We've decided to replace my wifes' 01 4runner with another suv. We're not going to replace the 04 tsx that was totalled and stay with two vehicles.

She liked the look of the 10 4runner and the cockpit. The seats fold flat in the back for the dogs. I don't particularly like the 4runners' interior. It doees not have automatic climate control and blows cold air until it gets warm.

I like the 11 pilot interior more than mrs. dallison. There seems to be more room in the pilot and there;s a usable thrid row seat. That could seat 6 pretty comfortably and that would be useful. The pilot should get better mileage and is less expensive.

We had an mdx loaner a year ago and we really liked it, but it requires premium fuel and there doesn't seem to be as much room inthe back. The tailgate seems to be a bit higher than the other two and our current 4runner.
The interior is suite and is very comfortable. the 10 has a 6 speed auto and gets 1mpg more.

These are all in the same price range but the pilot is less expensive. There are things about each that we really like but nothing really definitive.

Are there things that we need to watch out for in each model?

 

After one of my friends was killed in the back seat of a 4Runnner in a head-on collision, I will never recommend one to anyone.

I really like the newer MDXs a lot.

 

My wife's 2003 Pilot has 220K miles and besides being a great SUV it's been very dependable and low cost to own. Besides wear/tear items and maintenance the only parts replaced have been a window motor, door lock servo, and a engine mount. Easy to drive and operate, good visibility, decent handling, the only negative is ~20MPG mixed driving.

The newer ones are nicer, although I only know one friend's wife who has a 2012. I know a bunch of MDX (1G and 2G) and all have had very good experiecen with them.

We occasionally put 6+ into our Pilot, recently went skiing in PA and had two kids (11 and 15) in the last row for a 360 mile roundtrip. rarely put adults in the last row, too small.

 

I loved the previous generation 4runner both driving and style wise but the new one looks bloated and I am assuming the interior to be simaliar to the ugly highlander I rented. Pilot to me is very utilitarian but seems to be very practical and if the price is so much lower, it sounds like the clear winner but the mrs could make you regret that decision it seems.

All that being said, I love the MDX styling inside and out (don't love the grill but) and if you can swing the higher price plus lack of gas mileage, I would go for it assuming you do not have adults in that third row.

 

I am very sorry to hear that but can you really blame the car for this? While I understand the back seat should have a higher chance of survival, it was still a head on collision.

 

look at the highlander too...more space than the 4runner. But the interior only looks nice with aluminum and navi...looks fisher price otherwise, imo.

 

We did see one in the dealership but didn't think about looking in it though. You are right about fisher price, some of their interiors and the materials they use are downright terrible.
I'll have the mrs. look at it for herself. They should get a little better mileage than the 4runner.

 

How about the new Pathfinder?

 

So much so that I turned in my 09 base for a 12 Tech.

That said, unless one really wants the extra performance (+50hp/17lb-ft), handling (SH-AWD) and a bit more style (subjective), the Pilot is just as good.

Although I truly do appreciate those attributes in my MDX, I have a feeling that I would have enjoyed a Pilot Touring about as much, particularly in consideration of the Pilot's utility advantage.

My sympathy goes out to the family and friends of charliemike's friend who died in said accident. But there's no telling whether or not he/she would have survived the same accident if it were an MDX or Pilot. People die in 4 and 5-star safety rated cars regularly.

 

I completely blame the car. It is a SUV and he was behind the driver and the driver and my friend were killed instantly and another guy I knew in the back seat was in the ICU for over a week.

This wasn't a recent accident but I was stunned at how little apparent effort Toyota put into making that vehicle safe.

But, I am biased of course. And thank you for the condolences. Was a terrible, totally fucked up tragedy.

 

I'm still not a fan of CVT but I do like the new Pathfinder. (I'd even consider that over its Infiniti counterpart.)

 

I agree on both counts. I find a CVT to be awful, but I'm pretty sure my wife wouldn't really notice the difference and Nissan did a really nice job on the remainder of the vehicle.

 

yeah, no to the cvt, but i am sure it will be standard at some point in the future to meet epa fuel economy stats.

 

I can understand where both of you guys are coming from but being killed in the back seat due to a head on collision is quite a bit from what's expected in automotive safety today. If it was a Mack Truck that hit the SUV head on then you can expect a LOT of damage and fatal injuries to the occupants. However if it was another SUV or car then I would expect at least the damage from the front of both cars collapsing to absorb enough energy to where folks in the middle & rear seats don't receive fatal injuries. I also had a family friend who owned a toyota Highlander and was involved in an accident and went though some serious injuries that were more severe than any one including his family expected. He was rear ended by a Ford Ranger and he ended up needing some spinal surgery.

Your TSX is a testament to it and so is honda's engineering. Take for example this acura tl. It was T-Boned at 40MPH by a pickup truck with a drunk driver. The driver, an acurazine member JPTL04, walked away with a broken arm and was pulled out through the passenger side door which still opened after the impact:
I would stick with the MDX or Pilot or look at the VW toreg or another SUV in the segment besides the Toyotas.

 

^^holy . acura/hondas....definitely keep their passengers safe.

 

New Pathfinder?

 

Not a fan of the cvt, the thought did cross my mind.

Wow, that side impact is tremendous.

 

With respect to how bad that accident looks, that speaks volumes!

 

Out of your choices, I'd pick the MDX. It's been out long enough that you could pick up an older CPO to offset the premium fuel costs.

 

Oh yeah, the three dogs have to be able to get in and out without a whole lot of trouble.

 

^^how big are the dogs?

 

45-75 lbs

The middle child is about 9 years old, i pick her up to get her in and out of our truck now.


Our pretty boy is the young one, he's almost 6. He can jump into anything right now. He's my running partner. I don't take him more than one or two miles, that's all he really needs.




He is our oldest. He has some trouble getting in and out right now. We do have a ramp that we could use but he seems to want to jump in instead of using the ramp.

 

the MDX sits lower than the pilot and the 4runner. a pilot parks next to me at work sometimes...it makes the MDX look small. a 4runner has parked next to me before and the MDX is a tad shorter in height (the 4 runner also has a pretty bulbous look to it. however i think if you had all 3 in the car with you the MDX would be cozy for 3 med sized dogs. if they ride in the cargo area i'd think the pilot or the 4runner would have more room.

 

We always have the rear seats down so they have more room. that's good to know about the height.

 

^if that's the case...then any of the 3 would be fine. i know in the MDX if the dogs hop in from the rear tailgate....get the cargo liner that protects the rear trunk lip/bumper (it rolls out over the rear bumper). otherwise they'll be scratching the paint and plastic of the rear bumper.

any of the 3 would suit the dogs...now it's a matter of creature comforts, budget, looks etc. the pilot was in consideration...but the boxy look and it's size turned me away. the 4runner was too "trucklike" in it's ride for my tastes. test drive them all and "play" with them, then decide what works for you, the wifey and the "kids".

 

Had a RDX, upgraded to the MDX and couldn't be happier.

 

One thing dogs will like is the roll down hatch window on the 4runner You cant go wrong with any of those choices really.

The Toerag has a solid feel to it, but not the best choice to keep past warranty. (unless you are in love with the design and want to throw money at it)