Suv???

I have a 2006 XC90 (Volvo) and love it. I got it in December 2005 and it's still brand new, drives well and at the time was the best in the market. I don't if it still ranks first, but it is awesome.

Hello Kristy, I have a Mazda Protege 5. They don't make this model anymore, but the Mazda 3 is comparable. I love the car. It is small enough to be driven it as a sports car (zoom zoom), but enough space to accommodate the growing family. It has a hatchback with room for stroller, groceries and 88 pound dog. When my parents were here we even managed to squeeze two adults next to the car seat in the back.
So technically it fit 4 adults and a two year old and the dog.
Hope you will find the car you love.

K. E.
www.lunababyproducts.com

Hi Kristy

I have a jeep grand cherokee and I love it. It was actually my husbands and I had a volkswagon passat but we switched cars because it would be easier for me to have an SUV being with our baby all day. I didn't think I would like driving an SUV because I was so used to my passat but I love the jeep. We have had it a few years now and we have not had any problems with it. Now I wouldn't even consider driving a car again. You also mentioned about driving in the rain, I think it is extremely safe in the rain.

Good Luck!
C.

If you are interested in Dodges, Chryslers or Jeeps my husband works at Arrigo - let me know - I will tell him you are a part of mamasource so he has to cut you a great deal.
They also have all types of used vehicles.
If you are interested, let me know and I'll give you his name and cell.

Hi Kristy,
Have you looked at the GMC Acadia? It is GMC's newest crossover vehicle. You can check it out at Dixie Buick in Ft. Myers. Ask for Denny. It will seat 7, DVD, Bose surround system, OnStar, and OnStar turn by turn directional, the seats are very comfortable and fold down flat for transporting large objects.

J.

I know you did not list a GMC SUV, but I drive an Envoy and I love it.. my husband and I look into different SUVs before deciding on this one. the Durango is sorta big and we didn't like the turning radius.. i love my ENVOY and so does my babyboy, he has plenty of room... let us know how everything goes

I Love the Lexus R350. It is rated one of the top SUVs. I have heard not so good things about the dodge and jeep. Good luck!

Hello Kristy ,

I drive a 2005 Toyota Sequia , I got it a 1 1/2 year ago. It is very roomy . I absolutely love my Truck rides awsome very smooth ,( no problems when it rains) but it is not fuel efficent . It does approx 15/20 , depending on your drving style .I had a mini-van before and i'm not a mini-van gal either . We were considering the Acura MDX before the Sequia , but we were told it only took premium fuel . We are considering leasing the Lxius RX 400 , it is a smaller SUV though ,( the only thing that is holding me back is that it takes Premiun) We love the Lexius 470 , but it does not do good in fuel . We always check the Comsumer Report before we make purchases of big items .

Good Luck

Let me know what you end up getting !!!

~ A.

Ive heard that the jeeps take corners bad (from some friends that were valets! Guess they were having fun with other peoples cars!) and I know from experience that durangos take bumps uncomfortably (I own one and wish I could trade it - its too stiff for me, I love the tahoe personally but hubby liked the durango soooooo.....) I dont know about the Sequoia but I know my boss just bought one and I think he likes it. and i dont know about the volvo, I have heard they are the safest vehicles on the road tho :o) Good luck!!

I have an '07 Jeep Grand Cherokee and I love it. It has no blind spots, is easy to handle, is okay on gas and its not toooo big, but its not small either. I test drove the Dodge Durango the Jeep Commander and the Toyota and I really liked the way the Jeep handled overall - I did get the Limited edition with 4X4. It has the child care clips for the baby seat to be positioned anywhere in the back seat (middle or side). The only thing I have complained about so far is there is no plug for a MP3 player - I didnt think to check b/f we got it.

I would check up on the Volvo xc90 and Toyota Sequia. My mother has the Rav 4, it's a great car as well. My husband is a used dealer. I think you would get more milage for your buck with these choices. Everyone in my family has had the Jeep cherokee, they didn't last for much more than 4 yrs without major repairs. I think I would lean closer to the volvo for safety purposes. Good luck! Jen

I did the Chrysler and Toyota Vans, then the Ford Explorer. I love the cargo space for my art work and child transporting. Now I have a Honda Pilot, which is the nicest ride...but all of the above are very thirsty for gas....If I did the search for a car based on fuel efficiency, perhaps I would be in another vehicle.
Blessings

Hey, I have a 07 Saturn Vue, I dont know if its your style, but I love it. And they were having good incentives at the time so I got many upgrades like dvd and trim for free. Its a smooth ride, plus great awards and plenty of airbags.

Hey I hope you are haveing good luck finding something you like! It can be tuff with all the options out there. I posed your question to my husband whos a tech at toyota and he gave me some info on a few of the models they offer..the sienna (the only van they offer) is a good all around family hauler not to bad in the milage department and lots of options. the Hilander comes in 4 and 6 cylinder models (and if im not mistaken you can get a hybrid one as well) they are nice (I want one..but refuse to give up my chevy) he also said the sequoia only comes in an 8 cylinder so its gonna be a gas pig....this by no means is an add for toyota..cause im a chevy girl all the way got an ancient astro thats still rollin and it will be a sad day when it dies but i thought i would pass on some info. since hes the guy who sees what happends and how often they come in i asked him. good luck finding the right car for you and your family!

I do not have advice on any of the mentioned. However, I considered the Acura, Volvo, and all similar, and bought the Mazda CX-9 and I am absolutely in love with it!!! I got it with everything completely loaded for what you would pay for the others and for an SUV you feel like you have sports car. It has a lot of room, three rows of seats (that fold flat), electronics galore.

i am also SUV shopping. although i normally stick to imports (especially Honda and Toyota) because of the higher resale value and longer durability, I have fallen in love with the Mazda Tribute. In fact, I am headed to Fort Lauderdale tonight (a 2 hr drive) to hopefully buy one. I would say it's worth checking out. It was much more impressive (to me) than the Honda CRV, any Toyota SUV's (I tested them all), Durango, Pathfinder, or Jeep Cherokee. I know it wasn't on your list, but I thought I would offer another suggestion.

Happy Shopping! :)

Dear Kristy G,

I don't have any knowledge of the SUV's you mentioned. I have the Lexus SUV......The LX470......Over priced and way to big. The Jeep Cherokee I would never buy. Not heavy enough for me. Make sure whatever SUV you buy it's a heavy 1. Good Reports of Safety, mileage and comfort. Make sure maintenance is reasonable.

Best of luck.

G. H.

Hi kristy,

i also have the mdx that i love. But i have twin boys and one onthe way.so im looking into somthing else in the near future. My father just got a gmc yukon and an option is second row bucket seats. Which is great because it gives you easier access to that third row. It also feels alot roomier. Just an idea... Find out if the suv's your looking into have that option. Good luck!!!

While I have not driven any of them, my sister-in-law had a Dodge Durango. She hadd nothing but problems with it. The a/c came and went at will, the transmission went out on a trip to North Carolina, and something about the drive shaft. As soon as she fixed something, something else went wrong. However, if you are considering buying new, maybe they have worked out the bugs by now. Also a friend at work has a Grand Cherokee and absolutely LOVES it. Says she will never drive anything else. Drives like a dream and is spacious without feeling like a boat, plus I believe right now Jeep dealers are offering Lifetime Warranty on all new vehicles. Hope this helps
S.