Wow, truck almost paid off. Tiem to get rid of it!

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,403
8,199
126
With all of those requirements a sedan or compact SUV ain't going to cut it. Larger SUV or Minivan are where you need to be.

I second the Ford Flex recommendation. It has some of the most comfortable seating across all three rows of any vehicle in it's class. You can get roof rails and tow with it. It's a great long distance cruiser.
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,573
5,096
136
Best I could find is the crv can tow 1500lbs, which probably doesn't account for much inside the vehicle. So I'd be concerned about putting 4 adults and a trailer on it. If looking at this size, give the Mazda cx5 a look as it drives better and can tow up to 2k.

However, why not step up to a pilot? More appropriate size for that many and it can easily tow double (and more) what a crv could. The new model pilot would be preferable if could swing that.



This is what seems to escape most who ask about towing.

For almost all vehicles, tow capacities are set using a driver (typically 150# is used as the driver's weight) and an otherwise empty vehicle with no optional equipment, although some vehicles do set the tow capacity with a driver and a passenger. Anything else carried in the vehicle reduces the tow capacity. So, every child, adult, every bit of detritus you carry in the vehicle reduces the towing capacity. If the vehicle doesn't come with A/C as standard, if it's there, its weight negatively impacts tow capacity. And on and on.

There is an option you can get on some vehicles, like the Toyota Highlander, that increases tow capacity...a tow package. The Highlander's includes a higher capacity radiator and alternator, and increases the base tow capacity from 2000# to 3500#.

Or like the Honda Pilot. Two tow capacity ratings, 3500# and 5000#. The higher rating is on AWD models with an accessory ATF cooler. 2WD and AWD without the accessory ATF cooler get the lower rating.

Gotta do your research, and on many models, it's info that's very hard to find.
 

Zargon

Lifer
Nov 3, 2009
12,240
2
76
Toyota Sienna all the way...

he could sneak in a pretty nice dodge grand caravan brand new and full warranty depending on options, hes stuck with a used Sienna

Certified used siennas in decent mileage ranges are 25-30k unless gross base models
 

Herr Kutz

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2009
2,545
242
106
Subaru Outback or Ford Edge.

I would stay away from the CRV if you go on extended road trips. My parents have one and it is load as ****. Louder than my versa. The 14+ Forester is better. The 15+ Outback should be even better than the Forester (I have not been on more than a 1 hour drive in the Outback though). Also look at the Ford Edge. I don't see how the CRV sells so well. I guess most people prioritize fuel economy above anything else, including occupant comfort. If you can swing a van that would be the best option.
 
Last edited:

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,036
548
126
The Edge is definitely very nice. For some reason it strikes me as a bit of a "chick" car but oh well.

And really, most Hondas are a bit on the loud side. People buy Hondas because they just have a "feel". My 1991 Accord had the same "Honda Feel" as my 2011 CR-Z. It's about the handling, the way the switchgear works. Just something about it that you know you're in a Honda, both good and bad (though mainly good).
 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
54
91
Edit:
This is not a financial planning thread can you please stay on topic great thanks everyone.
Yayyyyyy.

Family of 4. Kids 8 and 11. Looking to spend under $32.5K. Really, 30K but the extra $2.5k can go a long way.

Want new or used. if used, it has to be a 2014 or newer model and have under 20K miles.

This is going to be our road trip vehicle. And I need to be able to toss a hitch on if needed (getting rid of the truck). Also need to move up to 4 mountain bikes with it. Either a hitch or roof rack.

This is also my wife's primary when we get it. Fuel economy is a concern but a lesser one. So better fuel economy preferred but not required.

Right now, a new or slightly used Honda CR-V (2nd highest end trim) has me smiling the most. Seems to be the best bang for the buck option. I wouldn't mind a large sedan (Toyota Corollas look small to me) or slightly bigger SUV though.

Thoughts?

You clearly need a mini-van/passenger van. I honestly can't think of anything else that meets your lengthy requirements.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,126
1,603
126
Pretty much 100% of what Herr Kutz said.

Friend at the office has a 2015 CRV. Has a lot of road noise.

I would recommend Outback over CRV for sure.

Ford Edges are indeed nice, and on my short list for replacement car for the Woman / road trip car (though we have no kids, sometimes we take my brother and his woman or a couple friends on our road trips.)

And then there's minivans ... they will tow better than babysize SUV crossover type whatchamacallits.

Sienna may be the Creme de la Creme of minivans available in North America, but I have several friends who have put close to 200K miles on their Kia Sedonas without any complaints... (can tow 3500 pounds)
 
Nov 29, 2006
15,657
4,130
136
Id avoid CRVs. When i test drove it, it was by far the worst of its class. Very noisy vehicle. Forrester, Outback are always nice. Sante Fe i really like the style of.
 

nOOky

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2004
2,892
1,910
136
I came from a CR-V to a Ford Edge Sport. I like the extra room inside, and in the back. I assume carrying a family of 4 plus mountain bikes on a hitch plus gear for road trips would be a bit tight in a CR-V. My vote would be an Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, or a similar vehicle.

You can get the Hyundai well equipped for well under $30,000, the Edge probably not, maybe. Other options include a third row, which I don't really think is much better than a 5 passenger when you consider the tiny 3rd row taking up cargo room imho.
 

PricklyPete

Lifer
Sep 17, 2002
14,714
164
106
Within the next year, I'm likely to bite the bullet and buy a second car for our 5 person family. My wife and I have discussed a lot of options (mostly CUV's), but our logic almost always gets us back to the Sienna. It is just so practical. We have a big trip scheduled for this summer and our plan is to rent a minivan to see how it "fits". I have a feeling that my wife will be hooked once that happens.

There are other good (maybe better) minivan options other than the Sienna, but we want AWD since it is inevitable that we will use this car in snow up in the mountains.
 

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
We got a used 2nd-gen CRV as a stepping stone family hauler and it's great for road trips. Lots of room, rides smooth, easy LATCH attachments, rear seats slide and split-fold, possible to walk to rear seats from front like a van. I added bluetooth, seat heaters, key fobs and 4 more 12V ports and it gets the job done. Cubbies, drawers and nooks everywhere. Will cruise happily at 85 MPH fully loaded. 25 MPG overall. Kinda silly hearing the VTEC cams switch over at 4,000 RPM with a baby in the back. Faster on backroads than you'll ever go with a kid in the back. Came with Thule racks and cargo box. Oh yeah, the rear luggage floor pulls out and turns into a card table. Not bad for ~$5000.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,472
867
126
Within the next year, I'm likely to bite the bullet and buy a second car for our 5 person family. My wife and I have discussed a lot of options (mostly CUV's), but our logic almost always gets us back to the Sienna. It is just so practical. We have a big trip scheduled for this summer and our plan is to rent a minivan to see how it "fits". I have a feeling that my wife will be hooked once that happens.

There are other good (maybe better) minivan options other than the Sienna, but we want AWD since it is inevitable that we will use this car in snow up in the mountains.

Man, your wife and my wife are completely opposites. Mine wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan and she even loathed the thought of being seen in one when I reserved one to move some stuff out of her Mom's house last summer. Thankfully, we ended up with a Tahoe instead of the minivan. She loved the Tahoe. Truth be told, I loved the Tahoe too despite the horrible fuel economy.
 

PricklyPete

Lifer
Sep 17, 2002
14,714
164
106
Man, your wife and my wife are completely opposites. Mine wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan and she even loathed the thought of being seen in one when I reserved one to move some stuff out of her Mom's house last summer. Thankfully, we ended up with a Tahoe instead of the minivan. She loved the Tahoe. Truth be told, I loved the Tahoe too despite the horrible fuel economy.



When I married my wife, she wouldn't be caught dead owning a car with more than 2 doors.

3 kids in car seats have a way of changing perspective. From a driving perspective, neither of us want a minivan or CUV. But really neither of us care at all what car we are driving anymore...just that it safely/reliably/conveniently gets us between our destinations.

Tahoes are very nice, but we live in the city and our 4Runner is already too large for our taste. The only reason I have a 4Runner is that I use it extensively during the summer in the CO mountains where it's capabilities becomes a real treat (I was absolutely destroying my previous car...and it limited our options). Driving the 4Runner around the city sucks balls with a capital S.

And wait...the king of all SUV haters owns a Tahoe...the vehicle that embodies the defining characteristics of an SUV? Say it isn't so? Hell must have a cold front rolling through.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,472
867
126
When I married my wife, she wouldn't be caught dead owning a car with more than 2 doors.

3 kids in car seats have a way of changing perspective. From a driving perspective, neither of us want a minivan or CUV. But really neither of us care at all what car we are driving anymore...just that it safely/reliably/conveniently gets us between our destinations.

Tahoes are very nice, but we live in the city and our 4Runner is already too large for our taste. The only reason I have a 4Runner is that I use it extensively during the summer in the CO mountains where it's capabilities becomes a real treat (I was absolutely destroying my previous car...and it limited our options). Driving the 4Runner around the city sucks balls with a capital S.

And wait...the king of all SUV haters owns a Tahoe...the vehicle that embodies the defining characteristics of an SUV? Say it isn't so? Hell must have a cold front rolling through.

No, I don't own a Tahoe. We rented one for a couple days.

By the way, they are actually quite good in the city. The turning radius on the Tahoe is amazingly small for a vehicle its size.

We did just buy a car that is even less practical than the Tahoe though. :$
 

PricklyPete

Lifer
Sep 17, 2002
14,714
164
106
No, I don't own a Tahoe. We rented one for a couple days.

By the way, they are actually quite good in the city. The turning radius on the Tahoe is amazingly small for a vehicle its size.

We did just buy a car that is even less practical than the Tahoe though. :$



Yeah, it is not so much the turning circle as the perceived width driving down very narrow city streets. I know my wife would eventually get used to it...but she isn't even slightly interested in trying. Oh yeah, and they are stupid expensive for a car that is bound to be destroyed by the kids.

I really want her to give the upcoming CX9 a go before we move forward on anything. Still has plenty of space/functionality, but should drive really well and get better gas mileage. We'll see where we end up. The minivan is just such a practical proposition. Saw a 2015, AWD LE, with 20k on it for 27k (or one with 796 miles for 29k). That is hard to match when you consider the practicality of the product.

We'll buy our "want" vehicles in 10 years when we actually have time to enjoy them. The 4Runner should last me forever as my mountain goat. At some point I'll pick up a third car. But since we really only need one car...and are really stretching to find a reason to own two...a third just sounds like something extra that I have to find space for and maintain (i.e. hassle).

Even the fact that you like the Tahoe is remarkable based on the old Jules.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,036
548
126
The new CX-9 is huge btw, overall length of 200" or so. Definitely longer than your 4Runner.
 

PricklyPete

Lifer
Sep 17, 2002
14,714
164
106
The new CX-9 is huge btw, overall length of 200" or so. Definitely longer than your 4Runner.



4Runner is about 190" if I remember correctly. Sienna is 201" if my memory serves me right. The highlander is actually just about the same dimensions as my 4Runner, just better packaging.

I had not seen the dimensions of the upcoming CX9...surprised to hear it is so long given the fact that they focused on weight so much with this new model and nearly all of its competition is in the 190" range. Are you sure 200" is accurate?
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,036
548
126
Oh, you're right. I misread. 200" length is the current model and supposedly new one is 1.2" shorter.
 

PricklyPete

Lifer
Sep 17, 2002
14,714
164
106
Oh, you're right. I misread. 200" length is the current model and supposedly new one is 1.2" shorter.



Cool. The Sienna will likely be the better option objectively, but I feel like the new CX9 looks great (for a CUV), has a turbo motor (great at high altitude), should drive much better than competition, and should get good gas mileage when humming on long highway trips (The Sienna AWD is quite bad fuel economy wise). The Sienna will be cheaper, have more space, and likely be more reliable. We'll see if the CX9 (or some other CUV) has enough charm to woo us away from making the purely objective/utilitarian decision in the Sienna.
 

Demo24

Diamond Member
Aug 5, 2004
8,357
9
81
Cool. The Sienna will likely be the better option objectively, but I feel like the new CX9 looks great (for a CUV), has a turbo motor (great at high altitude), should drive much better than competition, and should get good gas mileage when humming on long highway trips (The Sienna AWD is quite bad fuel economy wise). The Sienna will be cheaper, have more space, and likely be more reliable. We'll see if the CX9 (or some other CUV) has enough charm to woo us away from making the purely objective/utilitarian decision in the Sienna.

After driving a sienna for a few years and many thousands of miles for work I have to say it really isn't that bad. With the newer engines in them they can move themselves down the road pretty effectively. Love the turning circle and it might be the easiest thing I've ever parked. And ultimately few things in this price range can eat up the miles like these can. I've also had nothing seriously wrong go with it and I drive it pretty hard so I'm impressed there (has had like 6 recalls though ). Only downside is I average about 18 (it's an 05).

I would imagine the cx9 will handle much better though.
 
Sep 29, 2004
18,665
67
91
Pretty much 100% of what Herr Kutz said.

Friend at the office has a 2015 CRV. Has a lot of road noise.

I would recommend Outback over CRV for sure.

Ford Edges are indeed nice, and on my short list for replacement car for the Woman / road trip car (though we have no kids, sometimes we take my brother and his woman or a couple friends on our road trips.)

And then there's minivans ... they will tow better than babysize SUV crossover type whatchamacallits.

Sienna may be the Creme de la Creme of minivans available in North America, but I have several friends who have put close to 200K miles on their Kia Sedonas without any complaints... (can tow 3500 pounds)

I looked at Kia vans about 10 years ago. The build quality of the interior was crap at the time. We went with a Sienna. The Honda is better than the Sienna but you pay a few $K more for the same thing. The Dodge is the best by far though .... but it's even more $$$$. I think Sienna's popularity is due to bang for the buck.

I didn't know that he CRV had road noise issues. I had one car with road noise issues and it is probably the first thing I look at when buying a vehicle.

Ford Edge .... seems to be a common recommendation so I'll give it a look see.
 
sale-70-410-exam    | Exam-200-125-pdf    | we-sale-70-410-exam    | hot-sale-70-410-exam    | Latest-exam-700-603-Dumps    | Dumps-98-363-exams-date    | Certs-200-125-date    | Dumps-300-075-exams-date    | hot-sale-book-C8010-726-book    | Hot-Sale-200-310-Exam    | Exam-Description-200-310-dumps?    | hot-sale-book-200-125-book    | Latest-Updated-300-209-Exam    | Dumps-210-260-exams-date    | Download-200-125-Exam-PDF    | Exam-Description-300-101-dumps    | Certs-300-101-date    | Hot-Sale-300-075-Exam    | Latest-exam-200-125-Dumps    | Exam-Description-200-125-dumps    | Latest-Updated-300-075-Exam    | hot-sale-book-210-260-book    | Dumps-200-901-exams-date    | Certs-200-901-date    | Latest-exam-1Z0-062-Dumps    | Hot-Sale-1Z0-062-Exam    | Certs-CSSLP-date    | 100%-Pass-70-383-Exams    | Latest-JN0-360-real-exam-questions    | 100%-Pass-4A0-100-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-300-135-exams-date    | Passed-200-105-Tech-Exams    | Latest-Updated-200-310-Exam    | Download-300-070-Exam-PDF    | Hot-Sale-JN0-360-Exam    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Exams    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-JN0-360-exams-date    | Exam-Description-1Z0-876-dumps    | Latest-exam-1Z0-876-Dumps    | Dumps-HPE0-Y53-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-HPE0-Y53-Exam    | 100%-Pass-HPE0-Y53-Real-Exam-Questions    | Pass-4A0-100-Exam    | Latest-4A0-100-Questions    | Dumps-98-365-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-98-365-Exam    | 100%-Pass-VCS-254-Exams    | 2017-Latest-VCS-273-Exam    | Dumps-200-355-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-300-320-Exam    | Pass-300-101-Exam    | 100%-Pass-300-115-Exams    |
http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    | http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    |