suv/crossover for $30k

Just bought a 14 Explorer. Love it so far.

Something else to look at might be a Chevy Equinox. Quite a bit of room in the back as the back seat slides back and forth.

 

Just don't go to UHaul and expect to rent a trailer with it.

 

No bikes to haul anymore anyway...

 

We have a 4runner.. Been a great vehicle, and well.. It's a Toyota it will run forever.

 

Purchased a 2013 SantaFe last march, LOADED, heated seats front, back and drivers wheel , panoramic roof, leather, power everything and a host of other features, right in your budget. Just read JD powers rating on Hyundi is #1 in reliability. Ours has been flawless, got the non turbo it gets 30 ish on the highway good power GREAT vehicle. (last car was a MB and the mandatory service cost to maintain the warranty was outrageous)

10 YEAR WARRANTY!

 

Which one do you have? We'll probably pick up 4th gen after the first of the year for my wife. She wanted a Wrangler but I've talked her out of it. Next question is V6 or V8.

 

Didn't read everything, but the op mentioned the RDX. Friends wife had one for about 4 months and traded it in because it was too small. They moved up to a Chevy Traverse and that thing is huge, even compared to my wife's Explorer, both with 3rd row seats. If you're buying planning on kids, take a car seat with you.

 

2012 sr5 luxury package. 4wd with the v6. Consistently get 24mpg out of it hwy, comfortable and roomy. She wanted a trail but they are hard to get in this region for some reason.

 

and with the V6 it will last forever. Bonnie loves hers.

 

My wife and I bought a new CX-9 this year and love it so far, for what it's worth. It fits our son's Recaro car seat just fine and the third row comes in handy when it's my turn to drive the lunch crew (assuming my wife isn't driving it that day).

 

I need to look in to the Hyundai's more. I like the size/looks of 4runners, but same as Honda, I don't like any of my local dealers. Next step is some test drives to see what size we actually want/need.

 

Another vote for 4-Runner. Will likely be the next vehicle for me when lease is up on the Tacoma. Might go back to an FJ, as the one I had before the truck was trouble-free and just nifty.

 

Adding to the 4-Runner talk, let me qualify our decision. My wife is dead set on a "truck-ish" SUV. If I had my way, we'd get a car based crossover of some sort. The unit body construction allows for a lighter, stiffer chassis which means better ride, quieter operation, better crash safety, and better gas mileage.

 

My wife has a 2011 Edge. She beats it to shit and it still runs smooth. She got the mid level package and upgraded to leather, Ford MyTouch, sunroof, and all weather mats. Loads of room and it tows my bike in an open trailer just fine. I've even camped in the back of it with the back seat down. I'm 5-10 and slept corner to corner, but it still worked.

Only issues: The sunroof and the panel under the glove box. The sunroof got stuck, opened, twice. The service manager did admit they may not have fixed it right the first time. The back side of the panel, under the glove box, keeps falling down. I took it in four times, and finally wedged it closed on my own.

 

Just skip to the end and get a suburban.

 

They never break when they are closed do they?

 

Nope! But she HAD to have it...

 

It's not just the size you need to think about, but the layout of the back seats. All rear-facing car seats are not the same either. We have 2 rear facing kids right now, one in a Sunshine Kids Radian which is narrow in width, but tall and the other is in a Britax something which is wider but shorter.

In our car (03 Pontiac Vibe) the Radian has to be on the passenger side because it just won't fit behind me when I'm driving, and it's very uncomfortable for anything longer than a trip across town for me in the passenger seat. The Radian did fit in the center seat without any problems, but when kid #2 came along and it had to move I gave up the ability to be passenger without swapping the seats around. If we had 2 of the Britax seats they would fit without any trouble at all.

 

I was one of those first time mom's that had to have the SUV - I regreted it within a year. Gas mileage sucked, it was so hard to get the seat in the stupid thing (i'm only 5'2") and the storage in the SUV was actually smaller than the accord I had before.

I honestly wish I had either kept the 4 door I had or gotten another Audi wagon instead of an SUV.