Mid size SUV recommendations.

stoo

stoo

Likes Dirt
Kingshill said:
Make sure you run the numbers on the novated lease option. Changes to fbt may mean this option is not the best. Plus second hand car leases are often more expensive.
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Ha! I asked Moorey about his accountant's advice and FBT this arvo, what would you know about counting the bean anyhoo old bean?
 
scblack

scblack

Leucocholic
Moorey I'll run the numbers for novated lease of a used vehicle. Leasing a used vehicle can make good sense. Fuck I hate it when people butt into threads who have heard from a mate who read a story from a fish wrapper - and all of a sudden they're an expert - when they have no clue.

I'm looking at nearly the same as you - $20k budget, can lease, can novate, must tow, I don't need diesel. I'm putting the foot down on the 7 seat idiocy though, wifey has mentioned that would be good, but for us being a family of four the tag-alongs can do their own car.


Anyway, must go, I'm about to drive from Vegas to LA. Just have to decide on my route.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
scblack said:
Moorey I'll run the numbers for novated lease of a used vehicle. Leasing a used vehicle can make good sense. Fuck I hate it when people butt into threads who have heard from a mate who read a story from a fish wrapper - and all of a sudden they're an expert - when they have no clue.

I'm looking at nearly the same as you - $20k budget, can lease, can novate, must tow, I don't need diesel. I'm putting the foot down on the 7 seat idiocy though, wifey has mentioned that would be good, but for us being a family of four the tag-alongs can do their own car.


Anyway, must go, I'm about to drive from Vegas to LA. Just have to decide on my route.
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Thanks mate.
I've just quizzed the wife about the leasing more...I thought her work were arranging and organizing this internally...for the benefit of staff...she now tells me it's an external leasing company running these workshops and setting them up. It may still be a good option, but it sorta raised a red flag when I heard that.
Love to hear your findings mate. Cheers.
 
wespelarno

wespelarno

Likes Dirt
scblack said:
Moorey I'll run the numbers for novated lease of a used vehicle. Leasing a used vehicle can make good sense. Fuck I hate it when people butt into threads who have heard from a mate who read a story from a fish wrapper - and all of a sudden they're an expert - when they have no clue.

I'm looking at nearly the same as you - $20k budget, can lease, can novate, must tow, I don't need diesel. I'm putting the foot down on the 7 seat idiocy though, wifey has mentioned that would be good, but for us being a family of four the tag-alongs can do their own car.


Anyway, must go, I'm about to drive from Vegas to LA. Just have to decide on my route.
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Go via Tucson Arizona and stop in at Taqueria Juanitos. I would do some seriously unsavory things for another one of their burritos-I used to eat lunch there almost everyday.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Bryce88 said:
Not sure if it's been mentioned but some Mitsubishi Challengers have 7 seats as standard.
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She doesn't like them...for no good reason. That's that.

I might have back on the 5 seater train. I opens up a lot more possibilities in diesel, post 2010, under 100,000km, around $20k.... Including some very tidy foresters, xtrails and Mazda cx7... I just have to make her think they are her idea and I'll be cooking with gas... :behindsofa:

Think I've also got her off the novated lease train. With my erratic income, that's just a recipe for disaster.
 
Bryce88

Bryce88

Likes Dirt
moorey said:
She doesn't like them...for no good reason. That's that.

I might have back on the 5 seater train. I opens up a lot more possibilities in diesel, post 2010, under 100,000km, around $20k.... Including some very tidy foresters, xtrails and Mazda cx7... I just have to make her think they are her idea and I'll be cooking with gas... :behindsofa:

Think I've also got her off the novated lease train. With my erratic income, that's just a recipe for disaster.
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Good luck with the reasoning...

Foresters, Xtrails and CX7's are all nice. I've got a 2012 Xtrail (petrol) and love it - soon to be the wifes car though.
 
redbruce

redbruce

Eats Squid
pistonbroke said:
Captiva is junk and rough and very noisy to drive. I wouldn't be buying one that's out of warranty.
Territory is much nicer to drive and much more reliable.
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Piston speaks the truth.

We have had many Captiva's at work over the years and (generalisation - so all caveats that go with that):

- Spend a lot of time in warranty repairs (all ours are diesels), usually engine/drivetrain
- Not the most refined of the class and boring to drive (but then arent they all)
- Like much of our experience with Fords, tend to "age" fairly quickly (seats, door closing, general trim appearance), looking older than the nominal mileage/age of car
- pretty gutless (auto, we don't get manuals anymore)

Work Territorys have been a much better vehicle (albeit we have far fewer than Captiva's and until recently only petrol so dont know about the diesels) all 'round (SY II, 2009+, earlier ones weren't much better than Captiva really).

Friends with Toyota Kluger and Maxda CX9 have had great runs with them (but they are $$$).

I have been impressed with sons GF Kia Sorrento Platinum. Better than I expected and only let down by the odd cheap detail finish. Head room can be a bit tight if you are over 6'1.

Knuckles said:
Not personal experience, but inlaws went through 3 warranty engines before giving up and selling, and have heard horror stories about the auto boxes.

We ended up with the disco instead.
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I think you lost us with that last sentence:)
 
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Big AC

Big AC

Likes Dirt
Another member of the Captiva is hatefully shite brigade. Had the misfortune of driving a rented one on holiday, belted it extra hard because I hated it so much.

Cx-7, x-trail (the new one is better if you can stretch to it), and forester would all be on my list for about 20k.
 
flamin'trek

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Or captiva developed lots of nightly electrical things, we got rid of it. The 7 seats on it were really useful once we started carting extra kids around esp now the good old days of four in the back with shared seatbelts are gone. The back seats aren't big, but I sat in a few times (180cm) for short trips it's ok, and you do lose a lot of luggage space when using the third row, but we wouldn't be without 7 seater any more.

One of the smaller 7 seaters should suffice if it's only used rarely, occasionally chucking an extra kid in the back for a short trip is fine, just not for long trips as there won't be any luggage space.

Now we've got a Pathfinder, it's not an SUV, but it suits us nicely and should have better reliability than the captiva.
 
M

markgab

Likes Dirt
Volvo XC 90 D5 2.4
7 seater
diesel
and very safe :) 'mini tank'

Don't think you'll find a 10's for under 20k, 07's are about your price range.
 
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moorey

moorey

call me Mia
markgab said:
Volvo XC 90 D5 2.4
7 seater
diesel
and very safe :) 'mini tank'

Don't think you'll find a 10's for under 20k, 07's are about your price range.
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Cheers. Definitely not going for anything older than 2010 in anything. Wife is reasonably convinced that the x trail is the go. She wants auto of course, and googling said that the CVT auto they all run isn't fantastic to drive, so I'm getting her into one this week to have a feel.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Oh, and had her right on the hook for a forester, but I didn't know they don't do auto diesels :rant:
 
Beej1

Beej1

Senior Member
moorey said:
Oh, and had her right on the hook for a forester, but I didn't know they don't do auto diesels :rant:
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Subaru's only downside as a brand at the moment. A nice, DSG auto diesel would make that XV thing an awesome car. The CVT they currently use (on petrol engines) is a piece of crap.
 
redbruce

redbruce

Eats Squid
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