Things I want, like, now.

[joosttx]

Emission regulation means 4 bangers + some kind of super/turbocharging get the preference over v6 or v8s. That said modern engines are great and saying they will "strain to cruise at 75 all day" is simply not true. Most of the time the ride experience is ruined by a gearbox build with a focus on consumption/emissions test protocols instead of actual use, not because the engine is not capable. Choose the brands that offer the best gearbox/transmission and you should be fine.

And please don't follow the euros and go with diesel. Those things are absolute nightmare in term of public health and the regulations built to lower that threat have made them the lowest reliable option with lots of issues with exhaust gas regulation valves, filters. This is simply a dead end.

That said SUV are a really bad idea in general imho. They take more room outside while you get less room inside than in a regular car/van. This is backward thinking. The only benefit of these cars come for obese/elderly/disabled people who don't have to bend down to enter in the car. But we are healthy and flexible cyclists here at vsalon right ?

Do you have more than two children?

[sk_tle]

Do you have more than two children?

SUVs don't leave rooms for more childrens. Vans do.

I know they don't look as fashionable/pretentious as SUVs but they are the true answer you like it or not. And one of the greatest car ever, albeit the ugliest one in most people mind, was the modern Fiat Multipla.

[Matthew Strongin]

I want it to stop raining. That's really what I want, like, now.

[sk_tle]

Why ? Isn't the rain hot in Florida ?

[Matthew Strongin]

Why ? Isn't the rain hot in Florida ?

It's also torrential, filled with lightning, causing flooding and been going pretty much nonstop.

[AngryScientist]

a useless little 4 banger that would strain to cruise at 75 all day. ....

serious question: have you compared the horsepower and torque vs vehicle weight of these small SUVs against your current vehicle's specs? or are you just going with the outdated theory that 4cyl engines are "wimpy"?

i'm not arguing either way, but i do rent cars OFTEN and can tell you that most 4cyl small SUVs will allow you to click in the cruise control at 75mph and cruise for days without straining. they may not have a lot of punch, but they arent struggling on the highway either.

[j44ke]

You can build a four cylinder engine that will rip the doors off nearby vehicles if you do it right. These kind of conversations are like ones about bikes where no one can figure out why some manufacturer built this nice frame and put a sh&tty fork on it or why they gave you Dura Ace derailleurs and some no name brakes. Its all about hitting price points. Car manufacturers are always taking a popular model and sticking a cheap engine in it. They know popularity will sell the vehicle anyway, and anyone who isn't satisfied will hopefully buy further up the line. Later when the popularity wains, they'll put an appropriate engine in it and sell them like hotcakes again.

Have they improved the crash testing of most SUV's yet? That for me is the biggest argument against using them as a family vehicle. They roll over more easily and they crush. If they've changed that, great, but I think you'll still find very few objective evaluators would say that an SUV is the safest vehicle for carrying a family. Horsepower really wouldn't be my primary consideration. I'll bet something like a Subaru Outback would handily beat any SUV in terms of crash safety. And you can get one with a V6.

[j44ke]

Re: Highlander versus 4Runner. In terms of safety, the 4Runner is not an upgrade.

217 Toyota 4Runner

217 Toyota Highlander

[KonaSS]

Never in my life did I think I would say this, but........

I kinda want a Buick. Interested to see the pricing on these. I am in the market for a car, but am somewhat holding off to see more details on this car.

First-Ever 218 Buick Regal TourX

[dogrange]

What I'd like to see is an updated version of the Land Cruiser, one that is more space efficient (read: removable rear seat or stowable rear seat) and maybe 500 lbs lighter. It would be nice if it pretended to get 20 MPG on the highway as well. Also, these seat back mounted video screens need to go. They're permanent fixtures too, and would likely never get used. They'd just be in the way and/or get damaged by loading bikes and other toys.

But to me the biggest crime are the seats that kill the space in the back of the truck. They need to be either a delete option or removable for a flat floor.

All these nitpicks aside, it's definitely an itch I'd like to scratch! I may look at a 2015 or so. They at least don't have the video screens.

I am not sure why people are so resistant to minivans. The Odyssey meets all these requirements - it has much more usable space (not on a raised truck platform), has seats that fold into the floor for a flat surface, can wheel bikes right in, and, while it is no efficiency vehicle does much better than 20mpg on the highway. They are also much cheaper than these bulbous SUVs. Oh well, I guess I'm just not a car guy, don't get it . . .

[funcrusher]

I am not sure why people are so resistant to minivans. The Odyssey meets all these requirements - it has much more usable space (not on a raised truck platform), has seats that fold into the floor for a flat surface, can wheel bikes right in, and, while it is no efficiency vehicle does much better than 20mpg on the highway. They are also much cheaper than these bulbous SUVs. Oh well, I guess I'm just not a car guy, don't get it . . .

sweatpants are pretty comfy, too...

[j44ke]

Never in my life did I think I would say this, but........

I kinda want a Buick. Interested to see the pricing on these. I am in the market for a car, but am somewhat holding off to see more details on this car.

First-Ever 218 Buick Regal TourX

Looks like they spliced a Subaru Outback & Volvo V60.

[davids]

Never in my life did I think I would say this, but........

I kinda want a Buick. Interested to see the pricing on these. I am in the market for a car, but am somewhat holding off to see more details on this car.

First-Ever 218 Buick Regal TourX

Yep.

Car and Driver had a nice spread on it this month. Not able to drive it yet - it was all about design and features. It's a bit on the long side but checks a lot of boxes for me too.

As a US citizen, I exhort you to buy a wagon. We need more wagons and fewer SUVs. Do your part!

[Saab2000]

I am not sure why people are so resistant to minivans. The Odyssey meets all these requirements - it has much more usable space (not on a raised truck platform), has seats that fold into the floor for a flat surface, can wheel bikes right in, and, while it is no efficiency vehicle does much better than 20mpg on the highway. They are also much cheaper than these bulbous SUVs. Oh well, I guess I'm just not a car guy, don't get it . . .

I've never pretended my desire for a Land Cruiser was rational. In fact, I've pointed out the irrationality of it in all my posts! It makes no sense at all and I'll be the first to admit it.

[TMB]

My wife drove a minivan for years while the kids were young. She will not be caught dead in one ever again.

So, as simple as it gets - minivans are off the table. Or I could buy a minivan and get a divorce, which would obviate the need for the minvan in the first place as the hacienda in AZ would probably go bye bye.

The desire for a "SUV" style is also driven by my wife's preference as she has done that I5 -> I10 drive many times in the Passat wagon and swears she will never do so again as she says with the number of semis and the sizes of pickmeup trucks and Chevy Suburbans she feels invisible on that road and at least the "SUV" style puts her up a little bit higher so that she actually feel like it's a level surface.

I like wagons and it is easier to put my bike on the roof of a wagon, but .......

[j44ke]

Gas is too cheap in the US.

[robin3mj]

I love my old 4Runner for my commute, but if I was buying a newer SUV to tote my (3) kids, I’d go Highlander over 4Runner all day long. More car-like drive, and the rear doors are longer, making it much easier to get into the back seat.
I’d imagine we will have a Highlander (or new Volvo wagon if feeling flush) in our household one day to complement the minivan once the kids are out of their ginormous car seats. The Limited models look like a rich person’s bathroom though, whereas the next trim level down looks like the sweet spot.

As to Land Cruisers, I often wonder whether there is any market in the USA for a more stripped down version- UN/developing country-style. It’s kind of insane that the vehicle with arguably the longest track record of being an off-road beast (apologies to the XJ) can only be had in one trim level and costs nearly 80 grand.

PS- all hail minivans

[Saab2000]

Gas is too cheap in the US.

This is probably true, but an issue for another thread. I'd support a much higher gas tax if it transparently went straight to creating better roads and road infrastructure.

[dogrange]

This is probably true, but an issue for another thread. I'd support a much higher gas tax if it transparently went straight to creating better roads and road infrastructure.

Or paid for free college for all, or for national park upkeep/expansion or whatever else, the length of the list boggles the mind.

[j44ke]

I love my old 4Runner for my commute, but if I was buying a newer SUV to tote my (3) kids, I’d go Highlander over 4Runner all day long. More car-like drive, and the rear doors are longer, making it much easier to get into the back seat.
I’d imagine we will have a Highlander (or new Volvo wagon if feeling flush) in our household one day to complement the minivan once the kids are out of their ginormous car seats. The Limited models look like a rich person’s bathroom though, whereas the next trim level down looks like the sweet spot.

As to Land Cruisers, I often wonder whether there is any market in the USA for a more stripped down version- UN/developing country-style. It’s kind of insane that the vehicle with arguably the longest track record of being an off-road beast (apologies to the XJ) can only be had in one trim level and costs nearly 80 grand.

PS- all hail minivans

When we were in Africa in 2007 (Kenya) and 2008 (Ethiopia,) all the Toyotas looked like the old versions, except they were brand new.



As safari vehicles, they were fine, and the guides liked them better because of the independent suspension versus the Land Rover. But the vehicle most guides were driving was a 4WD Toyota HiAce minivan.

lion jam by Jorn Ake, on Flickr

One thing those safari vehicles don't do is drive on the highway well.