Hey Everyone,

I need a little help. I have a 2012 TL MT that I think is a pretty awsome car. My wife and kids are kinda bitching about it because they want an SUV. My wife complains about how low it is to the ground and getting in an out is different than her Sequoia (of course). My 9 and 6 year olds hate the back seat and want me to get something bigger. Since my wife has went back to work I am taking them to school and events a lot more than I have in the past. I have looked at 4runners, MDX, Highlander, FJ Cruisers and a Tahoe. None of them really compare to this rare car and I think I will regret it. As a side note my 15 year old would think I am nuts for getting rid of the TL.

I wondered if any of you have been in the same boat and if you rode the storm out or gave in.

 

I don't have a 4G TL but I did give in to the SUV. I shopped the MDX, highlander and Explorer. Highlander was bland, explorer was ok had decent amount of room and the 2nd gen MDX was high on the list.

Have you driven the Durango R/T yet? Or if you have the money Jeeps GC SRT

I suggest driving one of those. I am buying a TSX too so I can have fun with that because I don't want to mod my Accord or SUV.

 

I am about to give in and trade my 2013 TL. Even though I like the sportiness of the awd and the handling in corners...I have another baby on the way and just need more room. I haven't yet completely given in, but I am leaning that way.

 

Im not a big Dodge fan. I have had doges and Chryslers in the past and they fall apart at the 100K mark

 

The MDX is a good option, for sure.

 

Why are you letting the wife and kids boss you around?


Do you like the TL MT? If so, keep it.


My kids hate my TSX Wagon. Too bad. They ain't paying for a car.

 

That's funny, I own a TL and a Sequoia as well, though we rarely drive the Sequoia and my wife loves the TL. I couldn't imagine owning 2 SUV's though, tough on gas. My Sequoia is a 2013, prior to that I had a 2011 Highlander which I liked but it was so boring to drive. The Sequoia is likely being traded for a 4 door Wrangler soon, so maybe I'm not the person to ask.

I will say I drove a 2015 Tahoe as a rental and was pleasantly surprised, and I'm not an American car fan at all. I'd at least give it a test drive.

 

Get a Land Cruiser=best SUV out there.


I have driven Tahoe/Suburban/Escalade. THey are great to drive, when new.


However, if you see 80-110k example Escalade..WOW they don't age well on the inside, and don't stand up to abuse well

 

2015 Tahoe is too boxy in my opinion.

I always give my dad shit about his GMC. 2005 with 120k miles and has had no problems with it. Regular maintenance. Oh wait his horn went out. That's it

 

^
No interior pieces fall out?

 

Most suv's won't give you much more rear legroom than you have in the TL unless you get something with 3 rows and obnoxiously large, like a yukon xl. My wife has a current generation Jeep Grand Cherokee and there isn't a difference in rear legroom that I can see. Storage, is no comparison though. I don't see myself ever going the suv route as long as there is one in the house. We have a 20 month old son and he is fine in my car. There will be even more space once we can turn the convertible seat around to face forward. My next car will actually be smaller than the TL as far as rear legroom. I suggest keeping what you have.

 

I have the TL, my wife has the Odyssey...end of story. No amount of bitching and complaining would lead me to get rid of my car.

My wife knows how I am about my car and would never ask me to get rid of it, and my (almost) 3 y/o daughter loves my car and always prefers to ride in it over the Ody. She's always telling me to "go fast daddy", haha! She loves me rowing through the gears almost as much as I do.

Granted your kids are older so that could change in the future, but I won't get rid of my car until I'm ready to. It's not like a TL is a small sedan.

Good luck OP, hang in there!

 

Listen to your 15 year old. You have a relatively rare vehicle and you enjoy it to boot. Don't have 2 SUV's in the house. My two cents...

 

I don't get it... the 4G TL is a spacious car with a smooth ride. Unless you personally are ready to move on, why get rid of it?

My wife hates riding in my TSX. She complains that the car is too small, too low, and too rough a ride. She is used to her Acura CUV and yes the ride is much softer then my car but personally not fun to drive. Maybe someday I will join the CUV crowd... but not today! I love little car and will keep it as long as I can. We can always take her CUV for trips.

 

Considering the OP has a MT and since the MT is a dying breed these days, I think the OP will regret trading it in.
4G TL in a MT is indeed rare one it seems.

 

Never get rid of a car you love. It will haunt you. If u can afford it just pick up a bigger used sedan or crossover for tooling around with the kids. Use the wife's ride for big trips. I'll be the first to admit the back seat of my TL isn't the most comfy spot on the planet, but I don't sit there

 

I didn't even notice you had a MT. no way I'd ditch it for an suv. Now an S4 or something, probably.

 

I didn't notice it was a MT either.

Keep it!

 

Not that I'm aware of.
Now I'm wondering.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I will keep it. I noticed when I test drove the 4runner that when I sat in the back seat it wasn't much bigger than the T/L if at all. It felt like it had less headroom than the T/L, im not tall, 5'10" but my head was bumping the roof.

I think you are right, i would regret getting rid of the MT. I waited quite awhile to get the right color/year/mileage/price combo on that TL.

 

Unless you get a MT Cayenne GTS, just keep it.

 

IMO there is plenty of room in the back seat for a 9 & 6 year old... If your wife feels the TL is too low to ground then you should use her SUV for when you all go out together..

In the end, if you're happy with your TL you should keep it. The TL is more than adequate enough for what you explained you're using it for.

 

Please forgive the new kid on the block, but can someone share what MT means?

 

MT - Manual Transmission

 

Mysterious transvestite

 

Oxymoron, no?

 

Oxi-clean!

 

The 2G MDX is probably the best 3 row SUV thats not massive and looks great and drives pretty well. I love it. My wife has that, I have my TLS. Either one of us drive the MDX for family related events. In my TL-S, its me and maybe a friend here and there. Its not a family car.

 

With 3 kids, minivan is the default to avoid conflicts. If more room is still needed, van is the only way to go... Sprinter passengers are very good, the problem is that it doesn't fit into 99.9% of the residential garages... I do, however, think for you to sell the MT TL at this stage for this reason is a waste...

 

^ NO

OP, don't trade your TL in on a fucking mini-van.

 

I had an FJ since they day they rolled off the assembly line (sold it in 2013). It's not the most practical car for a family. It was loads of fun when it was just me and the wife. But once we started having a kids it became a huge hassle.

So just my eliminate it from your list if practicality is important to you.

 

Get a 2015 Toyota Sienna SE and slam the crap out of it with bags and run some 20" Vossens. lol

I'm a fan of the MDX's 3rd row seating. Another car I'd consider is the 4Runner as well, just for reliability. My parents are looking into an RX350 or RX450h since we already have a Camry hybrid and they love it.

 

Sienna slammed is the only way to go for a minivan.

I seen some clean oddy's slammed too, but non of the compare to an MT TL.

 

Why? Why is "minivan" the default ? Why wouldn't an MDX do the trick ?. I have an MDX and could easily fit FOUR kids into it comfortably.
I do not see the appeal of a minivan in any way shape or form. It not cool, not fun to drive and doesn't offer anything an MDX can't.

 

^ To be honest, I kinda miss the automatic sliding doors of the Ody i had b4 the TL.

 

My wife has an Ody and we can easily seat eight with room behind the third row for a stroller, cooler, etc. Fold down that third row and the cargo room is enormous (about a foot longer than our previous Pilot with the third row stowed, and the Pilot had much more interior room than an MDX).

As C8N said the sliding doors and low floor make it much easier to get kids in and out of, especially for my wife who's six months pregnant. With our second kid joining us soon the Ody was a no brainer. I couldn't disagree more that a minivan doesn't offer anything an MDX can't. Fortunately my wife doesn't care much about the cool factor and prefers something with utility.

With that said, I am not advocating for the OP to sell his TL!

 

Because once your kids become independent those sliding doors will come in handy.Tight spaces.... no problem doors will slide right open. Climibing over the seat from the 3rd row in an SUV is bleh.

 

Are you financially stable and have enough money to spare? that's a very important question to ask because if you are, then definitely keep the TL and get something bigger for the family (family is always more important than your car).

 

We have these two vehicles in the family. The MDX really won't give you that much added capacity, but it will allow you to stack a bunch of stuff in the trunk (stroller, cooler, "stuff").


If you really want something functional that will haul a LOT and give you much better access and functionality (and mileage), I'm sorry but it's going to have to be a minivan. We go to Florida once a year and always rent a Chrysler Town & Country, loaded up with leather, DVD player, decent sound system and wireless headsets. Kids LOVE it to death because they get movies in the back, and we can still listen to the radio (XM) while they enjoy their movie.


Sure, it's not fun to drive, but it is highly functional and you won't run out of space (most of the time). To top it off, you can haul a few others in the third row (not really an option with the MDX - ask anyone that owns one).

Keep the TL and get a minivan.

 

When it comes to minivans, some will laugh at ya...
But when its time for a road trip, need to haul crap or when in-laws visit... "can I borrow your minivan?"