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snipes
snipes Reader
4/23/10 7:15 a.m.

Ya, so its not for me. Its for a friend that married well (smart girl). She has a 2nd kid in the works and wants a bigger ride. She is thinking big hybrid SUV. Please help me save her from that.

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
4/23/10 7:37 a.m.

Mazda5

/thread

jg

914Driver
914Driver SuperDork
4/23/10 7:45 a.m.

Bumboclot
Bumboclot New Reader
4/23/10 7:53 a.m.

SAAB 95. Seats 7.

spdracer315
spdracer315 Reader
4/23/10 7:57 a.m.

She needs a 3rd row seat for just 2 kids? whats wrong with a sedan?

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
4/23/10 8:03 a.m.

how about a volvo?

Powar
Powar Dork
4/23/10 8:12 a.m.
Bumboclot wrote: SAAB 95. Seats 7.

I have two. Highly recommended.

Ian F
Ian F Dork
4/23/10 8:39 a.m.

What???

Now there's TWO members with 95's as their avatar? That's just not fair...

To the OP: Minivan. But I get the impression she (or the hubby) is too vain for that... so some generic SUV... of which there are buckets to choose from... if it were me, probably a Suburban.

EricM
EricM Dork
4/23/10 8:56 a.m.

Didn't Cadillac have a car int eh 70's with a third row?

mtn
mtn SuperDork
4/23/10 9:00 a.m.
EricM wrote: Didn't Cadillac have a car int eh 70's with a third row?

Limousine?

skruffy
skruffy Dork
4/23/10 9:02 a.m.

$50k budget and third row seating? Guess what, she's gonna get a big SUV and there's nothing you can do about it.

The big GM hybrids get a handful more mpgs for LOTS more money, just get the regular ones. That extra $20k or so will buy a lot of gas for hauling 400 cubic feet of air around at 12 mpg.

mtn
mtn SuperDork
4/23/10 9:19 a.m.

What about that Buick Crossover thingy? Or the Cadillac Crossover thingy?

Does the CTS wagon have a third-row of seats?

The new RAV4's and CRV's have a third-row option, IIRC.

Mercedes R-Class. Ford Flex.

John Brown
John Brown GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
4/23/10 9:30 a.m.

I own one and love it. Purchased for Challenge money.

Tom_Spangler
Tom_Spangler GRM+ Memberand Reader
4/23/10 9:38 a.m.

Can't beat a minivan, but for those who don't like the stigma, I'd go Ford Flex or GMC Acadia. Unless you need to tow something, then any of the mid-full size SUVs will fit the bill. Honestly, with $50k to spend, you're going to get a pretty nice vehicle. It comes down to personal preference. Me, I'd probably get a Flex with the Ecoboost motor. Closest thing there is to a SHO wagon. But it's going to use up almost all of that $50k, though...

RX Reven'
RX Reven' GRM+ Memberand Reader
4/23/10 9:38 a.m.

Joe Gearin
Joe Gearin Associate Publisher
4/23/10 9:47 a.m.

One of my buddies has 5 kids. His family vehicle choices are obviously limited because the DD needs to seat 7. They just bought a Chevy Traverse, and love the thing. It gets good mileage, is reasonable to drive, and has a pretty decent interior. They got if for a song during the cash for clunkers feeding frenzy. I think they paid $21K after the rebate.

Although with a 50K budget it may not be fancy enough for your buddies.

pigeon
pigeon HalfDork
4/23/10 9:48 a.m.

My wife loves her Volvo XC90 but it originally stickered closer to 60k with all options available that year. Of course I didn't pay anywhere near that... Great seats, a good size, nice Yamaha V8 gives 19mpg and more than adequate thrust, lots of safety (it is a Volvo). Nice height for dealing with kids in car seats. Smaller than a Suburban/Tahoe but big enough for 7 seats plus a little cargo room or 5 and lots of cargo.

Benz R class is probably better but SWMBO hated it and it's her car.

96DXCivic
96DXCivic Dork
4/23/10 10:00 a.m.

What about a used Audi Q7 or Toureg diesel?

Bumboclot
Bumboclot New Reader
4/23/10 10:08 a.m.
Powar wrote:
Bumboclot wrote: SAAB 95. Seats 7.
I have two. Highly recommended.

I have two as well. And a 96.

81gtv6
81gtv6 GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
4/23/10 10:15 a.m.

We reciently got an 06 R Class MB and really like it. Ours had the 3.5 V6, gets mid teens around town and mid 20's highway, not the greatest but considering how big it is not too bad. It also seems to drive alot smaller than it is.

If you usse the third row of seats there is not a lot of room for storage, but not far off of the rest of the large SUVs with three rows of seats.

The nice thing about these is the depreciation. Our stickered for 65 and we paid a little less than 1/3 of that. With more room in the budget I would go for one of the oil burners. Much better mileage and better resale later down the road.

nocones
nocones GRM+ Memberand Reader
4/23/10 10:38 a.m.

I'd go with a good old Suburban. The new ones get 20mpg, and you can't beat how durable, reliable and depreciation happy slightly used ones are. Plush, even with the 3rd row you still have HUGE storage behind the seat. I think the max cost is 55K new. Used they probably go for like 36-40K..

Or you can buy this from me, and have 49,200 left over for whatever.. http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/1704450903.html

Powar
Powar Dork
4/23/10 11:39 a.m.
bumboclot I have two as well. And a 96.

Reader's Rides pages?

You should do that.

mtn
mtn SuperDork
4/23/10 12:23 p.m.
nocones wrote: I'd go with a good old Suburban. The new ones get 20mpg, and you can't beat how durable, reliable and depreciation happy slightly used ones are. Plush, even with the 3rd row you still have HUGE storage behind the seat. I think the max cost is 55K new. Used they probably go for like 36-40K.. Or you can buy this from me, and have 49,200 left over for whatever.. http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/1704450903.html

Damn you. I want that. And you live too close to me. Especially because I'll be in Menominee/Marinette in probably less than a month.

Do not need, Mike, you are saving for a miata. Remember mike, you don't need anything.

nocones
nocones GRM+ Memberand Reader
4/23/10 12:25 p.m.

In reply to mtn:

To make it even more painful for you, I'm going to be driving through Normal, IL on my way to Champaign, IL NEXT WEEKEND!! I could drive it down and drop it off!

hehehe

mtn
mtn SuperDork
4/23/10 12:38 p.m.

You're killing me here. Although unless you're not going through Chicago you wouldn't pass through here.

Are you going to the Parkland autocross or the CU marathon?

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