Comfy SUV hunt

I think that you will need more than one test drive to decide for yourself. I am enjoying the info since I shopped all these options when looking for my first SUV while on a similar budget.

A couple other observations: The Mitsu is just as nice to spend time in as the Jeep; very luxurious. I don't think it was really close on towing capacity or straight line speed. The Burb is certainly the easiest and common acceptable option and cheap to own, but I was always aware that I was driving a truck. I thought the Jeep unibody feels tighter and all around more nimble; a mid-size SUV that still drives smaller than its footprint. Sadly, when you add up the lift, bigger tires, frequent off-roading and a heavy right foot I have remembered how quickly the Jeep seems to go through pads and rotors...

There are enough options for everyone to find what they are looking for and all be happy with it in the end...

01-up Tahoe. Seriously, they're worth it. 2WD are R&P steering while the 4wd is the old recirc ball design. Both work well. They last forever and at $6k, you can get a stupid nice one from the southwest. I just sent a link on one with ~120k miles, stupid clean Z71 for $4500 in Phoenix so no rust. 

Suburban / Tahoe 

Sequioa 

How about an Armada, I really like my wife's 2010.

Ten or 12 year old five cylinder XC90 should fit your price point nicely.  My six cylinder 03 tows a 88 Prelude race car on a 16' trailer better than a carbed Chev pickup, according to my friend that used it after he had to sell his truck.  I wouldn't trust the hydramatic for long tows, but the five uses an Aisan trans that is pretty robust after they got some of the hydraulic bugs out of it in the first couple of years.  Heavy tow, I would add a trans temp gauge, and adjust my speed based on that.

You did mention comfort, and I will, without hesitation, put my old XC90 up against any car in the world for interstate cruising.

Plus, there is no way it can possibly be less reliable than a Mitsubishi.

Like this one.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=469101394&zip=30303&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D30303%26startYear%3D2004%26sortBy%3DderivedpriceDESC%26vehicleStyleCodes%3DSUVCROSS%26incremental%3Dall%26firstRecord%3D0%26endYear%3D2010%26makeCodeList%3DVOLVO%26searchRadius%3D200%26driveGroup%3DAWD4WD&startYear=2004&numRecords=25&vehicleStyleCodes=SUVCROSS&firstRecord=0&endYear=2010&makeCodeList=VOLVO&searchRadius=200&makeCode1=VOLVO&modelCode1=XC90

I haven’t read all the first post or the threads, but I jumped in here to say how much I like my 2008 Lexus GX470. A nice size, Landcruiser reliable, tows up to 6500 lbs. Tough to find at $6k without a ton of mileage, but some of the early ones might get that low. 

Yup those are great. I always get confused with which lexus is the Sequoia and which is the land cruiser base

I  drive a late model Lincoln Navigator.  Great ride, reliable, gas mileage sucks, but comfort and towing are right there. Most Japanese larger SUV's seem dead nuts reliable, but are pricey.   $6K will get high miles,and older.   Jeep XJ's are great trucks.  More of a personal vehicle. (Had 3)   WJ's not all that familiar with, but know people that love them..

  My vote is for Expedition/Navigator 2006 and up (plug issues prior)    Can't go wrong with a Tahoe/Yukon, or Suburban.   My son had a Tahoe with 289,000 miles when he sold it.  Still going.  With Gm try to get an LS based.  The Vortec is a good motor, but if  it gets ornery, you can pull your hair out.

Im only going to comment on what im interested in personally but don't take that as a dig at the GMs. They are just too boring for me personally. I have no GM hate and have a ZQ8 S10 i enjoy and an 88 pickup i've yet to fix. 

Anyway, 3g Montero would be preferable to a Grand Cherokee in every case other than if you really care about acceleration. In that case, a 4.7 GC is very pleasing. As far as the Commander, it is a Grand Cherokee that just happens to be better! It's bigger, looks better in my opinion, has bigger optional engine if you care, and has basically all the same mechanicals (and stupid foibles like the recirc door falling completely off and blocking the air path to your blower motor, for example).

As far as Expeditions, call me crazy but i'd take a ~97-98 over pretty much any other Expedition you can find for <6k. The 1g interiors hold up great, the early motors are pre-Coil On Plug which means no frequent frustration with ignition coils, and all their mechanical foibles are VERY well known at this point. Very reliable trans for a half-ton truck. Not very powerful, but easily able to tow 2k and comfortably able to tow 5k. Also, if you live in a hot enough climate the following fact will BLOW YOUR MIND: The middle row roof AC vents can be oriented to effectively blow cool air down the back of your neck in the drivers' seat. SOLD!!!

I agree the 97-98 Expeditions, Navigator, F-150's were pretty solid.  

FWIW the Toyotas were very high on my list when I went comparison shopping. Both the 4runner and the Sequoia check off all of the right boxes and seem to have it all on paper. Very well done and drove great with undoubted capability. It seemed to me that they were all priced very highly due to their perceived great reputations and I just never found the right deal out there. Subjectively, my wife thought that the Jeep's styling had aged better and that seems to be a popular opinion; Where I see a beat up old workhorse many people still compliment its looks and it isn't out of place in the valet que anywhere I go...

I like the toyota's but I could buy 2 of the GM for one Toyota around here. The Seqoia got a lot better in 08 when it got the 5.7 and was built off the new tundra platform but those seem to be like 11k+

Tahoe options locally seem to be priced higher than elsewhere. Suburbans seem a little more in line and I like them, but I just want something a little smaller after driving the long bed too fiddy, and they're about the same overall length. I've still got an email out to a 4x4 Suburban seller but no reply yet. THe Grand Cherokee I'd hoped to test drive this weekend may have been sold, the owner has stopped returning contacts. 

Out of curiosity, has anyone towed much with millenium era Foresters or Outbacks? Listed capacity with trailer brakes is 2000lbs. I'm a little iffy on their reliability, but it seems like the later models were the ones with issues. There's a 200k mile Forester locally for about $2k, and a 150k mile Outback in ATL for $3k. If I buy one that cheap I wouldn't feel bad about finding out how well they handle fire roads.

The Lexus GX is on the same chassis as the FJ and the 4Runner. It is sold as the Landcruiser Prado overseas.  However, all the GX versions came with the V8, which I wanted for towing.  I originally looked at 4Runner V8’s, but they tended to be high mileage, beat up, had a steep fanboi tax, and were tough to find in my area. The GX has been a soccer mom favorite, so low mileage, well maintained examples are relatively thick on the ground with cheaper pricing for what they are. 

I looked at the Sequoias, as well, but the newer ones are enormous and were hard for me to find in 4wd, and also pricey.  There is no Lexus equivalent, BTW, the Lexus LX4/570 is based on the Landcruiser.

ultraclyde said:

Tahoe options locally seem to be priced higher than elsewhere. Suburbans seem a little more in line and I like them, but I just want something a little smaller after driving the long bed too fiddy, and they're about the same overall length. I've still got an email out to a 4x4 Suburban seller but no reply yet. THe Grand Cherokee I'd hoped to test drive this weekend may have been sold, the owner has stopped returning contacts. 

 

Out of curiosity, has anyone towed much with millenium era Foresters or Outbacks? Listed capacity with trailer brakes is 2000lbs. I'm a little iffy on their reliability, but it seems like the later models were the ones with issues. There's a 200k mile Forester locally for about $2k, and a 150k mile Outback in ATL for $3k. If I buy one that cheap I wouldn't feel bad about finding out how well they handle fire roads.

Jeebus I'd say you don't want to tow anything bigger than a breadbox with a Subaru.  My mother is dumping her 2011 Outback with 120,000 miles on it because the transmission is garbage.  Subaru had a recall on them after she paid to have it "fixed" at 80K, then it failed again at 110K so the dealership swapped that trans for a new one which took months due a national shortage of them and so many failing.  And she babied that thing!  Utter junk.

So of course she's totally hooked on the brand (because they are "safe" and have all the electronic nannies) and is buying a new Outback.  Insanity!

Have I mentioned how much I loath modern Subarus?  It's astonishing to me that people pay top dollar for their junk.

You wrote all that so I could say "any minivan".

I keep an eye out for the Lexus versions but they're even thinner on the ground here than the Toyota models.

Well, the test drive of the black 1999 Grand Cherokee is back on for tomorrow. Main (GC Specific) mechanical things I'm looking for are NP247 function, front brake condition, HVAC blend door function, rear brake light function, and tire rub issues with that small lift on it. Other than that it's average used vehicle condition inspections.

ultraclyde said:

Mini van - Realistically the best solution to my needs, but I haven't given up on life. Yet. So no.

In Reply to TAFKAGPS:

You skipped reading all that so you could suggest something I alread addressed?

Well the van won't be able to tow over 3500 anyway

ultraclyde said:

ultraclyde said:

Mini van - Realistically the best solution to my needs, but I haven't given up on life. Yet. So no.

In Reply to TAFKAGPS:

You skipped reading all that so you could suggest something I alread addressed?

 

To me, "giving up on life" equals buying an SUV.  Going with the herd.

Buying a minivan is a big "F-U!" to society norms. 

Social media research on my Instagram suggests that a picture of a lowered full-size van receives more likes than photos of a lowered, turbocharged minivan with drag slicks or on an autoX course.

Be like the cool kids and go full size van!...?

In reply to Ian F :

I've driven both. I respect you, but you're wrong.

I don't care about how society norms compare to what I drive, I care about my enjoyment level while driving and owning the vehicle. If you don't turn around and look at the vehicle with a smile as you walk away, it's the wrong vehicle. Driving a minivan has never made me smile.

A $6000.00 dollar ceiling has limits.  Believe me I know.   $6K gets you a $1000.00 car a  few years ago.  Japanese vehicles are a known factor, but pricey with mileage.   Alas, it would be back to USA stuff, Jeep Ford, or GM.  Don't like Chrysler products too much.

In reply to ultraclyde :

The only SUV that might make me smile is a Cayenne Turbo... maybe...  my GC makes me smile because it's cheap, reliable, comfortable, and I've hauled things with it no SUV (other than maybe an Avalanche) can.  It is the ultimate tool vehicle.  I have plenty of cars to drive for enjoyment if I feel the need to scratch that itch.

I've had no enjoyment from any SUV I've been in, driving or otherwise. Only that soul-sucking feeling of how useless it is.

In reply to Ian F :

Well, to each his own. My Explorer was massively useful and pretty fun to drive with the 302. I hauled bikes, dogs, people, helped friends moved, towed our sailboat, and towed a pop up camper all over the north GA mountains. All of which I grant you could be done as well by a minivan (except possibly towing the 2800lb camper up steep grades) but I certainly wouldn't call an SUV useless. Now, I will concede that most people that own them never really use them, but that's the case with Corvettes too. Doesn't make them useless.

A Cayenne is 2x the budget, at least.   Have to say though, my Navigator, 3 dogs, and SWMBO house moving ability, that thing eats up the miles, and it's like being in my recliner.  I guess you can tell we travel a good bit.