Which 7 seater SUV?

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lovejoypeace
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by lovejoypeace »

We were in the market for a large SUV last fall and almost bought a new Ford Expedition Max. We just happened to drive onto the dealer's used car lot and they had a 2 year old Lincoln Navigator L in the exact color we wanted. Took it home for a test drive and purchased it the next day. So far we are very happy with it. We had rented Chevy products and were not happy with the navigation and electronics in general. Other brands were not comparable in our opinion.

I would highly recommend test driving a Lincoln!
finite_difference
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by finite_difference »

flarf wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:15 pm I was close to buying an X7 when my brother convinced me to at least test drive a Telluride. It came in at half the price and it's 85-90% as good a vehicle. I've had it for 14 months now, put 23k miles on it, and haven't had any issues. It tows well, AWD works great (made weekly trips in the winter to a house up an unpaved mountain road), handles fine. I'd definitely spring for the SX-P model to get all the creature comforts (heads-up display, etc.) but that's just me.

The Telluride/Palisade just make the ~100k SUVs look like such horrible values... made so much more sense to deploy the savings elsewhere. The depreciation curves on all these things are horrible.

I paid $3k over MSRP because I didn't have the luxury of waiting to order. That took about a day of calling around and playing dealers off each other, most were at $5-10k over sticker (and again, this was 14 months ago -- sounds like not much has changed).
You can keep the same utility and cut the price in half again if you go from Telluride/Palisade -> Sienna/Odyssey/Hybrid Pacifica.

Wait, the Hyundai Telluride/Palisade are $33k, so maybe $35k OTD? Okay maybe more like 15% savings in that case.

If they plan to make a hybrid/BEV version I should probably buy some Hyundai stock.
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zrail
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by zrail »

I know the criteria is no minivans but I just want to point out that the new Pacifica Pinnacle is an incredible machine that hits every one of your points and has an AWD option. We have the hybrid FWD option and love it.
Tingting1013
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by Tingting1013 »

Whatever you do don’t buy the XC90.

Mine has less than 3000 miles and is already back at the dealer for a bad transmission
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ram
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by ram »

zrail wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:50 pm I know the criteria is no minivans but I just want to point out that the new Pacifica Pinnacle is an incredible machine that hits every one of your points and has an AWD option. We have the hybrid FWD option and love it.
No minivans. Wife's criteria. We have had one for 15 years.
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OpenRoad
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by OpenRoad »

Ford Expedition EL

We love it. Has a full size back row and captains chairs. We can comfortably fit 7 adults (and have). Very easy traveling for us and our 3 kids. Kids all have their own controls in the back.

We tow our 27 foot trailer for camping with no problems all over the country.

In a pinch, I will often use it to pick up full sheets of plywood in inclement weather. All the rear seats fold flat.

We live in the NE and face a lot of snow, drives great in it.

Many of the ones you listed will have problems towing a trailer because of limits to tongue weight/pay load.
smatter
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by smatter »

We were in a similar shopping boat with you a few months back.

We bought the ‘22 MDX. We ended up with the Tech instead of the Advance which has many of the extra goodies you are looking for. For us the new car was a total splurge. We are usually ones to buy 2 year or so used German cars and drive them 10 years, but the used car market is bonkers and the ‘22 was basically everything we really wanted in car.

We just took it to OBX from DC and back and boy are we glad we ended up with this car. We came from an older Q7 and the MDX is so much more nimble and fun to drive. Gets a solid 25 mpg on long highway runs and driver assist is fantastic / not distracting, and interior quiet as a church. Also and I am not kidding driver assist has already stopped me from hitting someone twice (both times not my fault).

Yes we drove the Telluride but honestly the exterior is too evocative of a Suburban. If you like that sort of thing, good for you, but you and your wife should definitely drive the MDX.
vfinx
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by vfinx »

The Genesis GV80 looks really nice, and will come with a 10 year / 100k powertrain warranty. I think now is a good time to get in on a Genesis. Unlike Kia/Hyundai, they cannot yet command the prices of their competitors, but they are very committed and are producing high quality vehicles to build a reputation, so they can increase prices later (which is where the Kia/Hyundai brands are now). The brand is actually not that new, but for some reason it took them forever to enter the SUV space.
ACN
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by ACN »

vfinx wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 9:26 pm The Genesis GV80 looks really nice, and will come with a 10 year / 100k powertrain warranty. I think now is a good time to get in on a Genesis. Unlike Kia/Hyundai, they cannot yet command the prices of their competitors, but they are very committed and are producing high quality vehicles to build a reputation, so they can increase prices later (which is where the Kia/Hyundai brands are now). The brand is actually not that new, but for some reason it took them forever to enter the SUV space.
Second this. I have a g80 sport. Such a solid car with every feature for half price of a fully loaded E class or A6/7. It's significantly better then my wife's MB suv. If I hadn't gotten the Genesis sedan a couple years ago, I would buy the suv right now.
bluelight
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by bluelight »

Another vote for the Lincoln Navigator. My daughter purchased one in the spring and I am seriously impressed with that vehicle. We did a round trip from NY to FL and the car was an absolute pleasure. For a large car it is easy to drive and gets surprisingly decent gas mileage.
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ram
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by ram »

Update:
Plan to wait till shortage resolves.

We looked at Mercedes GLS and BMW X7 : Not impressed for the price point.
Kia Telluride was good but we liked Lexus better. Dealer wanted 5K over MSRP.
Liked both Lexus RX L ( last 2 seats are really cramped, the worst of the lot) and GX 460 (despite it being a very old platform). Cars with just the right amount of options were not available. We can and will wait.

Thanks everybody. We will also look at the other options mentioned before we buy.
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edge
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by edge »

lincoln or bmw, maybe genesis
surfstar
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by surfstar »

Californiastate wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 10:09 am It's hard to beat a Suburban or Yukon Xl for sheer volume. I never had to worry about having enough room when packing for a family trip. Other vehicles might have 7 seats but a Sub will carry the gear too. We looked at a loaded Highlander when we were getting rid of our XL. It was nice but it wasn't even close when it comes to storage and towing capacity. The Expediton, Yukon XL and Suburban are large vehicles. Everything else is coming up short.
Except a SIenna will beat it for comfort and cargo space and get 35+ mpg now with the hybrid.

The Kia Carnival is a blatant attempt to lure SUV potentials back to a minivan. But as we all know -- fashion > function -- in marketing.
manuvns
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by manuvns »

Yukon , escalade , tahoe , MB GLS ,
Thanks!
wfrobinette
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by wfrobinette »

EnerJi wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 11:52 am We have a 2017 Audi Q7 Prestige and it's terrific. Checks all your boxes and then some. There's a good chance that we'll upgrade to a newer Q7 within a couple of years. I highly recommend the 4-wheel steering option, as it makes the Q7 feel much smaller and much more manoeuvrable.
We had the 2017 Q7 Prestige as well. Dumped it this year because the infotainment system started having major issues and I could sell it for a good price. It chewed through tires, plastic stuff broke around the seats, service was expensive. Never again.
wfrobinette
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by wfrobinette »

Lesson I learned.

Never buy a house or car to accommodate for the once a year (or less) occupancy constraints. Hotels are cheaper and so is driving two cars out to dinner.

Frankly, I wouldn't spend anywhere near 100k on a SUV. KIa, Huyndai, Honda, Toyota, Mazda all make great vehicles for 1/2 that price.
Californiastate
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by Californiastate »

surfstar wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:59 am
Californiastate wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 10:09 am It's hard to beat a Suburban or Yukon Xl for sheer volume. I never had to worry about having enough room when packing for a family trip. Other vehicles might have 7 seats but a Sub will carry the gear too. We looked at a loaded Highlander when we were getting rid of our XL. It was nice but it wasn't even close when it comes to storage and towing capacity. The Expediton, Yukon XL and Suburban are large vehicles. Everything else is coming up short.
Except a SIenna will beat it for comfort and cargo space and get 35+ mpg now with the hybrid.

The Kia Carnival is a blatant attempt to lure SUV potentials back to a minivan. But as we all know -- fashion > function -- in marketing.
I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers but a '21 Yukon XL has 144.7 cu ft. with seat area. A '21 Toyota Sienna has only 101 cubic feet with seat area. The Yukon has a payload of 1700 to 1867 lbs. A Sienna has a payload of 1335 lbs. I'm not going to bring up towing specs. My Yukon XL was the most comfortable long distance vehicle that I've owned. The Sienna hybrid does beat it with MPG but so does a Nissan Leaf.
abner kravitz
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by abner kravitz »

NYC_Guy wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 11:52 pm I had an Acura MDX for 13 years. One of the best cars I’ve owned. Honda makes things that last.
My wife is still driving a 2006 model, great car. I will say, though, that I have never seen a near-luxury car with a worse paint job or crappier radio. I assume they have upped their game by now. The driving dynamics and reliability are stellar.
Workaholic
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by Workaholic »

ram wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 8:13 pm Update:
Plan to wait till shortage resolves.

We looked at Mercedes GLS and BMW X7 : Not impressed for the price point.
Kia Telluride was good but we liked Lexus better. Dealer wanted 5K over MSRP.
Liked both Lexus RX L ( last 2 seats are really cramped, the worst of the lot) and GX 460 (despite it being a very old platform). Cars with just the right amount of options were not available. We can and will wait.

Thanks everybody. We will also look at the other options mentioned before we buy.
Sounds like a good plan- the car market right now is just ridiculous both new and used.

I'd echo those who say the Escalade and Navigator. I was never really impressed with either of them until this current generation- both are truly on the same playing field as Mercedes/BMW/Audi. I rented a '20 Navigator for a week on vacation and really thought it was probably one of the nicest vehicles I've been in in a very long time. I haven't rented a new Escalade yet but have test drove one and was very impressed as well. Honestly not sure which one I'd pick given the choice- both are compelling vehicles if you desire a full size SUV.

If you TRULY need a 3rd row, you need to go full-size SUV if you expect any sort of cargo room at all. The "3 row midsize SUV's" are a joke if you seriously expect to fit 6-7 people AND luggage or any cargo. Completely ridiculous.
02nz
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by 02nz »

vfinx wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 9:26 pm The Genesis GV80 looks really nice, and will come with a 10 year / 100k powertrain warranty. I think now is a good time to get in on a Genesis. Unlike Kia/Hyundai, they cannot yet command the prices of their competitors, but they are very committed and are producing high quality vehicles to build a reputation, so they can increase prices later (which is where the Kia/Hyundai brands are now). The brand is actually not that new, but for some reason it took them forever to enter the SUV space.
The GV80 is one of the best-looking large SUVs, IMHO. I haven't driven it, but the Tiger Woods crash appeared to demonstrate that it's at least very crashworthy!
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cchrissyy
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by cchrissyy »

wfrobinette wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 12:38 pm
Never buy a house or car to accommodate for the once a year (or less) occupancy constraints. Hotels are cheaper and so is driving two cars out to dinner.
Strong agree!

If you liked the Lexus rh, and it works for you 99% of the time as a 5 seater I think get that. Or, test drive an x5. I see you didn't think the x7 was worth it but maybe an x5 is.
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toomanysidehustles
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by toomanysidehustles »

Californiastate wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:23 pm
surfstar wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:59 am
Californiastate wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 10:09 am It's hard to beat a Suburban or Yukon Xl for sheer volume. I never had to worry about having enough room when packing for a family trip. Other vehicles might have 7 seats but a Sub will carry the gear too. We looked at a loaded Highlander when we were getting rid of our XL. It was nice but it wasn't even close when it comes to storage and towing capacity. The Expediton, Yukon XL and Suburban are large vehicles. Everything else is coming up short.
Except a SIenna will beat it for comfort and cargo space and get 35+ mpg now with the hybrid.

The Kia Carnival is a blatant attempt to lure SUV potentials back to a minivan. But as we all know -- fashion > function -- in marketing.
I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers but a '21 Yukon XL has 144.7 cu ft. with seat area. A '21 Toyota Sienna has only 101 cubic feet with seat area. The Yukon has a payload of 1700 to 1867 lbs. A Sienna has a payload of 1335 lbs. I'm not going to bring up towing specs. My Yukon XL was the most comfortable long distance vehicle that I've owned. The Sienna hybrid does beat it with MPG but so does a Nissan Leaf.
+ the diesel version is pushing up to 30 mpg in some online reviews!
surfstar
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by surfstar »

Californiastate wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:23 pm
surfstar wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:59 am
Californiastate wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 10:09 am It's hard to beat a Suburban or Yukon Xl for sheer volume. I never had to worry about having enough room when packing for a family trip. Other vehicles might have 7 seats but a Sub will carry the gear too. We looked at a loaded Highlander when we were getting rid of our XL. It was nice but it wasn't even close when it comes to storage and towing capacity. The Expediton, Yukon XL and Suburban are large vehicles. Everything else is coming up short.
Except a SIenna will beat it for comfort and cargo space and get 35+ mpg now with the hybrid.

The Kia Carnival is a blatant attempt to lure SUV potentials back to a minivan. But as we all know -- fashion > function -- in marketing.
I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers but a '21 Yukon XL has 144.7 cu ft. with seat area. A '21 Toyota Sienna has only 101 cubic feet with seat area. The Yukon has a payload of 1700 to 1867 lbs. A Sienna has a payload of 1335 lbs. I'm not going to bring up towing specs. My Yukon XL was the most comfortable long distance vehicle that I've owned. The Sienna hybrid does beat it with MPG but so does a Nissan Leaf.
The Sienna hybrid second row seats don't easily come out as they now have seat-side airbags also. Using 2018 data for comparison: 150 cu ft. So if you really need the 150, take out a few bolts and its there.
OP didn't need towing and payload. People and space, which = minivan. 'mericans love their giant, inefficient SUVs though. Owners report up to 40 mpg in the Sienna, also.

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Wenonah
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by Wenonah »

I know this is late, but everyone forgot the Kia Sorento. V6, Great ride, great safety ratings, 26-28 mph on the freeway, 3 rows of seats that fold down, all the safety bells and whistles.
ImpalaGuy
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by ImpalaGuy »

Most of the choices you list have seats for 7 people but not very good size ones. A Tahoe Premier fulfills all your requirements and you could get a Tahoe High Country and still be well under your budget requirement. I'm guessing you have some aversion to American brands based on the choices you mentioned. The Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon/Escalade will all be supremely reliable and the resale value is excellent. The BMW may be reasonably reliable until about the time the warranty is up. I am positive that owning a BMW or Mercedes SUV will be vastly different from the experience you've likely had with your 2006 Avalon (I own an Avalon in addition to a 2007 Tahoe and 2021 Tahoe). Our 2021 gas Tahoe has been getting 23 mpg on the highway and the diesel is only a $900 option if you want to get closer to 30.
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by snackdog »

It seems silly to buy a massive 7-seater with towing capacity if in fact you don't need that now or normally. Wasteful for your wife to be porpoising around alone in a massive barge 90% of the time. Get a 4-5 seater. When you need 7 seats once in a blue moon, rent a Suburban for all 7 or a small second car for the extra 2 people. Rental cars are ideal for trips anyway - you can abuse them and eat inside, etc. (all within reason of course). If and when you ever need a travel trailer, figure out the trailer first then work out the tow plan.

The RX350 is a fabulous choice, L or regular. Hybrid is excellent as well.
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gamboolman
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by gamboolman »

We bought a 2021 Honda Pilot with all your desired options when I retired earlier this year.
We have been and are taking lots of road trips of afew days to a month and we wanted a comfortable SUV that we can haul all of our stuff in easily.
We really like it and do recommend the Pilot.

We almost bought a MDX - this is/would be a excellent choice also.
dsmclone
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by dsmclone »

gamboolman wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 12:31 am We bought a 2021 Honda Pilot with all your desired options when I retired earlier this year.
We have been and are taking lots of road trips of afew days to a month and we wanted a comfortable SUV that we can haul all of our stuff in easily.
We really like it and do recommend the Pilot.

We almost bought a MDX - this is/would be a excellent choice also.
The Pilot is going to be reliable. It's just very dated and really needs an update to be competitive in the class. On a positive note. they seem to be one of the few SUV's that are easy to find on the lot.
lazydavid
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by lazydavid »

Our requirements were similar to yours, and we settled on a 2018 Q7 Prestige. Our whole family is tall, so we needed something super comfortable for 4 six-footers. Third row is tiny, but we only use it about once a year, and there's tons of cargo space with it down. It has been absolutely perfect for us, whether around town or on longer trips.

No issues other than some oil consumption between changes, which is very common with Audi's supercharged V6. The twin-turbo V6 in the current models does not do this to my knowledge. Maintenance has been very easy, though some parts are expensive. Not looking forward to replacing the $$$ brake rotors one day. Battery though, will be the simplest, cleanest swap ever.
Workaholic
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by Workaholic »

snackdog wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 9:57 pm It seems silly to buy a massive 7-seater with towing capacity if in fact you don't need that now or normally. Wasteful for your wife to be porpoising around alone in a massive barge 90% of the time. Get a 4-5 seater. When you need 7 seats once in a blue moon, rent a Suburban for all 7 or a small second car for the extra 2 people. Rental cars are ideal for trips anyway - you can abuse them and eat inside, etc. (all within reason of course). If and when you ever need a travel trailer, figure out the trailer first then work out the tow plan.

The RX350 is a fabulous choice, L or regular. Hybrid is excellent as well.
I always find it better to "buy up" than to settle for something less than what you potentially want/need. It's an easy way to have buyers remorse.

I have an F-150 and while I generally don't need the capability 90% of the time, the 10% I do need it are worth the little worse fuel economy I get versus buying something smaller.

I rarely hear anyone say "I bought too MUCH vehicle" but I have heard many say that they wish they would've bought something bigger but settled.
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by anoop »

snackdog wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 9:57 pm It seems silly to buy a massive 7-seater with towing capacity if in fact you don't need that now or normally. Wasteful for your wife to be porpoising around alone in a massive barge 90% of the time. Get a 4-5 seater. When you need 7 seats once in a blue moon, rent a Suburban for all 7 or a small second car for the extra 2 people. Rental cars are ideal for trips anyway - you can abuse them and eat inside, etc. (all within reason of course). If and when you ever need a travel trailer, figure out the trailer first then work out the tow plan.

The RX350 is a fabulous choice, L or regular. Hybrid is excellent as well.
Renting is an absolute pain that I do my best to avoid. The cars tend to be dirty and most rental places are not well managed either (understaffed, long wait times). Now couple that with the alleged crazy prices of rentals. There's also something to said about the comfort (ride comfort, seat comfort, noise) of a full size SUV that you won't find in something smaller.
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

Agree with above comments. We love our 7 seater Pallisade. Would buy again in a heartbeat!
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illumination
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by illumination »

I have Lexus GX 460, I like it quite a bit. It really wasn't that much more than something like a loaded Jeep Grand Cherokee at the time, I got an "entry level" one that has more options than I need.

It is truck based, but super smooth, quiet and luxury oriented. Much better ride than something like a Toyota 4 Runner Incredibly solid and well made. Biggest issue is fuel economy, average around 16mpg. It is not a car based SUV that handles like a sports sedan. Has full time four wheel drive (great in the snow) Second GX for me, they have great resale and are reliable workhorses.


The 3rd row is for kids only, but does come in handy when the kids have a friend to take home for school, etc.

I do think the American brands do a good job with full size SUVs with vehicles like the Tahoe and Expedition. They have just inflated to sky high prices even before Covid. I would also look into the Toyota Sequioa even though its design is a bit dated.
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ram
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by ram »

snackdog wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 9:57 pm It seems silly to buy a massive 7-seater with towing capacity if in fact you don't need that now or normally. Wasteful for your wife to be porpoising around alone in a massive barge 90% of the time. Get a 4-5 seater. When you need 7 seats once in a blue moon, rent a Suburban for all 7 or a small second car for the extra 2 people. Rental cars are ideal for trips anyway - you can abuse them and eat inside, etc. (all within reason of course). If and when you ever need a travel trailer, figure out the trailer first then work out the tow plan.

The RX350 is a fabulous choice, L or regular. Hybrid is excellent as well.
Thanks snackdog. I live in a small town with 1 car rental place. Even pre Covid they could not give you a vehicle that you wanted. The answer usually is we have 3 cars available. Pick one. That is the reason I want a 7 seater.

More than 99% of the miles travelled will be with <= 5 passengers and >90% of miles travelled will be with <= 2 people.
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by Ruprecht »

Bb073084 wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 11:45 pm Subaru ascent is very nice and handles well in the snow
...if it starts...

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lazydavid
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by lazydavid »

Workaholic wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:48 pm I always find it better to "buy up" than to settle for something less than what you potentially want/need. It's an easy way to have buyers remorse.

I have an F-150 and while I generally don't need the capability 90% of the time, the 10% I do need it are worth the little worse fuel economy I get versus buying something smaller.

I rarely hear anyone say "I bought too MUCH vehicle" but I have heard many say that they wish they would've bought something bigger but settled.
Going to disagree with this one. We've been driving a rented Tahoe for the past three weeks (as we often do on vacations, this is probably our 8th or 9th rental in this class), and I'd be furious with myself had we purchased one instead of our Q7. It's not a terrible vehicle, but drives horrendously compared to any mid/large size CUV, gets an appalling 11mpg (vs 19 for the Q7), and doesn't have notably more space in the 1st/2nd rows. My wife (the Q7's primary driver) absolutely loathes driving it, to the point that it determines where she is and is not willing to go. Yes there's more cargo space with the 3rd row down, and it would be happier towing the boat that I don't have (and it doesn't have the hitch for). But overall, it would have been an absolutely awful choice for our needs.
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Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by EnerJi »

wfrobinette wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 12:33 pm
EnerJi wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 11:52 am We have a 2017 Audi Q7 Prestige and it's terrific. Checks all your boxes and then some. There's a good chance that we'll upgrade to a newer Q7 within a couple of years. I highly recommend the 4-wheel steering option, as it makes the Q7 feel much smaller and much more manoeuvrable.
We had the 2017 Q7 Prestige as well. Dumped it this year because the infotainment system started having major issues and I could sell it for a good price. It chewed through tires, plastic stuff broke around the seats, service was expensive. Never again.
Bad luck, perhaps. Haven't had any of those issues, although I'll knock wood that they don't suddenly appear after posting this. Tires don't last too long but that's a side effect of performance tires and I gladly make that trade-off for increased performance and safety. I still strongly recommend the Q7, particularly with the 4-wheel steering option.
tibbitts
Posts: 23716
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:50 pm

Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by tibbitts »

Workaholic wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:48 pm
snackdog wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 9:57 pm It seems silly to buy a massive 7-seater with towing capacity if in fact you don't need that now or normally. Wasteful for your wife to be porpoising around alone in a massive barge 90% of the time. Get a 4-5 seater. When you need 7 seats once in a blue moon, rent a Suburban for all 7 or a small second car for the extra 2 people. Rental cars are ideal for trips anyway - you can abuse them and eat inside, etc. (all within reason of course). If and when you ever need a travel trailer, figure out the trailer first then work out the tow plan.

The RX350 is a fabulous choice, L or regular. Hybrid is excellent as well.
I always find it better to "buy up" than to settle for something less than what you potentially want/need. It's an easy way to have buyers remorse.

I have an F-150 and while I generally don't need the capability 90% of the time, the 10% I do need it are worth the little worse fuel economy I get versus buying something smaller.

I rarely hear anyone say "I bought too MUCH vehicle" but I have heard many say that they wish they would've bought something bigger but settled.
I probably would have preferred a smaller-than-full-size pickup. It would only fit in the garage backwards, and it wasn't possible to walk around the vehicle while it was parked inside, or have any shelves for storage on the walls. It was difficult to maneuver for parking generally, and u-turns (something I do often) were more challenging than in shorter wheelbase vehicles. The fuel economy on the highway wasn't bad, although every extra mpg would have been appreciated.

On the other hand, it was only a half-ton truck, and there were definitely times I wished it was a 3/4 ton. So you might not have needed the capability of your F150 90% of the time, but 50% of the other 10% of the time you probably needed an F250 at least. I do know of a number of people who regretted going half-ton vs. something with more capacity.
sawdust60
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 12:06 pm

Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by sawdust60 »

My preference is for reliability and value. Very satisfied with 2019 4Runner Limited AWD. 3rd row is an option/afterthought, but comes in handy for a 6th/7th child if rarely needs to be used.

If you think about who will need a car in 5-7 years, there will be more interest in the 4Runner. I'm not sure I'd buy a tow vehicle today if I didn't need it for 5-7 years.

Had a Suburban for 18 years. Four captains chairs. Great for trips. But current pricing and undesireable new 'features' are not for me.

I do not want cylinder shut off or automatic stop-start -- neighbor already had their 2021 Suburban engine rebuilt after less than 6 months.

And not just GM with the undesireable 'features'. It can be difficult to find cars without them. Buyer beware.

Also saw this -- you might get lucky...
General Motors will build some 2021 full-size pickups and SUVs without the automatic stop-start fuel-saving feature because of the global microchip shortage...
...select models of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV SUVs equipped with 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V-8 engines and 10-speed transmissions built on or after June 7.
teCh0010
Posts: 415
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:20 am

Re: Which 7 seater SUV?

Post by teCh0010 »

dsmclone wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:28 am
gamboolman wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 12:31 am We bought a 2021 Honda Pilot with all your desired options when I retired earlier this year.
We have been and are taking lots of road trips of afew days to a month and we wanted a comfortable SUV that we can haul all of our stuff in easily.
We really like it and do recommend the Pilot.

We almost bought a MDX - this is/would be a excellent choice also.
The Pilot is going to be reliable. It's just very dated and really needs an update to be competitive in the class. On a positive note. they seem to be one of the few SUV's that are easy to find on the lot.
What is the pilot missing to be competitive?
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