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Car/SUV Buying Help Thread (1 Viewer)

John Bender

Footballguy
The last thread I could find on this was archived or I'd have piggy backed there.

I am an absolute mess when it comes to making decisions like this - it took me 2 years to buy a house.  It took me 3 months of not having a car before deciding on something last time.

Currently leasing a 2015 Audi A6 Quattro. Love the car so much. Payments are on the higher side at 600ish per month.  Haven't even come close to the mileage limit. It has 19k miles on it.  It's Residual value is 27k and it's in mint condition. I also love the service at the dealership. You roll up through a covered bay, and your handed a loaner car no questions ask. Never had any bull#### go down with the service guys at the dealership near me.  Lease is up next month.

Being a new homeowner, I thought my next vehicle needed to be a small SUV.  The problem is, most of the small SUV models are shaped like crossovers now, and I just hate the look of them.  Honestly, if it weren't for lack of trunk/storage space, I'd probably just keep the Audi and refinance it into ownership.  I'm starting to wonder though if price and practicality are more important than comfort, good service experiences and having a "nice" car.

Just looking for experiences on any of the below cars that I've test driven.

Chevy Equinox - PIC I like the body style, but my wife hates American made cars and thinks I'm going to miss the luxury feel too much of an Audi.  Not too many bells and whistles.  The drive was rougher for sure.  Budget wise, this is one of the more friendly vehicles though.  I can get into a new one with most of the bells and whistles within budget.

Volkswagon Tiguan - PIC The body style on the 2018's is less cross over looking as they lengthened them by 11".  I like the feel of the drive, smooth, the turbo pick up is nice.  Are men allowed to drive these?

Acura RDX - PIC Acuras, besides the Audi are probably my favorite cars as far as the interior goes. I love the feel of them on the inside, however, the new models are very "feminine" looking and expensive to get all the things I want in a car (4x drive, sunroof, good soundsystem).  They are shaped a lot like the Lexus SUVs

Ford Explorer - PIC Probably the body style I like most.  Feels like an SUV.  The drive itself though feels a lot clunkier (less smooth) than I'm used to.  From a practicality stand point, this is probably the front runner.  I worry the service experience isn't going to be as pleasant however.

GMC Terrain - PIC Like the body style, but didn't get to test drive.

Jeep Grand Cherokee - PIC You know what you're getting with these, but to get all of the options even on a used, they aren't cheap either (an explorer with the same options/mileage is about 5-6k cheaper)

What am I missing out there?  Any testimonies on the above or similar?  Is the dealership service experience important to you?  I drive about 10 miles a week, have no commute, so I'm not sure of the practicality of keeping the Audi as it racks up mileage and services get much more expenses.  I'm going to get out of this thing without even having to do a tire change so I'm totally not prepared for what to expect when things start to go wrong.  Leasing vs. Buying advice?

TIA - will answer your questions about things I'm good at if you have them: watching TV, sleeping, eating, etc.

 
Does Audi have a smaller SUV you like?

I've seen some great looking Audis on the road but I haven't driven one. Would the maintenance cost on one that you aren't leasing be expensive?

What about a Toyota? Maybe the Rav4 or Highlander? Or the Honda Pilot? A lot of FBGs have posted positive things regarding the Pilot.

 
Look at the Buick versions of the GM SUVs (Chevy Equinox/Traverse, GMC Terrain/Acadia). I think they are Encore/Envision/Enclave. The Envision is the Busick version of the Equinox and Terrain, the Enclave is the larger, AKA Traverse and Acadia. The Encore is a tiny SUV.

 
Yes, I'm looking at buying one for my wife although we haven't even test-driven one yet. 

The Q7 is the one I want, the Q5 is probably what we will end up getting. 
My wife test drove a Q5 (I was passenger) and she loved it. She ended up getting a MB GLC300 but it was neck and neck with the Q5. I hindsight, she might have liked the Audi more longterm.

 
:Sehorn:
Wife and I are expecting our second in December. Currently have a '13 Civic. Kid 1 will be 19 months when Kid 2 comes along (knock on wood).
Civic is barely cutting it now and won't after the second comes, so we're targeting the week between X-Mas and New Year's to buy.

Anyone have recommendations or thoughts? I had been thinking a CR-V, just because of Honda, but would love to know what I've overlooked.

 
:Sehorn:
Wife and I are expecting our second in December. Currently have a '13 Civic. Kid 1 will be 19 months when Kid 2 comes along (knock on wood).
Civic is barely cutting it now and won't after the second comes, so we're targeting the week between X-Mas and New Year's to buy.

Anyone have recommendations or thoughts? I had been thinking a CR-V, just because of Honda, but would love to know what I've overlooked.
We got my wife a Hyundai Tucson over a CRV, RAV4 and all the others. Better value, more features and lower price. Check out the Hyundai lineup before you pull the trigger. 

I have a 2016 Pilot Elite but I never looked at the largest, best Hyundai SUV until afterward, and it's probably better. 

 
:Sehorn:
Wife and I are expecting our second in December. Currently have a '13 Civic. Kid 1 will be 19 months when Kid 2 comes along (knock on wood).
Civic is barely cutting it now and won't after the second comes, so we're targeting the week between X-Mas and New Year's to buy.

Anyone have recommendations or thoughts? I had been thinking a CR-V, just because of Honda, but would love to know what I've overlooked.
Having any more kids?  If so, I highly recommend a minivan.  I know I know, no one wants a minivan, but the convenience cannot be overstated with young kids.

 
@John Bender

Check out Swapalease.com - I just picked up a GLE350 with 10k miles and prepaid maintenance for under $500 a month and nothing at all (I mean nothing, like $0) out of pocket. 

Pro tip: Not sure how it works in other states, but I'm under the impression if you live an in upfront tax state, you owe nothing when registering the car if you're taking someone else's lease from the same state. So if you can find someone looking to get out of their lease in your state and they put a big chunk upfront, it is a score!

 
Having any more kids?  If so, I highly recommend a minivan.  I know I know, no one wants a minivan, but the convenience cannot be overstated with young kids.
If my wife wants more with two that little, I may just keep the Civic. We'd never leave the house anyways.

 
If my wife wants more with two that little, I may just keep the Civic. We'd never leave the house anyways.
Ya, but more than two in car seats?  I don't know where you are, but in MN kids are required to be in car seats until over the age of 8 I think these days.  If this car will last you that long, it will be a pain in the butt to try to fit three car seats across any kind of compact or mid sized vehicle.  Minivans with captains chairs in the middle are about as good as you can get for a family truckster.

But I get what you mean about not leaving the house with a bunch of little ones.  God bless the freedom of the youngest being a teenager....but it goes by fasten than I would have liked. 

 
The last thread I could find on this was archived or I'd have piggy backed there.

I am an absolute mess when it comes to making decisions like this - it took me 2 years to buy a house.  It took me 3 months of not having a car before deciding on something last time.

Currently leasing a 2015 Audi A6 Quattro. Love the car so much. Payments are on the higher side at 600ish per month.  Haven't even come close to the mileage limit. It has 19k miles on it.  It's Residual value is 27k and it's in mint condition. I also love the service at the dealership. You roll up through a covered bay, and your handed a loaner car no questions ask. Never had any bull#### go down with the service guys at the dealership near me.  Lease is up next month.

Being a new homeowner, I thought my next vehicle needed to be a small SUV.  The problem is, most of the small SUV models are shaped like crossovers now, and I just hate the look of them.  Honestly, if it weren't for lack of trunk/storage space, I'd probably just keep the Audi and refinance it into ownership.  I'm starting to wonder though if price and practicality are more important than comfort, good service experiences and having a "nice" car.

Just looking for experiences on any of the below cars that I've test driven.

Chevy Equinox - PIC I like the body style, but my wife hates American made cars and thinks I'm going to miss the luxury feel too much of an Audi.  Not too many bells and whistles.  The drive was rougher for sure.  Budget wise, this is one of the more friendly vehicles though.  I can get into a new one with most of the bells and whistles within budget.

Volkswagon Tiguan - PIC The body style on the 2018's is less cross over looking as they lengthened them by 11".  I like the feel of the drive, smooth, the turbo pick up is nice.  Are men allowed to drive these?

Acura RDX - PIC Acuras, besides the Audi are probably my favorite cars as far as the interior goes. I love the feel of them on the inside, however, the new models are very "feminine" looking and expensive to get all the things I want in a car (4x drive, sunroof, good soundsystem).  They are shaped a lot like the Lexus SUVs

Ford Explorer - PIC Probably the body style I like most.  Feels like an SUV.  The drive itself though feels a lot clunkier (less smooth) than I'm used to.  From a practicality stand point, this is probably the front runner.  I worry the service experience isn't going to be as pleasant however.

GMC Terrain - PIC Like the body style, but didn't get to test drive.

Jeep Grand Cherokee - PIC You know what you're getting with these, but to get all of the options even on a used, they aren't cheap either (an explorer with the same options/mileage is about 5-6k cheaper)

What am I missing out there?  Any testimonies on the above or similar?  Is the dealership service experience important to you?  I drive about 10 miles a week, have no commute, so I'm not sure of the practicality of keeping the Audi as it racks up mileage and services get much more expenses.  I'm going to get out of this thing without even having to do a tire change so I'm totally not prepared for what to expect when things start to go wrong.  Leasing vs. Buying advice?

TIA - will answer your questions about things I'm good at if you have them: watching TV, sleeping, eating, etc.
gmc-  well made, not super expensive to maintain.   go drive one

 
How about the Land Rover Land Rover Evoque or land rover discovery.  If your budget fits (which this is not much more than the audi) why not go all the way age get the Range Rover Sport.  I will say the sport is not good if you are over 6'1 or 6'2 like all other people from FBG.  Fortunately i am only 6' so i fit perfect. 

 
Another vote for the minivan. We bought a couple year old Honda Odyssey in 2007 when we had our third. When the kids are in rear facing seats, the nice wide opening doors are a godsend. Also as the kids get bigger and are in the booster chairs and can let themselves in and out, having the automatic sliding doors make things soooooo smooth. Also as the kids get older having the extra room for carpools is great.

ETA: We still have our Odyssey its a 2005 and we have over 180k on it.

 
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Another vote for the minivan. We bought a couple year old Honda Odyssey in 2007 when we had our third. When the kids are in rear facing seats, the nice wide opening doors are a godsend. Also as the kids get bigger and are in the booster chairs and can let themselves in and out, having the automatic sliding doors make things soooooo smooth. Also as the kids get older having the extra room for carpools is great.

ETA: We still have our Odyssey its a 2005 and we have over 180k on it.
Thirded.

I told the wife the other day I may keep driving minivans even after we're empty nesters.

 
Another vote for the minivan. We bought a couple year old Honda Odyssey in 2007 when we had our third. When the kids are in rear facing seats, the nice wide opening doors are a godsend. Also as the kids get bigger and are in the booster chairs and can let themselves in and out, having the automatic sliding doors make things soooooo smooth. Also as the kids get older having the extra room for carpools is great.

ETA: We still have our Odyssey its a 2005 and we have over 180k on it.
Thirded.

I told the wife the other day I may keep driving minivans even after we're empty nesters.
I didn't even mention anything about the nice space in the back. When you have big kids, you have to buy huge amounts of food. Nice to have that extra space for stuff.

 
Chevy Equinox / GMC Terrain - I have a GMC Acadia and I am a fan. I have favored Ford in the past and took a hard look at the Explorer before deciding on the Acadia. We liked the ride of the Acadia better but the biggest factor was that the Traverse/Acadia/Enclave were among the safest SUV's out there (I did a bunch of research including pulling deaths per accident etc). The Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave are all on the same frame and largely the same vehicle with differences in styling, packages and the 'details'. The Acadia and Terrain are very similar with the Terrain being a bit smaller. I was looking at them last night (I took the Acadia in for service) and I really hated the rear space in the terrain (basically there was none unless you put the back seats down). If you like the Terrain I would say look at the Acadia as well. But you actually might like the Buick Enclave (I think the Buick version of Terrain is Encore) as they are a kick up on the luxury side over GMC where as the Chevy versions is a kick down from both. For my Acadia- as long as you don't plan on towing anything then you are good to go. It would be crap if towing. The power is 'sufficient' but not exciting but if you were towing anything that weighed anything it would not end well. My only real complaint is the hooks for hanging dry cleaning. They are on the back row which is a bleepity bleep to get to from either the back door or the hatch. Makes no sense but if that it my biggest complaint then I think I made a good purchase decision. 

I would say the Explorer is not a bad option. It came close for us. I have friends who have them and no issues. 

Jeep Grand Cherokee - I would not consider. Consistently the lowest ratings on vehicles when I look at reports are the Jeep family of vehicles with the only real exception being the Wrangler types. I have been tempted to look in the past because there were things I liked about them and they were offering good incentives but when I dig into some research then reliability always seems to be low and there is a lot written about the overall quality being low. 

 
Not sure about what Sport or Utility a sport utility vehicle has unless it is towing something sporty(jet skis) or utility(trailer).

I am in the Family Utility Vehicle crowd  (Minivan).

 
Thirded.

I told the wife the other day I may keep driving minivans even after we're empty nesters.
I agree with all the other points brought up in support of minivans in this thread, except this one.  I bought a hand me down Lexus ES350 from my dad which has replaced the minivan as the main family vehicle now that one is off to college, and we rarely have five in a vehicle anymore.  I do NOT miss the minivan.

 
Thirded.

I told the wife the other day I may keep driving minivans even after we're empty nesters.
I agree with all the other points brought up in support of minivans in this thread, except this one.  I bought a hand me down Lexus ES350 from my dad which has replaced the minivan as the main family vehicle now that one is off to college, and we rarely have five in a vehicle anymore.  I do NOT miss the minivan.
I wonder how necessary the minivan will be once our oldest starts driving. We will then likely be moving around to different places at different times, so multiple vehicles will likely be used most of the time. Our only need for a minivan will be on long family trips (we don't tend to fly) and those are unfortunately going to go down in number as well. :(

 
We are targeting the Q7 next Spring to replace a Pilot. Had to replace my Camry last month and drove A4 and A6. Ended up buying a Q5 Quattro - great drive and quiet (although I don't like the shape as mentioned previously they all look like crossovers now). Didn't look at Mercedes or BMW as I have heard to many stories about quality issues after about 3 years and we tend to keep our cars about 8 years, so no lease.  Lexus has some nice SUV's that still looks like an SUV. Big rap on the "infotainment" systems though. Infinity/Nissan quality has dropped off. Acura MDX looks nice but haven't driven them and OP doesn't care for the "feminine" interior.  We ended up buying CPO that was 6 months/7,300 miles from in-service date. Audi has a nice CPO warranty that is "included" with price.No haggling though - take it or leave it. Would deal on new 2018's. 

 
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When I had 3 kids under the age of 6, we had to get a newer car to fit the car seats. Asked my wife if she wanted a mini-van. She gave me the death stare and said:

"Hell no I'm not driving a mini-van."

Me:   :wub:

We ended up with a used Suburban with about 55,000 miles (this was 7 years ago). Had the captains seat in the middle row, so kid #1 just walked to the back and strapped himself in. Had plenty of room, bad-### stereo system, plenty of room for all the kids and their junk. And I can pull my fishing boat with it. Put all our camping and hiking gear in it. Hell, I can make french fries in the back if I want to. 

We've taken this thing to Minnesota, Florida, and everywhere in between. Plus it's got a big bad-### v8 that fooking roars when it's on the highway. Pure American Muscle. I climb up in this thing with a fooking step ladder and a climbing rope and settle in for the long haul. 

All the while cranking some Stevie Ray Vaughan on the Bose stereo system. Sunroof open, sitting high up where I can look down into the compact cars where the female millenials look at me with longing in their eyes. :headbang:

But, a mini-van sounds nice too!

 
When I had 3 kids under the age of 6, we had to get a newer car to fit the car seats. Asked my wife if she wanted a mini-van. She gave me the death stare and said:

"Hell no I'm not driving a mini-van."

Me:   :wub:

We ended up with a used Suburban with about 55,000 miles (this was 7 years ago). Had the captains seat in the middle row, so kid #1 just walked to the back and strapped himself in. Had plenty of room, bad-### stereo system, plenty of room for all the kids and their junk. And I can pull my fishing boat with it. Put all our camping and hiking gear in it. Hell, I can make french fries in the back if I want to. 

We've taken this thing to Minnesota, Florida, and everywhere in between. Plus it's got a big bad-### v8 that fooking roars when it's on the highway. Pure American Muscle. I climb up in this thing with a fooking step ladder and a climbing rope and settle in for the long haul. 

All the while cranking some Stevie Ray Vaughan on the Bose stereo system. Sunroof open, sitting high up where I can look down into the compact cars where the female millenials look at me with longing in their eyes. :headbang:

But, a mini-van sounds nice too!
Don't get me wrong, because I certainly would have loved to have been driving a bad ### SUV all those years instead of a minivan.  But I will say that at some point as an adult I stopped caring what other people thought of what vehicle I was driving.  Thus, the thousands less I spent in gas over the years more than made up for what slight difference in functionality a Suburban offers over a minivan.

 
@John BenderUpdate?

Transmission on my 2008 F150 went yesterday, was hoping to squeeze another year or two out of it but I'll be buying something in the next week. Resisting urge to get another truck, need something more manageable for my kids to drive. Looking at the same options as the OP, used (2015 or later) with low miles would be ideal, keeping it under $40k.

 
Maybe stupid question: If I want to trade in my truck do I need to get it fixed first? I assume it's going to be several thousand to do so, but I need to be able to drive it to a dealership to get anything for it, right? 

Without the tranny problem I think the trade in value is around $10K.

 
Maybe stupid question: If I want to trade in my truck do I need to get it fixed first? I assume it's going to be several thousand to do so, but I need to be able to drive it to a dealership to get anything for it, right? 

Without the tranny problem I think the trade in value is around $10K.
No they'll just deduct the cost on the value of the trade,I wouldn't fix it.

I once crashed my car on the way to the dealer to pick up a new car.  They assessed the damage(it was still driveable) and took out the cost to fix it on the trade.

 
No they'll just deduct the cost on the value of the trade,I wouldn't fix it.

I once crashed my car on the way to the dealer to pick up a new car.  They assessed the damage(it was still driveable) and took out the cost to fix it on the trade.
So once I settle on a car at some dealership somewhere, I'll need to get it towed there so they can assess it and decide what they'll give me for it? Seems they'd have me by the nuts at that point.

 
@John BenderUpdate?

Transmission on my 2008 F150 went yesterday, was hoping to squeeze another year or two out of it but I'll be buying something in the next week. Resisting urge to get another truck, need something more manageable for my kids to drive. Looking at the same options as the OP, used (2015 or later) with low miles would be ideal, keeping it under $40k.
I ended up on a brand new Tiguan - I got a good deal and and it had everything I wanted - the technology bells and whistles and special tires etc.

That said, it was between that and an Explorer for me when I test drove everything and narrowed it all down.

I say go for a Ford Explorer, especially because you're an F150 guy anyway - they may even cut you a better deal for "loyalty to the brand."

 
So once I settle on a car at some dealership somewhere, I'll need to get it towed there so they can assess it and decide what they'll give me for it? Seems they'd have me by the nuts at that point.
well....yeah, you're trading in a vehicle that doesn't operate, you don't have much leverage

 
So once I settle on a car at some dealership somewhere, I'll need to get it towed there so they can assess it and decide what they'll give me for it? Seems they'd have me by the nuts at that point.
They can bid your truck before you get it there.  Take some pictures.  Not running is a negative but not a deal breaker.  They can tow it cheaper than you can.

 
We got my wife a Hyundai Tucson over a CRV, RAV4 and all the others. Better value, more features and lower price. Check out the Hyundai lineup before you pull the trigger. 

I have a 2016 Pilot Elite but I never looked at the largest, best Hyundai SUV until afterward, and it's probably better. 
My 2016 Honda Pilot Elite AWD with 118,000 miles blew an engine the other day. I kid you not. I’m still in disbelief but oh well.

Getting a 2020 Hyundai Palisade Limited AWD. Value is just tremendous and the features blow everything away. Looks and feels like a true luxury brand. 

 
My 2016 Honda Pilot Elite AWD with 118,000 miles blew an engine the other day. I kid you not. I’m still in disbelief but oh well.

Getting a 2020 Hyundai Palisade Limited AWD. Value is just tremendous and the features blow everything away. Looks and feels like a true luxury brand. 
Damn, a 2016 already #### the bed? That’s a lot of miles in a short time, but likely easy highway miles. And being a FBG, you surely maintained it properly.

I hear great things about Hyundai. Like you said, they pack a lot of upgrades into their cars while still being a decent value.

 
Have a 2011 dodge Durango.  Unfortunately probably need something bigger.  Even with roof rack & hitch carrier my kids are getting squeezed on road trips.  

Any recommendations?

 
AUDI Q5 (great cars; I’d go for the SQ5)

BMW X5

 
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Have a 2011 dodge Durango.  Unfortunately probably need something bigger.  Even with roof rack & hitch carrier my kids are getting squeezed on road trips.  

Any recommendations?
Bigger than a Durango? Suburban is probably what you need.

 
Are the bells & whistles in the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland worth the expense versus the Limited?

Opinions on the Grand Cherokee versus Toyota Highlander or Buick Enclave?

 

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