Between the car or the SUV....

[daves87rs]

Coming up this spring, I finally have to add a car to our aging fleet. (3 10+ year old GM compacts will do that) At some point, we will need both. The tough question is which one to I add new?

Currently, both of our cars are getting updates needed to keep them going for quite a while. They will carry the DD duties and get the "poop" beat out of them on our fun MI roads. This one will play 3rd car...backup, trip car, date night car, until it replaces one of our cars on the way to scrap yard. Since parts of my family work for GM, it will be one of their products (Next may be a Honda!)

So, choices would be between an Equinox or Chevy Cruze. Since It's mine (wife does no want new-she wants to park it wherever!), I want the Nox, as I miss my old S10, and I have a boy scout who loves to camp!

. But, I also wonder if buying a used SUV might be a better choice (granted, value seems to be holding on them) and pick up Cruze (which I could pay off faster) and pick up a 2-5 year old smaller SUV.


I have plenty of time and am in no rush, but being a car guy (and use dexos oil

) I'm already thinking about what I want....

And since there are only 3 of us, we don't need a huge car either...

 

[Andrew1972]

SUV's are way more useful mainly due to form factor of larger hatch.

They also are more expensive due to demand for SUV's increasing while conventional sedans dropping off.

 

[dishdude]

My vote goes to the SUV too. I think I am done with cars unless it is a sports car. I am tired of the low ride height, falling in and crawling out, and the utility from an SUV is great for bulky cargo. You might want to check out a Terrain too, I had one and really liked it.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
My vote goes to the SUV too. I think I am done with cars unless it is a sports car. I am tired of the low ride height, falling in and crawling out, and the utility from an SUV is great for bulky cargo. You might want to check out a Terrain too, I had one and really liked it.


I do have to agree with low part!

My dad is looking at Terrain, may give those a look as well...

 

[Fsharp]

I'd get the Equinox, it's much bigger inside and great for camping and hauling stuff. That being said, there's no need to get a brand new one since GM hasn't updated it in so long. If you buy a new one now you'll take a hit in resale value when GM finally brings out the next generation.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
My vote goes to the SUV too. I think I am done with cars unless it is a sports car. I am tired of the low ride height, falling in and crawling out, and the utility from an SUV is great for bulky cargo. You might want to check out a Terrain too, I had one and really liked it.


Never really had a problem with low ride height or even noticed having to crawl in or out of a sedan. I just like them as I like to DRIVE the car. Just better handling, braking, cornering, acceleration, gas mileage. If you're not hauling bulky cargo every day, then a car is fine as a daily driver. These days there are many sedans that would have qualified as a sports car a couple decades ago, but now they're just another sub 7 second grocery getters.

 

[EdwardC]

I would vote for the SUV for the next car purchase on the premise that this extra/backup won't get driven much, so mileage doesn't matter and that on occasion, the size will matter, like camping or buying something big. It's very convenient to have something like that in the garage. Even better if you have a daily driver already.

Now, I don't really know the comparison of which to buy new, which to buy used. Why not buy both slightly used? Since you don't necessarily need the cars asap, you can take your time and shop around for a well maintained car at a good price.

 

[69GTX]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: dishdude
My vote goes to the SUV too. I think I am done with cars unless it is a sports car. I am tired of the low ride height, falling in and crawling out, and the utility from an SUV is great for bulky cargo. You might want to check out a Terrain too, I had one and really liked it.


Never really had a problem with low ride height or even noticed having to crawl in or out of a sedan. I just like them as I like to DRIVE the car. Just better handling, braking, cornering, acceleration, gas mileage. If you're not hauling bulky cargo every day, then a car is fine as a daily driver. These days there are many sedans that would have qualified as a sports car a couple decades ago, but now they're just another sub 7 second grocery getters.


I've been satisfied with the huge trunk and rear seat room in any of the full-sized Ford/Merc/Lincoln/Caddy sedans. There's not much I've not been able to fit in the back seat or the trunk. There are times I wish I had a cargo bay, but not very often. And those are usually far more affordable to buy than most SUV's, trucks, or vans.

 

[OneEyeJack]

I have an old fashioned Honda station wagon that has no pretense of being a sports utility vehicle. It has served me well for hauling stuff because of it high square cargo space. I guess the idea of a "station wagon" is old hat but many of these so called SUV's are really nothing but a station wagon. The one big advantage of a sedan is a lockable trunk that keeps stuff out of sight.

 

[brslds]

I vote for used SUV no smaller than medium sized.

 

[3for3]

I vote for the SUV.

After driving my wife's SUV I love the higher seating position, and how it is easier for me to get in and out of with my bad lower back. I look forward to replacing my Mazda3 in a few years with a CX5 or Crosstrek. And, the fuel economy with the Crosstrek is about the same as my compact sedan.

 

[Merkava_4]

This town here is crawling with Chevy Cruises. They're everywhere.

 

[Oro_O]

We have a mid-sized SUV as a 2nd car, Acura SLX (nee Trooper). My mom has an Equinox and I have to say, I could not consider that an SUV. It's just a really short station wagon to be honest. I also find it has a marginal seating position and really horrible interior noise, and I find it annoying to drive anything over 15 miles because of that.

If I had to go GM for a used SUV, I'd get a Tahoe. They are excellent, and a real SUV that will take what you want, where you want. It's not a daily driver and the MPG on it (which is NOT bad for what it is) is not a real drag. 10+ year old Tahoes can be really affordable and plenty reliable if well maintained.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
This town here is crawling with Chevy Cruises. They're everywhere.
They are everywhere here as well.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I vote for the SUV eight days a week. Like dishdude, I'm done with cars, unless it's a purpose-built car like a Corvette or Miata or something like that. Sedans are much too limiting for our lifestyle. I've owned a ton of sedans in my life, and I end up trading them off for something else. It finally dawned on me that it wasn't the particular car I didn't like, it was the car I didn't like.

I traded my last sedan off in 2012 and bought a pre-owned Honda CR-V. I planned to own that for a good long while. An opportunity came up that I couldn't refuse, and I bought my brother's Ridgeline for far under market value. We've owned our MDX since 2010, which is the longest we've owned any vehicle.

 

[bbhero]

What's "limiting" your lifestyle about a sedan?? How many members if your family? Do you go on long road trips rather often? Do you and your family go way off the beaten path routinely to go camping?? Aka where 4 wheel drive and added height is truly needed on unpaved woodland roads. Is there a real need for a larger vehicle that's taller as well??

Im not saying that in your case what that answer is because obviously I have no idea what the answers are. I am just curious as to what the answers could be. All an SUV is at the end of the day .... A mini van or station wagon in its ultimate usage. It just looks better= which I can understand. I am not knocking that decision made by yourself or anyone else. I will say this though... Ultimately it's about appearance... No one likes to be driving a minivan or station wagon. A sedan is a FAR better option for appearances than either of those if ones family is not too big.

 

[OldSparks]

If it has to be a used GM, have you thought about a Pontiac Vibe?

Lots of cargo capacity and you can tow 1500 lbs. Cheap to run, at least mine was...

I like the Equinox, but it's a bit big for my taste.

 

[The_Jeff]

I'll point out that a chevy HHR "SUV" has 25 cu ft of cargo area while a saturn LW200 with the same ecotec motor, and a foot less height, has 40.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
What's "limiting" your lifestyle about a sedan?? How many members if your family? Do you go on long road trips rather often? Do you and your family go way off the beaten path routinely to go camping?? Aka where 4 wheel drive and added height is truly needed on unpaved woodland roads. Is there a real need for a larger vehicle that's taller as well??


In our case, "yes" to many of those questions. We travel a lot, and often use the rear cargo area for things that I'd like to keep out of the rear seat area, but the girls can reach back and have access to. Sedans require you to stow stuff in the trunk, which is not as easily accessible while rolling down the road. We also keep our dog back behind the rear seat in the cargo area (he's an 80 pound Swiss Mountain Dog) of an SUV or van. With a sedan, he'd have to be in the passenger compartment...somewhere...! We also prefer the seating position of SUVs and vans (not necessarily higher off the road, but more upright, and higher off the floor). Sedans often have a lower seating position relative to the car, which is not comfortable to me. I often carry lawn equipment also, and use the back of the SUV or van or truck for that when the trailer is inconvenient. I used to do it in the CR-V, and now use the Ridgeline for that.

I find a lot of utility in anything with a hatch...it doesn't really matter the shape...van, wagon, or SUV. They all offer something to us that the fixed rear window and trunk lid of a sedan don't: enclosed cabin space behind the rear seat.

 

[Silverado12]

FWIW we ordered a new Equinox for my wife in 2011 (2012 model) and she loves it. It's a 2LT in Atlantis Blue with the 2.4. It averages 25 mpg and she isn't particularly easy on it. BTW it always gets better mileage with me driving it LOL. I can average 26 sometimes 27. Basically, it got the same mileage as her 2008 Malibu with the 2.4 engine. I think the Equinox is direct injection which makes it more efficient. Visibility is good and long trip comfort is excellent. The 4 cylinder seems to merge good enough in traffic and we haven't had any problems with it. I've read here on this site where some people are having engine problems with the 2.4, but those must have been sorted out by 2012. I change the oil every 3,000+ miles, give or take. This way I get 3 oil changes in a 10K period so it's easy to keep track of. I highly recommend the Equinox. Sorry for the choppy sentences, but I'm in a hurry.