What other vehicles should we look at??

[MSWR0319]

DH wants to trade in his truck for a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. He brought one home and while it's nice, I think we need to look at other vehicles as well before making a decision. DH is a bit impulsive. About a month ago he insisted he trade in his truck for an Ody and that he would drive the mini-van, which I knew would never ever happen. So what other vehicles would you look at if you liked the Grand Cherokee?

[TwoBees]

I didn't look at the Grand Cherokee, but I just got a 2013 Honda CRV and I LOVE it. How much room do you need in a new car?

[Twoboos]

Toyota Highlander - I love ours!

[jd11365]

LOVE my 2013 Nissan Pathfinder!

[scrooks]

Not as sporty but DH loves his Buick enclave.

[KpbS]

Honda Pilot :)

[lhafer]

Definitely look at all of those suggested.

Also look at:

- Nissan Murano
- Nissan Rogue
- Ford Explorer
- Ford Edge
- Ford Flex
- CX5/7/9
- Kia Sorent
- Hyundai Santa Fe
- Hyundai Veracruz

What is he looking for in a vehicle? Going from an Ody to a Cherokee - I guess # of seats isn't the deciding factor?

What's your budget?

[MSWR0319]

Definitely look at all of those suggested.

Also look at:

- Nissan Murano
- Nissan Rogue
- Ford Explorer
- Ford Edge
- Ford Flex
- CX5/7/9
- Kia Sorent
- Hyundai Santa Fe
- Hyundai Veracruz

What is he looking for in a vehicle? Going from an Ody to a Cherokee - I guess # of seats isn't the deciding factor?

What's your budget?

No, seats aren't a factor ;) as long as there is room for two car seats we're ok. I drive a QX56 so we've got the extra seats if needed. He wants something that's fun to drive but can tow something if need be. Since he's getting rid of his truck we'll lose the truck bed, so we'll need something that can pull a trailer. I would say budget is around $50,000. He's getting excellent trade in value on his truck, so that takes care of about half the cost of a new vehicle.

[lhafer]

No, seats aren't a factor ;) as long as there is room for two car seats we're ok. I drive a QX56 so we've got the extra seats if needed. He wants something that's fun to drive but can tow something if need be. Since he's getting rid of his truck we'll lose the truck bed, so we'll need something that can pull a trailer. I would say budget is around $50,000. He's getting excellent trade in value on his truck, so that takes care of about half the cost of a new vehicle.

Then I would seriously look at the new Nissan Pathfinder. It gets pretty good gas mileage for an SUV, can seat 7 if need be with easy access to the 3rd row, and can tow 5,000lbs.

[khm]

Toyota 4Runner? If he likes the Jeep, he might like the more "truck-ness" of the 4Runner. I believe it is still built on a truck frame rather than a car frame like most other SUVs today.

My husband prefers it to the Highlander and the 2013 Pathfinder, due to the "truck" factor. The 2012 Pathfinder is more truck like than the 2013, FWIW.

The 3rd row is an added option with the 4Runner.

[lhafer]

Toyota 4Runner? If he likes the Jeep, he might like the more "truck-ness" of the 4Runner. I believe it is still built on a truck frame rather than a car frame like most other SUVs today.

My husband prefers it to the Highlander and the 2013 Pathfinder, due to the "truck" factor. The 2012 Pathfinder is more truck like than the 2013, FWIW.

The 3rd row is an added option with the 4Runner.

Yes, this is a good point. I forgot about the 4runner. The 2012 Pathfinders were built on a truck chasse and the new 2013 models are built on the Maxima chasse - so they drive more like a car vs a truck.

Might look at the Xterra as well if he wants to go on trails at all.

[AnnieW625]

If I were buying a mid size SUV today I would buy the Grand Cherokee (the Overland package is gorgeous). If I had an even larger budget I think I would look at the Infiniti JX if I really wanted 3 rows or the Lexus RX if I was okay with 2 rows. The only Toyota I have really liked at the auto show the last couple of years is the 4 Runner, but it is just a beast, and I liked the previous smaller body style. The interior is nice and the seats feel great and I love that it feels like a truck (yes I am odd like that). I will say that Toyota has awesome amenities like the roll down back window in the 4 Runner I believe. I wish my Honda had that (and :banghead: that I didn't think about that more when I bought my Pilot), especially when the kids were really little. Look for little amenities like that, but I really really like the Grand Cherokee, and Jeep seems to be getting back on top of the SUV market. The Grand Cherokee is SOLID!

DH really likes the Ford Flex as well and I think if we ever get another SUV (which is not in the plans) it will come down to the Flex, or the Jeep.

I don't know if it out or not but if you drive a fair amount and can afford one I might take a look at the Audi Q5 TDI. I know they have a Q7 TDI, but I am not sure about the Q5 or not.

eta: The Xterra looks big on the outside but it is really small on the inside. We thought we were going to consider it in 2006 when we bought our Pilot, but it was just too tight inside.

[lhafer]

If I were buying a mid size SUV today I would buy the Grand Cherokee (the Overland package is gorgeous). If I had a larger budget I think I would look at the Infiniti JX if I really wanted 3 rows or the Lexus RX if I was okay with 2 rows. The only Toyota I have really liked at the auto show the last couple of years is the 4 Runner, but it is just a beast, and I liked the previous smaller body style. The interior is nice and the seats feel great and I love that it feels like a truck (yes I am odd like that). I will say that Toyota has awesome amenities like the roll down back window in the 4 Runner I believe. I wish my Honda had that (and :banghead: that I didn't think about that more when I bought my Pilot), especially when the kids were really little. Look for little amenities like that, but I really really like the Grand Cherokee, and Jeep seems to be getting back on top of the SUV market. The Grand Cherokee is SOLID!

DH really likes the Ford Flex as well and I think if we ever get another SUV (which is not in the plans) it will come down to the Flex, or the Jeep.

I don't know if it out or not but if you drive a fair amount and can afford one I might take a look at the Audi Q5 TDI. I know they have a Q7 TDI, but I am not sure about the Q5 or not.

eta: The Xterra looks big on the outside but it is really small on the inside. We thought we were going to consider it in 2006 when we bought our Pilot, but it was just too tight inside.

Annie - you and I have very similar tastes when it comes to cars I think! I am SO lusting after a Cherokee! I also love the JX. I have 2 more years on my current lease, and during that time I will determine if we need 3 rows, or can get by on 2. If 3 is needed - then it's the JX for me. If we can handle 2 rows - then I'm gonna FINALLY get myself a JEEP! We only have 2 kids, so it's mainly seeing how many "extra" people I will be hauling around the next couple of years between girl scouts and the girls' friends. My kids are currently 7 and 3, so over the next 2 years, I should get a pretty good idea of that (currently in a minivan). Our family always drive to visit, so we never have extra family members in our cars.

And I TOTALLY agree about the back window going down - such an awesome feature that is totally underutilized in the SUV market!!

[MSWR0319]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'll have him look at the Audi you mentioned Annie, because he does drive a lot to the airport which is 2 hrs away. I think we'll at least look at the JX also, which I'm really surprised isn't what he went with initially because that's all he could talk about when it came out and he LOVES our QX. I just want to make sure he's seen all of his options and not blindly choosing the Jeep because it's his obsession at the moment!

[Tondi G]

My DH has been incredibly happy with his Mazda CX7. If you want something larger the CX9 is nice too!

[KLD313]

I looked at the Dodge Durango and remember it had a really good towing capacity. I didn't like it because it drove like a truck but he may since he's coming out of a truck. I eneded up with an Acadia Denali.

[MSWR0319]

So the sage continues. He came home from work and says he thinks the Pathfinder might be a good compromise. I've suggested looking at it a few times and he blew me off. We're going to look tomorrow. Should be interesting!