Need a Recommendation--Anyone Love Their Car / SUV?

I am absolutely in love with my 2004 Pilot, as is about half of my neighborhood (that's truly not an understatement). Even my 5 year old has instructed me to never ever get rid of it.

It's been the perfect size for us and the extra row of seats has come in handy. It's not too big, not too little - just right.

Good luck!

Hi! We have a Mazda 5 that we love. It's a "microvan," and it works perfectly for us. It's small enough that we can easily park it anywhere in the city but it has a pop-up 3rd row that seats 2. It has sliding doors on the sides and 2 captain chairs in the middle, which my kids love. We get about 21 mpg around town and 27 on the road (even with a big roof rack full of stuff). Good luck!
Kimbeley Spears

The Toyota Highlander comes in a hybrid option. I have a Subaru Outback which I love and we're going to buy a new one very soon. It has great trunk space, no 3rd row though.

I know you got a million answers, but I need to second that of the Honda Pilot. That was my first choice, however in my city a used Pilot is hard to find because everyone keeps theirs forever!!!! The second choice would be one of the Lexus RX SUV's that come with 3rd row. Another choice of was the Acura MDX ~nice~. BUT, when making your choice, some are high-maintenance vehicles where oil changes and what not can cost at least $120 vs. $70 or so, depending where you live. I'd go with a small SUV over a car any day. I will never go back to a car.

I have a kia rondo and LOVE it. I do not have the third row option but it does come with one. We bought ours used and it just had the one row of seats. It is GREAT on gas and is so so so roomy inside. A lot of the other small cross overs and small suv's we looked at didn't really have enough leg or head room for my hubby. He is 6' 1". The rondo has plenty of room. Without the third row it has a ton of cargo space plus cubbies built into the floor. I would think you would still have enough room with a third row.

Good luck on your quest.

I just bought a new Honda pilot and I LOVE IT!!!! The gas mileage is better than my past SUV and it has tons of room. I have 2 car seats in the middle and the seat behind the passenger seat can fold down to allow 3 people to get into the back and not mess up my 2 car seats. There is tons of room and the 2nd and third row fold down 100% flat if needed.

I have a toyota sequoia... LOVE IT!!!

I don't love our car, but it fits our needs. We had acquired an extra (former company car) when I was laid off last May. We had an extra car, didn't need it and could use the money better in other ways, so we traded it and our 2008 Pilot in for a 2010. We had a lemon right from the first week and finally got the GM to put us in a 2011. I miss the 2008 and prefer it in many ways.

But, SUVs in general get awful gas mileage (especially if you have a love-love relationship with the accelerator as I do). Our car averages ~16 mpg.
My 2008 Taurus (which I drove very hard as well) averaged 22mpg. I miss it and wish I had it back.

My husband drives a Subaru Legacy for his company car, and it gets great gas mileage (only a 4 cyl engine) and has decent room in the back for our 2 kids. It's a new model, though, so you wouldn't find this particular one used.

I'd highly recommend getting on sites such as NADA (National Automobile Dealer's Association), Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com), Edmunds.com, Car and Driver's website, etc. to see what they say about various cars. They'll usually have both expert and consumer reviews.

We knew we had a lemon when we couldn't find ANY mentions online about transmission issues with the new Pilots. I work in Social Media and have gotten really good about uncovering hidden gems on the internet, and I couldn't find anything.

Good luck!

I always drove sports cars and kept my last one until my son turned 2! Now we have a Sienna mini-van. Seats 7 but could seat 8 - handles great, decent gas mileage and absolutely love it! I plan to have something like this until the kids go to college - maybe beyond. Try driving one and see if you like it.

I love my PT Cruiser! It is very roomy... back seats come out or you can fold them down... front seat folds down. Gas mileage is decent and I rarely drive on the freeways. A trip to San Jose from Sacramento I got 32mpg... around town I only get 17-19 but as I said, I ride the streets and not the freeway. Price is right for a new one.

I know this probably isn't what you are looking for but I LOVE my Toyota Sienna mini-van and I have a friend who has one too and loves it. She had a large SUV before and wishes she changed years ago. My hubby has a hybrid car which we bought for better gas millage and to be a little "greener". That thing is so expensive to maintain, oil changes are $60-70 dollars (and we've called around) and although we haven't had to do any work on it yet I've heard that replacement parts are very expensive.
Best of luck,
C.

My parents love their Toyota Highlander -- seats 7.
YMMV
LBC

We love our Acura MDX (2004 model). We bought it when it was three years old, so we saved a ton of money. But it still felt luxurious, yet extremely practical for us and the two kids. It has a third row seat, which comes in handy sometimes. And plenty of room for the big stroller and gear in the back. This is our family car. My husband recently got a Nissan Rogue for his commuter car (a bit smaller than the Nissan Murano). For a smaller SUV, it is a great option, with all the greatest safety features, and still plenty of room in the back seat for the two carseats. He loves it. And trust me, my husband spends MONTHS doing research before buying a car. He is not sorry we bought either one of our SUVs. Good luck!

We have an Acura MDX and love it. There's a third bench that you can easily bring out or fold away. Acura makes a high quality, reliable car and feels luxury without the same price as a real luxury car. You get the leather seats, DVD player, GPS, etc. Worth every penny.

Acura MDX, we bought an 08 used and we love it, you definately have to check out a used MDX.

We have had a Ford Expedition - Eddie Bauer edition for the past 8 years and love it. It has 120,000 miles on it and we've never had a major mechanical issue (heck, we've barely had any minor mechanical issues with it). It has the power 3rd row seats, which are super handy. We can take up to 8 people (and yes, I have even had 6 car/booster seats in the back 2 rows on school field trips, and they all fit!) I think they do make the Expedition in a hybrid version now. That is what I'd buy if I were in the market for a new vehicle right now.

I totally love my 2007 Toyota Rav4!! It gets great gas mileage, and has a lot of get up and go for a 6 cylinder. You may want to check out the Toyota Highlanders since they're larger and have a 3rd seat. You can't go wrong with a Toyota. They last forever and have a high resale value. Good luck!

I loved my blazer but it didnt have a 3rd row. I don't know if the newer blazers have a 3rd row if they do go for it. they are good on gas too better than the explorers. I would suggest staying away from explorers. if you need to know why check for ford explorer fires on the internet.

I LOVE my GMC Acadia. I have 3 carseats and sill have room for a few friends and groceries. It gets great gas mileage and has lots of room!

I love our Toyota 4runner! It has a 3rd row seat option and the second row splits 60/40 so great for when we need more cargo room. It gets pretty good gas mileage (est18city/23highway) I get better mileage the first half of the tank so I keep it over half. Not sure if they have a 3rd row but Look into Jeep they have some great SUV with decent mileage.

I love love love my Mercedes M500. We bought it used..of course...so pretty inexpensive...third row is a tad small, but works for what I need it for. Seats fold super easy, all of the seats fold down so you can transport furniture. A fill up right now runs me about $65 (premium gas only), and I get 300 half town and half freeway miles to a tank. If its all freeway im closer to 400. They come with Navigation, good sound system..some with TVs. We paid an extra $1000 and got tvs in the head rests and a newer nav/sterio/bluetooth (to talk on the phone through the speakers in the car)/and an ipod doc. I commute and hour or more each way daily with three kids so the TV was necessary for the toddler. :) Good luck with your search!
D.

I had a Honda Pilot which was the best vehicle I ever drove. My husband bought us a Subaru Tribeca (long story), which I hate! I miss the Pilot every day.

I have a Saturn Vue Hybrid. It doesn't have a 3rd row seat, so I know I'm not answering your question in that way, but my point is to consider a Hybrid SUV. I love mine. You might be able to get the best of both worlds with a Hybrid SUV - space and reasonable gas mileage!

We just had a 3rd child and got a Toyota Sienna mini-van. We love it. It handles well, it's easy to get the kids in and out of, and it gets 20+ mpg.

We were in your position a year ago. I had it narrowed down to a Honda Pilot and a GMC Acadia - but then - we got a much better deal on a Volvo XC 90. We were buying used.

We LOVE our Volvo - we did "downsize" from a minivan - I have 3 kids - 7, 11 and 13 - and they either all sit in the middle row - or they split up and sit in the back - the back is comfortable - we felt that even though it looks smaller on the outside than the Pilot did - it was roomier inside. The 2010 model Pilot is bigger. I really loved the Acadia too.

Love, love, LOVE our GMC Acadia. It has the 3rd row and captain seats in the middle (it comes with a bench too). The 3rd row isn't extremely roomy but none of them are. They fold down to make for more "trunk" area. I'm not sure about gas mileage but I can tell you we researched the gas mileage and safety before we bought it and this one came out on top. I was always a Honda girl before and really thought I wanted a Pilot until we test drove and compared the both and I fell in love with the GMC. We've had it over 2 years now and I still love it. Couldn't be happier. =)

I love my mercedes e320. The ride is great and it big enough with out being a big boat. but depending on how many kids you have or are planning to have it might not be big enough. Righ now with our daughter it's perfect. It does well on gas as well. I travel an hour to and from work everyday and a full tank last all week. I do have to use premium gas though. Sorry I don't have suv suggestions. I'm not a suv type of G.. Thinking about baby number 2 I think I'll get a big car like the BMW 7 series. You can get a used one for a good price.

My coworker has a Honda Pilot and really loves it. She says it's good on gas, it has a thrid row, the seats pop up and down.

Good luck to you!

I, too, am looking for a smaller car with 3 row seating and better mileage. Two of the options I've been looking at, the GMC Acadia and Kia Rondo have already been mentioned here. Nobody else has mentioned the car I've been most interested in, the Mazda 5. It's quite small, but still has 3 row seating and sliding back doors with windows that open. I have a friend who has one and really likes it.

We've been van owners for many years. Just got a newer Dodge Caravan and love it. We happen to prefer the Dodge because of the comfort of their seats, but I'm sure there are other good vans available. Our new one is the 'stow and go' model with the seats fitting into little 'wells' in the floor when you don't need to use them.
One hint, we bought from Enterprise rentals and got a great deal on the price. Most rental companies sell from their fleet and the cars are about a year old and you can feel sure in good condition. Someone else who has been buying this way for some time told us that she has found Enterprise and Hertz both to be good places to go to purchase vehicles.

We bought a Mazda 5 last month and LOVE it! It's a minivan, but doesn't feel like one when you're driving. It has plenty of space and gets great gas mileage. It seats 6 with the 3rd row, but the 3rd row folds down really easily for more space. The Mazda 5 was also very affordable!

N. -

I am in the market now and here's what I have found: Forester is rated top of its class for safety (AWD) and it also seems to be the most reaonably priced compared to CRVs etc.

Good luck!

We have a 2005 Honda Pilot- "Penelope Pilot" :) I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE our Pilot. We have a toddler and a newborn and we have tons of room for us, the babies and storage, etc in the back. When the kiddos get older, we'll have the third row of seats to accomodate their friends etc. for outings. Love it!

I love my Chrysler Town & Country minivan. It has great visibility, a great navigation system, it's comfortable and it gets great mileage. We drive to San Diego or LA many times a year and we are always comfortable and so are the kids (ages 4 and 3).

I SO LOVE my "SWAGGER WAGON"!....The Toyota Sienna..only way to go. 'nough said.

I just went through the same thing and compared the Toyota Highlander, the Toyota 4Runner(has the option for removable 3rd row) and the Honda Pilot. We went with the 4Runner and were able to find a 2008 w/ the 3rd row. It is for my husband and he said the other 2 cars were too feminine...
We are very pleased w/ our choice.

We have a 2006 Honda Pilot and LOVE it! Haven't had any trouble with it. Change the oil, keep air in the tires and your're good to go. We were actually sold on the safety ratings it received.

We love our Volvo XC90 (2003). The third row of seats pops up and down really easily, and we've used it a bunch. (Our second car is a Nissan Altima hybrid, which we use when we want to save on mileage.) Of course, the gas mileage isn't phenomenal compared to say, a sedan, but it's good for its class. We struggled with what to purchase when my son was born, but we've had no regrets and have been really grateful for the flexibility (especially now that we have a second child and a large dog). We've had no major car issues, even after 7 years. Good luck with your decision!