All:

I know this is an ISF forum but wanted to get some advice on the SUV category. Wanted to get a SUV for the wife and I was wondering about the following:
RX 400h,
X5 Diesel
ML Diesel
Audi Q7 TDI
GX 470
CX9

Don't want another Pilot, and I know the German cars will have issues and headache for me. so the only one left is RX vs GX vs CX9.
Any more I have missed?

I don't like the GX's design but wife says it's fine with her.

Any advices?

 

our family both has the RX and the X5
i prefer the X5 for looks
RX for the power and ride quality
the X5's suspension is more sporty and abit rough when the road gets bumpy
how about infiniti?

 

Infiniti has nice SUVs

 

i bought the wifey an x5... but if i had my pick.. it's a Jeep SRT-8.. one of the new one's.. then throw on a supercharger!!!...

 

Fj Cruiser

 

if you want luxury and reliability, gx is the best. if you have more cash, lx is better

if you want to consider germans and since you are considering gx and q7, you should look at the gl. i would pick that over the ml

 

No. We discuss ALL vehicles here in this forum, from any make.....not just the IS-F.

The CX-9, according to Consumer Reports, has not been paticularly reliable. Sometimes it has been recommended and sometimes not. I agree with you....generally stay away from the Germans, unless you want the fuel-economy and torque of the M-B/BMW Bluetec diesels. But thoese diesels need extra maintenance.....urea-solution refills every 10,000 miles or so. M-B and BMW service-shops can also be quite expensive.


Depends on what your driving-necessities are, how much you want to pay, how expensive insurance, service, depreciation, etc....will be. You've overlooked a number of SUVs that I think are a good buy for the money, including the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Honda Pilot (unless you've ruled out another Pilot), Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander, Subaru Tribeca, and Nissan Murano (though the Murano, IMO, is wierd-looking). The new Jeep Grand Cherokee has a superb interior and overall driving-refinement, but its build-quality and potential reliability, right now, is still a question mark.


Keep in mind that the GX, as a more-expensive, upscale derivitive of the Toyota 4Runner, is not only quite expensive, but is designed with off-road capability in mind. I wouldn't recommend it (or the 4Runner) uless you plan to tow heavy loads or goo off-road frequently......most SUV buyers today generally don't go off-road.

If you want a Lexus SUV, for what I think you and your wife are most likely to use it for, I'd recommend the RX350. The RX460 hybrid, of course, offers potentially better mileage, some tax-credits, and, depending on the locality, HOV-lane-access, but it is substantially more expensive than the 350, and the salespeople are not as likely to give you a good deal. Even with an RX350, you could end up paying 40K or more for a loaded versions, depending on options.....but upper 30s is more likely if you fore go a few things.

 

Thanks for a detail reply. I had originally posted this on the ISF forum before it was moved here.

I like the GL the most but when I read the Merc forums people are not happy with the reliability.
I tend to keep the cars for a long time, my current Pilot is 2004 with only 55K miles on it.

The car I will buy need to do the following:

1) look and perform good.
2) Gas mileage is okay close to 20 is fine.
3) Perform good in snow and normal off road conditions.
4) Reliable, that means it must not be in the shop cause the window roller broke, the computer gizmos stopped working.
5) Good resale value

That said I will test drive a few this week including the GX, RX 450, X5 diesel and few more.
I found a few used 2009 and 2010 GL CPO. The issue is after the CPO period is over then I am not sure what is going to happen.

Any one have any comments on the Sequoia?

I am more inclining towards the Japanese cars for reliability. All my friends who have German cars are constantly complaining about something broken and the car is in the shop. I do not want to do that. If it is a X5 then I will prefer a lease so I can get rid of it after 36 months.

I personally did not like the Pilot at all cause the brakes are too slushy and the car has a lot of body roll .

 

really? i read on mbworld and it seems like the gl is relatively solid (for a mb). if you want close to 20mpg, i don't think the gx470 is going to cut you that? if you want good reliability, it's really hard to look away from japanese. for euros, from what i see, over time there seems to be more problems.

if you care about resale, you should really consider the lx570 then (again if you have the cash). that car just does NOT depreciate. a 08 lx570 with decent miles, they go for mid 60s easily. that car new was low 80s. less than 20k over 3-4 years, unbeatable. and that will continue to be the case

i also considered a lot of suv recently. in the end it's just hard for me to look past the cpo period on euros. they look great and drive great, but i need this car for the utility and no time to play around dealerships. i want the lx570 for its values, size, amenities, but then the up front cost is quite painful.

gas mileage to me is ok. it's not like we will cruise around in this car so i accept the fact that i will be seeing 14-15mpg already.

i am not a big fan of the pilot. it has the good size, but the drive is a bit weird to me. the sequoia is really big, but i think the ride is kind of harsh (unlike previous generation) and i don't like the whole tundra look. have you looked at 4runner as well just for the heck of it? how about the infiniti q56? in the end, to me i think the gx470 is a front runner for me right now

 

im lookin at the MDX.

 

isn't MDX the same as Pilot plus some luxury added.