If you had to get an SUV, what would you get. Try to keep it under 55 grand Canadian or under 35 American.
Also, why would you pick what you picked.

My dad has a 2003 Toyota 4Runner, its great, powerful , and has great looks , i recomend it :)

my pick would be the grand cherokee 4wd w/ the h.o. v8. reason being its phenomenal off-road gear and capability. it's not for everyone, and comparetively it's almost becoming a niche truck now, but among the real bona fide suvs it's one of the best. can't stand those fake suvs, or crossovers

4runners are nice, too

I agree with the 4Runner.Jeep is good SUV,but the interior is uuuuugly!But maybe it's just me:D

I liked the Durango. Lots of cool features, hideously large (comes in many sizes), but I would never get something that gets like 15 mpg. Oops, wait that's my RX-8! :-)

how about this. I kinda doubt its going to be under 35k. http://auto.consumerguide.com/images/auto/editorial/gallery/rescue_lrg.jpg

Originally posted by mental pimp
My dad has a 2003 Toyota 4Runner, its great, powerful , and has great looks , i recomend it :)


I'm with this guy. Very nice ride. Top notch quality.

I really like the Acura MDX, the interior is absolutely gorgeous and has some really cool features.

http://www.acura.com/images/mdx/mdx_gallpop_img2_ext.jpg

Ughh. I would opt out and use the money for cab fare and a good set of trainers.

If I wanted reliability and size including width (which the toyota's don't have) I would go with the MDX. Had that before my current SUV and loved it. If I watned reliability, SIZE and enough towing capicity to pull a building, I would go with an Excursion. I knwo bad gas milage and size. But considering it's in the same price range, kind of makes you wonder. That's what I have now.

Good luck!

Another vote for the MDX if you were looking for something with large seating capacity and storage space.

If I was looking for a performance SUV I would go with the Subaru Forester XT. 0-60 in 5s and seats five to boot.:)

is The MDX even 35 grand? if it is then yea go for it, but also check out the 4Runner

Originally posted by mental pimp
is The MDX even 35 grand? if it is then yea go for it, but also check out the 4Runner
Acura.com says it is $36,400, so not quite, but close.:)

If I had to get an SUV..........I would feel like puking.

if used or new denalis go for under 35k id take one of those.

but if i could choose any suv it would be a military issue H1.

Jeep grand cheeroke.. my dad has one... its really good... hasn't gave us any problems besides usual wear parts...

I recommend the Toyota 4-runner my uncle has one in florida while i was visiting... powerful... and top notch quality...

Toyota highlander...
Infiniti FX35...
Volvo XC90 2.5T...
Mitsubishi Endeavor...

All of the SUV's listed above are reliable... powerful... and look good... also can carry 5 passenger...

Easy for me, either the FX45/35 or the Toureg. The only two I really like that I would consider.

Sorry, I didn't even think about under 35 grand, does the FX35 go for that. I think I could get a V6 Toureg for that. I know I can forget the FX45

I would use a bicycle or a horse before I would drive an SUV. It seems to me the world has gotten madder, especially in regards to what people must bring with them on a drive. I mean, how much space do you really need? What is it you have to carry around on a daily basis? Most SUVs I see on the road have only ONE person in them!

Obviously if you use it for work, carrying people, supplies or equipment that is a different story, but most people get one because their neighbor, co-worker, family member or friend has one. I have also observed that people who don't like to drive, or have some fears get one because they believe they are safer in a larger vehicle.

The manufacturers are the ones raking in the bucks and laughing all the way to the bank. The profits on trucks and SUVs are much greater than cars, so the 'incentives' can be more appealing.

Sorry for thr rant, that is all!

Originally posted by iceman2cuol4u
If you had to get an SUV, what would you get.

Why would I have to get an SUV? Unless I'm towing something big, or going deep off-road, then there are much better vehicles - from a practicality, handling, fun-to-drive, standpoints.

I see no reason for 90% of the people who have SUVs to actually have to have them. Minivans are more practical for hauling people or gear, trucks are better for hauling stuff in the box, etc. I personally would far sooner drive a sporting wagon than any old truck or overgrown yet less practical car-based SUV.

Regards,
Gordon

I think that would go with the Toyota Rav4.

I mean it's smallish (for a SUV), and it's made by a good company! :)

I think SUV's can be quite useful and practical, even if you're not going off-road. I sold my xterra for my RX-8 and there are 2 things I really miss about the xterra now that I've driven the 8 for a while. First, I miss sitting up high. It was nice to be able to see over the traffic ahead of me and know what to expect a bit sooner. And second, I miss not being able to drive over stuff. Driving the xterra came in handy quite a few times when I was stuck in traffic and I could pull a u-turn over the meridian and go back the other way, I won't be trying that in my 8. If I was to buy a second vehicle I think an SUV would be at the top of my list, either the acura of the bmw, to me its a much more practical vehicle than the RX-8.

Originally posted by jonnyb
if used or new denalis go for under 35k id take one of those.

but if i could choose any suv it would be a military issue H1.

Trust me, you don't want a hummer. At least the ones we use. They are the hardest and roughest driving vehicles this side of a bradley APC or Abrams...

Originally posted by 6speed8
I would use a bicycle or a horse before I would drive an SUV. It seems to me the world has gotten madder, especially in regards to what people must bring with them on a drive. I mean, how much space do you really need? What is it you have to carry around on a daily basis? Most SUVs I see on the road have only ONE person in them!

Obviously if you use it for work, carrying people, supplies or equipment that is a different story, but most people get one because their neighbor, co-worker, family member or friend has one. I have also observed that people who don't like to drive, or have some fears get one because they believe they are safer in a larger vehicle.

The manufacturers are the ones raking in the bucks and laughing all the way to the bank. The profits on trucks and SUVs are much greater than cars, so the 'incentives' can be more appealing.

Sorry for thr rant, that is all!

If you need the off-roading or towing capability, the SUV is the logical choice and it would be foolish not to get one.

For everyone else, an SUV just serves as a minivan or station wagon that looks good. That's all. You sacrifice gas mileage, price, insurance costs, and safety rating in return for a better looking vehicle. Buying an SUV under those conditions isn't immoral or illegal, just dumb.

If I had to get an SUV, it would be the 240 horsepower AWD Subaru Forester XT. Fastest SUV you can buy - supposed to be faster than the RX8 in a straight line.

Heck, it's not an SUV, but really an SUV is just a wagon with more ground clearance.

Checkout the Dodge Magnum. Now that something I would like in my garage, especially one with the Hemi V-8!

Better handling and an SUV. Probably more fun to drive and it actually has decent towing capacity!

Don't know it price but I think its under $35k

I've owned 3 SUVs - a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, a Lexus RX300 AWD and now an Acura MDX Touring (5 people and 49.6 cu ft for the dogs!).

If you want space and never want to go off-road get the MDX (or the Honda Pilot).

If you want some space and amazing toughness and off-roading ability get a Toyota 4 Runner.

If you want something without much space or off-roadability but fun to drive then get a wagon (BMW 325i wagon, A4 wagon, Subaru WRX wagon, Lexus IS300 Sportcross). If you need the high seating position then get the Infiniti FX35.

If you want to tow a lot then get something American (Ford Exploder, Chevy something etc).

I am looking at getting my wife a Tribute. For about 22k (US), you can get a V6, front wheel drive, ABS, side impact airbags, and a decent ride. It will even tow up to 3500 lbs. It's not an off road vehicle, but would do fine for what we want. I would also like to consider a Dakota quad cab (Sport Plus) 4x2. It can pull up 6000 lbs. Quad cabs are nice for that extra room and to have a bed. With a new house, it would be nice to be able to haul trees, plants, even new furniture. But my wife doesn't want to drive a pickup truck. And she's not getting the RX-8! :D

I'm with Gord... why do most people HAVE to have an SUV? If you need cargo space and/or tow vehicle, get a pickup; covered cargo space, a cargo van or a Volvo wagon. If you need room for lots of kids, get a minivan; all wheel drive, a Subaru. I have very low regard for most SUVs and the soccer moms who steer them (barely) around while chatting on their cell phones and putting on their mascara.

But... I just took a road trip from LA to Phoenix, AZ and back in an Acura MDX with NAV, and I think I could be convinced to actually drive one of these if I had to. Very nice vehicle, and head-and-shoulders above all the other SUVs I've been in.

If you can spend just over $35K (closer to $40K) I'd go for the MDX. We just picked one up about a month ago. It seats 7 for '04, has plenty of power for average tooling around, and is very comfortable. My wife doesn't work and since she's the primary driver (and drives about 500 to 600 miles a month) I don't really feel all that guilty about her driving our two kids and dog around in such a large vehicle. The best part is when friends and family come over. We no longer have to take two vehicles to go out to dinner, or a play, or the beach, or whatever... Those who live in costal communities can understand how hard it is to find one parking spot let alone two.

We used to have a Tribute ES. It was a fine car. It seats 5, plenty of pep. It did have its share of problems, but I attributed that to it being an early production model (01 we got in 00). The problem with that was that whenever friends or family visited we'd have to take two cars and deal with parking, following, etc...

Though I'd rather see a sedan in my garage next to my 8 (I really wanted an A6), the MDX is a pretty nice car... Get's better milage than my 8 too!

Originally posted by grogiefrog
I am looking at getting my wife a Tribute.
I would stay away from the Tribute. It is just a rebaged Ford Escape. Just make sure you realize this when buying.

Originally posted by TownDrunk
If you can spend just over $35K (closer to $40K) I'd go for the MDX. We just picked one up about a month ago. It seats 7 for '04, has plenty of power for average tooling around, and is very comfortable. My wife doesn't work and since she's the primary driver (and drives about 500 to 600 miles a month) I don't really feel all that guilty about her driving our two kids and dog around in such a large vehicle. The best part is when friends and family come over. We no longer have to take two vehicles to go out to dinner, or a play, or the beach, or whatever... Those who live in costal communities can understand how hard it is to find one parking spot let alone two.

We used to have a Tribute ES. It was a fine car. It seats 5, plenty of pep. It did have its share of problems, but I attributed that to it being an early production model (01 we got in 00). The problem with that was that whenever friends or family visited we'd have to take two cars and deal with parking, following, etc...

Though I'd rather see a sedan in my garage next to my 8 (I really wanted an A6), the MDX is a pretty nice car... Get's better milage than my 8 too!

That's the exact reasoning I have for getting my MDX. It's a ULEV vehicle that gets 20mpg (our average over 25k miles) and can do 0-60 in under 8 secs. It can carry 7 people - I have elderly relatives visiting from Singapore for 3-6 months each year who cannot drive and it's wonderful to just take one vehicle instead of two (saving the environment and all that...). Even better it can carry 5 people in comfort plus two 95lb dogs for road trips, or 5 people plus a ton of baby stuff and a ton of shopping in the cavernous cargo area. The only negatives are weak (longish) braking and a non-luxury interior (RX-8 is better) and it can't go off road (no concern to me).

I would consider replacing it when the lease is up with a loaded $40k Toyota Sienna, but my wife has a phobia about minivans and their soccer-mom image and lousy styling - maybe I can persuade her when we have our 2nd baby... of course I would be mostly driving the sport sedan because I cannot handle FWD ;).

Personally I find that living in TX I get annoyed seeing half the vehicles here are pickup trucks with immaculate beds (i.e. never used), no tow hitches and just one person in them. Why the hell would anyone get a gigantic, gas guzzling and very poorly performing vehicle for purely personal daily driving use? OTOH pickups (and SUVs) can be useful during the frequent flooding that Houston suffers - my month-old new G35 was in the shop for 5 weeks recently for water damage.

Funny story - a friend in MA bought a new $35k pickup truck to carry his St Bernard dogs around in (200lbs each), and only afterwards found out it was illegal to carry pets in the back of a pickup in that state... He's looking at a Suburban now.


Anyway if you don't need to go off-road then get an MDX - even a one year old certified pre-owned one would be good and will be under budget. Do not get a Jeep - terrible dealership experience after the sale (but otherwise a decent vehicle). If you don't need space or performance then get a cute-ute like the CRV/RAV4/Tribute although a 4WD wagon might be more fun.

FX35:

http://www.infiniti.com/m/cma/i/veh/veh_gal_fx45_3_large.jpg

Or

Forester:

http://www.subaru.kz/images/gallery/forester_xt_5mt_b.jpg

x5 if I had too

How about the Murano?

Have a Chev Tahoe...i hate american vehicles...but if you need it for, say what we need it for: 4 DOGS, Tow my Toyota Landcruiser FJ40 to offroad events, pull a trailer for woodworking, eventually pull trailer for parts for a FFR Cobra and to shows, hauling tons of stuff, very off-road capable when needing to take the family back into the mountains for climbing, kayaking all that fun stuff.....but gets around the same disgusting gas mileage as the RX-8...

it's big I don't really care for BIG automobiles like that but it's nice, roomy, and has TONS of power...oh yeh...it's a BITCH to wash...and wax...

Originally posted by mikeb
x5 if I had too

My wife's SAV. Good choice mikeb, but it costs a little more than 35K ;) . Great car 0-60 in 6 flat (4.4i) and very quiet and practical, not to mention stylish.

what does a x5 cost 50k?

Nissan Murano or the VW Toureg