gocubsgo55

For 3 years now I have been looking into trading in an older car of mine for a 30k SUV. I have stopped and started again many times. I have started once again about 2 weeks ago. The top choices are the same as of now are the Toyota Highlander (fully loaded), Honda Pilot (leather), and Toyota 4Runner SR5 (nicely equiped). They all cost just over 30k. My question was though, how are Honda's SUVs. I've heard that Isuzu builds them. Is this true? And by any chance how are the Toyotas? (any engine would be the v6) Thanks for any help.

Jason

If you had to buy an SUV, the Pilot would be an excellent choice. Izuzu helped Honda back in the 90's and supplied them with their SUVs. They were the Honda Passport and Acura SLX(?). Since then, Honda builds their own SUVs. They are way up there. I guess Toyota is nice too, but I couldn't imagine driving an SUV in the first place.

Dan Martin

Isuzu built the Honda Passport but that's it. http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?ReviewID=817

The Pilot is a very nice SUV (build in Canada) and if I were in the SUV market it would be very high on my list. The Highlander is just huge and I think the 4Runner is a little over priced. But I've never really been a fan of Toyota. The build excellent vehicles but I just can't get excited by any of their designs.

majormojo

The Passport was based on the Isuzu Rodeo. The SLX was based on the Isuzu Trooper. link Dan, I think the SLX was USA-only.

The Highlander is the poster child for that pleasant but not very exciting kind of styling that Toyota is so good at.

bob shiftright

The Pilot, Acura MDX and Odyssey are built on the same basic platform, in Canada and in the US. the Toyota Highlander and the Lexus RX330 are built on the same platform. The Toyota 4-Runner has always been built on a truck frame so it will handle and stop ... like a truck!

Dont forget the Subaru Forester XT (turbo). It's cheaper than your range but with the 5-speed it produces a "0-to-60 time of 5.3 seconds and a quarter-mile of 13.8 seconds at 97 mph, just 0.3 second slower than an $89,665 Porsche Cayenne Turbo" according to C/D.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

vitocorleone

Hybrid SUVs are "just around the corner". You've waited 3 years - can you wait longer? Just a thought.

Buff-Daddy

The Highlander? HUGE? I think you might be mixing it up with the Sequoia, now that is huge. The Highlander is their SUV between the Rav 4 and the 4Runner. Smaller mid-size SUV, not huge at all.

Dan Martin

Ooops you're right BD. The Sequoia is the enormous one....

I think I saw one with a Civic stuck on it's side because it couldn't escape the Sequoia's gravitational pull.

gfxdave99

I saw a Tahoe next to a Sequoia and the Sequoia is huge.. I Truly cant understand why anybody would NEED anything that big.. want.. well thats a different story

dabuda

i saw a sequoia next the new expedition and the expedition was wider and taller

phile

If you never leave the pavement, I wouldn't suggest the 4Runner. Cross over SUVs like the Highlander and Pilot are the better choices. Honda brags about the 8-seater capacity in the Pilot...but more accurately, it's 5 adults + 3 skinny kids, or 2 big kids with a little wiggle room to spare. And Toyota recently added a 3rd row to the Highlander. But unlike the Pilot, it can only seat 2 kids.

It's a hard decision, and it'll probably boil down to dealer service and Toyota's more generous finance rates and incentives rather than a match between the actual two cars.

jcg878

I try (try!) not to judge people driving monstrous SUVs b/c you never know why they have them. My parents used to have a 1990 Suburban that seated 8 with room to haul cargo. We spent our time between two homes, and they towed a lot - I feel it was justified. At the time, regular gas was about 99 cents in South Jersey, it had a 37 gallon tank and got 12 city/16 highway I can't imagine paying for that now, but they still miss that truck.

I would hazard a guess that most people don't need big SUVs like that and the Sequoia (a mini compared to the Suburban), but some of them do. I just curse those people out when they're riding my tail, unable to stop if I have to slam my brakes.

There is this couple in my friend's development in NC that has two H2s - I think that's a bit excessive I mean I know NC has some snow once a year or so....

jlukja

Ever get behind one of these Hummers in the parking lot and have them slow down to almost a stop when going over speedbumps. WTF?

Hummers

gfxdave99

If i had a hummer i'd go over speed bumps like they were cracks in the road

And on another note I do agree that some people actually need a huge truck for hauling etc, many of them are just for style/showoff.

majormojo

I'm one of those with a monster SUV (Suburban). I've had it a little over 5 yrs now and I think my use of it is "justified".

- I need seating for 7 or 8 people at times.
- I need a vehicle suitable for towing a trailer.
- I often need to carry a lot of "stuff" in addition to 5 or more people (camping equip. + canoes/kayaks & associated gear).

There aren't many vehicles that meet that criteria (even fewer 5 yrs ago). Yes, it has a monster fuel tank (155L) and isn't very fuel efficient, esp when towing. But the overall cost of operation is very low - the vehicle was cheap to purchase, depreciation is a non-issue (I'm not selling it...), insurance and maintenance is relatively inexpensive.

Plus, it's d@mn near bulletproof. It got backed into by a minivan in a parking lot last week and the damage to the minivan will be in the thousands $$ - busted taillight, bent sheetmetal, crumpled plastic bumper. Damage to the Suburban was nil. That's at least the third or fourth time something like that has happened to us. I think people focus too much on the fuel consumption of the big SUV's and discount a lot of the other costs involved in operating a vehicle over the long haul.

I can understand why your parents would miss their Suburban, I'd sure miss mine if I didn't have it.

jcg878

Yeah, now they have a Pathfinder and they don't like it. It's from the pre-real engine version of the Pathfinder, and it's slow (not that the Suburban was tearing down the drag strip either). I can actually thank the Suburban for teaching me to drive stick - I had the option of parallel parking the Surburban on the driving test, or learning to drive our MT Volvo

(you have 666 posts )

edit: It was great for college too - 1 trip to move everything
Pathfinder - 2 trips

corbs

I think it totally depends on what you are going to do with your vehicle. If you ever plan on going anywhere difficult (read off-road) then don't even think of buying a Pilot or Highlander which are both glorified station wagons (neither have a transfer case/4Low and I believe both have independent suspension all the way around, which kind of sucks offroad).

Toyotas tend to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. I've got one, and several of my friends have them. In fact one has a 1985 4Runner that's used as a daily driver. 4Runners are also one of the best SUVs at holding their value (I think #2 behind the Landcruiser).

Personally I don't really think the Pilot nor the Highlanders should be called SUVs, I mean where's the sport in them? They aren't fast and they can truly go offroad. . . But they are very nice looking and great for lugging the family around.

Figure out how you expect to use it then decide from there, and even though I'm 4Runner partial, I really dislike the way the new ones look.

97AcuraCL

4Runner - Rides like an uncomfortable truck plus its over priced

Highlander - Chick's car; joke of an SUV looks butt f'in ugly and is tiny inside.

Pilot - Beautiful SUV; great size; ample power; right price.

ONLY gripe about the Pilot is no Sunroof is availiable... other than that its the only vehicle i considered other than the TSX.

gfxdave99

Get a saturn VUE v6 and get the same engine

kiteboy

I watched a woman park a Sequoia in my underground garage and I was sure she was breaking the laws of time and space to get it to fit.

jcg878

You must work for Honda.

The Pilot is beautiful??? I wouldn't call it ugly - it's ok - but if ever there was a vehicle that the word 'plain' fits, the Pilot is it. I am a bit curious how you came to consider only the Pilot and TSX

TMQ

Are you kidding? this saturn is ugly. just having a honda engine doesn't make the whole vehicle any better.

By the way, go to www.hondaSUV.com and you'll find a great deal of info on Honda's SUVs. You'll find out a lot from the owners about the pros and cons.

True, Honda's utility vehicles aren't really for offroads like Jeep, but they perform well in the snow and over at the hondasuv.com website, some users do enjoy occasional trips on beach etc., with proper techniques.

If you drive like an idiot, then driving a good car/truck will still lead you to idotland.

tsx-mdxman

Highlander: Ugliest of the three but is more useful than Four
Runner, with more space inside. Bullet-proof Toyota quality. Did I mention it's ugly though?

Four Runner: Coolest-looking of the three, pretty good off road. Not much room inside. I can't figure out why Toyota still makes this thing but then I have seen quite a few of them around. Because there are now more and better (or more practical) SUV's in the Toyota stable, Four Runner is probably going to become more of a niche vehicle. Does it have a third row option now (would probably be really cramped though)?

Pilot: Detuned MDX (which is really an Odyssey on steroids) under the skin. Bland looking as h*ll but sure practical. Seats 8.

Summary: You really don't know how useful having a third row seat is until you've owned an SUV with one. I've had two vehicles with 3rd row seats in a row and wouldn't consider an SUV without this option. Get the Pilot. I'm willing to bet it costs the same as the Highlander but you get much more car for your money (and it's merely bland as opposed to butt ugly).

jackspat2

Check out my article on SUV's:

http://www.theinternetparty.org/comm...20021209120153

I did this over a year ago, so some outdated material.