Midsize SUV Shopping/Research

[Point37]

noticing quite a few tellurides on my commute...they look really nice on the exterior...i just feel like i couldn't jump into one without talking to someone who has over 200k miles and 10 years in one or some type of older kia suv model...i'd want to know what repairs have been necessary

[dankatz]

New Kia sorrento looks decent as well, but they went down to a new 2.5 Turbo instead of the 3.3 v6. Likely, for fuel economy benefits

[breakdirt916]

more of a crossover suv instead of a midsize...

I am brown and have confirmation bias towards a rav4 hybrid '13-'18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XMLuV42jpM&t=26s

seems to review well against others in its class

check boxes:

-reliable: 70% street commuter, I work in healthcare, I need to get to work.
-utility: 25% rail carry a 225lb yz250...interior space for gear
-economical w' good range: 30+mpg in an pseudo-AWD rig, 430-500 miles per tank cruising through the desert. Gas is cheap now, but CA is expensive, changes a lot, & super future electric friendly.

the hybrid is faster than the gas model since the 2 electric motors assist the gas motor. I will near triple my gas mileage Gonna save $2,500/year + $2,000-$4,000/year in maintenance over my 2001 F150. I can sell the truck for $4,500ish so my net cost is $18k ish and pays for itself in 3-4 years. Surfboard on a roof rack 2.5% of the time. 2.5% of the time tow a street bike with a trailer.

glass a JL audio 10" shallow sub in place of the POS JBL "premium" stereo, new front speakers, aaaaaand....done.

anyone have one?

escapes/CX5's are cheaper by a long shot.

[PurplePackage]

Model Y should be considered. They even send one to your door for 30 minute test drives:
https://www.tesla.com/support/test-drive
I would be happy to give you my referral code if you wanted to get it.

Edit: you need to live near a showroom to do an at your door-dropoff. I guess that's not explained. BUT you can still show up and get in one for 30 minute drives.

[breakdirt916]

nah $50k and won’t work for dirt bikes rides and work in the high desert

RAV4 hybrid ‘16-‘18 Is like $20-$24k and uses a gas motor with electric supplement

[e30addict]

Not a Rav4, but the operating costs of Yota hybrids are tiny compared to trucks. I'm probably gonna get 100k out of a set of brakes. Outside of 2 wheel bearings, it's just been fluids, filters and a set of spark plugs. Certainly can't complain at all.

[jhawley]

just got out of our 2018 Rav4 SE lease. prior to that we had a lexus NX300h hybrid (same powertrain) the rav was way bigger inside than the NX (which we confirmed when we took my mom's NX on a vermont roadtrip with the baby and dog) the hybrid powertrain was awesome and my wife enjoyed the mpg.
see our fuelly data:
https://www.fuelly.com/car/lexus/nx3...jhawley/517520

I dont know how you are for options but must haves for us were, not cloth seats(baby and dog) led headlights, heated seats and dual climate control, and sunroof, the SE trim gave us all that with out braking the bank. But its the Sport trim and gets a sport suspension, Not going to lie, it kinda rode like shit on bad roads, but on the flip side when i was solo it handled back roads with surprising agility.
compared to its platformate lexus nx, the rav4 has a SUPER low load floor, which i didnt realize would be an issue till we had a baby and had to huck a stroller in and out. and if your planning on cramming a dirty bike in it that could help.

The non hybrids mpg was meh at best, but to fill it full was never more than $30 bucks since the tank wasnt that big.
https://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/ra...jhawley/728937

The interior was super functional, and good fit and finish, but the dash and door panel materials left something to be desired. (and made me realize where my 20 grand went with the lexus)

Cool feature when the seats fold, the bottom drops out and they drop for a super flat load floor. not sure how big your dirt bike is, but i managed to have my kid in the car seat behind the passenger, fold the 60% side of the seat down, fit my pedal bike trailer/kid carrier and fit the road bike on top.

loved the headlight quality at night, the auto high beams were great on back roads, but usually freaked out on dark 2 lane highways

We had the base stereo and it sucked balls, and no carplay

As for the escapes, a solid meh, but they do have a pano sunroof and uprated turbo available.

The 2017 up cx-5s interior is going to be light years nicer than the rav and escape. but it is smaller inside, which may be an issue for you. also a cool feature is for about $475 bucks at the dealer they can add an apple carplay/android auto module.

as for mazda issues: Soul red ones have an issue with the paint at the factory where the car needs to be repainted. Some early build 2018s, the head had a pourus casting where they develop an oil leak, and some 2018s have an issue where a couple of the lifters on the cylinders that deactivate, shit the bed and you get a bad ticking noise. Good thing is all of this is covered by the 5yr/60k powertrain warranty

[PurplePackage]

both rx350 and the hybrid rx450 are rock solid. if you can find a dealer maintained used one with high miles they are a bargain.

[PurplePackage]

nah $50k and won’t work for dirt bikes rides and work in the high desert

RAV4 hybrid ‘16-‘18 Is like $20-$24k and uses a gas motor with electric supplement

why wont it work in the desert?

[tls25rs]

why wont it work in the desert?

Wild guess: no charging station and no plugs to plug in to at the desert campsite

Suppose he could throw a generator in the back and run that all night to charge the car

[PurplePackage]

depends on what desert campsite you are heading out to .. deep in Baja or just something out of the way. real world results show you can do about 130 miles while towing up mountains and hills, or about 50% of the LR's range:

https://driveteslacanada.ca/model-y/...ler-in-canada/

and yes, you can plug in a generator as most campers already do

[jhawley]

Just curious how does this work for you with this tesla coupons?

Not shit talking just curious, I heard stories from various automotive writers that dont paint it in the best light.

[PurplePackage]

Just curious how does this work for you with this tesla coupons?

Not shit talking just curious, I heard stories from various automotive writers that dont paint it in the best light.

It does nothing for me right now as I don't own a tesla vehicle right now. It does send me into lotto to win one. When using the referral, we get free charging for 1,000 miles:

Joseph's referral code gives you 1,000 free Supercharger miles.

Cars
You and anyone using your referral link can each earn 1,000 miles of free Supercharging with the purchase of a new Tesla car — designed to be some of the safest cars on the road. Each car referral also gives you a chance to win a Model Y monthly or Roadster supercar quarterly. Owners who already have free Supercharging get two chances to win.

Solar
Anyone using your referral link can earn a $100 award after system activation for solar panels or Solar Roof to reduce reliance on the grid and produce clean solar energy. You will earn a $400 award for each solar referral. Additionally, you will earn one Powerwall for 10 or more solar referrals, limited to one award.

https://www.tesla.com/referral/joseph80374

[Garandman]

Not a Rav4, but the operating costs of Yota hybrids are tiny compared to trucks. I'm probably gonna get 100k out of a set of brakes. Outside of 2 wheel bearings, it's just been fluids, filters and a set of spark plugs. Certainly can't complain at all.

Insane mpg in the city: triple the Outback. Same interior volume as 3rd Gen Outback but 4” shorter. And avoids the Prius stigma.

Only knew about the V because a friend bought one. She had a Prius but does a lot of biking and camping.

[e30addict]

Insane mpg in the city: triple the Outback. Same interior volume as 3rd Gen Outback but 4” shorter. And avoids the Prius stigma.

Only knew about the V because a friend bought one. She had a Prius but does a lot of biking and camping.

Not so sure it avoids the stigma

[Garandman]

Not so sure it avoids the stigma

Incognito.

[jhawley]

Was drunk in a uber in one of those once. i was shocked at how nice and roomy it was. the pano roof was amazing

[e30addict]

Was drunk in a uber in one of those once. i was shocked at how nice and roomy it was.

I hear that constantly. They swallow a ton of stuff too. I got paid to take my truck on this run, but it wasn't even close to being needed. Hello more profit.

[jimmycapp]

Just listening to Tesla Q4 earnings call. They announced Model S and X Plaid are in production. Delivery on Model S in February. 0-60 sub 2 seconds...

[jhawley]

And the steering wheel is a trainwreck

[jimmycapp]

Probably. Never driven a car with that. Not a fan.

[TheIglu]

And the steering wheel is a trainwreck

Trainwrecks are gorgeous?

[PurplePackage]

buying an ICE SUV for long-term ownership doesn't make sense to me. yes gas is a fuel that is faster to load, but that's changing daily. at 6-8 years of ownership you will come out ahead in the total cost to own.

edit: if you live near the ocean or drive in the winter, the model y bottom is almost entirely aluminum. oxidation will happen but parts can't rust away into dust.

[breakdirt916]

I'm just going to pick and choose what I wanna hear, so yeah a Rav4 hybrid looks good so far

just want it to work, and the toyota synergy drive seems to work well

The V is great, but I think the Rav4 has the extra ground clearance to do this w' a class 3 hitch rated at 350lbs



the stereo sucked for me, but I'll glass a 10" sub and replace the front speakers

[e30addict]

I'm just going to pick and choose what I wanna hear, so yeah a Rav4 hybrid looks good so far

just want it to work, and the toyota synergy drive seems to work well

The V is great, but I think the Rav4 has the extra ground clearance to do this w' a class 3 hitch rated at 350lbs



the stereo sucked for me, but I'll glass a 10" sub and replace the front speakers

The V and the Rav are completely different animals. The V is still old school Prius with the priority on outright economy. The Rav blends actual performance/comfort etc... while still being economical.

The Rav is definitely a better choice for you.