Which SUV?

In My Humble Opinion
21

I almost never had the third row of seats up in my Highlander, unless I had a metric ton of friends in my car for some reason (so, probably half a dozen times while I had the car). Most of the time, I used the “trunk” as, well, a trunk.

My 7 seater Highlander doesn’t look all that much different than my 5 seater Q5 now from the outside, so I’m not sure why you’d be so judgmental of one but not the other. You do understand that not all 7 seat SUVs are Suburbans with permanent, upright third rows, right?

22

A Suburban/Escalade/Tahoe/H2 has towing capacity and payload that are legitimate reasons to buy one over a minivan. Most people may not actually use them as such but on paper they exist. Terr specifically said he doesn’t do any towing, and just doesn’t want a minivan, which would serve him better, because of some kind of deep seated sexual inadequacy which I don’t think is a good reason to buy any car. Not sure what this has to do with the Q5, which is a terrible car for different reasons. Why did you buy it over an A4 Avant? Was it cheaper?

23

I understand this might not be the case for you, but for many people, their small penises don’t play a role in their car choices.

24

Seriously, what a dumb cluster of posts in one thread. First he says that Highlander is an unsafe car, despite the fact that the sources he listed as trustworthy disagree with him. Them he ignores what the OP wants and goes off on a moronic tangent that nobody wants to read.

Third, he’s wrong about how common captains chairs are in the second row of SUVs. Most of the models he lists made that option available in the last 12 months, and the Highlander is the only Japanese-made car that does so. If the OP is looking for a used car, it isn’t an easy feature to locate in most places.

25

Both of my grandfathers worked in the auto industry, one retired from Chrysler manufacturing. The other worked at a Ford factory for 20+ years before he bought a 20% share in a local Ford dealership, where I spent every possible moment of my childhood. So it goes without saying that I’m a pretty hardcore auto enthusiast! Ironically, I have never owned a Chrysler or Ford vehicle…or any ‘domestic’ brand, for that matter.

Last summer, my cousin (who is more like my sister) was nearing the end of her 4-year lease on a 2008 Lexus GX470 and wanted my help in choosing a replacement. A week later, I was on a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles to take her car shopping! =)

We test drove the 2012 Lexus GX460, Acura MDX and Audi Q7 luxury SUV/crossovers. She was planning to lease again and she wasn’t really concerned about price/payment (must be nice). The other option she was considering was to buy her 2008 Lexus at lease end and keep it. After test driving the three new ones, the Audi was her favorite…until I pointed out that her next door neighbor had one already!

On a whim, I decided to pull into a Mazda dealership and gauge her reaction to the Mazda CX-9. She thought the outside looked nice, but when she opened the door and saw the interior, she was IN LOVE!!! We drove it and she was ready to take it home, but I got her to wait for two days until I negotiated a fair deal. Nine months later, she is still in love with her 2012 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring FWD and doesn’t miss the Lexus (or the 13mpg thirst for Premium Fuel)! =)

Two months ago, the week before Thanksgiving, I took my mom’s 2007 Ford Explorer to my mechanic to have several issues checked out and some regular maintenance done. A few hours after I dropped it off, he called me and told me to find a way to get rid of that thing ASAP! I didn’t ask too many questions, but the transmission was acting wonky and it the radiator was leaking and she had already put over $5k into it over the last two years. I have owned a Mazda3 for the last seven years, but I wanted her to choose what she liked on her own. I was shocked when she told me she wanted a CX-9! =)

We got an amazing deal on a 2012 CX-9 Grand Touring. It had a sticker price of $37,385 and we paid $29,706 minus $7500 trade-in for the Explorer plus 6% GA Sales Tax- she wrote a check for $23,538 out-the-door. The Grand Touring is already loaded (leather, Xenon HID headlights, 20” wheels, Advanced Keyless Entry & Start System, Rain-sensing windshield wipers, Blind Spot Monitor, Backup Camera…) and it has the Bose/Moonroof Package (9-speaker Bose Surround Sound, 6-CD changer, Upgraded Rearview Camera display, Power Moonroof & SIRIUS sat radio) which also adds the Power Liftgate option. She loves it, my step-dad loves it and (of course) I love it, too!

The 2013 CX-9 is considered a redesigned model, but it’s mechanically identical. It has a new nose and rear along with some interior updates, but is still fundamentally the same vehicle. If you’re ready to buy now, there are still some 2012 models around and they are discounted up to $8000 off MSRP. A loaded 2013 Grand Touring is selling for around $3500 off MSRP- in the $34,500-$35k range.

Here are a few comparison tests of 3-row Crossover/SUVs and, in both of them, the CX-9 placed FIRST against the Highlander, Pilot and other newer models! It was also Motor Trend’s 2008 SUV of the Year and it has a clear reliability record according to Consumer Reports and True Delta.com.

TEST of 8 SUVs

TEST of 6 SUVs

26

Is this a joke, or do people really consider this factor in their car buying decisions? Personally, I don’t give a flying fuck whether my neighbors, friends, relatives or coworkers drive the car I want to buy. I can’t imagine ever changing my mind because my neighbor already owns one.

27

I really wish they would stop with the third row sillyness. Or at least make it an option. You could create a great interior trunk to keep tools, jumper cables and whatever.

28

I keep all kinds of tools, including jumper cables, in the back of my car. There is a lower compartment for just such a purpose. And the third row folds completely flat, like any other SUV. Not sure why that’s such a problem. Clearly, it’s what most of their target market wants.