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.