Crossover/ small SUV thoughts??

[clarabelle]

We are car shopping
Currently we have a Subaru Forrester -we like it
But on Road trips it feels cramped. So I want something a little bigger.
Have been thinking about a highlander.
Any thoughts or ideas on the Higlander or something else that would be a bit bigger than a Forrester but not as big as a say a mini van or Suburban?
Thanks!!

 

[Rumpus]

I think they are nice. Can you tow a small boat with one?

 

[Topper]

Toyota Venza
Honda Accord Crosstour

 

[escape]

We came this * * close to getting a Highlander a few weeks ago. It's not as large as a suburban but it's as large (or larger) than a minivan, I think. It's a great vehicle - very highly rated. Resale value is excellent. The zero % financing and the Toyota care incentive (two year complimentary maintenance) sure made it hard to pass up. People I know who drive the Highlander really give it good reviews. I don't think you'll go wrong with the it.

ETA: We decided on the new Ford Explorer. It's slightly larger than the Highlander but not as big as the suburban. It's more of a crossover now although it's still regarded as an SUV. My DH liked it a little better for his needs although I'm sure I would have been just as happy (or more) with the highlander.

 

[Disnydad]

Hyundai Tucson or Hyundai Santa Fe would be my picks.

 

[clarabelle]

Thanks everyone
I am off to do some research!

 

[njprincess601]

We have a BMW x5, Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Venza. We LOVE them all. The Venza is the smallest of the 3 but we're never had a problem with any of them. I would look at them. When we bought the Venza, we were looking at the Highlander but thought it was just too big. However, the Venza is even smaller than the Rav 4 but we didn't like the styling of that car, so we went with the Venza and haven't regretted it ever since! We take the BMW up to Vermont with us to go skiing and it fits all of skis and what not and does great driving in the snow. As does the Santa Fe.

 

[asta]

I have a Volvo XC90 and love it. It is just a fantastic small SUV. It can seat seven with a small third row. On the other hand, all of the seats quickly fold flat if you need to carry things instead of people. If you have a small child the middle seat in the second row moves forward so that you can easily tend to them from the front seats. And one of the Volvo's best feature is it's comfortable seats. I have very bad knees and the seats are just the right height to make getting I to and out of the car so much easier.

 

[Iri920]

We used to have a Chevy Equinox and we loved that car. The only reason we got rid of it was because our family grew and needed something that seated at least 6 people.

 

[PrincesCJM]

What year is your Forester? I recently bought a 2011 Forester and I love it. From observation, it appears to be bigger than the older versions, which leads me to assume there was a redesign at some point.

 

[clarabelle]

Mine is the redesign
We love it
I just have TALL children We are not getting rid of it -but DD is getting her license soon and I thought I would get something bigger and maybe give her the forrester.
When we have luggage and my 6' 4 husband and my tall girls and sometimes two weiner dogs -it is a bit cramped!

 

[clarabelle]

So I was thinking of something with either a really roomy back seat or maybe an optional fold down 3rd -but I don't want a mini van

 

[dawson5]

I have the xc90 also but quite honestly if you have tall children, this probably won't work. My youngest is about 5' and still fits in the back comfortably but probably not for much longer. My oldest just turned 18 and now drives, so this will soon be a non-issue for us anyways.

You speak of a tall hubby and kids. Looks at the Ford Flex. Neighbor who had to replace her vehicle test drove a few things, one being this, she ultimately bought an XC90. It was because all but one of her children are gone, so the space/height issue was non-existent. Her hubby is over 6' and fit comfortably in the third row. They both said there was a lot of head room.

 

[clarabelle]

Thanks!!

 

[golfgal]

When we were looking for a new vehicle a couple years ago we looked at crossovers. I was surprised for the size what crappy gas mileage they get. You might want to look into a Honda Pilot. It gets pretty good mileage for the size and seats 8 if you use all the seats. With the rear seats down you can get a lot of equipment in the back. Also, if you need all the seats in a crossover, there is NO storage space in the back.

 

[budmonster]

Have you looked at the Dodge Durango?

I have one and I just love it all my kids are tall, DS17 6'3 DS14 6'0, also which is why I got rid of my minivan and went with the durango.

I looked at the Highlander also and for me the price was just to much for what little they were offering on the inside. Go my Durango fully loaded for way less then what the highlander would have cost me.

 

[tvguy]

We came this * * close to getting a Highlander a few weeks ago. It's not as large as a suburban but it's as large (or larger) than a minivan, I think..

Actually, the Highlander is smaller inside than a Dodge Caravan. 145 cubic feet versus 155 for the Caravan according to the spec sheets.

We've had our Suburban for 23 years, certainly not everyone needs something that big, but is nice to have room for 9 adults AND their luggage. Made a lot of Little League trips to Major League Baseball games and soccer team trips in it.

 

[DeniseinNS]

We bought a Hyundai Santa Fe last year and I LOVE it!!! The gas mileage is much better then I expected and the trunk is huge. I would by another one in a heartbeat.

 

[Melmac]

Not sure if you'd only like an SUV but we have a 2011 Ford Edge that is very roomy in the backseat. My dad (6'2") says he has no problems in the backseat with crampy legs (although the longest trip he was on was only about 1 hour).

There is enough cargo space for what we need but no third row seating. Gas mileage is really good and the seats are really comfortable (even the back seats - something I can't say for my friend's Dodge Journey).

 

[poohbearbt]

I love my Acura MDX. Its has plenty of room for a smaller sized SUV.