Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

So ... we got ourselves a newer pickup a few months back, but we really need to replace our little Chevy HHR with something that we can actually drive when the roads are other than clear and dry. Mostly my wife would be driving it to town for shopping and church.

I was thinking about something like a Toyota 4Runner but those things are priced like they are gold plated or something :rolleyes:

Is the Chevy Equinox any good? 4 or V6 ? I'm looking online at one of each, 2016.

I am concerned about any AWD with rear CV axles holding up on our road when it gets muddy, which is most of the year except when frozen, snow covered, or a couple months in the summer.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

We have always had a Toyota 4 runner, wifes daily,never brand new, expensive like you said. Her current 2003 has 260,000 miles and never had anything but oil and brake jobs and still runs strong, heck it even has the original starter. I even took my daughter's 96 camry when she upgraded, car gets 30mpg and has ice cold AC, thats my beer and grocery/parts getter. Toyota is my foreign go to vehicle

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Dealer has a 2011 4R, 143K miles, for $21K. Hard to swallow when our 2006 only has 122K miles. And they probably will only give us a grand for it :(

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

I hear ya, dealer told use to privately sell ours and bring in the cash, hahaha. Your 06 should have quite a bit of life left, but they are known for frame rot if not taking care, mine is looking pretty crappie. Which is why i would love a new one and put it right on my lift and undercoat the snot out of it.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

I found my girlfriend an '01 4Runner back in Oct '10 for $10-11k and she is still driving it

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

The car is a unibody. It sits in the yard most of the fall/winter/spring, and we don't have the road salting out west. It is so low that it is hard to clean out underneath if it do get it in the mud. One year we ruined a front tire from the frozen mud sticking in the fender wells. The traction control can't be turned off and it will just stop in the middle of the road if the front wheels start to spin. It would be a great little car if one lived on paved roads where it doesn't snow.

The same thing is the trouble with selling it: I don't suppose most people want to drive 60 miles out of town to look at a car and frankly I don't want people coming around our place.


Here is what I've been looking at:

https://www.lithiatoyotabillings.com...b23fda6d81.htm

vs.

https://www.dennymenholt.com/Vehicle...-MT/4633980133

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Toyota,s are good lasting vehicles .That,s why they are a little pricey. Look at the Taliban, they all drive Toyota's LOL

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Nissan Xterra. Last generation was 2005-2015. Truck frame, cheaper than Toyota. Strong V6.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

2003 4Runner, original owner, 250k miles, v8 engine. Zero leaks, all original parts other than maintenance items and a gas cap that had a rotted rubber seal. I would buy another one in a New York second.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

My brother in law has been driving an Equinox to work for the last few years. He's a firefighter and does a 70 mile commute every 3rd day. Anyhow, as far as I know, his only complaint is he wishes he had got a V6 instead of a 4 cyl. The car is now at college with my niece.

Right now small SUV's don't fit my lifestyle, but when I was at the auto show a couple years ago, The ones that impressed me had foreign names on them. KIA, Hyuandai, Nissan, and Subaru, all seemed to have their act together. The Chevy Traverse was a nice vehicle too, but may be bigger than you're looking for. The Jeep Cherokee (small version) and the Jeep compass maybe another option for you.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Jeep: I just don't quite trust the quality or else I might consider a Wrangler.

Subaru: I turned down an absolutely free brand new one! I don't like the CVT and the steering spindles on the rear. Plus they screwed thousands of buyers with the head gasket issues, but then the cult members just keep going back and buying another one :rolleyes:

We looked at a used Traverse about five years ago. The interior was nice but at least that model was so rounded that you couldn't see the front end from behind the wheel. It was just about the size of a Tahoe with a much smaller interior. The newer ones do look more square.

Some years before that we did look at an Equinox but at that time the rear seat didn't lay down flat which made the interior less useful for us than the little HHR that we ended up getting. The HHR has actually been a darn reliable little car but it just doesn't handle the roads where we live which have gotten steadily worse over the last dozen years as the county industriously scrapes the gravel off into the ditches. It does have some "cheap plastic crap" issues but mechanically I can't really complain.

I do really want something with a solid rear axle instead of IRS with CV axles, but it's hard to find something small and economical with a solid rear axle. We don't need another Big SUV because earlier this year we traded in our old Suburban for the 2016 K2500HD.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Agree run from any midsize Jeep you see. They will rust out from the underside and fast. We have neighbors that bought new Compasses and Cherokees about 5 -7 years ago and they are all rust piles and falling apart.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

My 04 Trailblazer has been about the best SUV / car I've ever owned. Unfortunately, GM quit building them in 09. You may be able to find a low mile one somewhere, if you're wanting a solid axle SUV. There is the GMC, Saab, Buick, and Isuzu versions out there too.

I test drove a 1st generation Nissan Xterra many years ago. It was a decent SUV, my only complaint was it seemed to lack power. I believe the lack of power was solved in the 05-15 models.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

We bought a 20015 Honda CRV new. Not sure if its considered a midsize? It is our first Honda. My honey commutes every day around 50 miles or so round trip. We use her car for any traveling and things we do together. Not a lick of trouble. I think she is closing in on 100K, id look but Im too lazy.

I put over 900K total on my last three Toyota vehicles, cant go wrong with a Toyota in my mind. Course out here we dont have the crazy rust issues Im reading about in this thread.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Hmmm, I just always had the impression that they were a piece of junk.

I would really like to get something under 100K miles. The car we want to replace has 122K. Just can't quite swallow paying close to 20K difference for something with more miles than that.

The old Jeep only has 80-something and I thought it would be a primary vehicle but it has all these weird noises so I don't totally trust it, plus all the convenience stuff that needs fixing. We mostly use it around the place like a side-by-side but if it conks out in the winter we are down to the 2016 pickup. My old firewood pickup runs good but it could have any sort of problem almost any time. I'm not interested in spending too much money fixing it up.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

I've owned four Jeep Wranglers over the last ten years. I have never bought one with less than 100,000 miles. I don't plan to be without one. We still have two.

Radiator with automatic trans caused us a problem. I recommend disconnecting the trans cooler from the radiator and adding a remote trans cooler.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

I have over 220,000 on the odometer. We've put all but about 15,000 of the miles on ourselves.. The drivetrain has had no signs of giving in. I've had the usual GM electronics problems, I've replaced the gauge cluster, had tailgate latch go out, and the radio acts up. I quit driving it due to the fact my front suspension needs basically everything. Since it was an extra vehicle and I drive a company vehicle now, there is no need to fix it. It is sitting in the yard with a dead battery right now. My plans are to donate the drivetrain to the 54.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

I like our Subaru. It's our second one. Some idiot smashed into the first one and totaled it or I'm sure it would still be kicking.
Pretty bulletproof little cars with a decent amount of room. Boring looks but the AWD goes through snow and mud just fine with stock wheels.

I guess that makes me part of the "Subaru Cult". I just hope that I don't have to wear some weird robe or anything strange like that. You know how those cult's can be. And I don't know the rules. :confused:

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

I am another that like the CRV. Only thing if you are doing serious off-road, the CVT is not optimal, same with the Subaru's with CVT. If you want bigger, the Honda Pilot, 4-runner, or the older style Nissan Pathfinders are all good. The CRV has lots of room , even leg room in the rear seat. That is why we got it. Wife didn't want a "Bus" to drive, but it had to fit my leggy son and his size 13s for long road trips.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Toyota makes AWD versions of the Highlander and Rav4 as well. For size, those are more similar to the HHR than a 4Runner. Wife has a 2014 Highlander with 170,000 miles on it. I upgraded the front brakes/rotors to something more performance but other than that it's been routine maintenance only. Been her favorite auto.

I drove a 2005 Rav4 for work a few years. Picked it up in 2013 and it only had 26,000 miles on it. Put 50,000 trouble free miles in it in the next two years and sold it to downsize my fleet.

They are expensive, but here is my current ride I've had since January. Thus far I really, really like it. This is an SR5 premium with the blacked out emblems and TRD wheels. I didn't spring for the TRD but I have been in one spot thus far I wish I had the differential locker. This is my "work" vehicle but it goes off road to my hiking/fishing spots on a regular basis.

I had a '97 4Runner that was murdered by a log truck in 2005 with 157,000 miles on it. All I had done besides routine maintenance was replace the automatic radio antenna. Buddy of mine has a 2012 with over 250,000 miles on it.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Well, I have sure been tempted by a Sport Unlimited. I would be fine with a manual but this will be primarily for my wife so it has to be automatic. Unfortunately that is nearly a $3K options :uhmk: Otherwise, my research is that I could get a brand new one with warranty for about $31K. That's assuming the dealer would actually let me order a base model :rolleyes:

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

Yeah, people seem to like them. My mom had a 2004 Forester and did all the expensive recommended maintenance at the dealer, and the head gasket went out at about 70K miles. The repairs cost about as much as it was worth by then so she went out and bought another new one :rolleyes:

We have a neighbor lady here locally that had the same or similar problem. Her Forester would just suddenly be out of oil with no external leaks. Same deal: she traded it in for a newer one! It's like Stockholm Syndrome or something :(

I changed a tire on the back for her once and I was absolutely appalled at the rear suspension. What is the reasoning for putting a steering spindle back there with a "dead rod" to the frame to keep it in line ?????

We got a used one for our daughters to drive to high school. Yeah, it got through the mud at the cost of ruining the rear axles. Or maybe they were bad from the dealer but anyway the drive train warranty wouldn't cover it because the boots were compromised. Well, that's the problem with them, but of course that's the same deal with any AWD.

The deal killer for me is the CVT. After my mom's stroke, we sold her 2016 to one of her neighbors.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

So you got that new?

I just can't quite justify $45K or so just for her to run to church and the grocery store. Trouble is that the used ones with less than 100K miles are still in the mid-thirties.

We won't be doing in off road stuff in it except our mud bog county road, and our driveway. The pickup and topper will be our travel and exploration vehicle.

The bummer is that any decent 4x4 these days has been turned into a luxury vehicle :(


Edit: just to be clear, her church run is about a 60 mile round trip, and a shopping trip is about 120 mile round trip not counting all the driving around in town.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

+2 on the 2005+ Xterras and 2006-2012 Pathfinders. V6 with leaf spring rear.

Re: Midsize 4wd/awd SUV grocery getter ?
 

My brother bought a base model, just for that reason. It's simple, it's new and has a warranty. The dealer had new Rubicon (larger tires) wheels and tires, and he made that part of the deal, for more ground clearance.