jimxo

My wife's car 2001 RX300 FWD may get traded in for one of these Outlook's.

Anyone think this is a bad move?

We need more room and the new RX is to small and the GX is out of our price range. We can get the GM employee price (about 3k off sticker).

In person it looks great I guess a test drive in next.

http://www.saturn.com/saturn/vehicle...otoGallery.jsp

rcf8000

The Outlook looks good on paper. Check it out and report to us. It is unfortunate that Lexus has nothing equivalent to the Outlook in their product line. You might want to consider a Sienna, unless the image is a problem. I had one, and my wife has never forgiven me for trading it for an LX470. A Sienna is roomier than an Outlook, if that matters. Oops! I just noticed that you already have an Odyssey; guess you don't want two minivans.

Warming to the subject, another vehicle worth checking out would be the Ford Freestyle. It has most of the functionality of the Outlook, but is more manageable in size, weighs a lot less so gets better gas mileage, has been on the market longer so may be more reliable, and can probably be purchased for less. Most of the user reports that I've read about the Freestyle have been quite positive. I would also check out the Mazda CX-9 and the Ford Explorer.

jimxo

I test drove this car today. It rides great not as soft as rx but very smooth overall. Its feels more like a large SUV in every way. I have to say this is a serious contender for people who like full size SUV e.g Sequoia & Tahoo but want better handling and MPG. 18/24

The fit and finish were top notch with beautiful leather trim package. Tons of space and the 3rd row seats were a must. Good acceleration and silk feel to the transmission.
This car looks like a luxury car from every angel. I think this will be a hit for GM.

Best part is we can get the GM employee price that will take us down to 33k fully loaded HID. PWR REAR DOOR, MOON ROOF, PREMIUM SOUND MEAMORY SEATS, BUT NO NAVIGATION.

Time will tell. Anyone need a 2001 RX300?


FYI:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...1-acadia_x.htm

GatorGX

I really like this vehicle and the GMC Acadia but my wife (was to be her car) was not into taking the chance on a first year GM vehicle and she really wanted the GX. I do think this lambda line of vehicles will be a great success though.

We just picked up a base remaining brand new 2006 GX470 during the Dec. to Remember event. No Nav or DVD... and those are the things that changed for 2007... anyway got it for a little more than $10k under MSRP then added taxes and a dealer fee. With the dealer fee included it worked out to about $2500 under invoice. The dealer let on that they were getting $2k from Lexus on the vehicle. Not sure if that was accurate or not. The holdback is about $1k. Ours had 3rd row, tow prep, tow hitch, preferred pkg, and a rear spoiler. Sticker was about $50.6k. Purchase, not a lease... and no trade in.

Anyway, I mention this since the OP mentioned the GX and the base model comes with everything you mentioned. Something to consider maybe.

mmarshall

Check out the Buick Enclave before you buy an Outlook. Since interior plushness seems to be an issue here, the Enclave's interior is clearly the most plush of the three triplets ( Acadia, Outlook, Evclave ). Saturn, however, has a higher level of customer sevice....that is no secret.

All three of these vehivles are brand-new and unproven, though......keep that in mind. And while there are a few exceptions, GM, in general, does not have a good track record for introducing vehicles that are reliable in their first year of production like Toyota, Honda, and Subaru do.

jimxo

My main concern is the first year bugs. However to be fair the the 1995 Avalon my Mother purchased was by far the worst car we have owned in 25 years.

It was the first year for the Avalon and was built in America this is one car we could have saved 5-7k in repair bills if we had the extended warranty.