed).
• Reasonable expectation of 14-15mpg city / 20-21mpg highway (except when towing, of course).

After some research, the Ford Expedition looks like it would fit the bill. What else should I be looking at?
(And do these things really get the kind of mpg's advertised?)

 

[jkust]

Re: Looking for wagon/crossover/SUV, help me out

OK, someone suggested minivan; I don't see myself in a minivan, that Flex thing is as close as I'm willing to come. the full-size SUV.

What would I want in a full-size SUV?

• 
  (And do these things really get the kind of mpg's advertised?)

• 
  
  I suggested the minivan only because every vehicle listed still falls short of even a basic minivan where cargo and seating is concerned. A full sized Suburban will even fall short as well. They are a challenge to find with everything plus the factory tow package. Even way back when I bought my minivan it was like a needle in 10 haystacks mostly because the tow package and heated leather was rarely bought. Not quite the case now as heated leather is the norm if it has it.
  
  So you are really changing it up on us with the full sized tow vehicle. My first thought is your price range is low for an 08 on up is just too low. As a for example my 07 Buick Rainier with 40,000 miles just purchased in january was 10k less than the equivalent year Chevy Tahoe which is the next size up. That is 30 or so k for a nice used one with decent miles. Now go to a one year newer, foreign, full size in nice shape again with good miles and decked out and you will pay the foreign car upcharge meaning 30k is looking unreasonable. There are big regional differences in vehicle prices though so you may very well be less than high priced Minnesota.
  If I had a gun to my head and had to buy a full sized suv, It'd be a new body style Chevy Tahoe. If that wasn't enough I'd go Suburban. I think your mileage expectations for the large v8's in these big suv's is on the high side as well. Our smaller, lighter Rainier has the same 5.3 liter engine as the larger Escalade, Suburban and Tahoe (depending on the year since the 6.2 came out) and mileage only goes down with the bigger vehicles. The Expedition is a huge vehicle and the folks that I know that have them get horrible mileage as bad as the rest of the full sizers. I like the newest Expeditions and Navigators even though they really lag behind their crossover counterparts where technology is concerned.