We are looking to buy something for our family and seem to change our minds every day . 20 - 35 k , family of 4 , 2 toddlers , camping with tent twice a year , 600 km road trip 3 times a year otherwise 5k a year around town , bikes on towbar , safety a big thing , something a bit bigger than a medium sized suv, 1 parent 6'6" the other 5'2 .
toyota highlander?
any comments welcome , TIA
edangus,
Aug 20, 8:00pm
Dodge Journey, Jeep Cherokee.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 20, 8:09pm
Buy something European, they are designed for taller people. Likewise as safety is a concern.
Around the 20K mark I would look at a VW Tiguan 2011 or newer (that bit is important). Also do try the Skoda Yeti for size, it's small on the outside but surprisingly huge inside and fantastic to drive in the city. The funny external looks make for the space savings so it depends if you can look past that. It will also beat the others hands down for running and service costs for predominantly town use.
I would also consider looking at a brand new Seat. These start about 38K and are exceptional value for money. They are part of the VW group so all the same fantastic running gear as in the Tiguan/Yet/Audi.
I would stay right away from the Highlander for your use. Exceptionally expensive to run and quite a compromise in the other attributes you are looking for.
If those are too small, come back and we can look at larger models. Also, it's not an SUV but if you want big and extra seats for kids a Mercedes R320 is a hang of a nice car and very good from a maintenance/repair/reliability- standpoint.
bergkamp,
Aug 20, 8:39pm
thanks will have a look at these , is it true that european cars are more expensive to service ?
monaro17,
Aug 20, 8:51pm
Oh you have inadvertently just opened a massive can of worms with that question- the short answer is no so long as you don't take it to someone who will blindly charge high prices for being a 'European' car. Parts are readily available on the likes of Ebay and are often surprisingly cheap.
^oh and to the user that recommended the Dodge Journey or Jeep Cherokee I hope for your own sake that is a p1ss take as they are not good, especially the Dodge Journey which is an appaling vehicle.
edangus,
Aug 20, 9:05pm
The Journey was 100% tongue in cheek. But still rather that than a Captiva or a Escape/Kuga. Edit to add - I am currently enjoying a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and a Renegade Limited. Pretty happy so far.
monaro17,
Aug 20, 9:13pm
Quite a difference between a Cherokee and a Grand Cherokee. The Grand makes all the difference.
And quite the contrary IMO the Escape/Kuga is a decent vehicle, the Captiva is a pile of poo and the Journey has proven the world over to be an unreliable, horrid vehicle.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 20, 9:18pm
No. as a blanket statement that is completely untrue. Some European cars are a bit more expensive to service but more importantly some are also very expensive to repair. However same goes for some Japanese vehicles.
VW Group vehicles are especially good in this department. One reason is the Platform (which is the engine/transmission/electrics/- suspension) is the same as used in the most popular car in the world as well as several of the top 10 most popular cars in the world.
So parts prices are VERY competitive and when it comes to something you need that isn't a regular service part. (say you break a switch ro some such) you can usually pick them up for pennies. For example, I tend to replace al the light switches, window switches etc in mine when they get a bit scratched/worn. purley because $100 buys me a whole set and the good german design means they can be changed in a few minutes. By comparison I needed a central locking component for a Highlander once and it was hundreds of dollars. Toyota then sent me a "repair kit" which was simply a $2 model shop motor for $80. I then had to cut the part up with a dremel and try to glue it all back together because it was not designed to be serviced.
So yes, VW group cars. very good. BUT, like all cars, come back for advice before you buy the individual vehicle. There are little things you want to be in the know of to pick a good one.
What you will find with the likes of the VW's I mentioned is the Fuel bill will be about half what you would pay to run a Highlander. That saving may well pay all your servicing and repairs depending on the milage you do!
Also. I meant to mention. Those SUV's I have suggested are smaller, however I am working on the assumption that you were going larger for increased head space. For 4 people with lots of city use and the occasional camping trip they should be fine, but more importantly, they are MUCH nicer to drive around the city than the likes of a Highlander and you have a BIG fuel and repair cost saving. So don't judge them from the curb, pile in and see how it feels. If it's too small then I can suggest some bigger ones. Likewise ignore the engine size. A 1.4 Yeti for example is plenty quick and a 2.0 Tiguan is every bit as fast as a 3.5 Highlander. It's about engine and transmission efficiency which VW have in spades.
By the way. do a search of tsjcf's other posts before taking any notice.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 20, 9:31pm
This might be of interest. It's tall people discussing Yeti's for headroom and comfort. Scroll down and you will see some mentions of people around 6"7.
You might also want to do some googleing on Yeti luggage space as they are renowned for how much room they have.
Remember the Yeti is the Cheap and Cheerful well featured and practical version. The Tiguan is the more luxurious and faster car and then the Audi versions are above that. However the Seat is the 4th VW group vehicle and it is offering cheaper versions and also a larger version which ar surprisingly well featured and may mean new is an option for you.
So to be clear Seat/VW/Skoda/Audi. all the same company offering much the same vehicle wearing different party dress's. So then invest an absurd amount of money on those mechanicals and then get a return by offering different types of body shells which works really well for customer and manufacturere. VW spend quarter of a trillion NZD (which is just unheard of) in the late 90's developing the range for the 2000's for example. As a result they were a good 10 years ahead of the game when those models came out.
tsjcf,
Aug 20, 9:39pm
So all suffer from the same issues that jazz likes to overlook.
db.price,
Aug 20, 10:31pm
As someone who has taken LOTS of SUVs for a drive in the last year I can tell you that the Tiguan, Kodiaq or the Alteca (VW, Skoda and SEAT) are no bigger inside than any other mid sized SUV/CUV and in some cases head room is tighter thanks to the panoramic sunroof that these cars have in some cases.
Rear seat space was best on the Honda CRV but headroom was better on the CX5 but slightly tighter in leg room.
I would go for a CX5 from a personal preference. Great interior, good space, good safety and features and look absolutely stunning - especially compared to the boxy VW platforms.
rob_man,
Aug 27, 1:36pm
Mercedes G Wagon?
3tomany,
Aug 27, 2:48pm
A brand new escape could be bought inside your budget, i do like that skoda though.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 27, 3:13pm
That would be an excellent choice! Those are a cracker motor, it has the best transmission for efficiency and reliability. They are also just a wonderful car all round. NZ New with low km too. Couldn't recommend this enough. Just be aware though that if not already done it will be due a timing belt service due to age not km (due about every 5 years) I would negotiate for this to be done as part of the deal if me, but make sure it's done properly.
I am 190cm and drive a Highlander often as a rental car. They have terrible interior space, no joke a Corolla is just as comfortable just with a lower view out the window. Unless you are genuinely going off road look at a people mover. They are not the coolest but they are designed to get a small group of people around comfortably.
nightsky1,
Aug 27, 10:16pm
suzuki swift with a sun roof
remember to wear some sun glasses
tamarillo,
Aug 28, 4:53pm
Have a look at volvos, xc60 or if still to small xc90 the ultimate family friendly SUV. Lots of engine choices and Volvo famous for safety and seat comfort. 6'5 mate uses xc90 and swears he hasn't found anything else that doesn't feel squashed.
compaq5,
Aug 30, 4:20pm
Toyota Vanguard 2.4 , year 2012 heaps of head and leg room, good on fuel.
electromic,
Aug 30, 5:11pm
+1 I know a guy wo is 6'8" and he went from a falcon to an XC 90, great vehicle.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 31, 11:16am
XC90 is great but 5 speed auto ones are totally ruined by the stupid Toyota transmission. It's at it's worst in the xc90 due to weight/power. However, I think they changed to a slightly less awful Toyota transmission at some point, would be worth checking wiki etc.
bergkamp,
Aug 31, 7:21pm
Ok well we have gone 360 , and looking at new nissan qashqai 29k , more for my partner . also couldn't see the sense in buying used with 40km for 20 to 30000 for something when this is brand new
bergkamp,
Sep 2, 12:15pm
OK 180 degrees and going to look at a skoda octavia , 1000km demo car , 2017 35k
Wit the seat right back on the qashqai there is enough room for me but the rear seat becomes too small . 3 to 4 inche's less than our small tiida. this will see my son in booster seat kicking me in the back even more ! will be interesting to compare with skoda
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.