Mokos23

I'm planning on getting an SUV, but undecided and want to only spend $30-31K. These are my choices, which one do you think is the best buy for the money?

1. Mitsubishi Outlander fully loaded with navi/hids/led taillights/leather is $30,700. Good deal? It has a V6 with 220hp and can run on regular 87 gas. I saw that Mitsus have 5yr/60K warranty and 5yr/unlimited for roadside assistance.

Also, not sure if Mitsubishi is like Acura where they offer loaner cars when your car is in for service?

2. Nissan Rogue fully loaded with hids/no navi/leather available is $27,720. Good deal? Only has an I4 with 170hp.

3. Honda CR-V fully no hids/navi/leather though is $29,000. Not sure if it's a good deal because it only has an I4 with 166hp and to me kind of feminine styling.

4. Toyota FJ Cruiser no hids/no navi fully loaded is $29K. Like the styling, but why no navi available? Gas mileage I saw is also bad.

5. Subaru Forester no hids/no navi it is $26K. Boring styling though.

(I don't like the RAV4, Highlander, X-terra, Pathfinder, Escape, XL-7, Mariner, Liberty, Patriot, Compass, Sante Fe, or Element).

SUV's that are nice, but are over $30-31K.

1. Acura RDX base is $33K hids/no navi. Out of my price range and gas mileage stinks.

2. Mazda CX-7 fullly loaded hids/navi is $32K. Out of my price range as well, not sure about Mazda reliability.

3. New 09 Nissan Murano is $34K with hids/navi/leds. Out of my price range and has that new weird funky grill.

4. Toyota 4 Runner is $32K no hids available and bodystyle might be replaced soon?

5. Infiniti FX35 I like it, but out of my price range at $37K and saw that new 2nd gen is coming out soon.

6. BMW X3 too expensive fully loaded at $40K plus, all you are paying is the BMW name.

7. Audi Q7, nice nice SUV!! Favorite current SUV, but yikes too expensive.

8. VW Tiguan, nice upcoming SUV too, but $35-38K I read with only 200hp??

9. Acura MDX nice suv except for the ugly grill, but starting at $39K too big for a single guy.


Most disappointing SUV......

EX35!!! I was so hyped up about this and saw it, looks smaller than even the G35 sedan, so disappointed. I like Infiniti too.

Saintor

Why don't you consider equal equiment? You complain that the CR-V NAVI is too expensive and then compare it to a Rogue without it?

BTW, I find the CR-V styling superior to the [very] anonymous Rogue.

Don't let your ingorance fool you.

csmeance

have you though of going used? You can get some great deals on used cars.

Mokos23

i was thinking about it, but the only thing that worries me if the previous owner of the SUV abused it or not.

Mokos23

well i love BMW, but i don't have $38K lying around. if BMW's were more $32K-33K I would have one in my driveway right now. well, the Honda navi is 2K so w/o navi the CR-V is $27K.

F23A4

With the Dollar to Euro exchange alone being what it is, that will barely happen with the new 128i.

joerockt

Everytime I see an FJ Cruiser, I take a long look. Never actually test drove one though...

The special edition coming out soon looks pretty cool. And you can always add an aftermarket Navi.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=124412

Infamous425

for the outlander fully loaded people are getting them for $27-28k

Street Spirit

Have you actually sat in all of these vehicles, felt the materials, test driven, and done some research on them, or have you just put estimated pricing together? If you haven't done the above, that would be step #1. That should easily eliminate a few off your list.

Street Spirit

Also, don't worry too much about Navi. You can easily (and relatively cheaply) purchase an aftermarket GPS. I know they don't look as clean sitting there as in-dash systems (my one pet peeve), but they are so much more cost effective, are usually a better system overall, completely portable, and versatile (can take it with you to use in other vehicles, and will still have it after you move on to another vehicle). Seriously, you can buy one for a few hundred dollars vs. a few thousand.

Will Y.

As someone who disdains "SUVs," do you really need an "SUV" or "cross-over?" Most of the cars you listed are based on a compact car chassis, but are just taller and heavier than the cars upon which they are based. They also don't have much more interior room than compact cars.
I'd get a station wagon (Mazda X3, Subaru Forester, Dodge Magnum) before an SUV since I don't need to tow anything and live in an urban/suburban area.
That said, what about the Ford Edge?


1) Sit and look.
2) Drive.
And I agree with SS about the $200 add-on Navi vs. the $2K-$3K built-in Navi as well.

Street Spirit

I didn't want to be the first to say it....That's usually my first thought when I read half these "Want/Need an SUV" threads.

I agree that, for me personally, I'd rather get a wagon before an SUV....but you've gotta respect that people will make their own decisions.

jz-97-c7

your list is long...like a couple people have said already, sit and drive them...that'll shorten the list a bunch...and you should look at CPO, at the prices you're talking, there's a hell of deal for you on the used market

Saintor

You'll worry more the first time you forget it in your car overnight and your car gets vandalized.

Street Spirit

I guess it can partially depend on where you are (if safety's a concern), and the luck of the draw. My husband and about 4 members of his family have all used portable GPS units in their cars for the past 5-6 years without any issues, but I have seen members here who have had theirs stolen.

shiftityourself

go with a CPO car. you are buying an SUV, not a sports car. personally I would get a used MDX or FX35

Crazy Bimmer

Why did you even bother listing cars that are out of your price range?

But I agree with SS, go look at and drive everything and THEN come back to us and ask which cars to pick from. Im sure the list will be much shorter then.

Saintor

Let me tell you that you are playing with fire. I was in what I thought of a safe area... until 2 weeks ago. GPS gone.... 900$ poorer.

Street Spirit

As I said, partially luck of the draw. We've never had a problem, nor have the people we know. I'm not saying it's impossible that it can happen, it just hasn't been an issue yet.

So sorry for the job they did on your car though! That would anger anyone!

lilrabbit129

I have an aftermarket navi and I think a lot of it has to do with remembering to take the unit with you. That way the temptation isn't there for thieves. Also, I remove the mounting from the windshield and stow it somewhere. That way it doesn't even hint at their being anything to steal.

MR1

News Flash---Crooks now have cars, sometimes ours. There is really no 'safe' area. Sorry to see that they found you.

On topic - SUV's rarely get anywhere close to their MPG ratings, they are big boxes fighting the wind. I have one (MDX), we love it but only keep it because not many miles are put on it. I hate those $60-$80 fill-ups when gas is ~$3.50/gal. The Mitsu seems like such a good deal for a reason. Take a look at some owner satisfaction surveys and trade-in values. Have you defined your needs yet? The new Mazda seems to be getting rave reviews. I agree that if you are looking at and considering the small ones, you might be happier with a wagon or hatchback. Perhaps an AWD Audi A3 or that new smal Volvo.

dom

I was going to suggest this. Saw it in Detroit, very nice. The base model started at ~20K.

Where did you get that pricing info from? Its a CR-V/Rav competitor. Nicely equipped with the Turbo 4 I'm sure its under 30k.

From Car & Driver

nokiaman

If you must have new, I'd suggest the Rogue I love the way it looks. But personally, I would take the CPO route, I'm starting to see some FX35's for high 20's low 30's in my neck of the woods.

Sarlacc

to saintor. If you leave anything of value in plain sight the less likely you are to get broken into, just common sense.

To SS and Will Y. Get off your high horse soap boxes. I dont love needless SUV drivers either but it their choice and their money and not your place to tell them otherwise.

And the gas mileage on the fj isnt horrendous but its spectacular either. The thing to remember is it takes premium gas for the higher compression engine.

is300eater

of the less than $30k choices... I like the FJ the most... but it's not true 4 doors, which I personally don't mind... but don't you have a kid? I have friends with kids... and having ease of access to the back seat is a big plus IMO for parents. But if you don't mind the half suicide door style, I like the FJ best

is300eater

I think he stated in the past on another thread about wanting something with some clearance due to snow...

dallison

i would stay away from the mitsubishi, i don't know of too many mitsu's that have a great resale or reliability.

a 4runner would prob be the best choice for me, resale is good and very reliable.

i haevnt heard too many bad things about the mazda

csmeance

look at getting a 2006 MDX, their resale prices dropped alot due to the redesign of the MDX. I had one for a brief time, it was a great car which got some good mileage. I suggest you look at one.

stright-(paint)balling

new 09 Murano FTW

Fibonacci

I'd bet you could get a RDX base in the ballpark of your price range. And like SS said, a Garmin StreetPilot i-5 will set you back less than $300 bucks and the RDX has a huge center bin you can stow it away in.

Here are a couple of observations from personal experience. I originally bought an i-5 for teh wifey when she had the CRV because she has a terrible sense of direction. She rarely used it, so I tossed it in my TSX. We recently got an MDX Tech and we still haven't used the Navi yet...

The only reason why we passed on the RDX was because we are expecting our first child soon and didn't want to feel like we were gonna outgrow it, thus the MDX.

As for your reservations on premium gas and the mileage, all is forgotten when you drop the hammer on the RDX and blow away/out-turn virtually any other Crossover/SUV that steps up to the challenge.

is300eater

I have to admit, I kinda like the RDX too... I'm surprise it doesn't sell better

Mokos23

i love the new Murano, i mean the new grill i probably need to get used to, but i priced one and the only one i can get for under or at $30K is the Murano S AWD with cloth seats instead of leather, and no HIDs or other goodies like homelink.

SakiGT

1) I wouldnt get into an SUV or new car in the current market.
2) If you want an SUV, go used and save. SUVs are selling quite crappily on the used car market. You could steal a deal.

Mongolian

+1

You didn't include tax, licensing, & destination. If you add these items, some of the cars that you determined to be affordable within your price range are no longer in your price range.

You also need to keep in mind the cost of ownership, especially gas. A lot of the cars you've mentioned have shitty gas mileage. I pay an average of $100 in gas (91 octane) per week for my FX35. If you are on a budget, many of those cars should be deleted from your list.

Mokos23

Thanks for all the opinions and maybe I will buy used now. I did see that the only 2 SUVs that make over 22-23 mpg highway are the Nissan Rogue and Mitsubishi Outlander and both take only 87 regular. So, I think now I will narrow it down to those two. I would love to put the CR-V on that list, but I detest the styling and the fact it doesn't have any hids, but you get good gas mileage at the expense of subpar performance.

JediMindTricks

with pretty much all of the above.

IF you're insistent on getting an SUV, i'd try and see if you can get a deal on the CX-7.

how about the saturn? is it the aura that's the smaller one? i think both saturn SUVs are very good looking cars. haven't sat in them so i can't give much insight on the interior and how they drive.

NJSGTI

I saw a new 09 Murano the other day and it looked awesome. It was white and had some type of panoramic sunroof since the roof was black. I agree with you on the Infiniti EX. I went by the Infiniti dealership today to check out a new G coupe and that EX looks like a station wagon.

Fibonacci

Sounds like you place an emphasis on performance over function. I still don't understand folks who make a big deal about premium gas over regular octane - if you add up the difference for the avg 15k annual mileage, we're talkin an extra $150 bucks or so annually. Whoopty friggin do...

Mokos23

Really cause sometimes when I'm at BP or Shell I feel like the moron who always needs to sucker up and put premium in the TSX cause it needs premium. I guess other people don't care because I saw a guy putting 87 in his Lexus RX300 and another guy in a Cadillac Escalade putting 87 as well.

Fibonacci

So get a BP Visa and save 5% on your fill-up if it pains you so :