Best midsized SUV

[nybirdman]

GMC Acadia,3rd row and when folded will hold two dog boxes.Chevy Traverse even a little bigger,longer wheel base."Get the V6 before they are gone.

 

[4570Man]

I had a Honda mini van rental on vacation. Once you get past the stigma it was actually a nice ride. I’ve had several mid size suv rentals as well and they all have a nearly useless 3rd row and a nearly useless cargo compartment if you’re using the 3rd row at the same time. The van had much more room. The vans 3rd row wasn’t unreasonable for adults to sit in and the back compartment was actually big enough to fit luggage in while the 3rd row was being used. None of the smaller suvs could do the same.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Any of the above have reasons to avoid at all costs? are they all fairly comparable? any known or common issues to look out for?

Glad to hear many of you have good experiences and like your vehicles. It goes to show that cars have come a long way in quality.

Any to avoid at all costs? Yes, the Dodge Journey.
I come from the dealer side (not Stellantis) so I have some background. Poor Chrysler has been bought and sold many times over the last several years, and when you are desperate to get the bottom line in order then quality control is not even on your radar.

There are so many good quality alternatives out there that you don't need to settle.

@Midniteoyl I'm glad you had good luck with yours. This is not aimed at your decision in any way.

 

[duffer]

Of the choices you listed, I'd suggest the Mazda CX-9 by a landslide. Great power trains, little problems, if any. I follow a couple different mechanics on YT and both of them rave about the quality.

I owned Mazdas for 20 years, never really had any problems with any of them. (They were sedans, not SUVs). I'd still own them, but don't have a dealer within 30 miles of us.

My 2¢.

 

[Midniteoyl]

@Midniteoyl I'm glad you had good luck with yours. This is not aimed at your decision in any way.

I actually agree to some extent, it was a little scary buying it at the time because of the same concerns.

 

[jjeff]

Those seem to be about 50% more money for comparable age/mileage than the models I listed.

And when I check 3rd row seat in the search results 90% of them disappear....so maybe 3rd row wasnt popular in those models?

But the ones I see.....still at $35-$40k for 50,000 miles and 2019 I will take a pass on

Third row on a 4runner is tiny wife had one for a few years with it up you might be able to put a few grocery bags in the back. Super reliable though.

 

[ZTMAN]

I didn't see anyone mention the Ford Explorer. I think they are a nice sized reliable vehicle at a reasonable price.

 

[Streetcar]

Just sold my wifes 2013 Highlander, and it was absolutely bulletproof since the day we bought it. 22 mpg

Bought a new RAV 4 hybrid, hope for the same results with increased gas mileage. 39 mpg

2006 highlander loved to drink oil, quart about every 700 miles. Plus numerous little issues. Happy when it died in wreck

 

[Yander]

I've owned a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander and put 100k miles on it with no issues. I wanted a V6 so I could tow our ZTR back and forth to my dads to help him mow. I found a used 2016 outlander GT with the 3.0 Mivec V6. Had the 6spd. auto transmission and gets about 21 - 24 mpg. It is not a powerhouse but better than the little 4 cylinder.

I have towed with it a bit, nothing more than 3k. It tows 3500 and sometimes it is nice to put my smaller trailers on behind it. It seats 7 though I never have.

I think Mitsubishi makes one of the best valued vehicles out there. They do not hold their resale because Mitsubishi has a stigma from some of their crappy cars. But the Outlanders are solid in my opinion. Mine was made in Japan. It has been bullet proof. I now have about 125k miles on it with no problems.

I can tell you if I were to wreck mine tomorrow, I would be looking for another V6 GT the next day.

 

[scaredychicken]

Looking to upgrade to a midsized SUV. Currently have a jeep compass and with kids getting older....its just getting a little small. Finding more and more reasons for a 3rd row seat and/or the ability to fold them down and have more cargo room.

5 models keep coming up in my search parameters. Which is 2018+ with under 60k miles

Dodge journey seems to be the cheapest option.
But also looking at:
Nissan pathfinder
Kia sorento
GMC acadia
Mazda CX-9

Prices for an AWD 2018-2020 models with ~40-60k miles well equipped and leather seem to be $18k-$28k ballpark.

Just window shopping at the moment and would like to hone in on a single make/model or two. Any of the above have reasons to avoid at all costs? are they all fairly comparable? any known or common issues to look out for?

Just looking for some real world experience from others that may have been down this road shopping for a mid-sized SUV. And what lead you to buy what you did or avoid what you did. Or any other models to consider.

Don't rule out mini vans, most would have a 3rd row seating.


"The issue is cargo space. The compass....try cramming in 2 lawn chains, two ball bags, 5-gal bucket of balls, coaches duffle with catchers gear, couple blankets, and a fold-up wagon.....all to tote to the ballfields a few times a week. Can be challenging."

maybe - crew cab pickup with bench seats and canopy ???

 

[jjeff]

Honda pilots mentioned? they have a surprising amount of room. My wife's looking for a new midsized SUV with a third row also. Tried to convince her into looking at AWD minivans like a sienna she said I should sell my truck and buy it. I ended up sleeping on the couch. Anyways I told her second row hopefully will have bucket seats to allow easier access to the third row.

 

[DGZRT]

My vote is for the Mitsubishi Outlander . My daughter has a 2022 and it has been flawless. It’s got a great warranty and is decked out for the price . The third seat is not for adults but kids fit in a pinch. The Honda Pilot is probably the top pick . The Kia is also very good . If you want more room the new Kia Carnival looks like a SUV but has features of a Van .

 

[Bearsixty7]

I didn't see anyone mention the Ford Explorer. I think they are a nice sized reliable vehicle at a reasonable price.

Post 11

Best midsized SUV

We were looking at the same vehicle segment about a year ago, when I started seeing inventory and deals happening. As of February 2023 we decided to hold off until probably this fall or next spring. Anyway, One of my main concerns was what dealerships will be relatively close for future service...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[LD1]

Then the mini-van is your answer. None of the others can even come close. Or for even more room, something like the Ford Transit Passenger Van.

Where does one draw the line though?

Why not suggest jumping to a full sized van then? Or why not a full size SUV like a suburban? Heck why not just get a mini bus?

The fact is I have indeed considered the minivan. But balancing wants and needs....and the fact that we live in Ohio I don't want to give up AWD/4wd.....because on the occasional bad storm we get...I don't want my only means of transportation to be my dually ram while the fwd vehicles stay parked

 

[Streetcar]

Where does one draw the line though?

Why not suggest jumping to a full sized van then? Or why not a full size SUV like a suburban? Heck why not just get a mini bus?

The fact is I have indeed considered the minivan. But balancing wants and needs....and the fact that we live in Ohio I don't want to give up AWD/4wd.....because on the occasional bad storm we get...I don't want my only means of transportation to be my dually ram while the fwd vehicles stay parked

With good tire never had a snow problem in ten years we owned our minivan in Ohio. Fed chevy

 

[EddieWalker]

When we got into dog showing, we didn't have a good vehicle to haul the dogs around, along with all the gear needed to be at a show, and also in the hotel. Our first thought was to get a mid sized SUV, but after looking at most of them, we realized that they where just too small. We didn't want a big SUV, but it was either that or a mini van.

All of our dog show friends have Chrysler Town and Country mini vans. At the dog shows, that's just about all you will see, it's almost all mini vans, and most of them are Chrysler or Dodge mini vans.

The big reason for Chrysler is the way their seats fold down into the floor. It's truly amazing how much room you have in there with all the seats out of the way. We test drove the Toyota first, then the Honda, but we really liked the Chrysler the best. I've never been a Mopar fan, but the van was really impressive. All leather, super comfortable seating and it's almost impossible to describe just how much visibility you have when driving it. Acceleration is scary fast, handling is tight and the ride is very smooth. After driving it, I wanted it!!!

Another nice feature to the mini van is the sliding doors on the side. We can open them with the remote, or a button on the dash, or by pushing a button on the inside. If you turn the handle, then let go, they will open. There is a safety lock to stop the grandson from opening them too. The back door opens upwards and provides protection from the rain if you are loading groceries on a rainy day. Just push the button on the key fob when you get close to it and then you have a dry place to load up your groceries. Or if you have a dog that you are wanting to put in a kennel in the back, just push that button and it opens for you. It's a little thing, but super handy once you get used to it.

We normally have two kennels in the back, one seat folded down in the middle and the other seat is in place with a child seat for our grand child. There is a DVD in the ceiling so he can watch movies and be entertained.

It's a 2016 that we bought used in 2016 that had been in a Rental Car fleet. I don't know what company, but it had 20,000 miles on it and brand new tires. I paid $18,000 for it, and looking back on that price, I think it was a really good deal.

If you have never driven a mini van, you really should give them a try. They do everything a SUV does, but with more room and comfort.

 

[jjeff]

If your significant other is against getting a minivan don't offer to get her soccer type stickers for the back window of it, if you do have a comfortable couch handy lol.

 

[Rancher Ed]

Of the vehicles you list I would recommend the GMC Acadia or the Mazda CX-9, although I have not heard anything specifically bad about the Pathfinder or Sorento. I would second/third the suggestion to also consider a Mitsubishi Outlander.

To those suggesting a minivan, yes they are more spacious but they are also physically larger and the few that offer AWD would be significantly out of his target budget. The CX-9 is the longest vehicle listed and it is still ~5" shorter than most minivans; the others listed as well as the Mitsubishi Outlander are all 10" to 20" shorter - not an insignificant length when parking, either at a store or in a garage. The mid-size SUVs are also typically 2" to 4" narrower which is an advantage when trying to open the driver's door.

For the described tasks of typically seating 4 people with reasonable cargo space with the option for seating for 6 on occasion and a desire for 4WD/AWD I think a mid-sized SUV is likely a good choice.

 

[deserteagle71]

The fact is I have indeed considered the minivan. But balancing wants and needs....and the fact that we live in Ohio I don't want to give up AWD/4wd.....because on the occasional bad storm we get...I don't want my only means of transportation to be my dually ram while the fwd vehicles stay parked

Don't know about all the brands of minivans but I do know the Toyota Sienna and Ford Transit are available with AWD.

But it sounds like you've already made up your mind, and that's fine. It's just that, as an owner of a Toyota 4Runner - which is probably as roomy as the vehicles you are considering - I'd hate to put 4 people in it and then have to try to haul a bunch of "stuff" besides.

 

[blee03]

Dodge Durangos have the 3rd seat option... get a fast one