Mid-Size SUV (Don't Light Me Up, Please)

N

Nichols747

Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
41
My wife and I will be going shopping for a new vehicle tomorrow, one which accomodates our soon-to-be baby boy and our lifestyle.

Without a debate of the evils or righteousness of an mid-size SUV, does anyone have any insight or advice on the following?

Chevy Trailblazer EXT

Ford Explorer

Nissan Pathfinder

Toyota 4Runner

We really DO need a 4wd SUV where we live, need to be able to transport our boy, two dogs, and gear. Only other factor is that I am 6'4" with a very large frame. Fuel economy is not an issue - we generally dont go more than a few miles around town, other than the occasional trip to the big city.

Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

AN
 
Either the pathfinder or 4runner are good choices. The new pathfinder is more powerful than the 4runner, though, but both are great choices and extremely reliable.
 
Why Exclude the Jeep Grand Cherokee? I'm a traveling sales rep that needs to haul a lot of stuff on a regular basis so a vehicle in this class is perfect for me. At around 30K miles per year, I put them through an accellerated testing period. In the last nine years I've had this job, I've owned two Explorers and two Grand Cherokees. I've also test driven the Chevys, Nisasns and the Toyotas each time a new vehicle was in order.

If I was in the market today, it would be between the Grand Cherokee, the Forerunner and the Toyota Highlander.

The Explorers are Fords. The two I owned seemed more solidly built than the Nissans and Toyotas, and had a better rep than the Chevys. They were both problematic and had numerous recalls. It would be a hard sell to get me into another Explorer.

The Nissans tend to run a long time, but to me feel cheesy in their build quality. They just don't seem substantial. If I was looking to save cash, I'd probably just buy an Xterra than a Pathfinder, but am not inclined to buy Nissan products at this time.

Toyota has been continually making forward progress in their quality and are about the most well regarded cars in the world today, often eclipsing even the German marques in overall quality surveys these days. The Forerunner and Highlander get very good marks.

The Trialblazer is a GM product and with Chevy on the verge of BK, I'd be hesitant to buy one today. Their fit and finish has sucked for the last couple decades and it's finally taking a toll on their long term outlook.

I've been VERY happy with my Grand Cherokees. I spend a lot of time in my truck and it's very comfortable. It's fast, handles well and has been trouble free. I can say the same about the 2000 model that preceeded it. Mine have both been WJ models that have recently been replaced by the newer WK models which are available with the Hemi (yeah!), but I have no experience with WK versions. If you can find a NOS WJ model in stock, I can highly recommend them. I've got 80K miles on my 2002 Limited in 2.5 years and it's still going strong with no real problems so far.

If you can live with a slightly smaller vehicle, I've heard great things about the Saturn Vue (Honda drive train) and the Jeep Liberty.

Hope this helps some.
 
Have a 2004 Explorer.
240hp V6 Irs nice fit and finish.Third one I've owned.
Would buy another.
Randy
 
No question about the quality of the Toyota.

However, a simply anecdotal story: my brother in law flipped his 4Runner on a drive back from Vermont to NY, no fancy stuff, no alcohol; he's a grown up, responsible, skilled vehicle operator. He just skidded a bit and over it went. Could've happened in any vehicle? Perhaps, as I said this isn't a scientific report.

-He and his ski buddies survived not too much the worse for wear, but though he loved the 4Runner, he went right out and replaced it with whatever Volvo's SUV is, since they specifically advertise some kind of anti-roll design. Not an indictment of the Toyota and of no statistical value, but what does Pontiac say?

"Wider is better."

I like the Grand Cherokee suggestion. It's got a wider footprint.
 
You didn't mention whether you intended to buy new or used, but the best used deals can be had on the Ford and the Chevy. I bought a 1 year old FWD Explorer last fall with 11K miles from Carmax for $18K plus taxes. It's still basically a new car. At this point I still have nearly 18 months left on the factory warranty.

Razz
 
Chevy Trailblazer shouldn't be a problem for your height. I have a Chevy LS Blazer and have never had a problem, they seem to run pretty much the same. Don't buy a Ford.
 
Moving to Gadgets & Gear. So much for posting the rules at the top of the forum. :rolleyes:
 
It may be a little larger but you should take a look at the Honda Pilot. We've got one and have put 10,000 miles on it since Feb, and we don't commute! This rides great, is not fatiguing to drive and has great visibility. I have an '04, the 05's have more ponies.

We've put as much as 120 miles in a day off road on our Pilot and it's done well. This is on BLM roads, good in spots, very bad in others.

My wife took over my 'Vette when we lived in NJ, since moving and getting the Pilot she's not had the 'Vette out. Feels safe and loves the view.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

Win
 
I like the Trailblazers, if I needed an SUV instead of a truck, I would probably go with this model, but they have had reports of excessive rollovers.

The Ford Explorer is a very popular model, but I'm not a Ford fan, and with all of the problems Ford has been experiencing lately, I don't think I'll be a Ford man anytime soon, although those superduties are some very nice looking trucks.

Don't get me started on Nissan. I was going to buy a Frontier, then drove one for a weekend. :barf:

Toyota. I love Toyota, I was going to buy a 4Runner before I got a good deal on my Blazer, I have a Toyota pickup that, at close to 300k, still runs like a scalded dog. But, I have heard of problems with Toyotas made after 2000, that drift while in park (heard a small blurb on TV). Also, I've seen a lot of 4Runners on the side of the highway, but that doesn't mean anything.

My bet would be on a 4Runner, if there is in fact a problem with the cars drifting while in park, that can be fixed. I think that Toyota is the best out there. Long after you're done with the truck, your son or daughter can use it for their first vehicle.
 
My vote would be for two vehicles not on your list. Either the Toyota Highlander or the Honda Pilot. Reviews on these two have been stellar(they really can't find anything to fault). If I could afford a Highlander, it would be mine. Surf around, read the reviews on the Highlander. You won't find a negative comment. One really nice thing about the Highlander is the fact that they took the V6 engine and 5 speed automatic transmission out of the Lexus and put it into the Highlander.
 
All of the new tall and narrow SUV's can flip over, buy a wagon instead or a HUMMER!
 
If you weren't 6'4" I'd highly recommend the Honda Pilot. I'm 6' and while I have plenty of room, I've got the seat all the way back. Definately try it out because there is a huge amount of overall room inside and it drives great.

The forerunner and pathfinder are more truck based SUVs if you plan on hard offroading and stuff, but they won't drive over the road as good as the Pilot and the Highlander. Chevy never seemed to put as much effort into the trailblazers as they did the bigger SUV like the Tahoe and TahoeXL (suburban).
 
If you must ruin the environment and thus force your children to live in a post-apocolyptic environmental hell, buy a Toyota. ;)
 
Nichols747 said:
My wife and I will be going shopping for a new vehicle tomorrow, one which accomodates our soon-to-be baby boy and our lifestyle.

Without a debate of the evils or righteousness of an mid-size SUV, does anyone have any insight or advice on the following?

Chevy Trailblazer EXT

Ford Explorer

Nissan Pathfinder

Toyota 4Runner

We really DO need a 4wd SUV where we live, need to be able to transport our boy, two dogs, and gear. Only other factor is that I am 6'4" with a very large frame. Fuel economy is not an issue - we generally dont go more than a few miles around town, other than the occasional trip to the big city.

Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

AN
Click to expand...


I second the vote to look at the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I would specifically get one with the Quadradrive II (for the current WK series, '04-->. QD for WJ series, '99-'04) AWD system. The Quadradrive system is a very serious AWD system that gets power to *any* wheel that needs it. Do a bit of digging, and you'll be supprised at how most AWD systems really only power two or three wheels and some can't apply a lot of torque to some of the wheels even then. This system is set for both on-street driving (think snow) or off road driving.

The prices can't be beat ordering online with www.jeepwarehouse.com.

We have a last generation model (WJ, built 99-04) with Quadradrive and are extremely pleased with it. We've had ours since '99 and we haul two big dogs everywhere and it is still in good shape. We take them swimming / playing at least once a week and they track tons of mud and water in. I'd suggest Husky molded liners once they become available for the WK model. We have them in our WJ and swear by.

The cool thing about the JGC is that it really is designed to be reasonably off-road capable, but has very reasonable street manners. It sounds corny, but the Jeep gives you a feeling that it will get you home, no matter what.

Jeep Options to get:

- 4x4 Popular Equipment Group (AJY)
- Air bags, side supplemental (CGS)
- Tire Pressure Monitoring Display (XGM)
- Trailer Tow Group IV (AHX)

Resources:

WK Grand Cherokee Forum

Info site for WK JGC

-john
 
Well, at least when the boy is driving around, blasting zombies and picking up roadkill to survive in a Mad-Max world, he'll have a good zombie-smashing rig.

Seems to be a strong consensus towards the Toyota - I have had size pbroblems in Toyota PUs - how's the interior space in the 4Runner?

Thanks all.
 
First, I own 2 Fords at the moment and my best recommendation is not to even consider the Explorer, in fact, I would say don't even visit the dealership. Ford quality seems to be at an all-time low, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. My Ford SUV has been in the shop now for 30 days straight, and it's been problems after problems ever since I got it a year ago.

Since mine's been in the shop so much, I've had a chance to drive a bunch of rental cars. I had a Toyota Highlander last week, it was very nice. 22mpg on a trip to the mountains with the V6. Enough power, lots of room, nice drive (I think it's built on the Camry chassis?). Overall a very nice ride. I understand the crash tests came out well on it too. My wife really liked the car. She's 5'2 and I'm 6'2, and we both fit well, although it was just a touch on the small side for me as a driver.

If rollover is a concern, check out the Volvo XC90 - they have an avoidance system that is top-notch. You simply CANNOT roll it on pavement. They have a test course and you can take the thing out and try to roll it, it just won't happen. Now, clip the rear wheel on dirt, I guess all bets are off, but on pavement, no way. Of course Vovlo is owned by Ford, so it's off my list.

Hondas are top notch in terms of reliability, safety and value, IMHO. Is the CR-V too small? It's a heck of a value, good safety.

We're in the same boat, getting ready to get a new SUV after I dump my Fords. I'm so friggin upset with Ford I can't see straight. If you think Ford is still worth looking into, please do yourself a favor and do some reading about other people's experiences first. It's true that any car has problems, but some a LOT more than others.

Best of luck...
 
I have had good luck with Fords, my wife has a 03 Escape and it has been great. I will tell you to stay away from any new model Nissan, I know this from experience, they take at least 2 model years to get everything worked out. I have owned 5 Nissans going back to 1987 and ever since Renault took them over in the late 90's the quality has not been the same.
 
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