quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
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.

I take your point, but...

1. My luck with used vehicles has been VERY spotty. With a dealer warranty, not as much of an issue, plus with modern vehicles reliability is way up, so not THAT much of an issue, but I'm a little gun-shy

2. The price spread between new and used ain't what it used to be. I just looked around a bit and 5 year old Highlanders are still pushing $30K pretty hard.

Still, an option to be considered for the right ride.

Corolla is the current vehicle. Just for sh*ts/giggles, look at Avalon. Not sport utility but a much better ride at a reasonable price. Think high end sedan without the Lexus badge.

Sienna is out? Highlander has room for luggage for 4 adults?

Does it have to be new? Used Sequoia, Land Cruiser? LX570?

I have a 2013 Highlander Limited AWD. It is a wonderful vehicle, it rides like a car and it has a good amount of room. The Highlander is becoming my favorite Toyota SUV.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Sienna is out? Highlander has room for luggage for 4 adults?

Does it have to be new? Used Sequoia, Land Cruiser? LX570?

Sienna - Too Mom Van.

LX570 - You funny! $80K+ MSRP? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Overall, I'd say go with the Highlander, although I prefer the size of the Sequoia for 4 adults plus luggage.

The Highlander rides great and will get better gas mileage than the 4Runner or Sequoia. I think you can get the most options for your money with the Highlander too.

The wife was interested in the Nissan SUV (Moreno) I think it was. I thought it was too small and lacked power and talked her into getting the Highlander.

She loves it. Great ride. Plenty of power. OK gas mileage.

We got it used (a 2012 in 2014) and have never had it in for anything other than routine maintenance.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

Sienna - Too Mom Van.

LX570 - You funny! $80K+ MSRP? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I meant used of course..... 2008 < $30k. Very comfy and spacious for 4 with plenty of cargo hauling capability. 2 months now and pretty happy. And plenty of get up and move power.

Ah, wait -- it won't meet your mpg requirement though. Never mind.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
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.

In that case, definitely look at the offerings from other Japanese manufacturers like Honda, Subaru, and Mazda too. Something like a Mazda CX9, a Subaru Forester, or a Honda Pilot/CRV/Ridgeline would be comparable to your Toyota picks, and meet your criteria (with a few caveats below)...

-The Mazda CX-9, Honda CRV, and Subaru Forester aren't offered with a 6 cylinder engine, but they are available with a Turbo 4, which may be powerful enough for your needs.
-The older Honda CRVs are pretty small, but the new generation 2017s are significantly larger.
-The Honda Ridgeline, while it has a truck bed, rides and feels much more like a SUV, and unlike most trucks has a trunk for covered storage.

 
I wouldn't consider the Sequoia a "mom van". My wife bought a used 2003 model, in 2008, and it is still going strong. I've crawled around underneath and it really resembles a Land Cruiser in many respects. V-8 power, plenty of room, but I am not sure of the fuel economy. I doubt it would be near the 20's. Very comfy seats and ride. 118" wheelbase puts it about the size of a Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon. She keeps the back seat folded at all times, but it would easily carry two or three adults. She uses the entire rear cargo area for our 3 rather large dogs.
 

Wife has a 2015 Highlander Platinum, 4wd. It's been a great vehicle. Plenty of room - we travel with the two of us, 1 kid and 2 dogs, still have plenty of room to travel with luggage, though I do have one of the trailer hitch luggage racks for when we go to the beach. No problems in about 53k miles thus far, just put new tires on last month. Ride is very nice, we get about 24mpg on trips, though I drive well above the speed limit. I have used it to tow bucket lifts to/from Home Depot twice - no problems but wouldn't want to do that for long distance. Has a 5500# tow limit IIRC. I have also had it on the beach at Ocracoke twice with no issues as well. Highly recommended for your stated uses.

Everybody is missing a FANTASTIC upcoming choice!

2018/2019 Subaru Ascent

http://www.motortrend.com/news...-go-on-sale-in-2018/

https://www.caranddriver.com/p...or-feature-gallery#1

Some of you are mixing Sennia and Sequoia. Nobody said the Sequoia is a mom van.

I'd have your wife drive some vehicles around and see what she likes. I road in my dad's new Tacoma and thought the ride was great compared to my truck. It didn't feel truck like, but then it weighs half what my truck does and has passenger car tires on it. I believe the Tacoma and 4Runner share the same chassis. Some people will prefer the higher up driving position compared to the Highlander. It lets you see over more cars around you.

We looked at the Sequoia and I wouldn't consider it a mom van. It was a platinum version and that air suspension gave the SUV an INCREDIBLE ride. I really liked the interior lay out and the power from that 5.7 V8.

Now that Toyota is offering a TRD Sport version I'm probably going to upgrade from my Tacoma to a TRD Sport Sequoia and lift it a little. For our family the Highlander & 4runner just are not big enough. I'm one of the few who would actually take the big Sequoia offroad every year. I wish Toyota offered a extra long version of the Sequoia similar to the size of the suburban. I just cannot being myself to dump that amount of $$$$ on a damn GM.

Is the Ascent an addition or replacement to Subaru?
Replacing the Tribeca? Looks to be bigger than a Forester.

quote:

Originally posted by JonDaddy82:
Everybody is missing a FANTASTIC upcoming choice!

2018/2019 Subaru Ascent

Which won't be released for another year (eta Q3 2018).

And how do we know it's a "fantastic" choice, if it hasn't even made it to production yet? Crystal ball?

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Is the Ascent an addition or replacement to Subaru?
Replacing the Tribeca?

It's technically an addition, since the Tribeca was discontinued a few years ago, after poor sales. The Ascent is Subaru's new attempt at a larger three-row crossover SUV. But yes, it fills a similar role to that of the Tribeca.

quote:

Originally posted by reflex/deflex 64:
A buddy has a Subaru Outback, his second as a matter of fact.

We recently had a 2017 Outback as our rental for a week.

I would not consider it in the same category as the Highlander (more the Rav4 I would think), but I thought it was a very nice vehicle.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
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.

Agree with this take. We got a 2012 Highlander in 2014. I think it had 28,000 miles on it when we got it, but it's a Toyota and felt like it was just getting broken in, not broken down.

As a Toyota, it holds its value well and we still paid a premium, but I have no regrets.

Highlander sounds like the way to go.

Just know that '17 and later has a 3.5 liter motor with an 8 speed transmission that get sit more power and better mileage than pre-'17 Highlanders. Toyota Safety Sense also comes standard on all the Highlanders '17 and later. That's lane departure warning, blind spot detector, etc.

From what I've gathered, most dealers typically go between 10-12% off MSRP. There are certain rebates that seem to be there every month such as military, college graduate, uber driver, etc. Those range from $500-1,000.

The resale is strong on the Highlander. Might or might not make sense to go with a CPO from Toyota. CPO comes with the balance of 100,000 mile power train warranty whereas buying new gets you a 60,000 mile power train warranty. I believe the warranty for stuff other than power train is 12,000 miles for CPO while 36,000 miles for buying new.

If you buy new, there are some dealers that specialize in selling extended warranty at cost or close to cost. Reason why they do this is because I believe the manufacturer sends them a kickback on volume and they make the majority of their money that way.

We're on our 2nd 4Runner. As mentioned it is truck based rather than car based. If looking for comfortable ride go with a TRD Off-Road with the optional KDSS suspension or a Limited.

The KDSS adds to the off road capability but increases the on road handling significantly. The system has hydraulic end links for the sway bars that self adjust to driving conditions. They allow for a lot stiffer sway bar since they can almost disconnect for off road use. The ride is much better with flatter cornering and less brake dive than my wife's previous SR5 with the standard suspension.

The Limited has an upgraded suspension geared towards on road ride. It also has a lot of luxury upgrades to the interior. While nicer than other versions of the 4Runner, it still lags behind the features found in a car or a crossover.

Things to consider with a 4Runner, it's truck based and more basic than a car or crossover. The good, it's bomb proof. The bad, it's not as comfortable. Gas mileage sucks, don't expect to see over 20mpg. Utility is phenomenal. My daughter's large two bow tournament case fits easily in the rear leaving enough space for all the rest of our gear and stuff for out of town tournament road trips. Off road capability is great, our old SR5 handled the trails we frequent around Sedona without any issues.

Our 4Runner has done everything we've asked for it. But if your primary concern id comfort on a road trip, there's probably better choices.