I am thinking about a getting a SUV

4 Runner. We are on our sixth one only because hail took our 2016 in May. We bought a new one this time getting 19+mpg and it is not broke in yet. When we settled with the insurance company we got more than we paid for it after owning for 4 yrs and putting about 70,000 miles on it. You will not find any deals on them right now but they hold their value probably better than anything that is built on an assembly line. Good luck on your quest and thanks for the daily jokes.
Scott
 
I’ve had two unmarked police package Explorers (oh, sorry Ford, Police Interceptor Utility) since 2012. The first made it to 180,000 miles when it went to auction in 2020, only real issue was needing the transfer case replaced. The current one, a 2020, is up to 61,000 miles without an issue so far. Starting in 2020 the Explorer returned to being RWD/AWD.

I’m very happy with my current unmarked Explorer. It is pleasant to drive, handles well, and gets decent mileage. Mine has the non boosted V-6, and is not a hybrid. I’ll probably see if I can buy it if it survives a few more years to be auctioned.
 
I bought my daughter (she’s making payments) a Kia Sportage that actually has plenty of room inside plus room for whatever. I never thought I would but I would recommend a Kia but there I went! Hers is a 2020 with low mileage.
 
Narragansett said:
OK, so what do I want?

I have been looking for the last day, and many are disappointing. My first thought was a Toyota 4Runner. They have 3 models, and the EPA rating is 16/19 on all 3. WOW!!

I want gas only. No Electric or Diesel or Hybrid, and I am not looking for a 50K car.

The RAV4 Toyota seems a bit slack on horsepower.

Today I am going to look at the Tahoe . (* edit, Nope, that ain't it. )
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I've owned two Highlanders in succession, the first was a 2003. Drove it until 2019, never had any issues with the vehicle other than I found it just a bit tight in the driver's compartment. I had a friend that drove a 4-Runner and they are built on the light truck platform and are much roomier and offer a larger engine. The 2003 had plenty of power with its large V-6, it never gave up any decent mileage in town driving as they are full time four wheel drive. I sold the 03 to my wife's girlfriend who needed a four wheel drive wagon for snow weather, she is still driving the wheels off it. I bought a new updated Highlander in 2019, they enlarged the vehicle to nearly that of old 4-Runner status. I am very comfortable in the cabin, it is a terrific vehicle in snowy weather, has a bunch of bells and whistles I don't need but is great. Again no great mileage in town, never better than 17. I am a low mileage driver and never get out on the highway for extended periods of time.
 
I like a big ride and V-8 power. If I were in the market for a new car, it would be GMC Yukon or Suburban. The price of gas is not a consideration for me.

My daily driver is a 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis. I love having a bench front seat and no console.

My truck is a 2018 F-250 XLT 4X4 Super Cab with a gas V-8, a bench seat and no console.

My wife drives a 2018 Lincoln MKC Black Label.

We also have a "spare" car, a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium Hatchback.

I hope my Mercury outlasts me (I'm 71), since they don't make anything like it anymore. If it doesn't, I'll be getting a Yukon or Suburban.
 
Another vote for the Mazda CX-5. But you will want to step up to the AWD and turbocharged engine models. And if you anticipate much snow driving, get a set of better tires instead of the so called "all season" tires that come on it.

I bought a new one in 2019. I was prepared to spend up to $50k but I thought the Mazda was better than anything else in that range and came in quite a bit less. I only have about 21,000 miles on it since I retired and don't drive a lot. But the lifetime average is 24.9 MPG. I get almost 28 MPG on the freeway. I live in the mountains and a lot of my driving is going from 6000 ft to 1000 ft and back up again so that consumes more fuel.

I ONLY run Premium gas in it. It will run on 87 octane just fine but you need to run 91 or 93 octane to get the full HP rating. If I were going to do a long road trip on the freeway I'd probably fill it with 87 octane but I like the extra power in the mountains.

It is quiet and comfortable and handles surprising well for an SUV. Worth a test drive for sure.
 
Nothing but 4Runner's here. Had a 1999 gave to my daughter. Had a 2007 gave to my son. Had a 2004 that i traded in on my 2011. Bought my wife a new 2018 4Runner. still owned the 2011 and the 2018. Other than the mpg they great
 
rbmac52 said:
I like a big ride and V-8 power. If I were in the market for a new car, it would be GMC Yukon or Suburban. The price of gas is not a consideration for me.

My daily driver is a 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis. I love having a bench front seat and no console.

My truck is a 2018 F-250 XLT 4X4 Super Cab with a gas V-8, a bench seat and no console.

My wife drives a 2018 Lincoln MKC Black Label.

We also have a "spare" car, a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium Hatchback.

I hope my Mercury outlasts me (I'm 71), since they don't make anything like it anymore. If it doesn't, I'll be getting a Yukon or Suburban.
Click to expand...

My personal daily driver is a 2001 Crown Vic. Since I have a take home gov’t car the Vic mainly works weekends, so the mileage doesn’t go up too fast. I’ve started looking for a nice low mileage 2010 Vic or Grand Marquis as a replacement for the ‘01. I will never forgive Ford for killing off the Vic and Grand Marquis.
 
My wife's 2020 Lincoln Corsair gets decent mileage. It's the smallest Lincoln, but it has decent enough room and good power to weight ratio with its 4 cylinder turbo. It's been bulletproof so far.

Her previous ride was a 2017 MKC (the Corsair's predecessor). She drove it three years, then I drove it three years. Again, good mileage, decent room for a small SUV, and pretty good power.

Then I traded it for my current 2023 Bronco. A bit roomier, good power with its twin turbo V6, and TERRIBLE mileage. With the Sasquatch package's 4.7 gear ratio, 4WD, and lifted height it only gets 17.2 mpg in town or on the highway. It is the only vehicle I've ever had that matches its EPA rating which is 17/17. I really enjoy it despite the sucky gas mileage - oh, and the fact that it's pretty noisy inside at anything over 65mph. Kind of a niche vehicle, but it beats the crud out of my son's Wrangler Sahara Unlimited in comfort, mileage, and power.
 
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LVSteve said:
...the simple fact is that the best performance and mileage can only be had on premium....
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Walter Rego said:
..I ONLY run Premium gas in it [CX-5 w/ turbo]. It will run on 87 octane just fine but you need to run 91 or 93 octane to get the full HP rating....
Click to expand...

Thinking about what you guys have to say, with less than ten miles left to go on the fuel gauge yesterday, I filled my CX-5 w/ turbo with premium for the first time. This should increase the HP from 227 to 256, and the tourque from 310 to 320 ft lbs, per specs.

I'm curious to see if I notice a difference, but wary of the placebo effect.
 
Bought a used 2017 Kia Sportage two yeas ago after a little old lady in a Jeep Cheerokee rear-ended my Honda Accord. The Kia had 75000 miles on its 4 cylinder. Been getting just under 29 mpg highway, which isn't anywhere near the 45 mpg I got with the Accord, but is better than our old Dakota 4X4. Wife loves the heated seats and the ease of entry as we are both tall. Plenty of room and good enough acceleration for getting out of trouble. The only issue is that it likes to use oil, something not uncommon with high rpm 4 cylinders.

You may want to look into a Subaru. They are built like a tank and the newer models are getting over 30 mpg.

John
 
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soFlaNative said:
Someday I hope to know the difference between SUV and a crossover.
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The most simplistic explanation is a SUV is bigger and based on a truck chassis. A CUV is smaller and based on a car chassis. Of course there is more to it but that is the basic difference.
 
johngalt said:
Mine's not for sale!
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Neither is mine. :D

bM7KPp4.jpg



We've had good luck with Mod1 (ending in 1999) Chevys. Suffice it to say, a 455 cubic inch V8 pulling an 8000 lb truck does not get great mileage. :eek:

The daughter's '99 2 door Tahoe does get pretty decent mileage for a 350. It handles ND winters without problems. She calls it "the snowcat"

KLVs8Zj.jpg


A couple of dealers we know bring them in from California or other no snow areas and then we Ziebart them. It really does work.

We looked hard at 4Runners but used, they're all rustbuckets around here or late models for big bucks. Something about Toyota and salt doesn't mix well- my son's Tacoma had a recall for that.

My brother is a big Jeep fan but following his cars- lots of bells and whistles failures, visco t-case problems and losing his rear end (it disconnected from the frame) has made me leery of Jeep products.
YMMV


Edit: a lot of SUVs are really just pavement queens (not enough clearance, weak drivetrains etc.). I watched that episode of Grand Tour where they all died while doing donuts. Hilarious!
The Grand Tour’s SUV Tests Reveals All Of The Pitfalls With Modern Crossovers | Carscoops
 
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Narragansett said:
OK, so what do I want?

I have been looking for the last day, and many are disappointing. My first thought was a Toyota 4Runner. They have 3 models, and the EPA rating is 16/19 on all 3. WOW!!

I want gas only. No Electric or Diesel or Hybrid, and I am not looking for a 50K car. Then you'd better buy one now cause they are all going to one of these it seems. That 50k figure mat be a bit unrealistic

The RAV4 Toyota seems a bit slack on horsepower.

Today I am going to look at the Tahoe . (* edit, Nope, that ain't it. )
Click to expand...
What do you want the SUV for? On or Off road? do you plan on towing? these are the two main considerations. If you are not going ot do any off roading nor towing, I suggest you look at te TOyota Highlander. Bought one for th ewife and am well pleased. Drives like a car and very capable but not for off pavement. It will tow my 13' whaler but I would not tow anything bigger. BUT-this year is is a turbo 4 and some come with hybrid. 2023 was the last year of te naturally aspirated six cylinder. I do NOT like juicing up a four with a turbo . Period.
The four runner would be my choice but now they pretty much all come with the turbo four/hybrid combo so that nixes them for me. I'm pretty much locked into my new Toyotas for now. Check out the Chevy Traverse or the GMC Acadia. They have gotten huge.
Good luck
 
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