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BS.. Ive spent almost an hour in the Highlander 3rd row with no problem. Not my first choice but if I (5'10" 190lbs) can its no worry for kids. Its easier to get in and out of than the Pathfinder too. I like Nissans too. Ive owned 2 that treated me great but calling the Highlanders 3rd row "totally useless" is BS.
You're right... I am sure it has its uses but what I should have said was that amongst the SUVs I have looked at, it was the worst in comparison. The 3rd row in the Highlander felt cheap and provided the least amount of room. Again... in comparison against the 13 Pathfinder, MDX, Pilot and the Q7. Didn't comment much of the Q7 as I only sat in it and didn't drive one. But in all fairness and someone can correct me if I am wrong but I believe the Highlander was the smallest of the group.
You're right... I am sure it has its uses but what I should have said was that amongst the SUVs I have looked at, it was the worst in comparison. The 3rd row in the Highlander felt cheap and provided the least amount of room. Again... in comparison against the 13 Pathfinder, MDX, Pilot and the Q7. Didn't comment much of the Q7 as I only sat in it and didn't drive one. But in all fairness and someone can correct me if I am wrong but I believe the Highlander was the smallest of the group.
From sitting in them I would think the MDX is the smallest 3rd row. Yes, maybe the higlanders 3rd row might feel the "cheapest" its all very sturdy and it prob feels like that cause its designed to fold away so easily and completely flat.. a 3rd row thats a bear to raise and lower cant be fun. I have a new appreciation for such things since healing from a severely broken collarbone. The highlander may not be the biggest 3rd row, but its certainly not the smallest and I know from actually riding in both that it feels bigger and more comfortable than the new Pathfinder.
First, The JX and the Pathfinder is pretty much the same car.
I test drove the 2013 Pathfinder Platinum Premium model and I was very impressed. The car had plenty of power and handled well. The reliability concerns might be due to the CVT tranny as there were some horror stories on their earlier CVT models but my information is that the CVT tranny is fairly reliable on the newer models. Also, I might be on crack on this but I thought the 3rd row seating was reasonably comfortable on the Pathfinder... more so than the MDX or the Pilot. I say this because the MDX and the Pilot are wider cars. Only thing I did not like about the Pathfinder was that the interior felt a little cramped. I am not a big guy at 5'10.
Overall, if I was in the SUV market, my vote goes to the MDX. Didn't really like the design at first but it really grows on you and the interior layout is awesome IMO. The SH-AWD system on the MDX is truly amazing as the car handles very well for it's size. Only problem here is that it is being redesigned for 2014 MY and the 2013 MY does not have push button start which I thought was very odd. If you are ok with the 2013 model, you should be able to get a good deal on one since the 2014 model has already been disclosed.
Edit: Test drove the Highlander Limited as well and it is a nice car but I just couldn't get over the interior and the 3rd row seating was totally useless. Probably the worse amongst the SUV's i have looked at. But again, drives very nice.
Yes, I know they are basically the exact same car. I've test driven the Pathfinder several times. Trying to decide if Inifiti is worthy of the $10k extra cost! It has a couple of things that the Pathfinder doesn't.
But the Pathfinder doesn't have blind spot detection like my current Quest. That might be a deal breaker for me.
My Quest has a CVT, and actually it was weird at first. I felt like it needed to be "broken in" the first few months. I could tell the heaviness of the vehicle, starting off the line was slow, etc. But I've had it for 15 months now, and 19,000 miles. And it's quick off the line now (as far as minivans go!), and passing people is not an issue (yeah, I'm not that pokey soccer mom minivan driver who goes 5 under the speed limit - I drive fast, prefer fast cars, and THAT'S why I don't want another minivan!!). I've never had engine issues with it at all. I would buy another CVT engine in a heartbeat.
The Pathfinder issues aren't engine issues - they are electronic issues that I am reading about.
The new 2014 MDX is supposed to have even more room on the inside. Wonder when it will be making it's debut? Anyone know?
Yes, I know they are basically the exact same car. I've test driven the Pathfinder several times. Trying to decide if Inifiti is worthy of the $10k extra cost! It has a couple of things that the Pathfinder doesn't.
But the Pathfinder doesn't have blind spot detection like my current Quest. That might be a deal breaker for me.
My Quest has a CVT, and actually it was weird at first. I felt like it needed to be "broken in" the first few months. I could tell the heaviness of the vehicle, starting off the line was slow, etc. But I've had it for 15 months now, and 19,000 miles. And it's quick off the line now (as far as minivans go!), and passing people is not an issue (yeah, I'm not that pokey soccer mom minivan driver who goes 5 under the speed limit - I drive fast, prefer fast cars, and THAT'S why I don't want another minivan!!). I've never had engine issues with it at all. I would buy another CVT engine in a heartbeat.
The Pathfinder issues aren't engine issues - they are electronic issues that I am reading about.
The new 2014 MDX is supposed to have even more room on the inside. Wonder when it will be making it's debut? Anyone know?
Between a JX and a Pathfinder, I think that's a value judgement which only you can make.
I would assume if the Pathfinder is seeing electrical issues, it would also be applied to the JX as well since they are both built in Tennessee. Perhaps the JX has the better quality control?
2014 MDX is supposed to be "unveiled" on 3/27 but as to when they will hit the showroom? I have no idea.
Between a JX and a Pathfinder, I think that's a value judgement which only you can make.
I would assume if the Pathfinder is seeing electrical issues, it would also be applied to the JX as well since they are both built in Tennessee. Perhaps the JX has the better quality control?
2014 MDX is supposed to be "unveiled" on 3/27 but as to when they will hit the showroom? I have no idea.
Great! I couldn't find a unveil date. Not sure regarding the Nissan vs Infiniti. I'm basing my information on consumer reviews...and so far many of the pathfinder ones have been negative, whereas JX have been more positive. I pln on test driving a JX as well.
It would depend on the car from Carmax. An MDX, Highlander, or Lexus, very likely, whereas I would not touch a Mercedes or Audi from Carmax because I would not buy without the manufacturer's extended warranty.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Pick your poison! They all have problems. None of them meet all your requirements so you will have to settle on a negative
1. Lexus - they don't have any crossovers that can sit 7. Their only crossover is the RX and it seats 5. It's small and lacks power (270 for 350 and 295 for Hybrid). I test drove them both and they both seemed to lack power.
2. Mercedes - GLK is tiny and lacks power and comfort. It's a Mercedes. The ML is nice but lacks 7 person seating capacity and really expensive
3. Ford Flex - Seats 7, lots of gadgets, lots of power with fuel economy, affordable but UGLY! It looks like a square box
4. Buick Enclave - Seats 7, good electronics, nice luxury but weak engine and it's a GM car so there is the risk of it becoming a lemon in 3 years
5. Cadillac SRX - Seats 4 realistically, great handling, touchpad screen, nice power - NO trunk space and backseat is tiny.
6. Acura MDX - Seats 7 but the third row is tiny so in essence it's really a 5 seater and the third row doesn't have captains chairs so it's not accessible from the second row. Lacks luxury - Great Buy at 55K loaded, All wheel driver with power at over 300 hp
7. Porsche Cayenne - base model with some options is affordable but not third row and backseat is cramped like the SRX. It's more of a sports car-SUV hybrid than a true crossover. When you add additional options it's pricey
8. BMW X 3 - too tiny, it's a raised hatchback
9. BMW X5 - Seats 5 and very expensive when you add options. BMW rips you off because many of their "options" come standard on other cars and I can't believe they nickel and dime for every option which can raise the base price of the car by nearly double if you get enough options. However comes with great maintenance plan that includes full service for the first 4 years and handles like a gem. There is no body roll when cornering
10. Toyota Highlander - Seats 7 but the third row is tiny and it's not for adults. Nice shape and very smooth. Lacks power though and major luxury features.
Overall: I would recommend the Buick Enclave. It's the perfect size out of all of them. It seems to have the cargo room and seating capacity of an SUV but in a small frame. It has captains chairs with access from second row to third row and the third row is not tiny. An adult can comfortably sit in the back. There is a lot of luxury and Buck is starting to make quality cars.
It would depend on the car from Carmax. An MDX, Highlander, or Lexus, very likely, whereas I would not touch a Mercedes or Audi from Carmax because I would not buy without the manufacturer's extended warranty.
Probably not from Carmax because I think there prices are fairly high. We bought a used Lexus from an independent dealer and have been very happy with it. It was 3 years old and just off a lease.
... I would not touch a Mercedes or Audi from Carmax because I would not buy without the manufacturer's extended warranty.
I have three mercedes right now and the last one I bought from Carmax, a 2008 ML63 AMG. The Carmax Maxcare warranty has been much better than the Mercedes CPO warranty actually. It covers the car for 66 months from when I purchased it, up to 125,000 total miles and only cost $3k. You can take it to the dealer or an independent and just have to pay a $100 deductible, $50 if you take it back to Carmax.
I looked at a CPO from Mercedes and they would only cover it for 3 yrs total and cost the same extra $3k. The only bad thing is that my car has needed a lot of repairs and the warranty has covered about $13,000 worth of stuff over the last 10 months at my local MB dealer. My other two cars were MB CPO and had some initial problems as well, but have been very reliable since.
Previous to MB I had a 2004 Audi TT and the dealer service was just terrible, though the warranty covered all the problems. Much worse than MB and I got rid of that car 9 months after I bought it.
Previous to the Audi I had a BMW 325i sedan and again thought the dealers I took it to were lousy.
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