Family SUV, what do you drive?

[gladerider]

Curious what you guys drive.
I have a 05 Pilot. Bought new and put on 115K.
I like it. Bought it cause: 8 seater, large cargo in its class, good gas mileage (get about 20 on highway) and finally reliability.

Wondering if there are better options....

 

[gmcunni]

2010 GMC acadia. great for long drives with lots of people/gear. 8 seater too

 

[ctenidae]

2011 Range Rover Sport. Love it because it's fun to drive- Jaguar engine, good suspension, comfy seats. Tiny back seat for 2 car seats, trunk area is decent size, but the slant of the back glass cuts out more room than you'd think. Great in mud and snow, as you'd expect. Too tall for easy roof box use, too small to obviate the need.

 

[gladerider]

2011 Range Rover Sport. Love it because it's fun to drive- Jaguar engine, good suspension, comfy seats. Tiny back seat for 2 car seats, trunk area is decent size, but the slant of the back glass cuts out more room than you'd think. Great in mud and snow, as you'd expect. Too tall for easy roof box use, too small to obviate the need.

how's the reliability? a buddy of mine had a 2010 land rover, top of the line. he said it spent more time in the shop than on the road.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Honda Ridgeline. Very comfy for distance for 4 large adults and gear. AWD is great in the snow.

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2

 

[crank]

2003 Toyota Highlander with 218K on it. I bought it new because I liked the ride better than the Pilot and it has taken my family and friends on skiing and camping and beaching trips all over the northeast for the past 10 years. I am planning/hoping to keep the current vehicle for a couple more years and will then probably get another Highlander. Smooth ride and reliable.

 

[gladerider]

2003 Toyota Highlander with 218K on it. I bought it new because I liked the ride better than the Pilot and it has taken my family and friends on skiing and camping and beaching trips all over the northeast for the past 10 years. I am planning/hoping to keep the current vehicle for a couple more years and will then probably get another Highlander. Smooth ride and reliable.

what's the MPG like? a buddy of mine has a hybrid version and he is very happy also.

 

[ScottySkis]

1996 Honda Accord, first year ever with snow tires on it.

 

[xwhaler]

We have a '12 Kia Sorento AWD now with 45k miles.....seats 7 with a small 3rd row we almost always leave folded down for gear and for our dog. With skis, bags, pack and play crib, various baby gear, dog, and my son, I know things are already tight. Amazing that a fairly large SUV is already tight with 2 adults and a little guy.
We considered the Kia Sportage but it seemed too small to us which I'm glad we realized at the time.
I'm probably going to see how it goes this winter (our first doing family ski trips) w/o a cargo box but I have a feeling I'll be looking into them soon enough.

We're getting about 23 mpg mostly highway right now which I consider pretty good for a fairly heavy v6 SUV.

 

[bigbog]

2000 Nissan Xterra XE/4wd. Bought slightly used...the engine's a beast but have had to keep on top of body with its age. ~17/19 these days... *Think it's time for either another late-used or new 14', but I can live with the 2k X for another year.

 

[Warp Daddy]

'12 Outback Limited , AWD , leather heated seats , 31/32 in the summer , 28/29 in the winter , 4 cyl CVT , 73 cu ft of storage , great for skiing and travel in all kinds of weather .

 

[HD333]

2011 Tahoe. It is what it is, a hulking behemoth of a vehicle that handles all of our stuff. It is the wife's daily driver and the weekend roadtrip vehicle. I checked the MPG thing last night seems we average 18 mpg, I guess that could be worse. I have been doing some MPG research as of late (see A4 thread) and smaller SUV's are almost the same MPG ratings as the Tahoe so for its size I am ok with our MPG.

Nice comfortable ride, kids have plenty of room and the dvd player makes trips less stressful. I do feel like a soccer mom when drive it so I usually take my Jeep wherever I go.

 

[Puck it]

A 2012 FJ Cruiser which is a two seater for the winter with all the ski gear

 

[ctenidae]

how's the reliability? a buddy of mine had a 2010 land rover, top of the line. he said it spent more time in the shop than on the road.

Knock on wood, absolutely no issues whatsoever. I think they've gotten a lot of the kinks worked out now, and have upped their quality control game.

 

[wa-loaf]

I don't have an SUV ... but my Jetta is pretty roomy, goes just about anywhere with snows on it. I can get mid 40s on a highway trip. Usually average 39 loaded up for skiing with the snow tires and winter diesel.

 

[Nick]

I actually got a Ford Edge last year. Never thought I'd want a Ford but I really, really like it. Been good so far, we now have 30k on it.

In retrospect, we perhaps should have gotten an explorer. With 2 dogs and baby #2 on the way, the car is already getting cramped, especially since (at least now) we think we will want to go to 3 or maybe even 4 kids. (.... we will make that decision one at a time ... before everyone says I'm insane for wanting four kids, I've already heard it )

 

[NotEasyBeingGreen]

Glade - we had an '05 Pilot too and at about 175K and a with a big repair bill looming, we decided time for something new. Looked at and researched everything and ended up going with another Pilot. At least it's a different color! I honestly think I'd be cursing trying to pack the fam for a ski trip in anything different, there's so much room for kids, dog, gear, and can even fit the skis and boards inside.

Re Landrover - I so love these and I do think they are far more reliable now. Had an '99 Discovery and it was gorgeous, luxurious and left me stranded over and over. More like a parkinglotsitter than a landrover.

 

[gmcunni]

A 2012 FJ Cruiser which is a two seater for the winter with all the ski gear

is that because you travel with an excessive amount of gear or is it small inside? my wife's wanted a FJ for years and looking at the outside i'd have thought it roomy.

 

[4aprice]

Currently driving a 2006 Dodge Durango. It was bought for the 8 cylinder engine (not a Hemi) so we can tow our boat. Boat and trailer are anywhere between 4000 - 5000 lbs. We have taken trips to Lake George and Winnipesaukee with it including towing over Shelburne Pass with no problems. It also works well as a ski vehicle. Very comfortable to travel in, lots of room and just last weekend the wife and I were going to Castleton to see our daughter while the boy stayed home. I was ready to take our Accord or 318TI just to save gas but got vetoed for the comfort factor.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[snoseek]

Haha threads like this make me feel so poor!