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Anyone own a 2011ish Pilot, Edge, Outback, or Sorento?
DH & I are on the hunt for a vehicle (::sigh:: Lol)....Can you tell me about yours...what you like, dislike...etc about yours??
We have a big dog & drive a lot.....we are looking for a vehicle where we can have passengers and dogs in the car at the same time...w/o having a 65lb dog on someones lap Lol...So something where the dog "space" can be separate from the passenger space if we need it (Im so sick of moving backseat hammocks 100x a month!) & preferrably something w/AWD & pretty good MPG. We are pretty hard on our vehicles so we want something sturdy & durable...
My parents have a Pilot & we like it (the extra seating...etc. & you can't beat the Honda reputation). DH rode in his buddys Edge over the weekend & said it was really nice (again, you can't be the Ford reputation). We test drove an Outback over the weekend & like that too (& again, the Subaru has an excellent reputation!)...& I threw in the Sorento b/c its been catching my eye lately...but I don't know much about it.
Any advice or information you can share w/me would be much appreciated! TIA!
Re: Anyone own a 2011ish Pilot, Edge, Outback, or Sorento?
I'm not a regular here, but I just bought a new Highlander and LOVE it. Also the Sorrento is a viable option, the 3rd row was slightly smaller than what we wanted, and DH really wanted a high re-sale value, which we knew we would get with the Toyota. I am generally a Honda girl, but don't like the body style of the new Pilot.
DH drives a Sorrento as his work car, and it's very nice.
So I would add the Highlander to your list!
I personally really like the Edge, and would recommend that if you're really into tech/safety. You can get the Edge (even a year or two old) with the MyFord Touch/SYNC system. They had some issues and some are still being updated (via software at the dealer) but it is still one of the most impressive entertainment/safety systems I have seen. And their quality has made leaps and bounds since about 2006/2007. I am 95% certain that my next vehicle will be a Ford.
I am a big fan of Subaru's AWD system, and they are really great vehicles, but they also hold their value, so buying one used usually doesn't save you as much as it would with other brands. They are one of the few manufacturers I would recommend buying new if you plan to keep it for a long time.
The Honda Pilot is a good solid choice, but I don't feel they offer the tech of the Ford.
The Toyota Highlander always seems overpriced to me. I know that Toyota has a reputation for quality, but it seems like they try to cash in on that and have raised their prices a bit. And quality seems to be rising in many other brands that weren't always known for it.
If you're going to look at Korean SUVs, look at the Hyundai Santa Fe instead of the Sorento. Kia's quality still isn't on par with other manufacturers. The panel gaps in their interiors make me cringe. If they can't put together a dash, I don't even want to check out the important parts like the engine, transmission and brakes.If you plan to replace it in 5 years, it would probably get you through, but I wouldn't count on keeping it longer than that.
You can always PM me if you have any questions about any specific vehicles!
FF
Just to keep in mind- Outbacks are having problems with the catalytic converters going back, and dealers are finding ways to not cover them. I have a Subaru and love it. Its an older legacy and works great for the dogs. Personally I love the Edge- its super fun to drive and i haven't seen a lot yet- also the pilot is amazing. Hyundai has an AMAZING warranty program and has come far in their quality of vehicles. I have a few customers who have newer ones and love them.
A good friend of mine bought a Hyundai a few years ago and chose it because of the warranty program. When she was needing some work on the vehicle, they wouldn't cover it because she had an oil change done someplace other than at the dealership. She said she wished she would have read the fine print better because she probably wouldn't have gotten that car.
We have a Honda CRV and a 72lb dog and it has worked well for us....lots of room for pets and gear, gets good gas mileage, and is good in the snow. If we traveled extensively, we would have looked into the Pilot for extra room. We also looked at the Outback because of the AWD. It's a great car, but the CRV was slightly bigger than the Outback for cargo room. And we were able to get a better price on the CRV.
We've had our '09 Pilot for a while now... know the newer model is redesigned a bit, but figured I'd chime in to say that we're really happy with our choice. Knock on wood, other than routine service, no problems or complaints.
The last row (3rd row) seating is a bit squeezed for adults, but we have filled it up with 8pax and lived to tell
. More typically, it's just H and I road tripping w/ our 40lb dog. We use the back for luggage and have the dog in the second row... she loves it 
. We've done many, many long haul road trips (usually a week in the winter and 2wks in the summer).
I thought it was just the older Outbacks - 2000-2002 or so? I'm pretty positive it's been fixed in the newer models.
But yes, the Hyundai warranty is wonderful, but you should always read the agreements for any warranty or other paperwork.
We test drove every regular/largeish SUV and minivan when we were looking last summer. There are a lot of good options, but it really depends on how you feel in them. DH is 6'7'' so some of them really just did not fit him well. The Mazda CX9 was pretty laughable as he couldn't fit under the steering column with his long legs. We didn't like the visibility in the Pilot as much as others, but it has very nice cargo room.
The vehicles with the largest cargo floor space and different seating options are the Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave that are on the same platform. We weren't quite as impressed when we drove some of them, but the space was awesome.
I did really like the Hyundai Veracruz, which surprised me. Unfortunately DH didn't fit in it that well. It was a possibility but considering I want him to be able to drive some on long trips it wouldn't have been comfortable.
But in the end, we both had the same favorite when it came to comfortable, space, and driving feel. Like the first poster, we loved the Toyota Highlander, especially how smooth it was, easy to drive, and had the best visibility for both of us. I've been driving it for a few months now and I love it even more, it makes my long commutes much more bearable and I would make the same choice in purchasing it again. In the future, when I need more dog cargo space (because let's be honest, I bought it for Keefe), we liked the Toyota Sienna the best. Best feature for my fluffy dog - tri zone climate control. It was a must for our SUV purchase. He rides in the car several times a week and is very comfortable now.
Hey I own a 2001 Subaru Outback & after 10yrs I STILL love this car! (Take good care of them & they seem to last forever!) I bought it because my "puppies" had morphed into a 94lb Lab x & 75lb Aussie and frankly they just couldn't fit comfortably in an Acura Integra anymore! I haven't had any problems with the catalylitc converter and plan on keeping this thing until it falls apart. Its been all over the US (with the older pups) and I'm looking forward to roadtrips with the "new" young pups.
Now I will admit that Hubby wants me to get a new Jeep, but I thinks thats because its like a clown car for him & his long legs...