Best New SUV, and why

[dmac]

I have a 16 Acura MDX. Comfortable and spacious. Nice interior, could use a little more power IMO. Has a 3.5 (285 hp).

[reddeerguy2015]

Yukon/Tahoe/Escalade.

Not the extended versions (or do if you need it - suburban, etc). Regular sized ones are easy to drive and park, stable, okay on fuel (even 6.2L), roomy, reliable and tons of power.

[Newview01]

Originally Posted by reddeerguy2015

Yukon/Tahoe/Escalade.

Not the extended versions (or do if you need it - suburban, etc). Regular sized ones are easy to drive and park, stable, okay on fuel (even 6.2L), roomy, reliable and tons of power.

What’s base price of a Yukon?

[Ken07AOVette]

Interesting thread, I know very little about them. I had a 79 suburban, 454 that my parents bought new. Absolutely loved that beast. The only other one was Nissan Murano that I had for a very short time. It was actually a neat little vehicle, the CVT transmission kind of scared me, it was indeed strange to drive, but fun. My daughter has had several trailblazers, escapes, all total garbage. A buddy had a Toureg which I thought was very cool, but highly overpriced at the time.
Please keep the info coming, I am trying to understand the allure of these things.

[Twisted Canuck]

Ken, I think part of the allure is having AWD capability, a little extra clearance for our winter conditions, and a bit more room in them then the average sedan (especially with the lift gate and storage). My wife and I downsized to a VW Tiguan, and I just love that little thing, as does the wife. Great built, fit and finish, lots of power with the 2.0 L turbo, very comfortable and perfect for the two of us, with room for 3 passengers in back if occasionally needed. Reliable and a good looking vehicle too. Very capable in snow and ice conditions with Nokian Hakk 8s (studded) on dedicated winter wheels.

Downside is it takes premium fuel, and it doesn't get great mileage with my driving habits. But I like it!

[ak77]

I've been driving suburban for the last 7 years, with short breaks in between when I've had company vehicles. Love it, put about 80k on it. Reason i got it in the first place - got into the oil patch but despised trucks at the time. Burb is basically a Silverado with build-in canopy and the 3rd row sitting. I camped in it, hunted in it... Anything.
Now, having said that, I've come to realize it is a bit too big for my needs, so I started thinking about downsizing. Also, having said all that i could never go back to driving regular sedans. Room, field of vision that SUV/trucks provide, awd as others mention...

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Ken, I think part of the allure is having AWD capability, a little extra clearance for our winter conditions, and a bit more room in them then the average sedan (especially with the lift gate and storage). My wife and I downsized to a VW Tiguan, and I just love that little thing, as does the wife. Great built, fit and finish, lots of power with the 2.0 L turbo, very comfortable and perfect for the two of us, with room for 3 passengers in back if occasionally needed. Reliable and a good looking vehicle too. Very capable in snow and ice conditions with Nokian Hakk 8s (studded) on dedicated winter wheels.

Downside is it takes premium fuel, and it doesn't get great mileage with my driving habits. But I like it!

Funny as it sounds, for a short time I was driving a new style bug, just a fixer upper to sell. I was amazed at how much room there is!!! I have never had a half ton that had so much headroom, it was crazy! VW is making great strides lately.

[Flieguy]

4runner because they are built like a brick s***house and go anywhere

[amosfella]

I would say Mercedes ML or GL depending on the capacity you need. If you looking at used, I'd look at the 500 model. The m113 engine is very powerful and reliable. When Mercedes went to the 550 model, they changed the engine to the m273, and added almost 100 hp with little change in fuel economy. But a lot of the earlier m273s had a lot of expensive to fix problems. I hear the newer ones are better.

The air suspensions in these models are quite nice. Handle like one would not believe on rough roads, corduroy on gravel, etc. Sometimes the lines leak, and finding the leak can be a bit of a problem. The awd system called 4matic is quite good in many condition such as on gravel, etc.

The above mentioned can be gotten with diesel engines, denoted by CDI behind the model designation. You pay a premium for those. I wouldn't buy with without a mechanic having a look in the engine oil pan with a borescope.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by amosfella

I would say Mercedes ML or GL depending on the capacity you need. If you looking at used, I'd look at the 500 model. The m113 engine is very powerful and reliable. When Mercedes went to the 550 model, they changed the engine to the m273, and added almost 100 hp with little change in fuel economy. But a lot of the earlier m273s had a lot of expensive to fix problems. I hear the newer ones are better.

The air suspensions in these models are quite nice. Handle like one would not believe on rough roads, corduroy on gravel, etc. Sometimes the lines leak, and finding the leak can be a bit of a problem. The awd system called 4matic is quite good in many condition such as on gravel, etc.

The above mentioned can be gotten with diesel engines, denoted by CDI behind the model designation. You pay a premium for those. I wouldn't buy with without a mechanic having a look in the engine oil pan with a borescope.

Easier/better to drop the pan? Must be a known issue with them?

[Gray Wolf]

Originally Posted by grouse_hunter

. . . What's your budget, what is the intended use for the vehicle?

Exactly!

Other than "SUV" the OP couldn't be bothered to give us any parameters, not even a hint of one!

It's no wonder the posts in this thread are a dogs-breakfast of answers all over the place.

In my book, the OP doesn't deserve any answers at all
.

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Easier/better to drop the pan? Must be a known issue with them?

I've heard the pan isn't easy to drop. From what I understand, sludge can build up at the back of the pan, and doesn't drain. That chokes off the oil supply to other things, and the engine implodes... If you catch that in time, it's not an issue. Apparently, there's a fix for it.

[FellSwoop]

My wife drives a 2011 Volvo XC 90 that we bought used with 13000 km in '12. It has some advantages, good body panels no rust forming and it was on the street during a nasty hailstorm that trashed my neighbour's civic but didn't leave a mark on the Volvo. The 3.2 l inline six has good torque but lethargic accceleration. It started burning 1 to 2 liters of oil between changes at 60,000 km. Fuel mileage is good considering the weight of the vehicle. It is more surefooted in snow and ice than any other SUV I have driven.
Some of the exterior trim has come off and when i replaced it at $$ expense, it was gone again quickly.
The car is now sitting dead at the dealership as the steering column lock is piled up and it has to be ordered in and matched to our keys. It has 123500 km on it. I would not call it a lemon as I know what a real lemon is having once purchased a subaru. However it is not everything I expected considering the price. At the time I could have bought a new jeep grand Cherokee loaded for less than the one year old Volvo.

[EZM]

I had a VW Touareg with the 3.0 TDI Diesel and it pulled any load (like my boat) much better up hills, and still getting much better fuel economy compared to any 1/2 ton I've owned since.

The Audi Q7 TDI and Porsche Cayenne are the clones to this vehicle, and if I was to get a SUV I wouldn't hesitate to look in this direction again.

Very comfortable, handles like a sports car, great layout for 4-5 people and decent hatch area for space.

I went back to pickup trucks simply because of the convenience of having a box to pick up lumber, sod or whatever. A pickup also offers better ground clearance which is nice for my boat which needs quite a bot of water to load/launch.

[KinAlberta]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Funny as it sounds, for a short time I was driving a new style bug, just a fixer upper to sell. I was amazed at how much room there is!!! I have never had a half ton that had so much headroom, it was crazy! VW is making great strides lately.

Our CRV had a huge amount of headroom.

About 10-12 years ago I rented an explorer and was surprised at how low the front roofline was. Felt like I was looking out from a half closed overhead door or something. I find that the rear view mirror in a number of vehicles I’ve tried that have lower rooflines mean that I’m staring at the rear view mirror rather than under it and out the front windshield. (I hate anything blocking my sight lines.)

[KinAlberta]

Originally Posted by EZM

I had a VW Touareg with the 3.0 TDI Diesel and it pulled any load (like my boat) much better up hills, and still getting much better fuel economy compared to any 1/2 ton I've owned since.

The Audi Q7 TDI and Porsche Cayenne are the clones to this vehicle, and if I was to get a SUV I wouldn't hesitate to look in this direction again.

Very comfortable, handles like a sports car, great layout for 4-5 people and decent hatch area for space.

I went back to pickup trucks simply because of the convenience of having a box to pick up lumber, sod or whatever. A pickup also offers better ground clearance which is nice for my boat which needs quite a bot of water to load/launch.

Ours is a 2014 so it’s probably quite different from earlier models. As I posted earlier it has fantastic range. However it’s far far from sports car like handling. It rather lumbers along.

[rembo]

Not "new" but here's one for ya...

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars...ationFlag=true

[KinAlberta]

Originally Posted by Gray Wolf

Exactly!

Other than "SUV" the OP couldn't be bothered to give us any parameters, not even a hint of one!

It's no wonder the posts in this thread are a dogs-breakfast of answers all over the place.

In my book, the OP doesn't deserve any answers at all
.

My guess is that it will be: drive it 98-99% of the time on paved roads between home and work or the shopping malls and usually with just one or two occupants. Just like the rest of us. Oh, maybe live in the country? Then drive on great gravel/improved roads 98-99% of the time. No difference.

It’s the remaining 1-2% of the time where features make any difference.

[KinAlberta]

Originally Posted by rembo

Not "new" but here's one for ya...

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars...ationFlag=true

More than it was new! :-)


Mine was an ‘81. It had problems that a friend at at GM dealership had said were there from the first models off the line the decade before. GM just wouldn’t fix / redesign things. The dashboards developed cracks in the ‘70s, so did they fix the problem? No. They just kept pumping out the same problem parts year after year right into the ‘80s.

Another friend had a leaking water pump that he replaced and the GM dealer friend just laughed because they all did that. So the friend just managed to replace an old leaky GM part with a new, about to leak, GM part.

Similarly with our ‘02 Honda Odyssey that went through 3 trannies in 80k km. It had a known defective tranny design so we knew that all we were managing to do was utilize the warranty period to replace crap with crap until the warranty was to run out. Then we’d havd to pay for rebuilt parts with congenital defects. (So we traded it in on a Pilot that had no tranny problems at all for the duration we owned it. It had other issues though. Front end wore out way too early but then it was basically just a lifted Honda Accord. Not really a vehicle designed for much real SUV like usage.)

[Positrac]

We’ve had a 2008 Honda Pilot EXL since new. Just finished doing the second set of brakes not long ago, one timing belt at 130,000 and that’s it other than regular fluid changes. The AWD handles winter up north just fine and the little bit of moderate dirt roads that it’s seen. It’s built on the same platform and shares a lot of the same parts as the Ridgeline.

It doesn’t have the bling of a new Escalade but I know it will start and drive each time I get in it. Ten years of trouble free driving doesn’t make me want to rush out and buy something else.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by KinAlberta

. . . Similarly with our ‘02 Honda Odyssey that went through 3 trannies in 80k km. It had a known defective tranny design so we knew that all we were managing to do was utilize the warranty period to replace crap with crap until the warranty was to run out. Then we’d havd to pay for rebuilt parts with congenital defects. (So we traded it in on a Pilot that had no tranny problems at all for the duration we owned it. It had other issues though. Front end wore out way too early but then it was basically just a lifted Honda Accord. Not really a vehicle designed for much real SUV like usage.)

Agreed ^

Honda Pilots ain't too bad, but they're not meant to take out of suburbia.

Selkirk

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Ken, I think part of the allure is having AWD capability, a little extra clearance for our winter conditions, and a bit more room in them then the average sedan (especially with the lift gate and storage). My wife and I downsized to a VW Tiguan, and I just love that little thing, as does the wife. Great built, fit and finish, lots of power with the 2.0 L turbo, very comfortable and perfect for the two of us, with room for 3 passengers in back if occasionally needed. Reliable and a good looking vehicle too. Very capable in snow and ice conditions with Nokian Hakk 8s (studded) on dedicated winter wheels.

Downside is it takes premium fuel, and it doesn't get great mileage with my driving habits. But I like it!

That is why I went with the Cherokee, Can't beat a Jeep for real 4x4 capabilities. I liked the Escape, my gf liked the Rav4, then we drove the Cherokee. The snow mode and real 4x4 is what did it for us. I do miss the power of the 2.0 Ecoboost though. I rented one for a quick trip here in Montana and sweet jeebus that car would get up and move getting about 28mpg doing 80 down I90.

Last winter I just used the factory tires and was impressed. This fall I bought General Altimax Arctic and sweet jeebus again. Absolutely awesome vehicle!

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Positrac

We’ve had a 2008 Honda Pilot EXL since new. Just finished doing the second set of brakes not long ago, one timing belt at 130,000 and that’s it other than regular fluid changes. The AWD handles winter up north just fine and the little bit of moderate dirt roads that it’s seen. It’s built on the same platform and shares a lot of the same parts as the Ridgeline.

It doesn’t have the bling of a new Escalade but I know it will start and drive each time I get in it. Ten years of trouble free driving doesn’t make me want to rush out and buy something else.

Precisely why all my outboards, lawnmower, blower, generator and one of my vehicles are all Honda.

I just love turning the key (or pulling the starter recoil) and having the engine just fire right up and running bullet proof trouble free for years and years.

Yup .... Honda's aren't sexy ...... but they sure do build them to be reliable and long lasting.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by EZM

Precisely why all my outboards, lawnmower, blower, generator and one of my vehicles are all Honda.

I just love turning the key (or pulling the starter recoil) and having the engine just fire right up and running bullet proof trouble free for years and years.

Yup .... Honda's aren't sexy ...... but they sure do build them to be reliable and long lasting.

To a fud like me, that is sexy.

[Positrac]

Originally Posted by Selkirk

Honda Pilots ain't too bad, but they're not meant to take out of suburbia.

That’s why the Pilot is my wife’s.

I drive a Power Wagon as the Pilot wouldn’t wouldn’t be practical for where I go or what I like to do. What not working on a Pilot does do though is give me lots of time to work on the Dodge...which is what you need if you own and really use a vehicle made by any of the big three.

[SlightlyDistracting]

Im glad nobody put any ford suvs on the list.
I cant believe the garbage I had to fix on their suv's before they were even sold.
In all fairness I can say as a tech of 18 years not only would I never ever buy Ford, but Id never buy anything made in north america
Vw touregs gets my vote.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by SlightlyDistracting

Vw touregs gets my vote.

The VW Touareg has been discontinued.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by Trochu

The VW Touareg has been discontinued.

That was the most overpriced, underwhelming SUV I've ever driven. Since I drove one I've always thought the people who bought them either drank the vw coolaid and wouldn't own any other brand or didn't shop around. It was more expensive then a lot of the luxury suv's on the market without giving them any competition.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by SlightlyDistracting

Im glad nobody put any ford suvs on the list.
I cant believe the garbage I had to fix on their suv's before they were even sold.
In all fairness I can say as a tech of 18 years not only would I never ever buy Ford, but Id never buy anything made in north america
Vw touregs gets my vote.

10 year old Ford Edge. Just rolled over 240,000km. Never parked in a garage. Set of brakes at 145,000km. Synthetic oil regularly. Tranny every 75,000km. We had rear wheel bearings changed at 50,000ish on as part of a recall. Never was a fan of it at the beginning (or any CUV) for that matter; but have been very impressed with it.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by KinAlberta

Another friend had a leaking water pump that he replaced and the GM dealer friend just laughed because they all did that. So the friend just managed to replace an old leaky GM part with a new, about to leak, GM part.

I find it hard to believe this tale. There are literally a billion SBC and BBC water pumps out there that never had issues. Sounds more like your buddy was getting ripped off. GM may have had issues with a batch of pumps and rectified the issues. However the style water pump you describe was probably installed on more engines than any other water pump ever produced. Probably the biggest cause of failure on those pumps were bearing failure due to improperly adjusted fan belts. That is not GM's fault.