Suggestions on comfortable SUV

[rfuerst911sc]

My wife's 2007 Toyota RAV4 is basically our daily driver but she is the primary driver . She likes the feel/size/visibility of an SUV and to be honest so do I . We are now retired and would like to purchase a used SUV to replace the Toyota . Comfort is a primary requirement with performance secondary .

I am a fan of Cayennes and not ruling that out . But what are other suggestions in the 15 - 20 K range ? We want to stay about RAV4 size or a little bigger . Suggestions ?

[Bill Douglas]

How about a newer RAV. You can't beat the reliability of Toyota.

[HobieMarty]

What about a Kia Soul?

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[Tobra]

Mom got a VERY nice second hand Lexus hybrid for about $25G

[recycled sixtie]

I agree with Tobra. Go with an older Lexus RX. Built like a tank. Comfortable and reliable. Dont know how good the hybrid is though.

[LakeCleElum]

My wife was looking for a Rav4 for a winter car a year ago........Talked her into a Lexus RX350 instead......Couldn't be happier........Plenty of nice used ones in your budget range...

[nota]

go big or go home
a SUV should have room to sleep in the back
far too many are too short to do that

and older RWD volvo wagon has more room then most mini SUV's

[drkshdw]

Agree with the RX350. Reliability of Toyota but their higher build quality means much more comfortable, especially on long trips.

[jhynesrockmtn]

I bought my wife Speeder's Dad's old 2005 RX350. She's put close to 25k in miles on it. Got it with 47k or so and I met him in LA and drove it home to Spokane. Great vehicle. The build quality, interior comfort, etc. The older ones at least are Buick cushy ride quality. I preferred the performance of the Acura MDX I had that was also a 2005 that this thing replaced. My oldest daughter just bought a 2016 MDX with about 40k in miles on it in your price range. I say drive both and include the Macan/Cayenne in that evaluation and go from there.

[wayne robson]

Im a bit like Bill Douglas, owned 2 Toyota Rav4, and they have been great.
Every year i go back to Sacramento to visit my car club friends,and they loan me
there cars etc while im there,and they have owned all sorts of makes, Honda Odysseys
about 5 years ago,and the last time about 3 years ago ,they had a Buick Enclave,
and i have to tell you that was the smoothest ,Quietest, and most comfortable suv
i have ever driven,They told me thats why they purchased it, and they still have it,
Buick accentuates comfort over sportiness, and i think it won best suv that year.
Could be because im getting older now, and comfort is more important.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

My wife's 2007 Toyota RAV4 is basically our daily driver but she is the primary driver . She likes the feel/size/visibility of an SUV and to be honest so do I . We are now retired and would like to purchase a used SUV to replace the Toyota . Comfort is a primary requirement with performance secondary .

I am a fan of Cayennes and not ruling that out . But what are other suggestions in the 15 - 20 K range ? We want to stay about RAV4 size or a little bigger . Suggestions ?

My wife has a 4 or 5 year old RAV 4, good vehicle except I hate it because the ride is stiff and they didn't put sound-deadening in the vehicle and it is LOUD inside.
I can hear every pebble or crack in the road in that car.
Gives me a headache. They reportedly made it better in the newer version.
There are websites dedicated to owners trying to make their RAV-4s quieter.

But because of that I bought a highlander.
Same great reliability, plenty of power, larger than the RAV-4 but still easy to maneuver and park, and a nice quiet comfortable ride.
And changing the tires at 75k will likely be the most expensive maintenance I'll ever do on it. Hard to say that about a cayenne.

My mom has a Lincoln suv and the highlander has a smoother, quieter ride.

[porsche4life]

We’ve been very happy with our Ford Escape.

[berettafan]

No more comfortable SUV than the GMT 900 series LTZ suburban.

In the Toyota family I'd go Lexus. Toyota doesn't seem interested in doing comfort and quality interior materials. Lexus tech is typically behind but it's tough to argue the mechanical reliability.

[racer]

RAV4 was too small for us.. Went with a used Highlander (the cousin of the Lexus RX line). Wife likes it. Toyota reliable. For us it was a downsizing from a Sienna (Minivan)

There is also the Honda/Acura models - Pilot and MDX - both a size up from the RAV4.

German: Audi Q5/Q7 , BMW X5, MB ML or GLE depending on vintage and Cayenne or even VW Touareg?

[berettafan]

be sure to test drive extensively. these new transmissions many are using are just goofy and may feel odd to you.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

My wife has a 4 or 5 year old RAV 4, good vehicle except I hate it because the ride is stiff

Short wheelbase will compromise the ride a bit

See also Acura MDX/Honda Pilot

[GG Allin]

I've been eyeballing the new RDX, haven't driven one yet though. I'll get serious about it when my 4Runner is paid off.

[icemann427]

My wife has a Lexus NX 200T F Sport and I think it rides almost as harsh as my 930. Not sure if it is the F Sport option or if it just doesn't have enough weight...Or maybe, both.

[vash]

The 2019 hybrid RAV4 is about the best new car I’ve seen in a long time. The demand is crazy, so deals are rare.

They really brought it closer in line with a Lexus. It’s really upscale.

We want one but we are editing for the frenzy to go fown

[95avblm3]

I’d look at a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento. Something different than the typical Toyota/Lexus recommendations that I’d argue are more compelling in style and features and just as reliable/safe as a Toyota/Honda... perhaps moreso.

Perhaps also consider a Mazda CX-5 or CX-9.

We all have our personal biases and mine just happens to be that Toyota’s and Honda’s are overrated, overstyled and not as good as they were in their heyday of the ‘80s and ‘90s. YMMV.