Vehicle recommendations for my wife?

[ray1970]

So, thinking it might be time for a new vehicle for my wife.

I know she would like to stick with some sort of SUV.

Still very early in our selection process so I am curious if you all have any positive or negative experiences with any of them?

Thanks.

[CS1983]

Used? New? Budget? Features?

[battlemidget]

I like the new Jeep Cherokees. Those electronic transmissions/transfer cases are great in the snow, way better than anything else I've driven. There are some quirks, like the electronic stop start (engine cuts when you come to a stop, with conditions) and the transmission can be a little slow going from R to D. In the class I've heard good things about Nissan Rogue's too, but it's not as robust as the cherokee.

[Mtneer]

Does she like driving? Just want a utilitarian vehicle? Much space needed?

[ray1970]

Ok. Guess I need to provide a little more info.

She has been driving a Nissan Rogue for the last ten years. It has been trouble free and served her well but I?d like to upgrade her to something slightly larger and with a few more bells and whistles.

Most likely looking at purchasing something new although if we are too undecided on exactly what we want long term then there is a slight chance that I could consider leasing her something for a couple of years until we can decide what we really want.

She averages less than 10K miles a year on her vehicles as she mostly uses it to commute to work. If we are doing stuff together or taking a road trip we typically take my truck.

The Rogue was her first SUV. She had cars prior to that. I asked if she was wanting to go back to a car and she was pretty insistent that she liked the SUV and didn?t want a car again.

[eddiememphis]

Toyota.

Legendarily reliable. They hold their value better than most. I had a Corolla with 300k on it before I sold it and bought an FJ Cruiser. My Tacoma has 160k and I have had to replace an oxygen sensor- it was fifteen bucks.

I have ben a mechanic and worked on all brands. Toyota or Honda are the only ones I would recommend to friends and family.

[Tim K]

Just bought my wife a 2020 Dodge Durango R/T. This thing kicks ASS. It's big, fast, and a ton of fun to drive. The 5.7 Hemi makes great noises when you get on it. Most importantly to me, the seats are fabulous. Her old car was a loaded up Explorer. 2015, if memory serves. It was anemic, and the seats were terrible. No amount of adjusting them ever got me a seating position that didn't drive me nuts after 30 minutes. I bought a Dodge pickup a couple years ago and fell in love with the seats in that thing. Best driving position I'd ever experienced. Her Durango is actually a touch better. Reliability in unknown at this point, but my truck has been bulletproof through the first 36,000 miles. Not one problem. Since they share the motor, I expect the same from the Durango.

[Sawin]

Ray, my wife sounds a lot like yours in her taste and actually looked very closely at the Rogue 7-8 years ago before we ultimately bought her an Acura MDX. She absolutely loves it. Also, check out the autosource in Windsor. You can get some great deals there if you’re a value shopper like I am.

[Gman]

Just bought my wife a 2020 Dodge Durango R/T. This thing kicks ASS. It's big, fast, and a ton of fun to drive. The 5.7 Hemi makes great noises when you get on it. Most importantly to me, the seats are fabulous. Her old car was a loaded up Explorer. 2015, if memory serves. It was anemic, and the seats were terrible. No amount of adjusting them ever got me a seating position that didn't drive me nuts after 30 minutes. I bought a Dodge pickup a couple years ago and fell in love with the seats in that thing. Best driving position I'd ever experienced. Her Durango is actually a touch better. Reliability in unknown at this point, but my truck has been bulletproof through the first 36,000 miles. Not one problem. Since they share the motor, I expect the same from the Durango.The 5.7 Hemi is a lot of fun. I'm surprised at the efficiency without being direct injected.

[ray1970]

Tim K, glad to hear you like the Durango. I?ve been driving a Dodge truck for about six years now and really like it.

Size wise, something like the Durango or Grand Cherokee is sort of what I?m thinking about. The hemi in my truck has impressed me so the thought of getting the same engine in an SUV for her is appealing. The older Durango?s were kind of crappy though so I hadn?t thought too much about them.

I?m sure we?ll be looking at the Toyota 4Runner as well.

[Martinjmpr]

My wife is on her 2nd Honda CR-V. She really likes them. Personally, I think they're a little noisy but I can't fault the reliability. Her first one was a 2010 model and was very basic. Her current one is a 2016 and much, much nicer. Has all the features she wants including sunroof (which I hate, personally), Bluetooth, heated seats, etc.

Hondas are pricey to start with but they also hold their value even better than Toyota.

Not only is the CR-V the wife's car, it's our de facto "family car." IOW, when I get off work on Friday, I park my truck and unless we specifically need the truck for something (picking up bark or sand at Home Depot, etc), if we go anywhere together, we always take the Honda. So I probably put almost as many miles on it as she does.

We haven't driven much in the snow so I can't really comment on that. I did just put a new set of snow tires on it though. Seems to do just fine.

Gets great MPG, even though most of the driving is on suburban streets, we regularly get 25 mpg.

I tried to steer my wife towards a Subaru but she was only interested in another Honda.

A couple of months ago she had to have some warranty work done and the dealership lent us a 2019 CR-V with all the bells and whistles, and man it was NICE!! Fun to drive, and easy to park.

[SouthPaw]

Toyota.

Legendarily reliable. They hold their value better than most. I had a Corolla with 300k on it before I sold it and bought an FJ Cruiser. My Tacoma has 160k and I have had to replace an oxygen sensor- it was fifteen bucks.

I have ben a mechanic and worked on all brands. Toyota or Honda are the only ones I would recommend to friends and family.

4Runner or Sequioa would be my vote.

[CapLock]

Jeep and Dodge are part owned by Fiat and using Fiat parts. I think that says enough.
I'd go Toyota. I have a Tacoma with 215,000 miles and still going strong.

[Irving]

If she wants a Dodge Caravan with a bad transmission, I'll make you a great deal.

[Bailey Guns]

The ex has a 2012 Traverse she bought new. It got over 22mpg commuting to work from Bailey to Northglenn and COMFORTABLY seats 8 adults. More room than most people need for cargo. Only maint has been the routine stuff. Like Tim K said about the Dodge, the seats in her Traverse are the most comfortable I've ever sat in.

I have no idea what the newer models are like but hers has been fantastic and I think they're very underrated. It's mid-level equipped and was a little over $28k new.

[ray1970]

If she wants a Dodge Caravan with a bad transmission, I'll make you a great deal.

Mini vans are for losers. My wife?s no loser.

[Irving]

Mini vans are for losers. My wife?s no loser.

I don't have a come back for that.

[ray1970]

Just busting your chops. When I think minivans I picture prissy little soccer moms getting Starbucks on their way to after school activities not gun toting, working class men hauling ladders.

[BushMasterBoy]

This Honda Pilot has some safety features. Rated pretty high by critics.

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/honda/pilot

[20X11]

Wife got a new Equinox a year and a half ago...she loves it. I must admit, its pretty darned comfortable. AWD gets around great.

[beast556]

I have a kia sportage with all the upgrades. It has been great and drives amazing in the snow. If you want bigger they have the sorento and a new bigger model.

[Wulf202]

4Runner or Sequioa would be my vote.

+1

[Hummer]

Toyota Highlander.

[spqrzilla]

Toyota 4Runner

[Zundfolge]

Lexus RX.

Toyota reliability with more luxury.

[Great-Kazoo]

Just busting your chops. When I think minivans I picture prissy little soccer moms getting Starbucks on their way to after school activities not gun toting, working class men hauling ladders.

We took the sienna mini to CA 1 year loaded with 5k of ammo and 6-10 long guns. You'd be hard pressed to see let along know that's the armament we carried. Best of all, cops rarely look twice at a mini vs pick em up truck.
All kidding aside they're real practical (for me especially) when traveling. Easier to slide in the back to put that prosthetic on than mess around in some pick up seat..

I tell people I drive a cab over tacoma.

[thedave1164]

used to be all GM products, but the last couple soured me on them, I had a beat up Toyota PU that I bought for $100 years ago, put 40K miles on it and gave it away, 5 years later the guy I gave it too was still using it for his DD, so I bought a Toyota T100 with 360K miles on it, and it is far more reliable than my GM's with 100K.
2018 we got rid of our last GM SUV, traded it for a new RAV4 LE AWD, the wife loves it, it has a transmission and not a CVT. She was wanting a Rogue like she rented for a month for a trip to Reno, but I said no CVT. She now admits she likes it better than the Rogue :)

2019 I got a new Tacoma, still have the T100 but we are firmly in the Toyota club.

If you are looking at Toyota, check out the RAV4, Highlander and 4Runner

[BPTactical]

You know why I have never bought my wife a watch?


There is a clock on the stove....

[wyome]

Ford Edge
Not giant suv, AWD, creature comforts, easy to get in and out of

[cstone]

My wife didn't think she would like driving "a big vehicle" like a Tahoe or Suburban, till I bought her a Sequoia. She drove it across country by herself and she is now spoiled for anything other than another Toyota or Lexus. The "comfort" definitely makes the "big" easier to deal with for her. The one drawback to the Sequoia is the thing enjoys burning gasoline, but given your wife's low annual mileage, that shouldn't be too painful.

[Holger Danske]

BMW X5M drive50i. My wife loves hers. Plenty of bells and whistles. I like the 4.4L twin turbo v8.

[sako55]

Wife has Been happy with her Ford Explorer. Especially with the 3.5 ecoboost. More fun in sport mode with the paddle shifters. Option with the 2nd row buckets is nice and has the 3rd row seating.

[Irving]

I think you should get her a Tesla. My wife has a similar drive as yours, and if I could afford one, I'd get her one tomorrow.

[Big E3]

We took the sienna mini to CA 1 year loaded with 5k of ammo and 6-10 long guns. You'd be hard pressed to see let along know that's the armament we carried. Best of all, cops rarely look twice at a mini vs pick em up truck.

I always wondered how you paid for all that bling in AZ. How long you been runnin guns and ammo into Kali?..............................LOL

[ray1970]

I think you should get her a Tesla. My wife has a similar drive as yours, and if I could afford one, I'd get her one tomorrow.

I knew someone was going to go there.

If she had Tesla it wouldn?t start half the time. She wouldn?t remember to plug it in. And of course that would soon be my job to make sure it gets plugged in.

[Not_A_Llama]

VW Cheetle

[ChickNorris]

^^^Turbo

[Mtneer]

If you can wait until fall, perhaps a new Ford Bronco. But people are already freaking out it has 4-doors instead of 2.

[StagLefty]

My son just bought a new Toyota 4runner a few months ago and absolutely loves it !!!

[Erni]

Here are my thoughts based on experiance so far.
Toyota is good but many models warp their front brakes if you look at them funny. Do your research, plan accordingly.
Avoid Audi, and VW by association. Older 2.0 engines eat their chains and have an oil consumption issues that cost 4k to fix. Love my GM trucks but at 100k they need love and front end work, small anoying things break. Volvo, I am still not sure about. Wife has an older style xc60 and it has a steering rack leak, some minor annoyances, and might be starting oil consumption at 50k miles.
We also had nissans. Those were reliable, not much to say about them.

[ray1970]

Good info and things to think about.

Funny when you start looking at information on the 4Runner and it doesn?t get high marks from the ?experts?. They knock it for being a little unrefined, underpowered, and lacking a bit of style. People who actually own and drive them don?t seem to have too many complaints.

[GilpinGuy]

I haven't read the whole thread, but my wife's 2011 Rogue finally gave up the ghost and we got a 2018 Nissan Armada SL in October. I love this SUV. It is HUGE (3 row seats) but that's what we need. Comfy, roomy, well appointed, and the V8 kicks ass when needed. We get about 16 MPG avg. up in the hills.

[Martinjmpr]

I haven't read the whole thread, but my wife's 2011 Rogue finally gave up the ghost and we got a 2018 Nissan Armada SL in October. I love this SUV. It is HUGE (3 row seats) but that's what we need. Comfy, roomy, well appointed, and the V8 kicks ass when needed. We get about 16 MPG avg. up in the hills.

Isn't the 2018 model the one that is basically the same as the Nissan Patrol in the rest of the world? I've always liked those.

[ScottR65]

So, thinking it might be time for a new vehicle for my wife.

I know she would like to stick with some sort of SUV.

Still very early in our selection process so I am curious if you all have any positive or negative experiences with any of them?

Thanks.

I like to find one owner used cars in great shape. The best ones have been Ford Explorers in my experience, I?m on my fourth one. This is a 2011 I got a few months ago in near new condition.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200118/d0ea76fb488733a0be446463d2687cd2.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Dlesh123]

Wife bought a Cherokee Trail Hawk, and absolutely loves it. Only has 30,000 miles on it since new, no issues so far.

[00tec]

Wife bought a Cherokee Trail Hawk, and absolutely loves it. Only has 30,000 miles on it since new, no issues so far.

If your gonna get a cherokee, it should be a track hawk, none of this trail hawk nonsense.... [shithitsfan]

[Dlesh123]

If your gonna get a cherokee, it should be a track hawk, none of this trail hawk nonsense.... [shithitsfan]

Way too rich for my blood.

[GilpinGuy]

Isn't the 2018 model the one that is basically the same as the Nissan Patrol in the rest of the world? I've always liked those.

Yes, I saw that the Armada was around for many years around the globe under a different name and figured the bugs were worked out. That was a big reason for choosing it.

[Zundfolge]

I haven't read the whole thread, but my wife's 2011 Rogue finally gave up the ghost and we got a 2018 Nissan Armada SL in October. I love this SUV. It is HUGE (3 row seats) but that's what we need. Comfy, roomy, well appointed, and the V8 kicks ass when needed. We get about 16 MPG avg. up in the hills.

I just don't think I could bring myself to buy a Renault era Nissan ... thankfully it looks like Nissan is going to break free of the Frogs and may go back to building quality vehicles.

[Erni]

I haven't read the whole thread, but my wife's 2011 Rogue finally gave up the ghost and we got a 2018 Nissan Armada SL in October. I love this SUV. It is HUGE (3 row seats) but that's what we need. Comfy, roomy, well appointed, and the V8 kicks ass when needed. We get about 16 MPG avg. up in the hills.
How did a 2011 car go bad? Miles?

[Irving]

How did a 2011 car go bad? Miles?

The transmission just went out on my 2011 Caravan, but the miles were 243,000.