Help me buy a car

[mae0111]

My 9 year old VW Touraeg has some serious issues, and DH and I agreed that the next time there was a big repair needed, we'd trade the car in. So the car's at the shop now in need of about $2500 worth of work (only $500 to make it safe to drive), and I'm on the hunt for a new car.



I've done quite a bit of research, and have narrowed it down to a Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, or GMC Acadia.  DH had an Acadia a few years ago, and I really didn't like it, but I understand that they've changed it recently.  I hated driving it - it just seemed so huge and boat-like.

I just test drove a Highlander on my lunch hour, and I really liked it.  I've never driven a Pilot.

I would like a 3rd row, but it doesn't have to be a very roomy 3rd row - would only be used once in a while.  I'd like leather because we will wreck cloth.  Don't really care about in dash navigation, entertainment package, etc.  

Any thoughts on these 3?  Any others I should consider?  I'm so sad about my Touraeg.  I'd get another but 1) no third row, and 2) OMG the price. I bought mine used with ~13K miles on it (Executive Lease) for about 1/2 of what a new one would cost.  I'd never pay for a new one.

[akafred]

Have you considered the Infiniti QX60 or the Nissan Pathfinder?

Anyway, best time to buy is coming up at the end of March. Can you limp along for one month?

[mae0111]

Feb 15, 2017 15:51:53 GMT -5 akafred said:

Have you considered the Infiniti QX60 or the Nissan Pathfinder?

Anyway, best time to buy is coming up at the end of March. Can you limp along for one month?

I hadn't considered, I'll look into both.

Apparently the car is spewing oil as of today.  Over $1K just to get that fixed.  So I don't think I can push it any more.  So sad...

[2chatter]

Buick Enclave is the same body as an Acadia, but the similarity ends there. I test drove the Buick
first, and would never have thought it was even close to the Acadia, which I didn't like at all.

I drove a friend's Pilot and felt like I needed those wide load escorts!

[erinshelley21]

I drive a 2012 Acadia and love it. It's the original body style. There is another body style for the 2013-2016 models. They did just redesign the Acadia starting with the 2017 models. They look smaller to me and I don't really care for them. I don't think they are shorter, but they look more narrow when parked next to older ones.

I'd steer clear of Ford Explorers. I've heard complaints from a few people that the paint is coming off of them.

[mustardseed2007]

DH just bought an Acadia. I find it to fit your description of having a third row that isn't very roomy. It seems very small to me, but he previously drove an extended cab pick up truck so of course it's going to seem smaller by comparison. 

So far we really like it. I suggest you go test drive it and see what you think. 


We got an excellent deal on it, too. They had a lot of incentives on the price at the time we bought it about a month or two ago. 

ETA: I think erinshelley21, has to be right about them being narrow. DH and I park our cars next to each other in the drive way and I always had to squeeze my car in next to the truck - it was so annoying. Parking next to the Acadia is so much easier. 

So yeah...maybe narrower. Which may not be a plus for you if you're not stacking two cars side by side, ha ha. 

[akafred]

Feb 15, 2017 15:53:39 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

Feb 15, 2017 15:51:53 GMT -5 akafred said:

Have you considered the Infiniti QX60 or the Nissan Pathfinder?

Anyway, best time to buy is coming up at the end of March. Can you limp along for one month?

I hadn't considered, I'll look into both.

Apparently the car is spewing oil as of today.  Over $1K just to get that fixed.  So I don't think I can push it any more.  So sad...

I drove a QX60 a couple years back and found it drove really nicely, like a car instead of a boat. It has a third row you can get into while a FF car seat is strapped into the second row (with LATCH presumably, not sure). It was not super roomy in the way way back, but it was not bad.

[k3am]

I will not buy American again, if that helps narrow your decision down.

We have a Ford Explorer. I love the car itself, it has a 3rd row, good size, nice body, drives well. It also has had more issues in the 1.5 years I've owned it than ANY car DH or I have ever driven (Toyota Avalon for 9 years, Nissan for 7 years, Hyundai for 10 years) and the warranty repairs on it were a huge PITA that they kept trying to deny at every turn.

[tas1883]

mae0111, I'm also looking at a similar line of cars too. My 02 Jeep Liberty is having lots of issues (transmission is going bad) so the mechanic told me to start looking. I really liked the Toyota Highlander too but need to find used.

Used Truck-big back seat cab that can tow 60000lb (30' camp trailer) Mechanic recommended a GMC 1500...DH is thinking Dodge Unlimited 1500. Any other thoughts or brands we should look into?

Paying close attention to this thread...

[sdlaura]

I bought a 2014 Buick Enclave this past May (in part on the recommendation of 2chatter ), and I love it. I also looked at the Acadia, Pilot, Highlander, and Pathfinder. I was trying to get as close to the functionality of a minivan as possible, but I didn't want a minivan, and I also didn't want a giant SUV (Yukon, Suburban, etc).

Compared to those other cars, I love that the captain's chairs are standard in the Enclave, so it is easy to access the 3rd row, even when there are two carseats installed in the captains chairs. Also compared to the other vehicles, you still have cargo space in the back even when the 3rd row is up. The other ones seemed to have almost zero cargo space when using the 3rd row.

I believe the Pathfinder also has captain's chairs standard, but it didn't get great reviews on reliability/repairs down the road, when I was doing research.

I liked the Enclave over the Acadia because it's on a car frame. My previous car was a Toyota 4Runner and I was over having a truck frame. My car also feels a little more luxurious than the Acadia, but part of that is probably just that the used one I bought is the top of the line model (so leather, Bose speakers, etc.)

The only thing I don't like about it so far is that there is only a carseat tether for a forward-spacing carseat in the middle of the 3rd row (not on the sides). Since we'll have three kids soon, I wish I had the flexibility of putting the older kids' tethered, forward facing carseats on the sides in the back. But I'll deal with that

ETA - we also looked at the newly redesigned Volvo XC90 just for fun and loved it.  But it's super expensive and I've had really bad luck with European cars.

[sdlaura]

Feb 15, 2017 15:53:39 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

Feb 15, 2017 15:51:53 GMT -5 akafred said:

Have you considered the Infiniti QX60 or the Nissan Pathfinder?

Anyway, best time to buy is coming up at the end of March. Can you limp along for one month?

I hadn't considered, I'll look into both.

Apparently the car is spewing oil as of today.  Over $1K just to get that fixed.  So I don't think I can push it any more.  So sad...

Just to play devil's advocate, though, depending on what kind of newer car you get, $1k may only be two months of payments.   So maybe worth fixing?  I finally caved and bought a newer car when my '06 4Runner needed a $3500 repair.

[liziz]

Honda4Lyfe - I really like the new Pilot body style, and hope that we can handle the cost of it by the time we add a second kid in the mix!

[twinmomma]

Just a heads up - my Rav4 has a stowaway third row, if you truly only need it ocassionally. That sounds like the next size down from what you're considering, but it's another option. I love mine and our family of 4 fits very comfortably.

[rere26]

My Toyota was the best car I ever owned. I bought another and if it is even close, I will only be buying Toyotas in the future.

[kbw12]

Are you looking up but new or used? I believe it was one body style ago Honda pilots had a horrible front crash test rating. Like the entire front pillar would come in on the driver. I believe thy have fixed that with the newer models.

[indyrowergirl]

Another RAV4 lover here. Mine doesn't have 3rd row but is a good size and gets great gas mileage.

I had an Acadia before this car. I liked it, but it was the first model year and I had several major mechanical issues. I've heard nothing but good things about them since, so I would expect those issues have been fixed.

If you like an SUV that drives like a car, DH has the Nissan Murano and it drives exactly like his previous Maxima.

[mae0111]

sdlaura - if it was just the one $1k thing, id totally do it. But if needed a battery 6 months ago - $400 plus labor because Touraegs require a special battery and it's located under the drivers seat - they had to take the car apart to fix it. Before that, there was a hole in the gas tank - which was apparently a recall for my model year, but not my actual car. I needed to put $700 into it today just to make it safe to drive. The other repair is another $1200. I love it so much, but no more.

[pengy86]

I bought a Toyota Highlander (2013) last year and I love it. I test drove a Pilot (2013) and did not like the overall style inside. The Toyota Highlander I bought has leather and the middle part in the second row folds down and turns it into captains chairs. The captains chair style is what sold me on it. It does have a third row which we don't normally use. I will note that there isn't much trunk space when you have the third row up. Price wise the Toyota was a better value for the mileage and features over the Honda Pilot.
I would have liked an infiniti but it was above my budget. The Toyota gave me all the same features at a better price.
Good luck on the car search!

[mae0111]

Thank you all. I think I'm going to try to drive an Acadia, pilot, and Enclave. DH is a GMC guy - has owned 3 Envoys, 4 Sierras, and an Acadia, but the cost of ownership is high vs Toyota. He's pushing me toward an Acadia - thinks Toyotas are junk.

I hate car buying. I've loved not having a car payment for the past several years. I like to find a car I love and drive it into the ground, so lots of pressure to pick the right one. But it sucks when I feel so under the gun. After a $700 repair, my car is not driveable. I need a new one...

[erinshelley21]

I love the look of Honda pilots. We have several family friends with one. I grew up in a GM family so I'll probably have a hard time getting away from that but I'd consider it for a Pilot or Toyota Highlander.

[CoverGirl82]

Feb 15, 2017 21:09:02 GMT -5 erinshelley21 said:

I love the look of Honda pilots. We have several family friends with one. I grew up in a GM family so I'll probably have a hard time getting away from that but I'd consider it for a Pilot or Toyota Highlander.

This is me, LOL.  I grew up in the city that was the "birthplace" of the Oldsmobile, and have driven GM vehicles almost exclusively.  I have a 2016 Acadia right now, which I love, and I feel pretty proud that it was built in my hometown (and I purchased it from a dealership that is only a few miles away from the assembly where it was built).  The love for GM in my family runs deep.

If I didn't buy GM, I would probably look at the Toyota Highlander or a Nissan.

[Widget123]

We have a 1.5 year old Honda Pilot (new style) and love it. But I agree with 2chatter about it being wide. I don't drive it everyday but when I do I do not feel comfortable driving it in a middle lane.

I love the look of the Acadia and Enclave too, more so than a Highlander.

[erinshelley21]

Feb 16, 2017 8:10:03 GMT -5 CoverGirl82 said:

Feb 15, 2017 21:09:02 GMT -5 erinshelley21 said:

I love the look of Honda pilots. We have several family friends with one. I grew up in a GM family so I'll probably have a hard time getting away from that but I'd consider it for a Pilot or Toyota Highlander.

This is me, LOL.  I grew up in the city that was the "birthplace" of the Oldsmobile, and have driven GM vehicles almost exclusively.  I have a 2016 Acadia right now, which I love, and I feel pretty proud that it was built in my hometown (and I purchased it from a dealership that is only a few miles away from the assembly where it was built).  The love for GM in my family runs deep.

If I didn't buy GM, I would probably look at the Toyota Highlander or a Nissan.

There was a huge GM factory 20 minutes from here where nearly everyone worked when it was open. It closed but the GM love still runs deep around here. Mostly because GM was still allowing families to use the employee discount from retired workers, which is what my family did. As long as you were related to the retiree, you could get the discount. Even if the retiree died and the spouse was still living you could get the discount. 

There is also some Chrysler love too since there is a plant about an hour north of here. They have a pretty nice discount too that I was able to use from a friend to buy a Jeep Liberty 7 years ago. You just had to know someone willing to give you their number for the discount. IN also has Honda and Toyota plants now too so as a state we are branching out.

[sdlaura]

S/O being GM families, DH found this article after I bought my Enclave in the spring. Apparently it contributes the most of any car to the US economy.

That had nothing to do with why I bought it - I'd previously driven a Toyota and VW - but I advise union pension funds on their investments so it made me happy.

www.google.com/amp/247wallst.com/autos/2016/07/03/buick-enclave-is-most-american-of-all-cars/amp/?client=safari

[sudokufan]

Feb 15, 2017 18:00:00 GMT -5 twinmomma said:

Just a heads up - my Rav4 has a stowaway third row, if you truly only need it ocassionally. That sounds like the next size down from what you're considering, but it's another option. I love mine and our family of 4 fits very comfortably.

Looooove my Rav4 too (especially with the upgraded tires we just got for it), but I wasn't going to suggest it because it is smaller, and that weird overlapping belt thing on the 2nd row pisses me off on the principle of it.

My H has had the Toyota FJ Cruiser (which he loved and still misses and I hated because of the tiny back seat) and the 4Runner, which we both love.  The 4Runner is so damned comfortable and roomy, but I can't remember if it has an optional 3rd row since we didn't care.  I have to say, the FJ held its value so well that when we sold it at 8 years, we got enough back to pay off my one year old Rav4 loan.  We haven't had to do anything except warranty repairs and maintenance to any of them and we commute 50 miles each day.  Toyota lifers here, I think.
Save

[xctsclrx]

My parents have a pilot and have had it for almost 10 years. No issues or major repairs. I have driven it and loved the way it handled. Very roomy. Might be bigger than what you are looking for.

I have a Nissan pathfinder. I love it. It is big enough that I can sit in the back with out being too uncomfortable but it isn't huge.

It does not have captains seat and we have had it for about 2 years. No issues yet.

[rach]

We have an Expedition and I love it. We have our 5 regularly and actually fit comfortably without the third row. The third row is comfortable for adults even when we do use it. It drives so, so well. My turning radius in that huge vehicle is smaller than MH's Fiat.

I drove an Acadia. It was used so take this with a grain of salt. It felt like there were CV or axle issues. That really turned MH off since it was low mileage. I *loved* the interior though!

[vavavictoria]

Feb 15, 2017 15:37:46 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

My 9 year old VW Touraeg has some serious issues, and DH and I agreed that the next time there was a big repair needed, we'd trade the car in. So the car's at the shop now in need of about $2500 worth of work (only $500 to make it safe to drive), and I'm on the hunt for a new car.



I've done quite a bit of research, and have narrowed it down to a Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, or GMC Acadia.  DH had an Acadia a few years ago, and I really didn't like it, but I understand that they've changed it recently.  I hated driving it - it just seemed so huge and boat-like.

I just test drove a Highlander on my lunch hour, and I really liked it.  I've never driven a Pilot.

I would like a 3rd row, but it doesn't have to be a very roomy 3rd row - would only be used once in a while.  I'd like leather because we will wreck cloth.  Don't really care about in dash navigation, entertainment package, etc.  

Any thoughts on these 3?  Any others I should consider?  I'm so sad about my Touraeg.  I'd get another but 1) no third row, and 2) OMG the price. I bought mine used with ~13K miles on it (Executive Lease) for about 1/2 of what a new one would cost.  I'd never pay for a new one.

@mae011 I have a qx60 and I really l love it. It drives really well and I think it's pretty sexy. At the moment we have two rear facing seats. One behind each front seat. It has 4 latch connectors. Whenever I eventually turn the two year old forward, I think I will love it even more. At the moment access to the third row is limited but we don't use it that often. It's more to have the space afforded by a third row size car since we go out of town a lot with all our crap and two dogs.