Truck or SUV if can only have one?

my2boys

New member
Truck or SUV if can only have one? - Updated with ?

Just posted another question and update - post 65....

Not sure if this is the right forum...:eek:
DH and I are discussing going to only one vehicle (providing some things work out financially) and we are debating (read as arguing ) over whether that one vehicle should be an SUV or a crew cab (4 full doors) truck. I won't get into all the specifics. I can't even keep them straight.
We need 4x4 without a doubt. No flames please - we do need a larger vehicle with 4x4.
He wants the truck for hauling - yard work (gravel, dirt, etc), house work, etc.
I want the SUV for groceries and third row seat for when parents visit.

There's DH, me, 2 boys in carseats (2 FPSVD- 1 ff'ing, 1 rf'ing for now) and sometimes our dog.

Need some input please!!! If you could only choose one, which would you choose and why?
 
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TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
We were in the same position and decided on a mid-size SUV and a decent utility trailer. The SUV covers all of our daily needs, and we hook up the utility trailer when we're doing yard work and renos (currently landscaping and finishing the basement so the utility trailer is used alot right now). Our SUV also tows our camping trailer in the summer.

With 2 kids and 2 adults, you could get a mid-size SUV with 3rd row (Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-9, Acura MDX, GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook, etc.). This would get you WAY better gas mileage than a big, crew cab truck. It would be easier to park, take up less room in the garage, be easier to handle, easier for the kids to get in and out, easier for YOU to get the kids in and out of, etc.

Just keep an eye out for towing limits on the vehicle if you want to tow anything larger than a utility trailer.
 

TXDani

Senior Community Member
I was going to suggest the same thing as tech did above. Get an SUV and a utility trailer. My husband used to have a crew-cab truck and when we took it as a family it sucked because there was nowhere to put the stroller. It had to go in the back of the truck and since it is always raining here that didn't work and when it was sunny I worried about theft.
 

Marinesfamily5

New member
I would definately go with an SUV...
A newer Tahoe has REMOVABLE 3rd row seats so he can do the hauling he wants but you get you features too, and the side curtain airbags are nice to have
A Dodge Durango is an option too as many have 3rd row (which can fold down) and the 4x4 capability is equal to most trucks
 

aisraeltax

New member
definitely SUV....even w/ a truck (we have a 2 door) you sometimes need a trailer for bigger stuffs (we need to haul wood and stuff to our place up north alot..and the truck, even though big, isnt always big enough). On a day to day basis...w/ kids..and gas costs..the SUV will definitely be most economical and if you get one of the larger ones that are posted here, he can do the "nasty" stuff too (which is what i refer to it as! lol!). you will lose gas mileage with the extra towing capacity but not as much as a 4 door truck i would think. :)

good luck..always fun arguing about vehicles, huh? :)
 

DILLIGAFF

New member
I am not impress with any of the SUVs.

I came back from Iriaq on the second year of occupation. Been mortered at least once a day. On the same day, after a 20 hr flight, we end up in Ft Hood TX. By Gatesville a Pontiac Grand Am totaled a Ford Explorer. We were the 1st one on scene and one of my soldiers in my squad he is a Cert Paramedic. So we assisted. The lady from the SUV got thrown out of the car, the door popped open, the driver side wheel was caved in. The lady on the Pontiac had no injuries and she drove the car off.

Now in a crash the laws of physics does not lies. To vehicles hitting each other (most accidents involved another vehicle) the mass of both are double adding more force to the impact. Another myth is, I can see better, the fact is with the amount on the road your vision is hinder by the other SUV in front of you. Another myth is room, a Minivan has more Cubic Feet of cargo space (get a tape measure and check it out yourself). Another myth, easy access. A sedan or Minivan has more easier access. Another myth, handles better on bad weather. Braking dynamics are the same for any car 4X4, 2WD or AWD (speed bumps and hitting a curb is not consider going off road), what is different is the momentum, larger body, more momentum (physics 101). Another Myth, easy operation? Too bulky to fit any stall so they bang each other doors and hinder visibility, therefore insurance is higher since they involve are involved more in accidents.

Now add payments, care, insurance, fuel and low resale value and there you have it, a money pit on wheels.

My wifes drives a VW Beetle and the grandchild rides on it. I have a full size sedan, I am 43 years of age same as her, we are very active and pretty modern, we ride roller coasters (preffered rides) so we are not the slow driving couple either, we do drive pretty fast. I do get quiet of attention with her 07 Bug. We can buy groceries and they fit OK in the bug, better in my sedan. We do our ski trips on my sedan and I place the skis apparel and suitcases for both of us inside the car, plenty room to spare. Drove from Tulsa OK to Tampa FL (3 times) and took me 18 hr drive and 3 tanks (arrived in fumes but made it). Most of the cars off the road in CO are SUVs. My wife's Beetle went through an ice storm in OK, she made it sound and safe. I was not even worry. She told me most cars off the road where trucks.

There you have it, why I do not own one.

Beside, they are Belly Bottoms, seems that everyone has one and I AM NOT EVERYONE :D
 
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Lys

Senior Community Member
Ok, since we own both (Toyota Tundra 4DR and Honda Pilot), I can tell you I do not like driving DH's Tundra unless it's on the Interstate. It has NO turning radius on it at all which makes manuvering a 3 point turn impossible. It takes more like 6-7 turns to get out of a tight spot.
Parking is a nightmare especially when the stores are crowded. It's very difficult to see behind you. Even a small car will disappear behind it if they are follwing too closely.
When he and I go shopping alone, sometimes we don't even have enough room for packages in the back seat. And, we wouldn't want to leave things in the bed of the truck while going into another store.
The Pilot is a dream to drive. I really like it alot. It turns on a dime and is actually smaller than my old Odyessy. It is a heavy vehicle ( over 4500lbs I believe) The 2009 is being redesigned- looks more boxy http://automobiles.honda.com/2009-prototype-pilot/
Towing capacity is 3500 lbs. Not too shabby for a smaller SUV. The 3rd row fold flat for added cargo space. I can fit our boxer's extra large crate in the back with room to spare. I just ordered cross bars for mine to add a cargo box to the top for our trip to Florida in July. With the 3rd row occupied, there is very little room for anything more than groceries or a couple of small duffle bags.

HTH :)
 

TXDani

Senior Community Member
Another myth is, I can see better, the fact is with the amount on the road your vision is hinder by the other SUV in front of you. Another myth is room, a Minivan has more Cubic Feet of cargo space (get a tape measure and check it out yourself). Another myth, easy access. A sedan or Minivan has more easier access. Another myth, handles better on bad weather. Braking dynamics are the same for any car 4X4, 2WD or AWD (speed bumps and hitting a curb is not consider going off road), what is different is the momentum, larger body, more momentum (physics 101). Another Myth, easy operation? Too bulky to fit any stall so they bang each other doors and hinder visibility, therefore insurance is higher since they involve are involved more in accidents.

Now add payments, care, insurance, fuel and low resale value and there you have it, a money pit on wheels.

My wifes drives a VW Beetle and the grandchild rides on it. I have a full size sedan, I am 43 years of age same as her, we are very active and pretty modern, we ride roller coasters (preffered rides) so we are not the slow driving couple either, we do drive pretty fast. I do get quiet of attention with her 07 Bug. We can buy groceries and they fit OK in the bug, better in my sedan. We do our ski trips on my sedan and I place the skis apparel and suitcases for both of us inside the car, plenty room to spare. Drove from Tulsa OK to Tampa FL (3 times) and took me 18 hr drive and 3 tanks (arrived in fumes but made it). Most of the cars off the road in CO are SUVs. My wife's Beetle went through an ice storm in OK, she made it sound and safe. I was not even worry. She told me most cars off the road where trucks.

There you have it, why I do not own one.

Beside, they are Belly Bottoms, seems that everyone has one and I AM NOT EVERYONE :D

The "myths" you cite in your response are "opinions" of your own not myths. Some SUV's do offer more room than any minivan on the market. SUV's do offer better visibility and while they might impede the view of person driving behind you that does not make that a myth because the driver of an SUV can indeed see better than while driving a sedan. The easy access myth again is your opinion as I like the access in my SUV better than that of my van in some cases. SUVs will typically handle better in bad weather because they are easy to find with all-wheel drive where there are only a couple minivans that are offered with all-wheel drive. My Sienna that didn't have all wheel drive SUCKED in the rain and would spin out all the time when trying to pull into traffic. The easy operation myth is also your opinion not a myth. Not all SUVs are huge and my Cadillac Escalade was the easiest car to park I have ever driven...up next would be the Sienna with the worlds best turning radius.:D

The whole money issue would only matter to some people as many people can buy an SUV and not have a payment. Also many cars have a higher price tag than most SUV's. I do not see how "care" is any more expensive on an SUV than a car or minivan. Low resale is relative as my Acura SUV is going to have better resale than your VW Beetle, it doesn't matter that mine is a SUV.

I would NEVER allow my child to ride in a VW Beetle period. I have witnessed two major collisions with newer Beetles and both Beetles faired very poorly. And in both accidents the passengers in the Beetles were DOA while the drivers of the other cars/SUV's were fine.

Oh and if you didn't notice the OP asked for suggestions on crew cab trucks vs. SUV's not sedans and sub-compact two doors.:whistle:
 

Lys

Senior Community Member
The "myths" you cite in your response are "opinions" of your own not myths. Some SUV's do offer more room than any minivan on the market. SUV's do offer better visibility and while they might impede the view of person driving behind you that does not make that a myth because the driver of an SUV can indeed see better than while driving a sedan. The easy access myth again is your opinion as I like the access in my SUV better than that of my van in some cases. SUVs will typically handle better in bad weather because they are easy to find with all-wheel drive where there are only a couple minivans that are offered with all-wheel drive. My Sienna that didn't have all wheel drive SUCKED in the rain and would spin out all the time when trying to pull into traffic. The easy operation myth is also your opinion not a myth. Not all SUVs are huge and my Cadillac Escalade was the easiest car to park I have ever driven...up next would be the Sienna with the worlds best turning radius.:D

The whole money issue would only matter to some people as many people can buy an SUV and not have a payment. Also many cars have a higher price tag than most SUV's. I do not see how "care" is any more expensive on an SUV than a car or minivan. Low resale is relative as my Acura SUV is going to have better resale than your VW Beetle, it doesn't matter that mine is a SUV.

I would NEVER allow my child to ride in a VW Beetle period. I have witnessed two major collisions with newer Beetles and both Beetles faired very poorly. And in both accidents the passengers in the Beetles were DOA while the drivers of the other cars/SUV's were fine.

Oh and if you didn't notice the OP asked for suggestions on crew cab trucks vs. SUV's not sedans and sub-compact two doors.:whistle:

:yeahthat:
Except change the Sienna to Odyssey and the Acura MDX to a Honda Pilot and I could have written an identical post.
As far as safety goes, The Pilot has excellent scores on NHTSA, IIHS and Informed for Life crash test scores.
 

DILLIGAFF

New member
Well to answer that. We do get our money's worth on it when we finish with the cars. Any Vehicle is a bad investment and that is a fact! You want 4WD ability, get an AWD. I drove Audi too and Subaru they are grate but I have found out that AWD is not always need it, so why want some that is not really need it... let me see... did I heard just in case? Well I drove through ice storms before and I feel safer on a car that I did on a truck. It was more nimble to move around and responded quicker. Have you ever seen a SUV Race car? None, that is right! They are the worst handling vehicles. Not even on the World Cup Rally, they use, you guess it again, cars! And they are AWD so they get easier out of the mud not for braking better.

I have drove vans too, so do not get me started. The SUV craze is just a fad like wearing a pair of uncomfy shoes. Just that we have to have it! Beside the visibility, since they are so many of them, the SUV in front of you will cover your view too. Been there in that situation too. They never get a good parking spot since most of the driver can not park properly, banging each other doors. I seen a few accidents involved in parking lots with SUVs since people can not see worth a crap. I park as far as I can go away from those things. I welcome the walk too. But is so true, they want to park that behemoth as close as they can from the store doors. That is too funny how they fight for few FT of real state!

The best part? I laugh hard at the pump, seen soccer mom paying more than $50 just to buy few groceries and go to the practice. That is when common sense really shine !!!! :ROTFLMAO:
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
Well we have a chevy suburban and a chevy silverado crew cab. We also have 3 kids and 2 dogs. If I had to pick between the 2 I would have to go with the suburban. It gets better gas milage, we can fit all the kids and the dogs and have room for friends or other family, and it has a ton of cargo space even with the 3rd row. We do have a small trailer we use for yard work and what not. I would have to agree that it can be tricky to park and can sometimes be hard to see out the back when it is dark outside (but I think that's because the windows are tinted).
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I have drove vans too, so do not get me started. The SUV craze is just a fad like wearing a pair of uncomfy shoes. Just that we have to have it! Beside the visibility, since they are so many of them, the SUV in front of you will cover your view too. Been there in that situation too. They never get a good parking spot since most of the driver can not park properly, banging each other doors. I seen a few accidents involved in parking lots with SUVs since people can not see worth a crap. I park as far as I can go away from those things. I welcome the walk too. But is so true, they want to park that behemoth as close as they can from the store doors. That is too funny how they fight for few FT of real state!

It would seem to me that there are a lot of generalizations being made without fact to back them up. ;) (I'm referring to the first post as well.)

Everyone is entitled to an opinion based on their own experiences, but that doesn't make them a fact. Just because most of the time the driver that cuts me off is a mid 20's guy driving a souped up pick up doesn't mean that every mid 20's guy driving a souped up pick-up is going to cut me off. ;)

People make the decision to buy a vehicle that suits them best, whatever that may be. If you don't like SUV's or trucks, that's fine. It's fine to have an opinion against them. Your opinion and observations don't make that fact though. FWIW, I was convinced DVD's were a fad when they came out. :eek: And here we are with VHS becoming obsolete. Not saying that SUV's and crossovers are going to take over that way at all, I'm just saying that opinions, predictions, and labelling of fads are just that - opinions, predictions, and labels. Not fact.

Please try to keep in mind that the original poster has asked a question regarding a decision between 2 types of vehicles. Vehicles outside that range aren't being discussed. We strive to keep this forum a warm and welcoming place where people can ask questions and discuss options as it relates to carseats and car safety. There are more appropriate forums online if you're only interested in debating merits of certain types of vehicles. :thumbsup:
 

beeman

Active member
You could also get an inexpensive, well used pick-up for the little bit of yard work and construction you do. Trailers also work well, just make sure to pay close attention to the GVWR and trailer weight. I personally would choose the pick-up truck option. crew cabs have a lot of room, and sit quite comfortably, and personally I find them very easy to maneuver. If you are carrying stuff in the box, you could always get a topper of some sort to keep everything dry and safe. And a truck will most likely have a much higher GVWR for loading with weight and and trailer towing.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
You want 4WD ability, get an AWD. I drove Audi too and Subaru they are grate but I have found out that AWD is not always need it, so why want some that is not really need it... let me see... did I heard just in case? Well I drove through ice storms before and I feel safer on a car that I did on a truck. It was more nimble to move around and responded quicker. Have you ever seen a SUV Race car? None, that is right! They are the worst handling vehicles. Not even on the World Cup Rally, they use, you guess it again, cars! And they are AWD so they get easier out of the mud not for braking better.
I don't need AWD "just in case". I need it for the 6-8 months of the year that we have snow and ice. YOU might not need AWD, but for those of us in snowy Canada (and other places with crappy weather!) who have experienced the benefit of AWD, and feel it contributes to the safety of our families, AWD is the way to go. And you do realize that AWD isn't active all the time right?

Seriously, I think you need to update yourself on the SUV's available TODAY. Not all are the rollover-prone monstrosities to which you are referring. My Acura MDX handles AMAZING. It was tuned on the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany. It also has Super Handling AWD which controls each of the 4 wheels separately for improved handling, especially around corners. It also has an active damper suspension that reduces squat when braking and lean in corners. http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/2008-Acura-MDX/Performance/

The rest of your post is not even worth responding to. I think you're just here to tick people off.
 
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TXDani

Senior Community Member
:yeahthat:

Go to an Acura dealer and test drive a 2007+ Acura MDX and then tell me they can't handle. My MDX is just as much a sports car as my husbands Infiniti G35 buster!! I drive that b!t*h like its on rails....haha!:D
 

beeman

Active member
Just to add: zactayaus's Suburban is built on the exact same chassis and power train as the Chevy 1500 pick-up (with the full GVWR :thumbsup: ), and an SUV built on this concept can tow just as much as the truck, and gives you the versatility you want in the SUV. An SUV such as the suburban would be a very practical option, because it is basically a 1/2 ton with a full cab.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
OP - I also like the idea technogranola posted. We leave our 3rd row down in our Outlook all the time, but we have 5000lb towing capacity if we needed it. I haven't ever had a pick-up truck, but we've been very happy with our "truck" I think with what you're describing having the ability to use a 3rd row is something your vehicle needs. There's always the option of getting a rooftop (what do they call those?) for the truck, and then there's a closed in space for cargo, but it for all intents and purposes means that the truck wouldn't be able to haul anything more than an SUV.

There's a wide variety of SUV's out now, and some of them are nearing the fuel efficiency of larger cars. I think if you need that 3rd row you don't really have many options other than to go SUV or crossover. I believe that the SUV/Crossover crowd also gets better safety ratings than trucks because of the side curtain airbags. I know my dad's GM pick-up doesn't have side curtain airbags and they're not even an option because of the design of the vehicle.

Hopefully if you can solve the hauling cargo issue it'll help you & your dh get on the same page about what type of vehicle to buy. It sounds to me like you have criteria for passengers, ability to haul cargo and the type of terrain that the vehicle is able to handle. Maybe if you write a list down on paper of all the things you consider to be essential, all the things you consider important, and then all the "would be nice to haves," you'll be able to come to more of an agreement. Or if all else fails take your list out with you on test drives and maybe you might be surprised as to what vehicle meets your needs best. :thumbsup:
 

TXDani

Senior Community Member
The best part? I laugh hard at the pump, seen soccer mom paying more than $50 just to buy few groceries and go to the practice. That is when common sense really shine !!!! :ROTFLMAO:


You can laugh as hard as you want at my gas tab ($70 a fill-up) because I am laughing just as hard at a middle-aged MALE driving a VW Bettle. :duck:
 

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