Need help picking a SUV

Hi Everyone! I need some help picking a midsize SUV. I'm due with our first baby in January and we have two medium sized dogs as well. We also plan on having at least one more child (maybe two if we have twins next time).

So I'm looking for:

*AWD
*good cargo room
*3rd row optional
*roof rack
*LATCH (preferably 3 in a row)
*decent gas mileage
*reliable
*preferably no more than $30K
*2007 or newer

I was thinking of the:

*Toyota Highlander
*Toyota Highlander Hybrid
*Acura MDX
*Honda Pilot

I'm open to any other ideas as well and of course Pros/Cons..

Thanks!!

I really like the Honda Pilot. It was redesigned in 09. The newer model is a little longer (more cargo room) and has more latch positions than the previous generation. It now has 3 complete sets of LATCH in the second row. The second row is also big enough to hold 3 car seats. There is 1 complete LATCH in the third row and tether anchors in the other 2 positions in third row. My parents have the Ridgeline, which is the truck version of the Pilot. We all love it. They are around $30k new.

I think the Acura is pretty much a Pilot with more luxury features.

The Highlander is quite a bit smaller than the Pilot. The 3rd row is very tiny. DD complained of being squished in the third row when she was about 11.

My mom has a Pilot and if I ever needed an SUV I would choose that one.

-seats are easy to adjust and put down
-back seats can be put all the way or halfway down
-seats 8 people! very roomy for the size SUV it is
-latch & tether are pretty easy to access compared to some cars I have had to install seats in... car seat installs were quick with every seat
-great SUV for travel, we have been on several road trips

Take it for a test drive... i'm sure you'll like it =)

The selling feature for my mom was that it seats 8 if you need it. If not you can put the backseats down and have plenty of cargo space.

Out of what you listed, the Pilot would probably be your best bet because it provides the most cargo area for dogs. It also seats three in the 3rd row whereas the others only seat two. And the tether anchors for the 3rd row are on the back of the seats in the Pilot just like the 2nd row (at least for '09 and later) whereas the MDX has the tether anchors at the cargo door sill which can block your cargo space a bit when using the 3rd row. The MDX does have three full sets of LATCH in the 2nd row (and the anchors are on the back of the seats in 2nd row) and the '09 and greater Pilot also has 3 full sets of LATCH in the 2nd row and one set on passenger side in 3rd row. Prior to '09, the Pilot only has LATCH in both outboard positions in the 2nd row and I don't think in the 3rd row at all. The Highlander doesn't have ANY tether anchors for the 3rd row (and no lower anchors either) so not the safest place for a FF seat (and in Canada you can't install a FF seat there).

So, I'd go for an '09 Pilot but I have no idea if that works for your budget as I'm not familiar with U.S. pricing on these vehicles.

None of these will allow you to carry the dogs in the cargo area while using the 3rd row, there just isn't enough room. Personally, I think they're all too small for three kids and two dogs.

I've got an MDX so if you have anymore questions about it, feel free to ask.

I love all of your choices so far, but have you considered a more practical vehicle like a minivan? Specifically a Honda Odyssey or Sienna? They are going to give you more 3rd row room, better gas mileage, sliding doors (a HUGE plus with two kids!), much much more cargo room for your dogs, and other things (like strollers.) Not sure if those SUV's have it, but the Ody and Sienna also have the optional power tailgate. This would be great with two kids, and two large dogs as well.

Minivans are very safe, and don't pose the roll over risk as much as an SUV. The Sienna comes in AWD (pay a pretty penny for it though).

I agree with the others. Highlander is too small.

I agree. Of the choices you mentioned, the Pilot/MDX is the best choice. A minivan would be a great option if you're open to it (probably a better option in reality). This is coming from someone who swore she'd never drive a minivan, & now wants one badly!

If you want some other SUV options the Enclave/Acadia/Outlook/Traverse might be another way to go. Not sure if you want to go domestic, however.

Thank you for all your responses.

Right now I just can't bring myself to get a minivan.. a 3rd child is only a possibility if our next pregnancy is twins (we have to do IVF in order to get pregnant). I also don't really *need* the 3rd row - I just think it'd be nice option to have - AWD is a must though..

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the 09 or 10 Pilot - I really love the Highlander Hybrid but I agree that it'll be too small for our needs.

Oo.. I also plan on getting the True Fit carseat - that'll fit in a Pilot right?

I think the True Fit will install fine, but someone else should pipe up for sure.

Oh, & we have friends who had their daughter via IVF & got a SUV. Then their second round of IVF resulted in twin daughters. So they ended up with an Odyssey. They couldn't fight the minivan any longer at that point!

Congrats on your little one, by the way.

I've got a TF installed RF at 35° in my MDX and it fits great. I've never installed it at 45° for a newborn, but at that angle and age, you'll have the headrest off, so I expect it would be fine. My friends have one installed in an '07 Pilot and it's working fine for them (again, they have the headrest on and have it a straighter angle). My friends and I both used infant carriers for the beginning so once the TF came into our lives, our babies were older and bigger, the headrests were needed and it could be installed more upright.

Check out this site for the safety ratings of the car you choose. I found I'm driving a death trap and am kind of distressed about it. I can't replace it for a few more years.

http://www.informedforlife.org/viewartcl.php?index=24

You said you were open to suggestions. What about a Ford Flex? A car that is not really talked about as there did not seem to be that many on the road yet.
I have no idea what a 2009 used ones for sell for though in the US but it cannot be more then 30,000.
We compared the prices of a new 09 Flex and a 09 Pilot and the Honda was topping off at 70,000 compared to the Flex at just over 50,000 with the same standard and options. Canadian pricing. I'm sure the US cost are much much less.

AWD is available on both the SEL and Limited and roof racks are an option as long as it does not have a Vista Roof.

It has 6 or 7 passenger seating but only three top tether anchors. Either bench row or bucket like seats in the second row.

You can get an optional console or fridge/freezer between the second row bucket but if you have lots of traffic to the third row it would be a pain to crawl over. If I was using the third row everyday I would opt out of the console. Otherwise the second row bucket seats fold down with a touch of a button as long as there are no car seats installed.
Third row lays down for plenty of room. We had it packed to the gills for a camping trip a few weeks ago.

We have owned several Fords and they were fine but I have to say the Flex blows them out of the water with features. Ours is fully equipped and truly a luxury. I can think of only one thing that bugs me and it is truly minor.

Ours has the optional backup camera and the standard back up sensor. A literal lifesaver when my kids decided to run behind me when I was backing out of the driveway last night. They are fully equipped with airbags in all three rows. Advance Trac and roll over sensor, but it is such a wide car and very low to the ground that rollover risk is very low. Power Hatch in the back.

Honestly I would not get the SEL if I were to buy the Flex. Limited all the way. I am not 100% sure but the US might have even had a SE for 09 as well...all three trim levels are available for the 2010 models though in addition to a fuel saver called the EcoBoost.

Eh can you tell I love my car.

BudgieStew said:

We compared the prices of a new 09 Flex and a 09 Pilot and the Honda was topping off at 70,000 compared to the Flex at just over 50,000 with the same standard and options. Canadian pricing. I'm sure the US cost are much much less.

Click to expand...

Someone had to have been pulling your leg. That's more than a top of the line MDX (which is a more expensive vehicle). If you take Honda's most expensive '10 model of the Pilot, it's MSRP is $52,010 and that model has pretty much every option, so other than a trailer towing package and a few other accessories you can't add much to it, definitely no way to add $18,000 worth of accessories.

TechnoGranola said:

Someone had to have been pulling your leg. That's more than a top of the line MDX (which is a more expensive vehicle). If you take Honda's most expensive '10 model of the Pilot, it's MSRP is $52,010 and that model has pretty much every option, so other than a trailer towing package and a few other accessories you can't add much to it, definitely no way to add $18,000 worth of accessories.

Click to expand...

Not to take away from the original posters question as the Canadian pricing of the Pilot has to be boring for her. but to answer your question.

DH did the online build your car through Honda.ca. Right now I am unsure if he priced the 09 or 10 because in the spring both would have been still up on the site.
Yes, the MSRP is around 50,000 about the same as our Flex but after it was all added up it was much more then that. I neglected to mention that I was including the taxes in that last post as well, sorry.

Just to be sure I was not mistaken with my numbers I just went back and redid it and tried to select the same options as what we wanted and got on the Flex although DH might have selected more gadgets then I would. It seems not to be offering the Entertainment Package on any of the trim levels though. Isn't there a DVD player or Sat radio on the new Pilots? When we were looking at used one they were offered.

It gave a total cost of $66,000 with accessories, taxes and fees on everything like the color of the sky and all that junk, then you have to add in 10,000 or so of interest. We finance.
Perhaps not the most accurate way of determining final cost but more then enough to tell us that the monthly car payment would make us cry. If I could C/P it the numbers here I would but it does not allow me to do it. Ford had an awesome rebate this summer that knocked 10,000 off the MSRP of our Flex.

I do think the Pilot is an awesome SUV and it has been on our cars of interest list the last few car purchases.

Okay, I get it now, you were calculating total cost with financing and interest. That makes more sense now! Thanks for explaining. As for the DVD players for '10, the "rear entertainment system" seems to be standard in the upper 2 trim levels (EX-L RES and Touring). Not sure if it can be added onto the lower trim levels.

TechnoGranola said:

Okay, I get it now, you were calculating total cost with financing and interest. That makes more sense now! Thanks for explaining. As for the DVD players for '10, the "rear entertainment system" seems to be standard in the upper 2 trim levels (EX-L RES and Touring). Not sure if it can be added onto the lower trim levels.

Click to expand...

Glad it makes sense to you cause right now rereading it, it doesn't even make sense to me. It has been one of those days.

I recommend against getting a Toyota Highlander. I'm looking at a picture of the layout of a 2007 Highlander and it has the driver seat, passenger seat, three seats in the middle, then two in the back. The center seat in the second row is really skinny and it doesn't have LATCH. I can tell you this now from experience with my mom's 2009 Toyota RAV4 Limited. There is no third row for her car but the center seat is really just as wide as the front arm rest/storage area of a car. I tried installing my Boulevard CS and True Fit in the middle with no success. Even if I had gotten them installed correctly, no one would be able to ride in the back alongside the car seat, which is a problem considering DS is only 5 months and needs me back there to feed him on some days. IMO the Highlander and RAV4s are horrible when it comes to child restraint systems.

http://autoreview.belproject.com/media/1/20090325-2007-toyota-highlander-interior-third-row.jpg <-- This is the picture I was referring to.

I'm looking for almost the exact same things as the OP, so I'd thought I'd join in here rather than starting a new thread.

I'd be interested in hearing more pros/cons from others on the Ford Flex (as suggested by Budgie Stew).

What about the Dodge Journey? It seems to have all of the OP's criteria available as options (except 3 LATCH all usable at the same time), but for ~$10,000 less than the others mentioned above. Pros/cons on this one?

I am in the same boat. We are thinking of trying to conceive in about 8mths and currently have an outback and we lvoe the car but car seats are a pain and with two car seats neither one of us can drive it.

My friend recommended the VW Routan as well.

Let us know what you think if you test drive:thumbsup:

We bought an '09 Ford Flex last November, SEL trim, and I absolutely LOVE it. Roomier than any other SUV in its class that we test-drove. We actually installed our Graco SS1 in every car/SUV we tested, and only the Flex allowed us to set both the car seat and our driver/passenger seats in optimal positions, with room to spare. The interior is positively luxurious, even at the SEL trim level. The price we paid (not including taxes or financing) was around 33k (US).

My son is now in an EFTA, still RF, and it is very accomodating for this seat. We're expecting in March and the new baby will be in the Graco SS1. We opted for bucket seats in the second row hoping it would be more comfortable for anyone riding who wasn't in a car seat (family, friends, etc.) We did use LATCH in the third row for my son on an extended road trip once, allowing "big people" to sit very comfortably in the second row. It worked out great. Eventually, one or more of our kids will be in the third row 100% of the time as we plan to keep this vehicle until the wheels fall off.

I can't say enough good things about it. Definitely consider looking at one.