Need family vechicle :(

[Cave Gimp]

Well I have broken down to needing a "family" vechicle for my wife to use as a DD. We have a SWB Rubi and a Nissian Truck, and neither is really big enough to carry us and any amount of stuff. I'm thinking of getting a mini-van:eek: simple due to the 3 rows of seats and storage room.

What do you have/suggest. Im not going to purchase until the end of this year, but figure its time to start figuring out what I want.

[xjstocker]

cherokee

[Cave Gimp]

cherokee
:D :D :D

I like the thought, but I need something that will get descent gas mileage. I'm not getting rid of the Rubi so I'll still have a jeep to sink my money into. :)

[xjstocker]

my xj is great on gas havent had to fill up for 8 months. havent really driven it either so i guess its a wash:D what do you have in mind? i personally would look at the chrysler brand minis if you are set on that route. im not a fan of the 60 deg v6 gm uses.

[rockwerks]

Id vote for an older XJ also they tend to get much better economy that the rubir, Tj style. mine gets just over 23 avg. and the trail cherokee about 21 mpg

[offroadaz]

4 door JK or the new patriot?

Pretty much any SUV is going to be bad on gas mileage though. How much are you looking to spend?

[danno]

Here you go...

http://www.virtualjeepclub.com/showthread.php?t=21917

[Cave Gimp]

It is already sold. :( I'm not looking for a SUV, my wife wants 3 rows. Minivans have 3 rows with out the huge size that a 3 row SUV has. We like our small Rubi, couldn't get a land barge to drive now. :)

[AZJeeps TJ&XJ]

I was looking for a friend a was finding it is cheaper to go with a SUV based model then the mini-van based ones. So for them I was suggesting getting a Mazda, Kia, Hyundai, or something similar. I know their not Jeeps, but :o

[Jdemonto@Airpark Jeep Sales]

PM sent:)

Jason

[06YlwRubi]

Have you looked into the Jeep Commander? They have three rows and you can get either the V-8 or a V-6. They aren't even that bad on the milage. I knew someone that got one with the V-6 and loved the room and the milage!

[FrenchChili]

The older version of the Town&Country Chrysler minivan, you know, the AWD one :D:D:D

[Jdemonto@Airpark Jeep Sales]

The commander is a great vehicle..Unfortunitly not a great family vehicle if you have to carry adults in the back! Stick to the van..you can't lose!

Jason

[Special K]

A friend of mine has the Kia Sedona and it is a surprisingly nice van. I was never a big fan of Kia, but you get a lot for your money. It has best in class HP, a 10 year warranty, and a decent amount of options. It's not the most stylish thing around, but it has lots of space, storage, and seating. Check edmunds.com and Kelly Blue Book, kbb.com for reviews.

[RokNRich]

What about something like this ?

http://sporttruck.com/eventcoverage/0407_02z+Ford_Excursion+Front_Passenger_Side_View_ Lifted.jpg

[Deviljeep]

Have you looked at the new Honda Pilot? My wifes cousin just got one. Has seating for 8, and they claim great gas mileage.

[Cave Gimp]

Then I could get 4wd as well. That may be an option. It won't keep pace with the Rubi, but will get me to most of the caves. :D

[Sedona Jeep School]

The Excursion is both very roomy and buildable (live axles front and rear), but mileage is not the operative word. Toyota is/was making a hybrid Highlander? But you have to love the name of the Kia Sedona! :D

[AZLugz]

Works great and has been off road a couple times. We use it to tow the Jeep and the quads. We have 4 kids and they can all fit in comfort.

Oh yea, it has the Hemi!

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/Commander/DSC00887-sm.jpg

[Wayco]

I don't know much about them, but we did have a Honda Pilot follow us out to a 4x4 campsite we know about. It did really well on a fairly rough trail, not rock crawling, but washed out road.
Any large SUV (3 row seating) is not going to get good gas mileage...
And THIS ? ARE YOU KIDDING? :confused:

http://sporttruck.com/eventcoverage/0407_02z+Ford_Excursion+Front_Passenger_Side_View_ Lifted.jpg

[CaptainMorgan]

I'm gonna have to vote for a Cj-5...lots of room.;)

[offroadaz]

what about a nissan armada or an expedition?

[RokNRich]

Fuel economy is all relative ;)

[joedokes28]

If you are looking at a minivan, steer yourself in the direction of a Honda. It's a class leader. Much more power/economy/style (if that's possible in a mini van)

My neighbors had one and loved it. The honda Pilot is also worth a look.

[macinyart]

I have had several Chrysler brand mini vans and have found them roomy, not bad on gas and quite reliable. The last one we had we gave to our daughter who loves it....coming up on 125K miles now. They are not suited for towing anything heavier than a toaster though. We loved every one we had. Good luck.

[Deviljeep]

I have had several Chrysler brand mini vans and have found them roomy, not bad on gas and quite reliable. The last one we had we gave to our daughter who loves it....coming up on 125K miles now. They are not suited for towing anything heavier than a toaster though. We loved every one we had. Good luck.

The Chrysler minivan my brother had got poor mileage. He traded it in for a four door gm truck with the 4.3 that got better mileage.

[danno]

If you are going to go the minivan route, you might also look at the Nissan Quest. I rented one of these a little while back, and it actually had a fair amount of power and handled quite well... for a minivan.

Also, if you are looking for something that is fairly stout that can tow and that can get the family around in comfort, you might check out the Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD. Minivan gas mileage from the diesel, but it can tow. It only seats 5 so if more seating is needed this wouldn't work for you.

We actually have a Mercedes-Benz GL320 CDI on order. It has the same engine as the Grand, so I am expecting 25 MPG or so from it, and it can tow 7500 lbs and it seats 7. Its bit more spendy than some other options, but to us towing was very important. This is the only vehicle that fit all of our criteria for a new vehicle. You can get one without all of the bells and whistles for about 53K.

[ROCRWLR]

What about something like this ?

http://sporttruck.com/eventcoverage/0407_02z+Ford_Excursion+Front_Passenger_Side_View_ Lifted.jpg


I have an excursion similar to this with a 4 inch lift and 35" pro comps. with the power stroke it gets around 17-18 MPG and tows great....


Dean

[1BLKJP]

I have an excursion similar to this with a 4 inch lift and 35" pro comps. with the power stroke it gets around 17-18 MPG and tows great....

Dean

Dean, what kind of mileage does it get while you are towing?

[AZLugz]

what about a nissan armada or an expedition?


Had an Armada before the Commander, kept falling apart, took a killing to get rid of it at 26K miles

[Sedona Jeep School]

what about a nissan armada or an expedition?

How do you say Hummer 2 in Japanese?...Armada! :D Bling, bling bling...

[TRobertsRN]

When comparing vehicles look at the whole picture.

Miles you will drive it in a year divided by gas mileage. Even at 3-4 dollars a gallon you will find this to be not as much difference as you would think when you compare between vehicles of 5-10 MPG difference. That is unless you drive a lot of miles. If you drive a lot of miles then I suggest a diesel.

Almost anything you buy will only be worth about 500-2000 after about 100,000 to 150,000.

Add above yearly fuel costs to monthly payment x 12 months, add in expected maintence costs (is it under warranty?)

Add yearly insurance costs. 4x4 and imports more expensive. Imports because parts are more expensive. Better crashers costs less to insure. Depending on where you register it will change your insurance costs.

What is the expected worth of your vehicle at the end of the loan or at the end of the time you plan to keep it? Korean vehicles depreciate faster so far.
If you trade one in at 2-4 years it will not be worth as much as other vehicles with same initial cost and you will be upside down in a trade. Mercedes, and Toyota's hold value better than most.

In summary. Figger how long you usually keep a vehicle or better yet how often you wife changes vehicles or plans to and add up the cost for that many years.

Add up fuel costs, car payments, insurance payments, maintance costs, tag renewal costs, and know expected value of vehicle and how much you would owe at that time. Consider tax deductions if you own your business.

You may find little or no difference between a mini van with great mileage and a full size SUV that can tow.

You will be suprised at what I picked after considering all this.

A 3/4 ton Diesel Van with camper and 4x4 conversion. Am I crazy? Well yes but not for this reason.

These can be written off as a second home on taxes, or deduced in an accellerated rate for a business. Can be financed for 15 years. Depreciate slowly.

The 4x4 part was just my ego. But the rest makes sence for me.

In the long run costs were very compareable to a mini van for 5 years. And way cheaper with more people and stuff volume with great towing power than a full size SUV.

Now if I can just sell my Avalance and Cherokee I will be good to go.

[Cave Gimp]

Thanks for the advice Tom and everyone. Being an engineer I already have the spreadsheet created to analyze the full cost of ownership. :o :) Seating 7 is a must, as well as being easy to put kids in and out. Towing isn't that important to us, neither is offroad capability, this will be a grocery getter and long road trip vehicle. The Rubi is for the fun stuff. :)

Again thanks for all the suggestions.

[ThumpAZ]

One of my neighbors just got rid of his Chrysler minivan... one of th eloaded up ones.
We took that van to Mexico at least four times a year for a while there. Always was comfy for 6 or 7 adults with our luggage and had really good range on the fuel (not sure of mileage numbers).
He sold it to a friend... and now we'll still be taking that van down to Rocky Point multiple times a year.
Only problem I ever knew of from the van was who got stuck driving so the rest of us could pop open cold ones at the border :)
The Honda is also a nice vehicle, and they hold value and are pretty reliable... historically.
Both are definitely worth a look.

[knockonit]

Its hard to beat a cowboy cadillac, ( suburban) we purchased our first one in 87, and updated every five years or so, presently the 99 has 120k on it 1/2 ton four wheeler, tows my pontoon very well, and the jeep and the quads and the, well the list goes on, it has served as a prom limo, airport pickup, field trip bus, well just about anything. We tried the mini van, but it didn't seem to fit our needs.
Am presently (even with all the children gone) planning on updating, probably a 2006 or so, mileage isn't so bad, they are extremely safe, lots of room for the long road trip, and with a roof rack, its even more space, the new ac units work well room easily for 8,
good luck on what ever you choose, its usually a difficult task

[dharmabum]

After making fun of them and swearing to never be the minivan type my wife and I went out and got an 06 Chysler Town and Country last year. It has the 3.8L, cruises nice on the highway, and still gets good mileage around town. It rides nice and has a ton of room plus with the stow and go seating I can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood or drywall in the back no problem and it fits a ton of stuff with just the 3rd row folded down. It is the most practical thing we have ever bought and amazingly we are both very happy with it. Quite often we are taking road trips with 4 or 5 adults plus our 14 month old and everyone is comfortable. The rear A/C is great, much better than any SUV I have been in and the automatic doors are the best when loaded down with bags, a baby, and whatever else. Yeah its a minivan and they are ugly and the resale sucks but we are going to keep this one for a while so it doesnt really matter to us and it was alot cheaper to buy than the Honda or Nissan ones we looked at.

[Oldgamefreak]

just get the extension put on the rubi like the tour jeeps use:D

[AZLugz]

Well, My 06 Commander will be going on the market soon

[OlneyJeeps]

We ( Beartrackinn.com ) had to increase our fleet this year. With astronomic fuel costs and a nasty pothole ridden 6 miles of dirt road to drive multiple times each day, we were seriously looking at a Grand Cherokee (better MPG, handles road better than 15 pass E350).

drove several: to experience what the client would, made mother ride in back. just for s&g drove a tahoe... no comparison. At $500 a night (less for longer stays), could not take people from their private jet and put in cramped back seat. I looked at dozens of tahoe's and found that Suburbans were about the same (more often Cheaper) price. Purchased immaculate leather 99 suburban which mother (and fiance) drove to AK. Now the want another. When I towed my CJ (to deliver Sub to her house), I was thoroughly impressed.

As insurance agent (14years), I saw first hand how small/fuel efficient kills. One trip to hospital can pay for a lot of fuel. Result: XJ is going away as soon as project Submarine (99 Suburban, 2WD:eek: 6.5 deisel) is done.

CJ is going away as soon as project commando (big cage on wheels) is done

Yes good MPG adds value, but safety trumps everything (for me)

just my .02

[amber.hodge]

I hate to say it, but my Crown Victoria LX is comfy, seats 6 comfortably and legally.....has a trunk you could easily hide Jimmy Hoffa, his immediate family and a few friends in....plus it has a small block 8 in it, gets 21 MPG in town, is a freaking tank and really isn't that expensive if you go in the 04 range of years. I personally would go with a 1500 series extended cab chevy full sized pick up truck with the suicide doors that seats 6, but there is no trunk....you could get a tono, but that kinda defeats the purpose for having a truck...

[OlneyJeeps]

I hate to say it, but my Crown Victoria LX is comfy, seats 6 comfortably and legally.....has a trunk you could easily hide Jimmy Hoffa, his immediate family and a few friends in....plus it has a small block 8 in it, gets 21 MPG in town, is a freaking tank and really isn't that expensive if you go in the 04 range of years. ...

those things are pretty awsome for sedans... drove my dad's Grand Marquis to Wisconsin... averaged 27mpg!! Comfy riding powered by a V8 surrounded by lots of steel..... gonna be putting up for sale pretty soon (he died 4 yrs ago, mom has been driving when in town)... 91 with about 52k miles

[amber.hodge]

I'm upside down in my crown vic or I'd sell it and then go see jason demotto for a 4 door rubi for my 'mom car'

[Kendall]

We went with the ford mini 3 years ago and have been satisfied with space and performance. Around 18 mpg. We have 3 kids and 3 dogs that fot O.K. We dont take it off road much though.

[Bill Ritter]

If you are going to go the minivan route, you might also look at the Nissan Quest. I rented one of these a little while back, and it actually had a fair amount of power and handled quite well... for a minivan.



X2

We did the same thing and took a road trip to Yellowstone.

We chose the Quest because the seats fold flat.

We stayed at K.O.A's and slept in the van.Their bathroom/showers are always clean and rates are reasonable.

The Quest was much nicer than I anticipated.The gas mileage was 27.4 for the trip.Plenty of power,good handling.

Bill

[Jdemonto@Airpark Jeep Sales]

I rent town and countrys for most of the Family Vacations!! Just got back from SOCAL last week and the VW Jetta is no family car.....Great gas mileage (40mpg)...no room!!!! We will be having a mini van sale soon as the 2008 T&C will be out this fall...WOW what a Van stow&go and swivel & go!!!! It will stomp the competition!!

Jason

[StraightToPlaid]

I've got a Chevy Venture right now. We bought the thing when we moved out west because it was about the right size to hold all our stuff, we needed to buy a vehicle anyways, and we really didn't want to spend the fortune they wanted for a little U-Haul truck and then have to give them back the truck.

It's a nice van, was pretty loaded and gets about 20 mpg. I want to get rid of the thing but I've been lazy about it...

If you're going looking at used stuff though, I'd recommend it. The biggest problem we've had with it was from a piece of trim breaking.

[jeepdude775]

I got an F-250 superduty crew cab powerstroke. Can't go wrong there...

[rallynut78]

The Mazda 5 has gotten some excellent reviews. don't underestimate the 2.3L. we have a Mazda 3 and although it is lighter the thing will still haul *** loaded down. I think it is at least worth a look. Once you can sit in one you get an appreciation for the engineering and the quality. not a bad price either!

http://www.edmunds.com/mazda/mazda5/review.html