Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Really starting to have an itch to get a new family vehicle. We currently have a 2005 Kia Sedona with 77K miles that we purchased brand new. It's been a good van and is paid off but it's time for something different.
We have 3 kids 10, 8 and 6 there are no more in our plans. We often have visitors coming down during the winter so 7+ capacity is required.
This is my wife's car. She is a stay at home mom, so this vehicle is only used for errands, grocery runs, kid activities and family outings/road trips. Basically decent highway MPG is desirable.
It has to be able to tow 3500lbs or more. We use our van to tow and since we do not have a pickup we need to be able to pull a trailer. Also planning on getting a pop up trailer. I do not need 4WD.
Looking at something used, under $25K with under 50K miles. I have narrowed it down to the following and wonder if anyone has experience with these vehicles. All models are likely to be 2008.
Buick Enclave - Supposedly whisper quiet on the highways. Roomy and upper end in the luxury department. I like the 8 passenger configuration, so I can leave the third row down and use all that space for camping gear, etc. MPG seems OK, do not know about reliability or build quality though. I really like the room and the look of this vehicle. Can ow up to 4500lbs.
Honda Pilot - I have heard they have lots of road noise... so I am picturing it as not the most pleasant/peaceful drive. Not sure if there is much cargo room. MPG seems favorable and of course Honda Dependability. Can tow up to 3500lbs. My least favorite on how it looks.
Mazda CX-9 - Seems to be pretty roomy. I hear that it may be the most fun to drive in it's segment. Not sure on Mazda dependability. MPG is Ok.
Toyota Highlander - Hard to find in my price range. Looks like minivan turned into an SUV. Looks great on gas and of course I am sure it is very dependable. Can tow 3500lbs.
Might want to add the Ford Flex and Nissan Pathfinder to your list.
The new Kia Sorento V6 can tow 3500lbs. You could definitely get a brand new one in your budget, nicely loaded and have lots of warranty. It has an available 3rd row seat where you can put the kids for a while.
What about a mini-van? With the transmission cooler my Odyssey tows 3500 pounds. When not being used for towing it gets 20-24 in suburban & freeway driving. It also handles more cargo and loading/unloading is far easier than an SUV. We pull a pop-up with ours.
we have a 2011 PIlot, did get the awd for our trips back to WI; but we still get 22+ on the hiway and have no problem pulling a Ranger boat. I dont think it has any issue with road noise, in fact thought it behaved nicely the 2 times we've made the trip up north. This pilot replaced a 4Runner, which was for us more of a true 4wd vehicle but did get lower mpg's. And the way the interior seating works we've had no issues getting 6-7 adults in there.
Guess I'd suggest some test drives in the various cars to determine for yourself which truly fits the bill.
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
24,474 posts, read 26,012,991 times
Reputation: 59853
Quote:
Originally Posted by FloridaKash
Buick Enclave - Supposedly whisper quiet on the highways. Roomy and upper end in the luxury department. I like the 8 passenger configuration, so I can leave the third row down and use all that space for camping gear, etc. MPG seems OK, do not know about reliability or build quality though. I really like the room and the look of this vehicle. Can ow up to 4500lbs.
Thoughts?
Along with the Buick, take a look at it's GM siblings Acadia or Outlook.
What about a mini-van? With the transmission cooler my Odyssey tows 3500 pounds. When not being used for towing it gets 20-24 in suburban & freeway driving. It also handles more cargo and loading/unloading is far easier than an SUV. We pull a pop-up with ours.
I currently have a minivan. The Odyssey minivan is nice. I am in the camp of thinking that a minivan is possibly the most versatile and fuel efficient vehicle out there. DW on the other hand has no desire to have a minivan. I've tried.... but she is over it. She wants something that is.... well... not a minivan. If I could talk her into a minivan it would either be an Odyssey or Sienna.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaypee
Those are all good choices. If you don't like the Pilot looks then look at its higher-end cousin, Acura MDX.
An MDX is out of budget. Thanks for saying they are all good choices. I think we're pretty much at the pont where we need to test drive to determine what we want.
Quote:
Originally Posted by motormaker
Along with the Buick, take a look at it's GM siblings Acadia or Outlook.
The Mazda id a good CX9 is also a good choice.
I've looked at pics of the GM and Chevy. Not a big fan of either. Really like the luxury of the Buick and that many reviewers say it is very quiet. Might look at the siblings while on the lot though. Definitely going to need to drive the CX-9. Seems as though it may not be as comfy for third row passengers as the Buick though.
Thank you for the input! I need to look at reliability ratings.
+1 on throwing the Flex in the mix. My Dad has a Flex with the EcoBoost engine. He gets high teens all day long with a heavy foot. Low 20s are definitely do-able. And the power........wow. A crossover family vehicle isn't supposed to be that fun to drive. As for towing, the most we towed with it so far is a Kendall trailer with a couple motorcycles on it (maybe 1200 lbs total), but as you would expect, it towed it without issue.
It's decked out with all the options and makes for one very luxurious and accommodating vehicle. Can't say enough good things about it!
We bought a 2012 Highlander. It is a very nice ride and quite peppy. Real World mpg has been 20 to 21.
Our Highlander is 4WD and is rated for 5000 lb towing with the factory towing package (pricy to add).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
She wants something that is.... well... not a minivan. If I could talk her into a minivan it would either be an Odyssey or Sienna.
