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I've owned a Highlander (had it seven years and put 150k miles on it). Also have driven a Pilot several times (e.g., rental and loaner). I can't speak to the Pathfinder though.
I loved the Highlander. It handled amazing in all kinds of weather, was a ridiculously smooth ride and had great acceleration. The fuel economy was as advertised (mostly 24 MPG highway) and it was very durable (other than tires, brakes and oil changes we never had a problem or repair). It was also very comfortable to sit in, particularly on long haul drives (did I mention we put 150k miles on it). The third row also came in handy on plenty of occasions. Plus, my wife was in an accident with it where she was rear-ended and she couldn't believe how hard the other car hit her because she barely felt more than the initial jolt - the other car's front end was pancaked.
I liked the Pilot. It was very roomy, had smooth acceleration and fit a crowd rather nicely. It was a little stiffer than the Highlander, but still handled well. The fuel economy was roughly the same. We're close to two families who have Pilots (one purchased in 2012, the other in 2007) and they're very happy with their experience.
Overall I preferred the Highlander as it had more of a luxury SUV feel and was always enjoyable to drive. When we traded it in last year it was the first time I was ever sad to give up a car.
You might want to consider the Ford Explorer if you haven't. We cross shopped almost every SUV and ended up choosing it a second time. We had good luck with our old Explorer which is now my husband's "station" car and has just over 250 thousand miles. Outside of the normal brake pads, tires (and cracked windshield - tree limb) it has been completely trouble free since we purchased it 9 years ago. This was unexpectedly much better than our younger Camry has been. He traveled a lot for his last job in it, so it saw a good amount of abuse. The new truck has also been night and day improved from the old one in all respects, particularly ride and ergonomics.
The comfort and styling are great, and like someone else said and I didn't really think about before, it is also has the side benefit of all the money staying within our economy. One other just completely silly thing, but if you get a white one, you are king of the road. It's funny, but when we first got it, I noticed a sudden and uncharacteristic courtesy toward me while driving (like moving out of the lane, etc). I could never put my finger on it until my brother in-law mentioned that since mine is white with black accents instead of chrome, people probably think it is a police cruiser... LOL. Good luck with whatever you choose!
Thank you for all the replies. Didn't know there is a car forum here, I will look it up. We are expecting our first baby in 3 months (so glad she wasn't in the car with me when the accident happened) hence looking for a third row sitting. Personally I don't mind a minivan with all the space but my wife is not ready for it.
jshlee has a good point as the 2016 Pilot is new so might be able to get a deal for the 2015 model. I will see how to move this topic to the car forum side. thanks again.
getting little kids in & out of SUV can be a pain. Sliding doors are a dream. 3rd row with all three SUVs aren't true 3rd rows for adults.
Thank you for all the replies. Didn't know there is a car forum here, I will look it up. We are expecting our first baby in 3 months (so glad she wasn't in the car with me when the accident happened) hence looking for a third row sitting. Personally I don't mind a minivan with all the space but my wife is not ready for it.
jshlee has a good point as the 2016 Pilot is new so might be able to get a deal for the 2015 model. I will see how to move this topic to the car forum side. thanks again.
Why does having your first kid necessitate a third row? And yeah, minivans are great but most people hold off until they have 3 or more kids. I get it that they're not "cool" or whatever, but the they're a lot more practical in that scenario than the Highlander/Pathfinder/Pilot.
Yeah, we're expecting our third and I'm come to the unfortunate conclusion that a minivan just makes more sense. I've been in denial, test driving pilots, highlanders and the enclave, but I will probably end up with an Odyssey or Sienna.
On that note, how important is AWD on a minivan? Only Toyota offers it, but I'm not sure how crucial it is or how much of an improvement it offers over FWD (both our cars now are AWD, so I wouldn't want to take a big step back in bad weather).
Yeah, we're expecting our third and I'm come to the unfortunate conclusion that a minivan just makes more sense. I've been in denial, test driving pilots, highlanders and the enclave, but I will probably end up with an Odyssey or Sienna.
With a Pilot (or similar sized SUV), you basically have zero trunk space when the third row is up. You need to go with a minivan or up a size in the world of SUVS if you want the third row and trunk space.
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On that note, how important is AWD on a minivan? Only Toyota offers it, but I'm not sure how crucial it is or how much of an improvement it offers over FWD (both our cars now are AWD, so I wouldn't want to take a big step back in bad weather).
I thought the same thing but ended up with an Odyssey. My wife's the primary driver so I can't really give you details on how it handles in the poor weather, but I guess the fact that only Toyota offers it suggests that it's not a huge issue for most people.
I have AWD but FWD is 90% of the time fine in the snow that we get here so I wouldn't make it a priority. I even drive my wife's FWD sedan in the snow with no hesitation. AWD would keep you from getting stuck a lot better of course, such as when on a slight incline packed with slush. Also when drifting wildly when cornering in snow - AWD would take the fun out of that too.
Someone also mentioned sliding doors. Yes those are great especially when you have baby carriers. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to back my SUV out of a spot just so I could swing the doors open wide enough to get those suckers in and out. Mazda 5 was just about the only "cool" minivan at the time and we almost did it during the cash for clunkers timeframe. The Sienna sport trim (SE w/ 19" wheels) is pretty nice looking now.
I have AWD but FWD is 90% of the time fine in the snow that we get here so I wouldn't make it a priority. I even drive my wife's FWD sedan in the snow with no hesitation. AWD would keep you from getting stuck a lot better of course, such as when on a slight incline packed with slush. Also when drifting wildly when cornering in snow - AWD would take the fun out of that too.
Someone also mentioned sliding doors. Yes those are great especially when you have baby carriers. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to back my SUV out of a spot just so I could swing the doors open wide enough to get those suckers in and out. Mazda 5 was just about the only "cool" minivan at the time and we almost did it during the cash for clunkers timeframe. The Sienna sport trim (SE w/ 19" wheels) is pretty nice looking now.
95% of all SUV, there is a FWD or RWD bias. They have they sensor and electronic gizmo that sends power to the front or back. They have all these fancy names like intelligent awd, blah blah. The Japanese makes above like Highlander & Pilot is no doubt a FWD base car.
If daily driving in snow is an issue, get quality tires. If its dangerous...like last weekend sheet of ice condition....just stay home. I notice there is a sense of false security with all these lastest & greatest technology out there that advertises to conquer any condition.
95% of all SUV, there is a FWD or RWD bias. They have they sensor and electronic gizmo that sends power to the front or back. They have all these fancy names like intelligent awd, blah blah. The Japanese makes above like Highlander & Pilot is no doubt a FWD base car.
If daily driving in snow is an issue, get quality tires. If its dangerous...like last weekend sheet of ice condition....just stay home. I notice there is a sense of false security with all these lastest & greatest technology out there that advertises to conquer any condition.
This is true, by far most SUVs say AWD but in fact only engage AWD when the computer detects slippage, that's it. This is done to max out gas mileage. SUVs like the Acura MDX, BMWX5, MB 4-matic etc are examples of true all wheel drive as the power train operates all 4 wheels to varying degrees at all times. I have an MDX and Acuras SH-AWD system among the best I have driven.
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