Thoughts on these SUV?

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Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
As for subaru their engines are not so good at all..


I disagree with your opinions..

Subaru Forester is likely too small for you OP but a good choice.

I also disagree that Toyota quality is slipping, still superior. Id opt with Highlander.

Best advice I can give..drive them all, price them all and if one stands out..go for it.
 
Toyota 4 Runner (a great mid-size SUV)....21 to 23 mpg highway.... dependable, and great resale value. A solid engine that should easily go to 300K.
 
If you want large, I'm not sure you can get much larger than a Traverse or Pilot. Both are properly huge inside. I noticed your other thread about AWD. If you like to *drive* a vehicle, and AWD Pilot will be very hard to beat. It has Honda's version of the excellent SH-AWD found in the MDX. My folks have a 2014 MDX (same chassis as the new Pilot), and I can confirm that it handles and drives like no 5,000 pound SUV should be able to do. It doesn't drive like a typical FWD-based vehicle.
 
Why am I looking at these “lower” priced SUV? Mainly do to money. I pay cash for my vehicles. The only thing I have ever been in debt for has been my house which is now paid off in 23 years (Hard to do in southern California). Yes, big is nice, but staying out of debt is more important to me.
 
Not on the list but consider the Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Pentastar V6. Plenty of power and lots of luxury (alteast in the Overland we have). Mileage is acceptable for size, we average 21-22.

It also has a very capable AWD system.
 
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Or certainly the Dodge Durango. I think all of the models on the OP's list are three-row SUVs, and the Grand Cherokee doesn't offer that. But the Durango does.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Or certainly the Dodge Durango. I think all of the models on the OP's list are three-row SUVs, and the Grand Cherokee doesn't offer that. But the Durango does.


That's a good point - you're correct.
 
I have been in the engine business all my life up until i sold the shop a few months back and i saw lots of Subaru engines in my shop under 100,000 miles and i hear the new ones have their own issues. As for Toyota their quality is slipping rapidly for years there have been sludge issues and now vvt problems and oil burning you can believe what you want but i have lived engines all my life since the age of 13 at the family engine shop till the day i sold it. Im 50 now and i saw it all engine wise.
Back in the 80s and early 90s toyota and Honda had some of the best engines now they are pretty much run of the mill. Hyundai makes a pretty good engine and backs it up with a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty the only real problem is that hyundai is expensive these days the new full size santa fe runs way up there in price unlike 7 years ago when they were cheap. Dont forget the santa fe comes in two sizes the sport which is cheaper and the full size.
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I have been in the engine business all my life up until i sold the shop a few months back and i saw lots of Subaru engines in my shop under 100,000 miles and i hear the new ones have their own issues. As for Toyota their quality is slipping rapidly for years there have been sludge issues and now vvt problems and oil burning you can believe what you want but i have lived engines all my life since the age of 13 at the family engine shop till the day i sold it. Im 50 now and i saw it all engine wise.
Back in the 80s and early 90s toyota and Honda had some of the best engines now they are pretty much run of the mill. Hyundai makes a pretty good engine and backs it up with a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty the only real problem is that hyundai is expensive these days the new full size santa fe runs way up there in price unlike 7 years ago when they were cheap. Dont forget the santa fe comes in two sizes the sport which is cheaper and the full size.



Thank you for your honest and factual comments.
 
Originally Posted By: powayroger
The Pilot probably won’t get the nod because I want more room, but you never know. I don’t have Toyota in due to low MPG and Ford (size). I don’t want a big SUV. I want to keep the hwy mpg around 30.

Originally Posted By: powayroger
Yes, big is nice, but staying out of debt is more important to me.


Can you quantify big and small? These statements are conflicting.

EDIT: I posted the cargo capacities in a previous post. If you want big go with the Traverse or the Pilot. If you want small then go Santa Fe.
 
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Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
As for Toyota their quality is slipping rapidly for years there have been sludge issues and now vvt problems and oil burning you can believe what you want but i have lived engines all my life since the age of 13 at the family engine shop till the day i sold it. Im 50 now and i saw it all engine wise.


How many Toyota VVT problems have you seen first hand? which engines?What were the problems?
 
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Originally Posted By: Doog
which engines?What were the problems?


The AR series engines and the GR series V-6s in Camrys, RAV4s, Venzas, Tacomas, FJs, etc. Comes up quick in a Google search. Example:

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/pr...art-up-tsb.html

It's also been discussed here on BITOG in the past. My 2011 Camry, with the 2AR-FE engine, never had the problem. In fairness, I did trade it with less than 15k miles on it, so it may have been too early for the problem to manifest itself.
 
Sorry, but won’t buy a dodge again. We all have our biases and I have one with Dodge. I had to deal with them over my 1998 Ram. Had severe knocking and pinging (Common for that vehicle). Lost in arbitration twice and finally went lemon law and won. I had expected Dodge to stand behind their vehicles and they didn’t in this case and left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt sorry for the dealership because they had to tell me what dodge told them which kept on conflicting themselves. Really [censored] me off. I still remember the day I got the call that the lemon check was at the dealer. Went, picked it up and went next door and got my Silverado. I offered to dodge with the lemon law that they could give me a new 2001 Ram, but apparently they wanted to have nothing to do with me, so that is why I went to chevy.
 
Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
As for Toyota their quality is slipping rapidly for years there have been sludge issues and now vvt problems and oil burning you can believe what you want but i have lived engines all my life since the age of 13 at the family engine shop till the day i sold it. Im 50 now and i saw it all engine wise.


How many Toyota VVT problems have you seen first hand? which engines?What were the problems?


Sounds like generalizing a brand by a few issues. Had Subaru/Toyota and experienced very few issues compared to every person i knew who drove honda, gm, chrysler...but i guess since he has "seen it all" I should get a superior hyundai...to which ive driven and worked on...(owned) and no comparison in quality to Toyota. You need to also realize that there are many more Toyotas on the road than hyundai's. I would also like to hear the engines with vvt issues?
 
There are a few we have seen a number of 3.5 v6 Toyotas with vvt problems thatt start because of the bolt coming loose Then the fj cruiser there were a few of those also and there are more which im sure you can google..
 
I agree there are more toyota engines on the road then Hyundai and i also realize that i saw a lot less Hyundai engines in the shop because of their 10 year 100,000 mile warranties if there were any engine issues Hyundai would have to repair them under warranty. I don't agree that there is no comparison to Toyota mabe a few years ago but for sure not now.
Hyundai makes an excellent vehicle and backs them up with one of the best warranties hands down.
 
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