new car for the wife

My wife has an 05 Camry SE V6 now with 60k on it, no issues. we have a baby coming (our 1st) in a november. we were talking about getting a new car for her, that is a little higher up, has a hatchback, more storage, 4x4 but still a toyota. we have looked at 4runners, highlanders (V6 and Hybrid), Venza's, and the lexus RX350 and 400H

i love the new 4runner but they are pricey and big, my taco barely fits in the garage with her camry, and im not sure about the gas mileage on the new ones, i also dont mine the 07-09 4 runners, but they arent much less $ than the 10-11's

the highlanders are very nice, more of a mom car i guess, but having the hybrid option is nice. they claim 24+mpg which is nice, but i question the reliabilty of the hybrid as the mileage climbs. also do you think the increased gas mileage is worth even going hybrid over gas v6?

the venza is likely out but i like it comes in 4x4, i think for a few extra bucks we can get a nicer SUV rather than the hatchback sedan

the Lexus are nice, i have 2 friends with them and they love them. we arent really Lexus type people but they are in the same price point as the new 4runners and Highlander Hybrid

any opinions are welcome, good or bad. and try to help me out by leaving the "new 4 runners are bad ass" comments out, that what i keep telling myself and my wife, i need more subjective info

thanks

 

we have a lexus rx 330 and love it, Great car, amazing in the snow

 

I'd get the Lexus, I've sold them used a few times and man oh man they are beautiful!

even after a few years they don't show their age.

 

I love the venza. Mom has one and its is wonderful!!

 

No mention of the Rav-4?

Offers a V6, offers 4x4, peppy little bitch, sits up a littler higher and has room for storage.

 

If you don't need a 4x4 you may want to think about a 2x4 Highlander. My wife has an 05 V6 and gets close to 24mpg. Great car and plenty of room but not too big.

 

x2 good point. I tried to get the wife to get one when we traded her CR-V (which was a good car with the AWD btw) but she wanted a Pilot instead.
The interior of the venza is nice, but the body of the car kinda makes me want to throw up a little. Just not my type of car.
I like the looks of the older 4runners but they are very pricey.
A coworker has an older highlander hybrid and he said it's been good to him. Only thing I would worry about is I've heard once you hit over 100k miles you have to start worrying about replacing the batteries, which can get expensive. Maybe that has changed in recent years with better technology.

 

Doesn't Honda make a mean little awd 4 door crossover now?

 

We are in the same dilemma. Those are the models we are considering too. I think we are going to go with the new highlanders or 06-09 model 4runner, each of those have a 3rd row, rather tight 3rd row but it works in a pinch. You may not need the 3rd row now, I don't know what your plans are but we have 2 kids, and with the size of carseats/boosterseats these days, there is no room for another person.

 

there is a pretty good chance i would be driving this sometimes and theres no way i'll drive a RAV4, sorry

i do need 4x4 living in CT we had several storms of over 2 feet of snow last year

i like the new highlanders 09-11, but not sure if its worth spending the xtra cash on a hybrid

i didnt know the 06-09 4runners had a 3rd row? i know the new 10-12 years do. we plan on having more kids and will probably eventually end up with some kind of mini van. but for now i agree that you kind of need that 3rd row just incase

 

i would either pick the 4runner or the RX350...maybe lean more towards the RX350 because ive wanted an RX300 when i was in 8th grade..Either way you go,you wont be disappointed

 

my vote would be the highlander... i think they're pretty nice looking. mom car? well, it's for mom, right?? save your money versus the lexus, kids gonna need some college $$$!

 

Get a Highlander.... We have 3 in the family... They have been great cars to us... And are great with kids...

 

I would say Highlander. It has enough room (more than the RX, which would be my second choice), you can get it in 4WD if you need it. I would not do the hybrid. A friend of mine recently bought a Highlander and we did the calcs and it did not pay for him to go the hybrid route. I think hybrid is more of a green statement than really saving anyone money. We went through the same calcs 2 years ago when the same buddy bought a Camry. The Hybrid was about $10k more than a 4-cyl Camry, but only got about 2 MPG better - you do the math - it will take more than a lifetime to recoupe the $10k.
Just my opinion, but more objective than subjective.

 

Yes, they are rare to find one with the third row so it maybe easier to buy the one you like and buy the third row separately. They obviously don't fold flat into the vehicle, they hook onto latches and fold up to the side. They can be easily installed and removed so you only have them when needed.

 

My mother-in-law has an RX350 that I drive several times per week so I have a few reflections.
1. The seats suck! My TRD seats are way more comfortable.
2. The gas milage isn't great. I am at 19.1mpg this tank according to it's computer. I thought it would do better than that (my truck gets 17.5).
3. Push button start is annoying.
4. Mark Levinson sound system rocks. Wish my truck had it instead of JBL.
5. Visibility from the drivers seat is not great. The RX350 has some blind spots for sure. The little triangular windows by the driver door/mirror are pointless. I can't say I can see any better out the back than in my truck (with a SnugTop shell).
6. Auto up/down on all windows is sweet. Wish the truck had it.

I'm not sure why everybody loves the Lexus so much.

Good luck with your decision OP!

 

^ ^ ^ This


I think Hybrids are built for snobs who think they are smarter/greener than everyone else and for people who are bad at math. You will never keep a hybrid long enough to recognize any cost savings.

 

4runners are badass

 

Have you looked at the Acura MDX? My neighbor just bought one for his wife and it's pretty badass.

 

started to look at Acura MDX and Honda Pilot, a little cheaper than toyota / lexus but not enough to get me away from toyota, i have actually had bad luck with honda/ acura so im sticking toyota most likely, unless i go Hyundai