Need help finding the safest SUV...

Colleen · Feb 2, 2007

Okay, LSS..we bought a 95' GMC Jimmy because I wanted a SUV because of the snow. I drove it for 2 days and then FREAKED when I saw the crash trash ratings. It was SO bad! It barely got any stars.

So I'm back to driving my 97' Sable, it got 5 stars all across the board. Still want (and need) 3rd row SUV. I've been looking at the 02' Caddy Escalades but the sites I've been going too say they havn't been crash tested. Does this seem right? The 04' and up Escalades say they got 4 out of 5 stars for frontal impact but were not tested for side or rollover. Any insight or other SUV recomendations?

LuvBug · Feb 2, 2007

check out this link http://www.suvsafety.info/
and this one for info on comparing safe vehicles with 3rd rows http://www.suvsafety.info/thirdrow.html.

So it needs a third row and to drive well in snow? Do you have a projected budget?

southpawboston · Feb 2, 2007

you really don't need an SUV for the snow, unless you live in the wilderness where the roads are covered with a foot of snow. you can also look at minivans with third row seating. there are a lot of minivans top rated for safety, and they will handle better than an SUV and be safer in that regard. i would also suggest whatever vehicle you buy, you buy dedicated snow tires. they will make any vehicle safer in the snow. i have racked up well over 500,000 miles of new england driving and i can't recall how many times i've been caught in severe snow storms where i've seen big, expensive SUVs careened off the road in a ditch, while i just pass them by in my front wheel drive car... SUVs can give a false sense of "security" by making people think they can stay in control in any situation...

also for comparison sake, the 02 escalade was the clone of the GMC denali, in case there are crash ratings for that vehicle.

come to think of it, if you spent $500 on top-quality snow tires for your sable, it may even perform better in the snow than your jimmy did, assuming it had regular all-season tires on it. most people under value proper tires as an essential safety component of their vehicles.

Colleen · Feb 2, 2007

We are going to expand are family within a year or 2. I doubt I can fit 3 seats across in my Sable (even though it has the biggest back seat of all sedans) because of our Regent. DH is an Auto tech and gets good deals on trade in's from his work. We could prob. get an 02' Escalade for around 12,000 - 15,000 instead of 20,000. (thank god!) He prob. doesn't want to go over 15,000, but for a safe ride that will last us a long time we'll shell out the cash. He shelled out over 30,000 for his specialty truck that he HAD to have

; so I can get a decent SUV, right? (sorry, had 2 vent) He also wants the best vehicle to keep his babies safe. I checked the SUV list and it seems that 3 rd row was pretty slim picking. The BMW would work, but it looks small, and he's prob. not thrilled because the 04's are still going for around 30,000.

LuvBug · Feb 2, 2007

you'd be suprised how you can puzzle stuff to fit 3 across. I could definitely see the regent fitting in my sister's taurus with 2 other seats, especially if one is a booster and the other is a small convertible(like the radian, or if the new recaro is as thin as it says).

Colleen · Feb 2, 2007

Thanx southpaw (knew I could count on you for technical advice

)! DH is a Auto Mechanic, ex-racer, and car freak, my sables tires are worth more than the car! I do need a third row for 3 Britax's, but DON'T want a mini van, (I'm 25, not ready 2 go there...) sorry soccor mums

. Were about an hour north of boston near southern NH. DH loves the Denali's, so theres hope there.

southpawboston · Feb 2, 2007

Colleen said:
Thanx southpaw (knew I could count on you for technical advice )! DH is a Auto Mechanic, ex-racer, and car freak, my sables tires are worth more than the car! I do need a third row for 3 Britax's, but DON'T want a mini van, (I'm 25, not ready 2 go there...) sorry soccor mums . Were about an hour north of boston near southern NH. DH loves the Denali's, so theres hope there.

my sister lives outside of nashua... near there?

Colleen · Feb 2, 2007

Yeah, Pepperell MA, I work in Nashua. What does she drive in the winter?

LuvBug · Feb 2, 2007

ehh minivans arent that bad anymore, some dont even look like vans, more like weird shaped SUVs lol!
If you could find a good deal on a ford freestyle it is nice! had great ratings the last 2 years. I dont know how long its been out though. It has 3 rows, its a crossover.

I was looking for a picture of when we went to FL. We had a husky and a MA forward facing in her taurus. I found it, but it has both kids full on in it and one of them is not mine... Anyway there *might* have been enough room to squeeze a radian between them 2, but dont know how it would install lol! If you did the regent outboard and a thin RF convertible(like the radian) in the center and a booster outboard I could totally see 3 fitting great across the back seat of a big car like a taurus.

Colleen · Feb 2, 2007

Thanx luvbug! I've fit 3 across before, AO outboard, Cosco Eddie B high back booster outboard, and older (circa 99') random infant seat in center, and the booster had 2 be tilted so it only touched down too the car's seat on 1 side just so we could shut the door. (oh, the horror storys of my lack of car seat knowledge back in day

)I'm going to get a Maxi cosi infant seat and a Marathon for bebe #3. Dont think it would fit. If it would DH would be thrilled (if he doesn't have to buy a new ride 4 me, he can dump more $ into his rides, soup them up and start upgrading and fixing things that are not even broken

must be a guy thing, sorry Southpaw)

LuvBug · Feb 2, 2007

are you dead set on a marathon? what if the recaro comes out and is all it says and is the perfect seat? Would you get it? if it is like it says then the widest part is only 16" which is narrower than the radian.
lol!

It *might* be possible to fit the regent outboard, marathon RFing center, and parkway outboard. But I dont know if you could do the marathon FF so then it would be out. Since the marathon sits high up on its base it puzzles well with seats that have no base like the regent and boosters. Plus the parkway is very narrow.

Colleen · Feb 2, 2007

I'm kind of a Britax slave

. (Britax wh*re is what freinds call me

hope that wasn't offensive!) But I do find my self at BRU, Target and many long hours at night on-line when I should be sleeping, staring at and researching seats that I don't need and will never need, lord help me...

Colleen · Feb 2, 2007

I'll also look into the Ford Freestar, but I cant promise anything. Whining worst than a bratty 3 yo "But its a minivan

" .

LuvBug · Feb 2, 2007

whoops! I meant the the freeSTYLE
thats me saying the wrong thing AGAIN lol!
Ill edit above as well, but I meant the freestyle. It is an SUV and really nice. Here I could get a new year with leather seats and built in DVD players in the headrests and a lot of other unnecessaries lol! for 25K sticker price! I think that is great! So I can only guess what an older year, program, or used with nag, trade, and such would be!

Jeanum · Feb 3, 2007

The vehicle safety scoring system at www.informedforlife.org is another handy reference for vehicle comparison shopping.

dvmvail · Feb 3, 2007

If you don't like the looks of a minivan, I would suggest you look into a "crossover" vehicle. I own the Ford Freestyle and LOVE it (tons of safety features & AWD) and I"ve always wanted a Toyota Sienna, but now that I"m actually in a position to afford one I don't want to give up my Freestyle.
I"ve also seen ads for the Saturn Outlook which I think looks pretty nice.

My husband just traded in his Subaru Outback for a Tribeca and it is SO nice. Super loaded and can come with a 3rd row. There's not much room with the 3rd row up in the Tribeca...but its an SUV and AWD and inthe top 7% on the informed for life site. (Ford Freestyle is up there too...I just can't remember).

But definately look into the "crossover" category, you might find a vehicle you like in that area.

southpawboston · Feb 3, 2007

Colleen said:
Yeah, Pepperell MA, I work in Nashua. What does she drive in the winter?

she lives in brookline. she and her husband drive an older town and country and an older subaro outback. the town and country does better in the snow because they have snow tires and tractions control on it. the outback, despite being all wheel drive, does not do as well, but that's because they don't bother buyins dedicated snows for it.

Colleen · Feb 3, 2007

Brookline NH is 15 minutes away. Despite the great snow tires I have, the reason its so bad in the winter is that Sables are known for having VERY light rear ends. You get traction in the front, but the rear slides all over the place. Dh gets the same complaint from all his Sable customers. I wasn't crazy about the freestyle, liked the BMW X5, but it doesn't have the 3rd row. I also liked infinties SUV (but haven't fully researched it yest) DH suggested the Escalade. 02' - 04' got mostly 4 of 5 stars. The 07's got 5 stars all around. I liked the 04' Caddy SRX, it's smaller and has optional 2 seater 3 rd row. But now I'm nervous about the 3rd row maybe not being the safest in a small SUV. What does everything think about the 3rd row small SUV safety?

Colleen · Feb 3, 2007

Here's a link to a pic of the 04 Caddy SRX with the 3rd row. Which car seats should I put where? Does it look ok?
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/MediaNav/articleId=100295/firstNav=Gallery/photoId=12050 (give it a couple sec. to load)

Colleen · Feb 3, 2007

DVMVAIL what year is your freestyle? I wasn't crazy about the 07'. Does yours have the 3rd row? Do you think it's big enough?

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