Suggestions on comfortable SUV

[RWebb]

be sure to run thru Consumer Reports for repair issues ("reliability")

IIRC, the Honda Passport might have 3rd row seat, but will be over your $$ limit - they do have something in between the Pilot and the CRV

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by RWebb

be sure to run thru Consumer Reports for repair issues ("reliability")

IIRC, the Honda Passport might have 3rd row seat, but will be over your $$ limit - they do have something in between the Pilot and the CRV

I think CR has to be taken with a grain of salt. ALL vehicles are so reliable now, the least reliable vehicle is still fairly reliable compared to what we considered in the past. I've read CR data can be from very small pools. Plus, I feel people with problems are more likely to feel the need to share their experiences.

The Mazda CX-7 is ranked very low in reliability due to engine issues. Well, that was true of the turbo model. The NA engine was the same one that was in the Mazda3, and was extremely reliable. CR lumped them into the same category.

[racer]

You want car like ride, don't need 4wd/awd... want a little more space than the Rav4 and have a price point mentioned of $15-20k. Wife would like a 3rd row, but isn't beholden to it, correct?

a) Toyota Venza - built on Camry/highlander/sienna mechanicals. 5 seater. Hatch. Premium finishes available. Its more "tall wagon" than SUV. FWD (or awd).

b) realize that ALL family oriented SUV's are really just trying to be the ideal vehicle - A Minivan. Raised ride height. fwd (toyota does offer awd). Plenty of room for anything - dogs, kids, grandkids, gokarts for grandkids ( ) Easy operating sliding passenger doors with large openings for friends/family. With all seats out.. 140 or so cuft of capacity.. Even with all 3 rows up, 40cu ft. Top trims have all the luxury car stuff - leather, nav, sunroofs/moonroofs etc.

[Black968]

Take the new VW Tiguan for a drive. Lots of room, great gas mileage and the ride is very comfortable. Not sure if there would be any used ones in your price range however. We had a 2011 Buick Enclave (3.6) and the motor let go (Timing Chain issues). Great ride and extremely quiet, but would not recommend.

[rfuerst911sc]

The plan is to go look at two used XC90's tomorrow with the wife .

[rfuerst911sc]

The search is over made a deal a few hours ago . Ended up buying a 2010 Volvo XC90 with 42,225 original miles on it ! She's very very clean and per the Carfax was a corporate lease out of Florida . They only drove it for 29000 miles over aprox. 3 years . Then it was sold to an individual which drove it about 13000 miles in 6 years so maybe an older couple . I looked in every nook and cranny and crawled under it and the looks back up the original miles . The test drive went well drove at various speeds and it is VERY quiet , has good power and the seats feel like a Laz-y-Boy recliner Has some nice electronic features like back up sensors , integrated garage door opener buttons and a few other goodies . No bluetooth or similar but really wasn't looking for that anyway .

I raised the hood and looked the engine over before starting it , touched it to make sure it was a cold start . Had the salesman start the car while I watched/listened to the motor . Started immediately ( as expected ) and purred like a kitten it is very smooth . Motor is bone dry on the exterior and doesn't look like it was pressure washed . I saw no drips or signs of drips anywhere . So I " think " we got a good one.......... time will tell . They did me good on my trade giving me a few hundy more than NADA estimates . No financing cash out the door so none of that crap . The dealership is what I would call a medium size indipendent , they had three lots side by side with a good selection of vehicles . I would say 90 % of what they had were very clean vehicles , the balance were low price point vehicles . No heat lamps or rubber hoses were used it was a very low pressure purchase .

We pick her up tomorrow that gave us time to clean out our Toyota and them time to do a final detailing . There is one missing rear floor mat that they are going to try and find , if they can't they will throw in something . I'll probably eventually go with some WeatherTech liners anyway . It even comes with two keys/remotes so no extra expense there having to buy a spare . So that's the end of this story , I appreciate all the advice that was given . Here's three pics of " the silver ghost " .

[95avblm3]

Excellent choice and she’s a beauty.

We replaced a rust bucket BMW with an ‘05 V70 just over a year ago. We needed a beater grocery go-getter and bought ours at silent auction on a local Army post. $1500 purchase price, no rust, decent body, great interior. It needed a taillight bulb to pass inspection. 155k when we bought it, almost 170k now. Since then, we did the timing belt (piece of mind), replaced one bad coil, refreshed the PCV system, brakes and most recently, I rebuilt the turbo. It was reaching an age and mileage that it needed some love, so we have been loving on it and getting it dialed in.

Having been through this, I can say that 1) Volvo’s are easy to work on because access is good and they resist corrosion well, 2) parts are easy to source from our host and others for reasonable prices. 3) if you decide you want to add Bluetooth, check out Grom audio... Volvo’s are a little quirky when it comes to aftermarket electronics but I have had good success with Grom.

Enjoy it!

[OldSpool87]

I had a 2009 XC90 with a Yamaha built V8. The thing hauled *ss and ate tires. BUT the seats were super comfortable. Nice looking car and hope it serves you well.

[HaroldMHedge]

I have a 16 Subaru Forester that has been good for me. And, it has a boxer engine.

[rfuerst911sc]

Today was an interesting day it started by waking up to no power , a tornado touched down about 5 miles away that made quite a mess . Then I get a text from the selling dealer about the wheel locks . I had noticed yesterday that the car had aftermarket wheel locks and no one could find the socket . They even drove to the local Volvo dealer and they couldn't remove them .

The selling dealer said they would work on getting them removed and keep me in the loop . At about 12:00 I received a text stating the locks had been removed with no damage to the wheels and they were starting the final detailing . My wife and I left at 12:30 arriving at the dealership a few minutes before 2:00 .

The Volvo was immaculate and there was not one scratch on the wheels . The replacement lug nuts matched the OEM perfectly . We did the final paperwork and payment and that was it. It ran and drove perfect on the way home . Very quiet and comfortable with plenty of pep when you press the go pedal . I was banging the gears on the auto in manual mode it was a lot of fun . Most important is the wife is happy !!!

[billybek]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Most important is the wife is happy !!!

How many years did it take you to figure that out?

Congrats, sounds like a good vehicle. My FIL had one for many years. It ran pretty well in spite of the spotty maintenance and the questionable repair facilities.

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by billybek

How many years did it take you to figure that out?

Congrats, sounds like a good vehicle. My FIL had one for many years. It ran pretty well in spite of the spotty maintenance and the questionable repair facilities.

This June we will be married 41 years , I'm a slow learner it took me about 5 years to figure it out .

[billybek]

Took me a lot longer than that....

[Steve Carlton]

The 3.2L inline 6-cylinder in there is a nice motor, smooth as glass out on the road, and it has a timing chain. My service manager said it's a good car and you shouldn't have too much trouble with it except for maybe the clock spring, which will trigger an ABS light. He said it's a good idea to switch it to synthetic oil, but don't change the transmission oil. Out here in CA where the roads suck, the control arm bushings tend to go at around 60,000 miles. Out here it's around $800 + tax at a dealer for new control arms and it's mostly parts.

PM me the last 6 of the VIN and I can tell you more about the history per Volvo via PM.

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

The 3.2L inline 6-cylinder in there is a nice motor, smooth as glass out on the road, and it has a timing chain. My service manager said it's a good car and you shouldn't have too much trouble with it except for maybe the clock spring, which will trigger an ABS light. He said it's a good idea to switch it to synthetic oil, but don't change the transmission oil. Out here in CA where the roads suck, the control arm bushings tend to go at around 60,000 miles. Out here it's around $800 + tax at a dealer for new control arms and it's mostly parts.

PM me the last 6 of the VIN and I can tell you more about the history per Volvo via PM.

Steve I sent you a PM with the last 6 digits of the VIN # . I see in the owners manual Volvo ( back in 2010 ) recommended Castrol oil . I'm going to assume any over the counter synthetic is sufficient ? The owners manual say's nothing about suggested oil weights , in the Toyota I ran 5W30 . I live in GA. so summer heat can be consistantly in the mid 90's in your opinion is a 30W sufficient ? Funny you mentioned the clock spring , it took me a few minutes to figure out how to reset the clock it's different than the Toyota .

Curious why your guy suggests NOT to change the transmission fluid ? Or is he suggesting not to change it with synthetic ? I was thinking when I get to 50K miles I would change it . I'll keep an eye on the control arm bushings that would be a job I would do myself . Any additional info you can provide based on your knowledge is appreciated . Thanks

[rfuerst911sc]

I checked the owners manual again and it does recommend Castrol brand and suggests 5W30 , 0W30 or 0W40 . Not knowing what is in there now I will switch to synthetic . Don't want this to turn into an oil thread so I'll stop there .

I also noticed the caps on the tire valve stems say " N2 " on them does that indicate that nitrogen is in the tires ? I have never owned a vehicle with nitrogen in the tires . What are the do's and don'ts ? Can I top off if needed with regular compressed air ?

[VincentVega]

Yes, nothing special.

[Steve Carlton]

Sent you a PM- write me back on my regular email address. Volvo warranty history looks good. The clock spring is not clock related- it's ABS warning light related and a common failure.

[rfuerst911sc]

Well I feel stupid ! Any feedback on changing the transmission fluid ? Appreciate the help

[Steve Carlton]

One dealer service manager strongly advised against it. I can get another’s opinion tomorrow.