Pilot vs Acadia/Enclave

[WDW in Pearls]

Have you considered the Terrain in lieu of the Acadia? My coworker has one and its pretty spacious and comfortable. Now when I see the Acadia it looks huge!

 

[emmababy]

Have you considered the Terrain in lieu of the Acadia? My coworker has one and its pretty spacious and comfortable. Now when I see the Acadia it looks huge!

Hubby like those but we have 3 kids!

 

[HeatherC]

I know you said you are over the minivan, but thought I would mention the Nissan Quest.

We also have three kids....dh is 6'5 and my ds is 6'1 so fitting into a car is a concern for them. We lloked at all the SUV's and then checked out the new remodeled Nissan Quest.

It is HUGE inside, doesn't look like a typical minivan and the inside is nicer than other cars we looked at.

Just thought I would throw it out there if space is a concern since it kind of flys under the radar and most people don't even know it exists.

Good luck in your search!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Our Acadia is comfortable and has all the bells and whistles. But the gas mileage is horrible, and we've had to replace the water pump (under warranty, but apparently a standard problem).

We've also replaced the water pump (outside warranty, about $350 IIRC), no other repairs. We're right at 80,000 miles on ours. We get 17-18 mpg around town and 20-21 on the highway. Did squeeze 24+ on a trip to WI and back, but that is a VERY flat highway and 65 was max speed. All in all, about what you'd expect from a full-size SUV with AWD (the Acadia weighs 5,000+ pounds). We love ours. Hope to have it around a long time

 

[nboicepardee]

I know you didn't ask for other suggestions, but two weeks ago I bought a 2011 Toyota Highlander (certifited pre-owned) and I LOVE it!! I was looking at the new Highlanders and I was able to get the 2011 for about $10,000 less and it has many more options (premium sound with 4 disc changer, Navigation, etc.). I did find that I was had a lot more room for negotiation on the used car. I was able to get them to take about $4000 off the asking price (and then of course I paid less tax than if I bought new as well). This car feels so luxurious and brand new. I was driving a 2011 Grand Caravan and it was literally falling apart. The Highlander seats 7, but the 2nd row seat has this cool option to be either bucket seats or a bench seats and it is super easy to convert and the seat hides away in a compartment. I really love it and I test drove a ton of mid-size SUVs with 3rd row seat and the Highlander drove 10x better than anything else I drove.

Good luck! It is fun to finally have a new(er) car, but the process of buying is so much work and very stressful!

 

[emmababy]

I know you didn't ask for other suggestions, but two weeks ago I bought a 2011 Toyota Highlander (certifited pre-owned) and I LOVE it!! I was looking at the new Highlanders and I was able to get the 2011 for about $10,000 less and it has many more options (premium sound with 4 disc changer, Navigation, etc.). I did find that I was had a lot more room for negotiation on the used car. I was able to get them to take about $4000 off the asking price (and then of course I paid less tax than if I bought new as well). This car feels so luxurious and brand new. I was driving a 2011 Grand Caravan and it was literally falling apart. The Highlander seats 7, but the 2nd row seat has this cool option to be either bucket seats or a bench seats and it is super easy to convert and the seat hides away in a compartment. I really love it and I test drove a ton of mid-size SUVs with 3rd row seat and the Highlander drove 10x better than anything else I drove.

Good luck! It is fun to finally have a new(er) car, but the process of buying is so much work and very stressful!

So when it converts does it seat 8?

 

[nboicepardee]

So when it converts does it seat 8?

No, it only seats 7. I only have 2 kids, so this works for us. My van only sat 7 as well.

 

[nboicepardee]

I know you didn't ask for other suggestions, but two weeks ago I bought a 2011 Toyota Highlander (certifited pre-owned) and I LOVE it!! I was looking at the new Highlanders and I was able to get the 2011 for about $10,000 less and it has many more options (premium sound with 4 disc changer, Navigation, etc.). I did find that I was had a lot more room for negotiation on the used car. I was able to get them to take about $4000 off the asking price (and then of course I paid less tax than if I bought new as well). This car feels so luxurious and brand new. I was driving a 2011 Grand Caravan and it was literally falling apart. The Highlander seats 7, but the 2nd row seat has this cool option to be either bucket seats or a bench seats and it is super easy to convert and the seat hides away in a compartment. I really love it and I test drove a ton of mid-size SUVs with 3rd row seat and the Highlander drove 10x better than anything else I drove.

Good luck! It is fun to finally have a new(er) car, but the process of buying is so much work and very stressful!

I meant a 2003 Grand Caravan, not a 2011! My new car is a 2011.

 

[kazfloyd]

I went through this last year. I have had a Blazer, Tahoe and Trailblazer. I did like the Arcadia but the price was high. It was similar to my Trailblazer in size. I also looked at the Explorer and Highlander. My Pilot is my favorite! Very easy to handle and drive. Not as big as the Tahoe, so easy to park. The room inside is much better and more useful than my other SUV's. Roomy in the center console between driver and passenger seats. The second row moves and there is a lot of room in 3rd row. I can still put things behind my 3rd row.

Good luck! I know it is a tough process.

 

[okeydokey]

We are very happy with our Pilot. It is a 1997 and has almost 100,000 miles on it. Besides replacing the tires and the battery, we have not had to do anything to this car. Honda's are super reliable and have great resale value. Our other car is a Honda Civic that replaced a Honda CRV.

 

[Egdisney]

We test drove the Pilot and liked it, however went with the Ford Flex.

The Flex had a ton of room (more so then the Pilot - at least when real people are in the 2nd row) and a 3rd row that wasn't built for people the size of a 5 year old.

When the kids are gone and we need a new car, I'd definitely take a look at the Pilot again.

I will always have someone in the 3rd row unless the kids are in school. How is the cargo room when the 3rd row is in use? In photos it seems very minimal. The lack of cargo space is currently driving me nuts in my Pacifica, and I have to have a new car soon. I will go insane otherwise!

 

[kissy]

I had a Toyota sienna and as much as I loved it, I was tired of being a mini van mom. I have 4 kids and also usually travel with MIL. I looked at the new pathfinders but it didn't have nearly enough storage. Ended up with a 2012 Ford Flex. So far, I love it!!! Seating for 7, great price. (it was a rental with low miles and almost all the amenities I wanted). The storage in the back is just a little bit smaller than my mini van. I also looked at the enclave and storage in the back was not enough for me. Oh and I've had a couple of friends that had acadias. One had consistent problems with leaking. The other had transmission problems.

 

[AInWonderland]

I have had my Honda Pilot for over 10 years. It has over 180,000 miles on it. The best car I have ever had. I have now passed it on to my son, but I miss it terribly. The ride is so comfortable, and I never put anything more than routine maintenance into it.

 

[ICF]

How is the cargo room when the 3rd row is in use?

Decent, but not great. You can fit some groceries in there with the 3rd row up, but couldn't likely go on a family vacation in that set up....at least not the way my wife packs!!