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They love them and they are tough little cars, but fitting 2 car seats AND an adult in the back is not going to happen.
My first response to you was going to be the Acura. Before even read your list of options. Also consider the Cadillac SRX. That's what my wife drives and everyone in our family including my parents have loved that car for the last 5 years.
However, you have to put one car seat in the middle.
"Sometimes you gotta go back to actually move forward."
I hope it's reliable.
I do not see why not. Ford's 2.0L ecotec and their intelligent all wheel drive system has been out for a number of years now and has not been proven to be unreliable from my own research.
Of course, I am not one to subscribe to the theory that you have to buy something made by Toyota or Honda to have a quality vehicle either. My own personal experience with those brands (as well as American brands) has debunked that theory for me.
I've test driven almost everything mentioned herein. I like the Mazda CX-5 drive and handling better than anything.
But when you get down to actual features and functionality, the top of the list for me right now is the new 2016 Hyundai Tucson. It puts both the CR-V and 2016 CX-5 to shame. Not even a fair contest. The 1.6L turbo mated to the double clutch 7 speed is amazing. The tech features/functionality are not even challenged by any of the others.
I'm just about ready for a Tucson Limited w/Ultimate, but there is only 1 in my interior color currently within 100 miles, and I'm going to wait a bit for the initial sales to settle down so I can get a better out the door price.
New Mazda Cx-5 , sporty, plenty room, made in Japan, very nice interior and designed with handling and efficiency in mind. If I was going to the next tier probably the new Volvo XC90.I have never really liked the Acura, it demands premium pricing despite the fact it feels down market compared to Lexus,Audi etc. The interior infotainment is outdated,clumsy, the interior features like fake wood do not belong in a luxury car or suv. The Lexus Nx looks alright, but if you are after a composed and sporting ride, I would get a BMW.
Edit:
The Santa Fe and Tucson are both great options I forgot to add, my neighbor has the Santa Fe and it looks stunning.
Thanks for all your thoughts and inputs. After some test drives and some more research, I think right now I am just going to wait. There is nothing out there that makes me feel like I did when I first laid eyes on my RX over a decade ago. And it has definitely spoiled me over the years with minor maintenance and no major repairs. I did drive the CRV, RAV4 and Mazda but I just couldn't help comparing the fit and finish to the Lexus and Acura, it just doesn't compare for me even for the relative value in price.
The Acura is definitely not the same quality as the Lexus (but the price difference between the RDX and NX "loaded" offsets this in my mind) but I will also say that I didn't find the quality of the NX to be on par with the other Lexus SUVs. It is obvious Lexus definitely made the NX as the "entry" level in more ways than one IMO. I am not saying it is a BAD thing but for the price point to get all the same equivalent options as the RDX Advance, I just don't see the value. More importantly, two car seats basically took up the entire back row, so there are definitely some limits there and the trunk space was the smallest of ALL the vehicles we saw (i think maybe except for the GLK but I am not 100%).
We did check out the Lincoln MKC, Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Benz GLK, they all had very nice interiors but I think I liked the Benz interior the best (this was the GLK) but I have serious concerns about long time reliability and they just seemed so small in the back. For the kind of money some of the vehicles in this segment offers, reliability and safety are my top two priorities and then aesthetics. Seems like the RDX has an edge at this point but I am not "in love" and ready to bite the bullet yet. The Lexus dealer said to come back and check out the 2016 RX but from the pictures, I am not sure about that....Though it may be a good time to get a great deal on the 2015 model. To be continued!!! If I am missing anything, let me know!
Also, does anyone know why woodgrain interiors seem a thing of the past in the "luxury" brands? I LOVE the real woodgrain (brown not the black) look and it seems many have moved away and now have a lot of plastic, "soft touch", black "wood", and metal. I am in my 30s, so I'm not old school but is that look considered old school?
Also, does anyone know why woodgrain interiors seem a thing of the past in the "luxury" brands? I LOVE the real woodgrain (brown not the black) look and it seems many have moved away and now have a lot of plastic, "soft touch", black "wood", and metal. I am in my 30s, so I'm not old school but is that look considered old school?
I personally would only want wood grain trim, now you generally see simulated carbon fiber or piano black plastic or real or fake aluminum which looks alright. I guess buyers now want something sporty? Either way, Lexus,Audi,Infiniti,Bmw,Caddilac and Jag all use real wood grain trim and most have it as an option. The only really old school look in my opinion was the 80s,90s early 2000 Jags like the XJ that had the whole dashboard made out of walnut which looked a little dated.
I've test driven almost everything mentioned herein. I like the Mazda CX-5 drive and handling better than anything.
But when you get down to actual features and functionality, the top of the list for me right now is the new 2016 Hyundai Tucson. It puts both the CR-V and 2016 CX-5 to shame. Not even a fair contest. The 1.6L turbo mated to the double clutch 7 speed is amazing. The tech features/functionality are not even challenged by any of the others.
I'm just about ready for a Tucson Limited w/Ultimate, but there is only 1 in my interior color currently within 100 miles, and I'm going to wait a bit for the initial sales to settle down so I can get a better out the door price.
I like the new Tucson as well, but I think I'll wait a couple of years and see how the 7 speed DCT holds up. I've read mixed reviews about it in the Sonata ECO.
It's difficult to replace an RX with anything but another RX, since it is a unique vehicle in its segment. If you prefer the ride, comfort, and interior of the RX, you're probably better off with another one, even though they have grown slightly in size, but are not unwieldy. The RX is a unique vehicle in the segment, offering comfort and luxury with space and utility, which is one reason why Toyota tends to change that vehicle in evolutionary steps, though the 2016 redesign is radical and brings the RX under the current Lexus styling trend as a bit edgier. No matter the styling exercise, Toyota will not change too much with the vehicle because it has been very popular for so long, as evidenced by the evolutionary steps with each redesign from the model you currently own. I'd test the 2016 and the outgoing 2015 to see which one you prefer, since the other vehicles will be a compromise in some way from the quality, comfort, and ride you have relied upon for so long with the current one.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
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