@massimoManca II
MMII - I followed your input and advice regarding an SUV purchase a few years ago. That was in 2015 when I bought a Mazda CX-5, at least in part due to your recommendations. It is still going strong at 107K miles. I am keeping that SUV and looking to buy or lease without trading in. Don't want a smaller SUV, so no smaller than a CX5. I'm open to the larger, 3rd row seat models if they are worth the extra costs.
But I really need just the basic, two seats with decent cargo space.
I've looked at Car&Driver and KellyBB and other online input, so I have a decent idea of what is being said online. However, not having any great car knowledge myself, I know that sometimes the best advice comes from the guys who follow it all very closely, above and beyond the online information. If that input matches up, all the better, but I'm not taking that for granted.
MMII and others - your expert input is welcome. Many thanks in advance.
I don’t think any 3rd row seat models are worth the extra cost... not to mention it sounds like you don’t particularly need one... unless you are breeding like rodents, or , you have acquired a gaggle of runny-nose grandkids - that 3rd row is dead weight / cu ft party-ruiner anyway... FWIW 15+ yrs ago when I had two young kids and that hot, ***-kicking minivan - the # of occasions i needed/used that third row was only slightly > than the number of times i enjoyed group sex...
as you know, the only reason to be car-shopping right now is that you're being held at gunpoint, and given what you’ve shared above , I shouldn’t have to mention you can summarily disregard the typical BWI dick-wagging responses suggesting Alfas, Porsches, Audis, Genesis, Webers, Big Green Eggs, Airstreams, Gulfstreams, Infiniti and stupid BMWs...
if you really need a third row, i’ll piss on your Tevas by recommending a base Odyssey or the (even uglier) Sienna ... good luck finding either, as the few shopping for these are willing to pay for all of the useless vanity tack-ons, but you might find one growing moss on a dealer lot.. .. or, a Mazda retailer might get a boner should someone walk in their store asking about the Cx-9. Those talking about Telluride are onto something (though i haven‘t been in one) , they are kinda chunky and I understand these are subject to waiting lists and dealer markup > MSRP... no reason to avoid Kia and Hyundai as the value is real... and they cut an impressive form, unlike many other offerings out there
my approach would be to look for value in an undesirable model ... eg. a FWD crossover - rare as hen’s teeth, but tends to collect moss because shoppers are groomed to believe they absolutely need AWD... retailers might be willing to bargain and the thousands you save can go toward winter tires and next January you can zip past all those Explorers flipped over in the median
4runners are genuine trucks (good ones) as opposed to a cosplaying Camry ... but I would not suggest one as they are very expensive trucks and I don’t want/need to daily a truck... particularly with $5.00 gas... Toyotas are so goddamned ugly, the entire line, that i would keep me away... unfortunately I’ve been waiting for a ‘22 RAV4 company car to replace my underwhelming ‘19 company Legacy... so I’ll have to keep from puking in my driveway every morning
a sleeper might be the VW Tiguan ... VW’s MQB platform is excellent, they can be had with FWD, they have a good 4cyl , my experience is that interior quality in VW beats the Japs, higher trims even offer that 3rd row... unfortunately VW drew back the 72k factory warranty down to 50k mi. a couple years ago...
i’ve been vocal ad-nauseum here about my personal experience with Subarus and that they were the luckiest automobile mfr out there , they are simply ok... i’ll leave it at that...
good luck... let us know how it works out
