SUV's - what would you recommend?

[Busgosu]

Disgusted by the lack of love for Lada Niva itt

 

[Big Burly]

I have 2 2023 Chevy Traverse AWDs, in High Country trim.

The first one was for me. I gave it to the wife, and bought a Silverado. It proved to be too much vehicle for my needs. I swapped it for the second Traverse.

Why would I get two? I really loved the first Traverse. It is like a Honda Pilot, with 3 rows of seats. Good family hauler. Comfortable. All the cool gadgets without being fully controlled by the screen. Good power from the V6, which is naturally aspirated.

 

[lsa]

Disgusted by the lack of love for Lada Niva itt

Its awesome.
Sadly now Niva is owned by Renault and the next Niva looks like another cheap Euro SUV clone.

 

[djacobox372]

Best SUV ever made and still widely available:

 

[lsa]

Best SUV ever made and still widely available:

I like this one better:

 

[Brampton_Boy]

Has anyone mentioned the Genesis GV80?

I love my Genesis G90, and the GV80 is such a beautiful car. Don't let the term "bargain luxury" fool you, it will compete with any GLE, X5 etc (and with better reliability to boot).

 

[Brampton_Boy]

Best SUV ever made and still widely available:

Is that the Land Cruiser? If it is, I don't think it's available in North America (at least as of 2023). Our equivalent is the Lexus LX600.... which is like $150K.

 

[djacobox372]

Is that the Land Cruiser? If it is, I don't think it's available in North America (at least as of 2023). Our equivalent is the Lexus LX600.... which is like $150K.

It's an 80 series (1990-1997). They're widely available in the US on the used market.

Most LC enthusiasts consider this version of the LC the pinnacle--subsequent models sacrificed reliability and toughness for more features and luxury.

 

[gatchaman]

Is that the Land Cruiser? If it is, I don't think it's available in North America (at least as of 2023). Our equivalent is the Lexus LX600.... which is like $150K.

Toyota’s off-road icon and longest-running nameplate is making a triumphant comeback to North America for the 2024 model year https://pressroom.toyota.com/2024-toyota-land-cruiser-returns-to-its-origin/

The Land Cruiser seems to be moving downscale from its "luxury offroader" image. The new model hypothetically comes in under $60,000, far under the old model's $85,000-and-up, and it moves into a very different category where you would now cross-shop a Wrangler or Bronco. https://www.topspeed.com/2024-toyota-land-cruiser-review-pricing-specs/

It looks like, with the new Land Cruiser, Toyota will be trying to cash in on the Land Cruiser name attached to a less capable redesign. It's a tricky balance because people who actually go off-road don't want to risk a $100G+ vehicle, but adding off-road goodies (locking differentials, air suspension, skid plate) adds to the production cost.

I don't like that the base new Land Cruiser will have a turbo 4-cylinder. You may need to step on the accelerator to power over an obstacle, but you don't need a sudden burst of speed from the turbo lag messing with delicate low speed maneuvering.

 

[therealdope]

My picks for a 3-row SUV that is good in the snow:
1st) Subaru Ascent
2nd) Honda Pilot Trailsport

If you can do without the 3rd row then I recommend the Subaru Outback.

I like that the Subaru AWD is always on and not FWD that converts to AWD when slippage is detected. The Outback (been around for a long time) has better proven reliability than the Ascent (relatively new). I'm also worried that Honda has been slipping on reliability. In Honda's favor, I would prefer the Honda's natrually aspirated 6-cylinder to Subaru's turbo 4-cylinder, and I would prefer 10-speed automatic (Honda) to CVT (Subaru).

My main winter concern is icy roads. You may prefer 4WD (like the Toyota Sequoia or Toyota 4Runner) if you are more concerned about deep snow.

Edit: Also, even with AWD or 4WD, you still need to use winter tires. I think FWD with winter tires would be better than AWD without.

I’m a longtime Subaru owner over several cars. They are great but I would caution people about a few things.

- they aren’t cheap and low on features compared to other cars
- Bluetooth sucks. Sometimes it doesn’t work
- awd means heavier vehicles and gas mileage has never been great
- they have had quality issues. Wheel bearings on several models for several years
- I’m not convinced they’ve solved the head gasket issue. Just assume you need a new one at 100,000 miles

 

[90 50]

For the price, the Ford Edge ST is fantastic. You can get a used one with 20k miles for $30k or less. The ST trim is a V6 turbo and dishes out 335hp and a torque of 380lbs !

I'm planning on buying one asap.

Go ahead and budget for replacing the cam phasers right off the bat or near to it. They are starting to fail like crazy on those engines and have had several recalls and they are a pain in the ass to do.

I wouldn’t own anything with an eco boom.
I hate working on them.

Buy a Tahoe or suburban. Thank me later.

 

[Brampton_Boy]

Toyota’s off-road icon and longest-running nameplate is making a triumphant comeback to North America for the 2024 model year https://pressroom.toyota.com/2024-toyota-land-cruiser-returns-to-its-origin/

The Land Cruiser seems to be moving downscale from its "luxury offroader" image. The new model hypothetically comes in under $60,000, far under the old model's $85,000-and-up, and it moves into a very different category where you would now cross-shop a Wrangler or Bronco. https://www.topspeed.com/2024-toyota-land-cruiser-review-pricing-specs/

It looks like, with the new Land Cruiser, Toyota will be trying to cash in on the Land Cruiser name attached to a less capable redesign. It's a tricky balance because people who actually go off-road don't want to risk a $100G+ vehicle, but adding off-road goodies (locking differentials, air suspension, skid plate) adds to the production cost.

I don't like that the base new Land Cruiser will have a turbo 4-cylinder. You may need to step on the accelerator to power over an obstacle, but you don't need a sudden burst of speed from the turbo lag messing with delicate low speed maneuvering.

At that price point, I think I would be willing to pay up and look into the new Sequoia. I much prefer the boxier shape of the new Toyota's though - looks rugged.

Surprisingly, Hyundai has been coming up with some surprise offerings that look great for the sub $50K market - the new Santa Fe looks like a Landrover Defender. How well it performs off-roading remains to be seen.