SWMBO is making noises about wanting a more comfortable vehicle to travel in (2500 miles in a Corolla is no picnic...) and is interested in an SUV-type ride.

I'm a confirmed Toyota guy and looked at their stuff with the following First Impressions:

RAV4 - too small

Land Cruiser - too expensive

Sequoia - too Mom Van

4Runner - Hmmmmm. Maybe. Ride Quality?

Highlander - Definite possibility.

Requirements:

Roomy - Seating for 4 adults, luggage.
Comfy seats
Comfy ride - We won't see gravel roads, much less "off road" situations.
Reasonable power. V6 at a minimum I expect.
Reasonable mileage. 20's would be nice.
Mid-priced. Max around $40K, maybe a bit more for the perfect vehicle.

Not necessarily locked in to a Toyota, but anything GM or Chrysler are not gonna happen, and Ford would have to be the deal of a lifetime.

Experience, recommendations, opinions, pictures...All welcome.

Parents have a Highlander. Wonderful car. Built on the Camry platform, but with the stance of a small SUV. Very comfortable, good handling, front wheel drive. I believe some are available 4 wheel / all wheel, but my parent's version is a regular front drive.

Good gas mileage, easy to load and unload. I highly recommend the Highlander.

I own a 2017 4Runner and I think you'd probably be more interested in the Highlander. It's not that I don't love my 4Runner, but it's very much a truck versus the Highlander which is more a car and pretty comfy. The gas mileage in my 4Runner is horrid.

We have a 2011 RAV4 with 120000 miles on it and love it. It seems bigger on the inside than you would guess. We would get another.

We have a Mazda CX-9 which should be somewhat comparable to the Highlander size wise.

She has about 25,000 miles on it and absolutely loves it. It replaced a smaller Mazda that was totaled in an accident. One of my customers works for a company that owns several dealerships, so we were able to test drive just about everything comparable back to back. If you haven't been in one yet, it's worth taking a look.

It does have a third row that eliminates much of the cargo area, and wouldn't be good for adults on long trips. With the seats down, it's a great ride for 4 adults with a fair amount of cargo space. Mazda did get rid of the 6 cylinder in this car and it now has a turbo charged 4 cylinder. Don't make a judgement here until you have actually driven one. It wasn't what I was expecting either.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:
I own a 2017 4Runner and I think you'd probably be more interested in the Highlander. It's not that I don't love my 4Runner, but it's very much a truck versus the Highlander which is more a car and pretty comfy. The gas mileage in my 4Runner is horrid.

+1
4Runner SR5 is floaty on curves and nose-dives on braking unless you upgrade the suspension (at the cost of ride comfort overall). The TRD Off-Road is an improvement if you get the KDSS, but it's truly an off-road vehicle complete with hill-descent, LSD, etc. the Limited is nicer overall, but why spend that much to smooth out a purpose-built body-on-frame SUV for on-road duties? And let's not talk about gas mileage!

Your needs are what the Highlander is built for. Also look at the Honda Pilot, the Highlander's direct competitor among Japanese makes.

You may also check out the Nissan Murano if you can stomach a continuously-variable transmission (CVT). And the Mazda CX-series are supposedly fun to drive (the parent company is Ford, though).

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Parents have a Highlander. Wonderful car. Built on the Camry platform, but with the stance of a small SUV. Very comfortable, good handling, front wheel drive. I believe some are available 4 wheel / all wheel, but my parent's version is a regular front drive.

Good gas mileage, easy to load and unload. I highly recommend the Highlander.

I agree with ARties comments. I have a 17 limited and. Very quiet smooth suv. XLE awd stickers around $41k with the limited awd around $44k. Toyota has standard safety features that are impressive.MG

If you aren't towing heavy, don't even think about Sequoia. My wife loves hers, but it uses a lot of fuel. 5.7 is thirsty.

Highlander is what fits your list of wants / needs the best.

If it will never tow or go off-road then Highlander

If you need light towing or any off-road capability go 4Runner

The highway ride and fuel economy of the Highlander will be superior. The body on frame 4Runner is more capable but less comfortable.

I know that you said a RAV4 is to small but if you change your mind on one my wife and I got a 2017 RAV4 hybrid and we love it! My wife wanted to hate it but after 6 months of driving it she is in love with it. It has good power, AWD, and we average 35mpg with mixed highway/local driving. It will get up and go because of the instant torque of the electric motors.

This is our first hybrid, I was a person that thought I would never own one but this little SUV changed my opinion. It uses the same powertrain as the Lexus hybrid's, so it is not a first gen set up.

I'd be selling/trading the Corolla and keeping my '13 Tundra 5.7 so towing/hauling won't be an issue.

Pretty apparent that the Highlander is the way to go.

Just ran some back-of-the-napkin numbers using Navy Federal loan rates...ow....

Obviously gonna hafta wait until the Kubota is paid off.

Highlander. The 4Runner is a truck and rides like one.

I have a Tacoma and the wife has a RAV4. We may upgrade to a Highlander for the extra space.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
SWMBO is making noises about wanting a more comfortable vehicle to travel in (2500 miles in a Corolla is no picnic...) and is interested in an SUV-type ride.

I'm a confirmed Toyota guy and looked at their stuff with the following First Impressions:

4Runner - Hmmmmm. Maybe. Ride Quality?

Highlander - Definite possibility.

Not necessarily locked in to a Toyota, but anything GM or Chrysler are not gonna happen, and Ford would have to be the deal of a lifetime.

These would be my choices in the Toyota realm. My parents had 2 4Runners & they're great trucks. Coworker had a Highlander & traded it because she really wanted an Acura MDX. Otherwise, she was happy with it.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Ford would have to be the deal of a lifetime.

We've been very happy with our Flex. Huge inside & drives like a car. Returns good MPG & is available in AWD with you being in Maine (snow much?).
Ours is a 2013 SEL FWD that we bought used, coming up on 80k miles with no issues. Ride is good with the 20" wheels & tires weren't too terrible of a pill to swallow. Took our own LBJ's experience & put the same Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ on it & love them.
My wife's mother loved it so much that she bought one for herself.

$40k can get you a nicely equipped SEL, maybe a non-EcoBoost Limited. The Flex is set to be discontinued with the 2020 model year, IIRC.

Alternatively, there are some significant discounts to be had on the 2017 Expedition, with the 2018 being a completely new design.

A buddy has a Subaru Outback, his second as a matter of fact.

It's very spacious inside. I'm 6'4" 275# he's closer to 300# and 6'1" riding in the back seat is not a hardship by any stretch.

It likely stretches your limitations in $ and economy but I honestly don't know that, his is loaded with every available convenience.

As pertains to a Murano. My mother has put 195,000 on hers '08(?). It's been quite trouble free, just recently needing ball joints and CV boots. It's not abused but it's not exactly pampered either.

Listen PH, if you have to do the payment thing. Look used. I mean you can buy a really nice used version that will last for years for 1/4 to 1/3 the price of new. Sure it will have some miles on it. But do not sweat it. Just make sure it was properly taken care of and you will be good to go. Don't sink yourself by going in to debt for $25-to 40k. It is just not worth it.

That is my take anyway.

Good luck.

You may be incorrect that the Rav4 is too small. My wife has one and we are continually amazed at what we can carry. Kayak and all gear inside, canoe on top for float trips. Four full sized adults for road trips with plenty of room for comfort and luggage. It looks small, but rides big. Much better than her previous Outback.

To add, my parents bought theirs as a lease turn in with only 12k miles on it, new tires and a great warranty. Took 9k off the new price.

Echoing what O.R.C. said above, I bought a 2010 Lexus RX 350 back in December of 2016. Nicely appointed and roomy enough for a trip to FL with my kids this Summer, rides great, not terrific gas mileage but >21 mpg.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Parents have a Highlander. Wonderful car. Built on the Camry platform, but with the stance of a small SUV. Very comfortable, good handling, front wheel drive. I believe some are available 4 wheel / all wheel, but my parent's version is a regular front drive.

Good gas mileage, easy to load and unload. I highly recommend the Highlander.

Another vote for the Highlander here. My wife has drivien one for a while now and we have had zero problems. I believe it meets all your stated requirements.

John

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I'd be selling/trading the Corolla and keeping my '13 Tundra 5.7 so towing/hauling won't be an issue.

Pretty apparent that the Highlander is the way to go.

Just ran some back-of-the-napkin numbers using Navy Federal loan rates...ow....

Obviously gonna hafta wait until the Kubota is paid off.

. Fyi the Highlander has 0 financing on it from Toyota.