Looking for new 7-seater SUV, any opinions?

#1
phowell23

phowell23

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#1
Going to be outgrowing out Chevy Equinox in a few years so I'm in the market for a 7-seater SUV.

We currently have a 3.5 year old, and a 4 month old. Planning on having our 3rd and last in 2 years. It's going to be too hard to line up all 3 in one row with how wide the car seats are getting so we are going to be trading in my wife's Saturn Ion and purchase a 7 seater SUV.

Wife wants a Toyoto Sienna, but I just can't purchase a mini-van while I'm still in my 30's (if ever).

We really like what we see and read about in the Mazda CX-9. Also on our list is a Dodge Journey, Hyundai Santa Fe, and possibly a Nissan Pathfinder. We should start test driving some this week.

Anyone have any opinions? We need to keep the price as close to $30k as possible.
 
#2
#2
Go test drive a couple of minivans, you may arrive at a different opinion. Do some comparison before ruling them out. The wife bought one a few years ago. I was really surprised at how much I liked it.
It does not cost anything to check them out.
 
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#3
#3
Gramps said:
Go test drive a couple of manvans, you may arrive at a different opinion. Do some comparison before ruling them out. The wife bought one a few years ago. I was really surprised at how much I liked it.
It does not cost anything to check them out.
Click to expand...

Fyp


I feel sorry for every man I see driving one.
 
#6
#6
We have a Toyota Sequoia which we love. You'll have to buy used if you want to stay under $30k though
 
#10
#10
GMC Yukon Denali XL, get a 2009 or 10

Not only can you seat everyone, but all the pack and play, strollers, baby gates you haul around will fit

We traded a 4 runner for one when we had our second, 8 years ago and I love it..

An added bonus is the second radio, in the rear console...So once all the DVD's, Ipod's, Nintendo DS's are going you can plug in an ear bud, and listen to what ever you want

Good Luck
 
#11
#11
phowell23 said:
Going to be outgrowing out Chevy Equinox in a few years so I'm in the market for a 7-seater SUV.

We currently have a 3.5 year old, and a 4 month old. Planning on having our 3rd and last in 2 years. It's going to be too hard to line up all 3 in one row with how wide the car seats are getting so we are going to be trading in my wife's Saturn Ion and purchase a 7 seater SUV.

Wife wants a Toyoto Sienna, but I just can't purchase a mini-van while I'm still in my 30's (if ever).

We really like what we see and read about in the Mazda CX-9. Also on our list is a Dodge Journey, Hyundai Santa Fe, and possibly a Nissan Pathfinder. We should start test driving some this week.

Anyone have any opinions? We need to keep the price as close to $30k as possible.
Click to expand...

Just get the mini van. You just can't beat the sliding doors with kids. Once they are all out of car seats get an SUV if that's what you want.

Wife and I got the Sienna when we had #2 back in March. She was resistant but it's really the most practical thing.
 
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#12
#12
Go big or go home. Expedition with captains chairs in the second row. No need of having to be put out trying to access your kids.
 
#18
#18
I was in the same dilemma almost two years ago. We looked at everything: Tahoe, Acadia, Navigator, Explorer...

After some serious thought, they were all either way too big and expensive with terrible gas mileage, or not big enough with absolutely minimal cargo space for travel.

It was tough, but we looked at vans. Hated the Sienna. Loved the Odyssey. I can tell you that purchase was one of the best we've ever made. With three kids, two dogs, and a couple of space-eating hobbies (golf and guitar), we can still vacation on the road. It drives great, is easy to park, is super-convenient with the back gate and sliding doors, gets decent mileage, and has been extremely reliable. The nav and other electronics are well-appointed.

At the end of the day, do you want functionality or do you care about how cool you look getting kids out of the car at school, the grocery store, or the soccer field?
 
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#19
#19
kiddiedoc said:
At the end of the day, do you want functionality or do you care about how cool you look getting kids out of the car at school, the grocery store, or the soccer field?
Click to expand...

Exactly. I stopped caring about what I look like in my car years ago. Personally a car should be about 1) reliability 2) practicality for your needs 3) safety. Once kids are involved those things should definitely trump "cool".

My wife didn't want that soccer mom stigma. I pretty much insisted we look at vans. After comparing vans and SUVs she finally came to the same conclusion you did, Doc.

Now we both chuckle at watching parents struggle with getting their kids in and out around the doors and finding a place to put their stroller and such in their deceptively smaller SUV all because they think they are still too young and hip for a minivan.
 
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#22
#22
Whatever you get, consider if in the future you will ever want to be towing anything. What's the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and how much weight will take on the hitch (Tounge Weight). Whatever you tow, you want to stay near 80% of the SUV's maximum to be able to tow long distances without 'knowing it's back there.'

Will you also get a boat to take the family to the lake?
Will you get a camper? Popup or enclosed?

You will want an 8 cylinder engine. We had a 6 cyl. Ford Aerostar XL with towing package. It felt like our boat was always 'pushing it' downhill, and wallowing in winds. Blew the engine twice, once towing the pop-up on vacation going over the contentinal divide to camp near Washington D.C. and do a two week tour of history. Spent most of the vacation looking for and finally finding a used 8 cyl. ..Navigator.

Whatever you get, it doesn't have to be new. Save the bucks off a new car. We still have the 1998 Lincoln Navigator. Bought it in 2002 and towed a boat to the lake and a pop-up camper from Maine to Key Largo to Siesta Key to Park City, Utah, throughout the West, to the Outer Banks. Raised our kids on the lake and camping. Best years of our lives and they tell us they're the best memories they have.

If you're not going to use an SUV as an SUV, go with the minivan for her, you'll both be glad you did. Young families is what they are designed for and an SUV can't compete. Machismo should have nothing to do with it, although I like the Nissan.
 
#24
#24
kiddiedoc said:
I was in the same dilemma almost two years ago. We looked at everything: Tahoe, Acadia, Navigator, Explorer...

After some serious thought, they were all either way too big and expensive with terrible gas mileage, or not big enough with absolutely minimal cargo space for travel.

It was tough, but we looked at vans. Hated the Sienna. Loved the Odyssey. I can tell you that purchase was one of the best we've ever made. With three kids, two dogs, and a couple of space-eating hobbies (golf and guitar), we can still vacation on the road. It drives great, is easy to park, is super-convenient with the back gate and sliding doors, gets decent mileage, and has been extremely reliable. The nav and other electronics are well-appointed.

At the end of the day, do you want functionality or do you care about how cool you look getting kids out of the car at school, the grocery store, or the soccer field?
Click to expand...

I had an Odyssey but could never get comfortable in it. A few years before that we had a Dodge Grand Caravan and found it fit us better. Plus it was used so we didn't care as much if someone spilled something. That said, we love our Suburban and are on our 3rd one--will probably keep this one for 20 years.

But, if my kids were as young as the OPs, instead of the smelly and large teenagers they are, and I was limited to only 3 instead of 6, then I would look at the Chevy Traverse.
 
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