3 row crossover for 30k??
 

One Whipped puppy was right...carseat + kid + suv = easier. I'm gonna keep my TSX wagon with is great and replace my '93 e36

I'm thinking about:

Highlander LE with v6 perfect size - nice...but boaty ride.

Sorento - Nice car but are KIAs any good? - need to test drive

CX-9 - Ten year old design worst gas mileage of the group

Pilot - nice really bland looking though probably rides better than highlander

MDX - they're great but cost too much.

I'm will lease though business and then buy it at the end if it has been a good vehicle..

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

SmileWavy

I think the MDX will ride car-like the most. I think they are all going to be boaty if push a little around the corners. I drive the latest gen 4 runner and it has KDDS suspension. It handles pretty well for a tall vehicle still, its no sports car. As long as you shift it out of Eco, then it should be fine. Poor gas milage is the bonus here. Oh, also more then 30k. Out of that bunch you posted, my choice would be MDX, then Highlander and lastly, the Pilot.

We have a CX-9 and like it. The bad news is that we found out that some have transfer case issues. I don't know if and when they fixed it, but we just had ours (2007) done to the tune of $1300.

How about Hyunday Santa Fe? Friend just got a loaded one which would be out of 30k range, but basic models are in range, and it has very good power / rides nice.

G

Ford Flex. Limited. Could pickup used low mileage AWD. Maybe Ecoboost for that $$. We had one, it was awesome. Not an SUV, but who really goes off road anyway? 2nd row captains chairs (heated) with a fridge console in the center. Powerfold push button 2nd and 3rd row. Power tailgate. Panoramic roof. HID/LED lighting. Good on gas for the most part. Ride was super quiet. Very smooth on the highway. High quality interior, impressive underated car IMHO. We had a 2009 and traded it in 2013, great car, got rid of it b/c wife wanted a sports sedan now that both kids are out of carseats and strollers. We drove it 60K trouble free miles.

It was the ultimate road trip car. Plus it looks super cool IMO, like nothing else on the road. Ours was Sterling grey w/ the white roof. They have a newer color called Ginger Ale I think looks sweet on it. All my kids friends loved it, they called it "the toaster car". Class 2 hitch can do light towing.

Typing all that makes me miss that car!

Honda or Toyota if you want it to last.

I have a 2013 CX9. I am a big fan. I was originally looking at a CX5, but the dealer offered me a great deal on the CX9. The mileage is poor around town, but if you are mixing in HWY driving, then it is not too bad. I would do it again.

Sorry Hugh but you're about 20 years behind the times. Nowadays most Toyotas are pretty mediocre compared to the competition, more expensive, and no more reliable. That's what happens when you regress in quality while your competition improves.

edgemar, how many kids? We have three and went through this process about one year ago, the CX9 was by far our favorite but we ended up with.......a Nissan Quest. The problem with anything short of a true full sized SUV is that the 3rd row seats are nearly worthless, the 2nd row isn't that big, there is zero space behind the 3rd row, and entry and egress is difficult with the flip folding seats. Our van can carry seven real adults in comfort, has captain's chairs in the second row, had nice power doors that are easy for the kids, and can haul a family of five's vacation luggage in the back with room to spare. Food for thought, but you have to come to terms with the minivan concept. We can't imagine not having one for kid duty.

Now that I've answered your question with an answer you didn't ask for, also consider:

Chevy Traverse/GMC Acadia/Buick Enclave/Saturn Outlook - probably the biggest crossover SUV you can buy.
Ford Explorer - current bodystyle, they are about the same sized as the above GM models but nicer inside and to drive.
Lincoln MKT - the Lincoln version of the Flex, really nice inside and have some minivan like features. Good punch with the Ecoboost, we considered these as well.
Nissan Pathfinder - current bodystyle, similar to the Explorer.
Volvo XC90 - if you need a European one.
Kia Sorrento - Kia is building some really nice stuff.
Hyundai Santa Fe - ditto the Kia comment.
Audi Q7 - probably the most luxurious option.
Mazda5 - sorta van/wagon crossover thing, but it drives like a sports sedan and has some nice minivan features without the look. We had one for several years and loved it, but outgrew it. Perfect if you only have two kids. Brand new a loaded Grand Touring is only $24k before discount. Or you can get a base model with a stick.:D

Note that I'm thinking $30k purchase price for something slightly used on most of these, you won't find much for $30k brand new.

I think we're gonna max out at two kids

I'm at 31500 for a highlander...+tax & lic

I'm going to take a look at explorer, flex and sorento and see how they compare to highlander...

mazda 5 is an interesting thought i image it's probably not as safe as the heavier SUV's though...

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Infiniti QX60 (formerly JX35). We're in the same boat (sort of). We've got two kids, and my wife seems to think they we need a third row that will fit adults (but won't drive a minivan). The Infiniti probably has the best access to the third row of the bunch. However, it's pretty boring to drive (compared to the MDX)

Mazda is offering $4000 customer cash on 2015 CX-9s. Yeah, they're a bit dated, but still a very nice ride. They're not selling well and a new model is in the works. I'm thinking now would be a great time to pick up a new one.

All of them are car based unibody crossovers, I think safety probably is more about design than it is sheer size. We have friends that were absolutely crushed by a semi in their Honda Odyssey, even their 8 year old in the 3rd row seat (where the truck hit) was ok except for some cuts that required stitches.

I had to open the thread just to find out what in the world a 3 row crossover is. I was afraid it was another Bruce Jenner thread or maybe something about a radiator. I have a 3 row radiator in my El Camino but it is no crossover.

I have no advice for a large SUV. That is totally off my radar. Like a snow blower, I don't even want to ever need one.

if you have no life other than work a small SUV can be fine for two kids.

if you anticipate kids sports, hobbies, etc. the minivan is still king ****. Honda's odyssey is a shockingly strong highway cruiser and handles much sportier than you would expect.

Shop payments. If you're thinking about leasing, then the $30K budget isn't as relevant. You should be comparing lease payments for a given structure- say 3 years, 12,000 miles/year, with $2,000 drive-off (the sum of down payment, 1st month's payment, registration, and some minor fees like $80 doc, $18 DMV elec filing fee, and $8.75 tire fee. Bank acquisition fee is sometimes put into the drive-off). Be sure not to get tricked into thinking "down" is your drive-off- it's only part of it. Depending on the lease terms, a more expensive car can have lower payments than a less expensive one, for a variety of reasons. If you focus on selling price, a dealer will tend to mark up the hell out of the rate. I can hook you up with some makes- Volvo (no love on XC90s right now), Honda, Chrysler/Dodge, Ford, Mazda, Acura.

Steve-

Thanks for explaining how leases work. I was trying to get my head around the whole idea and you explained it perfectly. I'll PM you about a few models...

leases work like this:

you never have equity. you have payments for the rest of your life until you decide to get off the lease train and actually buy a vehicle. when you do decide to get off the lease train you are in the same position anyone else would be looking to buy their vehicle. in fact you could even be in WORSE shape as buying your vehicle out of a lease may cost more than an open market vehicle.

sorry Steve but anytime I see 'shop payments' I cringe.

leases are loans for the projected reduction in value of a vehicle during your ownership. it's a way of blurring the initial devaluation of a new vehicle.

Dude- if you want to discuss or argue this, bring it on. You don't know WTF you're talking about. There's a LOT more to it than you're thinking. Start a new thread if you want, although this discussion has taken place here several times before.

no, there really isn't.

want to prove me wrong show your math.

Something to consider with a 3-row crossover. Typically, when that 3rd row has people, there is very little room for "crap". (you know, the kind of stuff most family cars can never not leave in the car - strollers, folding chairs, toys, umbrellas, golf clubs, sippy cups etc).

imho, you need the right tool for the job. That's a Minivan. If you think you need AWD, hello Toyota Sienna. The minivan usually has a large deep well behind the 3rd row of seats which is a boon for storage with a full load of people... it also means a nice low rear liftover height to load the Costco run commodities.

Another advantage of the minivan is - Power sliding doors with low entry height. Sliding doors prevent kid from hitting other cars. Low entry height means they can climb into it easier as they get older and it also makes loading the car seat easier.

Anyone of these (3-rows of anything) are bland, mindless machines. Their job is to be extremely reliable and not offensive to those who are condemned to drive them. They are all within a few inches (dimensionally) and a few $$ of one another assuming comparable trim levels.