Any great smaller SUVs than a Suburban?

[PinkRhombus]

If I was going for one, I would get the Honda Pilot.

BUT...whatever you do, do NOT get anything that is "flex fuel". Sure, the idea of it is good, but that fuel is not readily available around here even. So you're stuck using regular unleaded....and the engines use 20% more fuel than the standard engines. A friend of mine got a Suburban Flex a year or two ago and hates it now because of that.

 

[mskayjay]

Toyota Highlander here and I'm *never* getting anything but this car again for my main vehicle! I simply love this thing!

 

[Golf4food]

While you could theoretically squeeze 5 into the smallest SUVs (Ford Escape, Honda CRV, Toyota 4Runner, etc.) it would probably be more comfortable to move one step up into the midsize range:

Toyota Highlander
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook
Chevrolet Traverse
Etc.

 

[naomi78155]

We love our Chrysler Pacifica. It is the Touring edition with 6 seperate seats. All back four seats fold flat. Very comfortable and stylish. We average about 18 mpg.

 

[RN4Babies]

I have a Hyundai Santa Fe that I love. Of note, the seats fold down, and my son uses it to go to the flying field with his RC planes!
They come with a 10 year/100,000 bumper to bumper warranty. Mine's three years old, 27,000 miles, and other than regular maintenance has never needed service for anything.

 

[TSBRN]

I have a Toyota RAV 4 and love it. However, it might be a little tight for your family. The new consumer reports rated the Toyota Highlander as one of the best midsize SUV's. I have ridden in one, it is a wonderful car with lots of room. Plus they have a hybrid model also.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

Just said this on another board...we have a Saturn Outlook and LOVE IT. You can get pretty good deals on these since they may be discontinuing this line but the warranty will still be valid. It's "sister" just came out--the Chevy Traverse, also check into the GMC Acadia/Buick version.

These Crossovers, claim to have the same amount of room inside as the Tahoe's/and regular suburbans/excursions, etc. (we didn't test drive any of those, so I can't compare). With the third row down, we have a ton of room in the back. Ours gets great gas mileage for its size, rides very quiet and it drives like a car!

 

[meagan9848]

Honda Element. The thing is ugly, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Amazing for road trips/long drives, low cost, durable, and you can even hose out the interior.

 

[**eeyore**]

If I was going for one, I would get the Honda Pilot.

BUT...whatever you do, do NOT get anything that is "flex fuel". Sure, the idea of it is good, but that fuel is not readily available around here even. So you're stuck using regular unleaded....and the engines use 20% more fuel than the standard engines. A friend of mine got a Suburban Flex a year or two ago and hates it now because of that.

Just curious, do some of the "flex fuel" engines take a special fuel? You mentioned that "that fuel" is not readily available. We have a 2008 Suburban that is Flex Fuel and we feel like we are getting great mileage (17-19 mpg). I'm just wondering if we are putting the wrong fuel in it.

 

[Willow1213]

Just curious, do some of the "flex fuel" engines take a special fuel? You mentioned that "that fuel" is not readily available. We have a 2008 Suburban that is Flex Fuel and we feel like we are getting great mileage (17-19 mpg). I'm just wondering if we are putting the wrong fuel in it.

Flex fuel vehicles give you your choice of fuel. You can either use standard unleaded gasoline or E85 Ethanol. Ethanol is corn based fuel that is blended with regular gasoline. A little cheaper than regular but E85 is VERY hard to find. There are less than 2000 station in the US. Check here to see if there are a few near you.

http://e85vehicles.com/e85-stations.htm

 

[Mommy2JulietJocelyn]

another vote for the Saturn Outlook/GMC Acadia/Chevy Traverse - These are all the same frame - I have driven both the GMC and I own the Saturn - CHevy's just came out - we are also a family of 5 with 2 in car seats and 1 in a booster, a jogging stroller in the back section is usually there unless I go grocery shopping. I average about 18-22 mpg depending on where I am driving. I love my heated leather seats too

 

[vicb]

I currently drive a Chevy Equinox and love it because of the cargo space in back and the leg room in the back seat but don't think I would have bought it if I had 3 kids (I have 2).

My husband borrowed a Buick Enclave for a long drive to St. Louis in the fall for a soccer tourney and the girls in the back seat loved it! They said it was very comfy and had tons of room for their gear. I think it is also the same platform as the Acadia and Traverse. Not as "trucky" as a Tahoe/Suburban.

Can't let this thread go by without urging the OP to strongly consider buying from the big three... being in MI we need your support and the American owned car companies have some really nice products out there to meet your bigger car needs. You should be able to get some very attractive financing and incentives right now too.

Also, have heard good things about the Tahoe hybrid and that may qualify you for a tax credit.

 

[swimgalsmom]

We love our Chrysler Pacifica. It is the Touring edition with 6 seperate seats. All back four seats fold flat. Very comfortable and stylish. We average about 18 mpg.

I second this!! We also have a Chrysler Pacifica Touring edition and love it.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

I've looked at the Chrysler Pacifica and the Buick Enclave (with your input!), but I think they look too small. I know we need to try to go smaller than our Suburban, but you should see how full we get it sometimes. We use a ski rack in the winter every weekend, but I suppose we could use a rocket box in the summer. This is so hard! I just don't think the crossovers are big enough for us. I know now I need something that has quad seating, so that's helpful since not all the vehicles have that - a good way to narrow down.

Still researching everything you guys have mentioned and I truly appreciate the input because like I said, I believe in your opinions after spending so much time on this board.

Thanks!

 

[mermaidwannabe]

If I was going for one, I would get the Honda Pilot.

BUT...whatever you do, do NOT get anything that is "flex fuel". Sure, the idea of it is good, but that fuel is not readily available around here even. So you're stuck using regular unleaded....and the engines use 20% more fuel than the standard engines. A friend of mine got a Suburban Flex a year or two ago and hates it now because of that.

Thanks for that info! I didn't know that.

Am loving the looks of the Toyota Sequoia, but anything around here with quad seating is new and although there is 0% financing (I think?) it is pretty pricey. I'd love something a few years old. Still looking!

 

[KristinU]

I have a Hyundai Santa Fe that I love. Of note, the seats fold down, and my son uses it to go to the flying field with his RC planes!
They come with a 10 year/100,000 bumper to bumper warranty. Mine's three years old, 27,000 miles, and other than regular maintenance has never needed service for anything.

+1 on the Santa Fe - we love ours.

We also have an older RAV4 - love her to pieces (1998 with 107,000 miles on it and still going strong...did I mention we love her???) I know the newer ones are slightly bigger but if we were a family of 5, I wouldn't consider it...but I would look at the Highlander (we did when we bought the Santa Fe as a tow vehicle for our camper - even as diehard Toyota fans, the Hyundai won out on features, ratings and reliability dollar for dollar).

 

[5kwallace]

I love my Sequoia! It is a great vehicle with lots of room.

 

[thelittlemermaid]

My DH and I just bought a 2006 Trailblazer and I LOVE it! We had a 1999 Plymouth Voyager and the transmission went out. The transmission was going to cost more then what the thing is worth so my DH bought a 2008 Chevy HHR SS. He really didn't do his research before buying this car. Having three kids with the oldest being 12 and 5'6" he just wasn't comfortable in the backseat with his sister and little brother who is in a car seat. It got to be I HATED going any where and having to take all three kids with us. Cause no matter what DS would start up that he was crowded. With us having a trip to Disney toward the end of the year we decided we needed something bigger.
We looked at the Honda Pilots, but there was no way that 3rd row had enough leg room for DS12 and it defiantly didn't have enough storage room, at least I thought it didn't. The one we looked at was basically what I would call a strip down model, hardly had anything on it and they still wanted over $19K for it with it having 41 thousand miles on it. YEAH RIGHT! Glad things didn't work out with the Pilot. In the end we ended out better with the Trailblazer. It had less miles, it was cheaper then the pilot, has more room for storage and people, and also had all the things we wanted as in extra wise. Even ended up with some little extras we didn't know anything about. =)
Plus even though it's a 2006, we wanted to "stay in the family" so to speak and stay with Chevy.
Good luck on your search! I know how hard and frustrating at times it can be. I was ready to give up so many times trying to find something both DH and I liked and something we could afford.

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

We love our Honda Pilot. Even with DD still being in a booster, all three kids can fit comfortably in the middle seat if we want to put both back seats down to have more cargo room, or, if DS wants his own space, he can sit in the third row and have the other two seats down so we still have cargo room. Technically it seats 8, though you really wouldn't get 3 adults or even bigger kids in that third row, but it does fit two moderately sized people who did not require a ton of leg room.

 

[tinatark]

Lincoln Navigator or Ford Expedition. Things I like - Fold flat 3rd row (power) and the keypad entry is priceless! You can also get a second row bench instead of buckets.