ORIGINAL REDDIT POST
Which mid-size SUV should I purchase?
I've made a short list that includes: VW Atlas, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Toyota 4runner, and the Honda pilot. A couple of things that are important to me: Reliability. I like to do basic maintenance myself. Oil changes, brakes, spark plugs etc.…
I've made a short list that includes: VW Atlas, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Toyota 4runner, and the Honda pilot. A couple of things that are important to me: Reliability. I like to do basic maintenance myself. Oil changes, brakes, spark plugs etc. Towing/cargo. Current main ride is a Corolla, and I don't want a side-grade. Am I missing any obvious makes models? Which would you choose?
Collected discussion
The 4runner will outlive us all but it drives like a tractor and gets awful mpg. If you're doing your own work the Highlander's engine bay is surprisingly easy to reach everything, the V6 model is bulletproof. The Pilot's got a timing belt which is a pain around 100k miles so factor that in if you're looking used.
4Runner is immortal but if the Highlander has the UA80 transmission then I would get an extended warranty on it
Would prefer used, and up to 30,000 CAD. Towing up to 5000 would be fine for me. Yeah I've heard that Subarus have their fair share of issues. I will make sure to avoid the earlier ascents.
Are you looking new or used and what is your budget? It also depends how much you want to tow. Most of these can do 5K but some of them are a bit less depending on how they are equipped. If you're looking a couple years old, you might as well throw in a CX-9 or cx90. Plus they tend to depreciate more than some of the other brands so they become a great value used. My only other advice if you are buying used, is to avoid the first two model years of the Ascent because of major transmission issues. I had one and it was a pain in the butt to deal with, and n the early model years of the atlas weren't known for reliability either