[Shortsell]

My friend has recently relocated to the US and is looking to buy a family SUV there. I hope the members can possible give inputs.

-Cars short listed: None as of now, so all suggestions welcome.

-Price range: USD 30K

-Maintenance & After Sales Service (A.S.S.) expectations: standard US service expected.

-Where car will be mostly used: Mostly City and only occasional long drives.

-self driven

-Whether the vehicle will be shared by other members of family: It will be driven solely by my friend.

-Any specific requirements from car: Only Automatic, big space (2 kids).

-How long you intend on keeping this car (and how important resale is to you): minimum 2-3 years and resale is not that important.

Thanks in advance for all the advice.

[HyperRetard]

Santa Fe
FJ Cruiser
RAV-4
Kia Sportage
Honda CR-V
Chevy Equinox



These are the ones you should shortlist.

[Turbanator]

Can check new Highlander , budget might need to be increased a bit . It's possible to have 500-750 $ over Invoice despite been totally new Model for Year 2014 . Maybe Toyota has higher hold backs these days .

If he is on tight budget , he can look for 2013 Highlander , Toyota had great manufacturer rebates ( 3 -4,000 ) Plus Dealers will be to willing to sell under Invoice to get off the balance inventories , though choices will be limited .

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by Shortsell

My friend has recently relocated to the US and is looking to buy a family SUV there. I hope the members can possible give inputs.

Thanks in advance for all the advice.

What part of the US is this friend relocating to? 4 member family - I guess? Does he have parents/relatives over often? What is more important - practicality, fuel efficiency or luxury and creature comforts? Or driving engagement?

For 30k USD - the US has just a lot of options - a real lot of options - from the CR-Vs to the X1, Jeep Wrangler - CUVs, SUVs, Minivans etc. - So your friend needs to do a little more "Filtering" to narrow down choices.

[coolclouds]

My BIL is in Baltimore and is using a Honda Pilot for last couple of years. They are four member family with parents visiting occasionally. Not sure about its SUV capabilities but it it falls within budget.

Base model features: (Source)

250-hp, 3.5-Liter, 24-Valve, SOHC i-VTEC® V-6 Engine
Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®)
Hill Start Assist
ULEV-2 CARB Emissions Rating
Heavy-Duty Radiator with 160-Watt Fans (2)
17-Inch Styled Steel Wheels
Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control[2]
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
Brake Assist
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)[3]
Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) Body Structure
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)
Front Side Airbags with Passenger-Side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
Three-Row Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor
Remote Entry System
Acoustic Windshield
Integrated Class III Trailer Hitch
Tri-Zone Automatic Climate Control System with Humidity Control and Air Filtration
i-MID with 8-Inch WQVGA (480x320) Screen, Customizable Feature Settings and Rearview Camera with Guidelines
Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®[4]
Illuminated Steering Wheel-Mounted Cruise, Audio and Phone Controls
2-GB CD Library
USB Audio Interface[5]




Starting at $29,670[1]

[vasoo]

Originally Posted by Shortsell

My friend has recently relocated to the US and is looking to buy a family SUV there. I hope the members can possible give inputs.

-Cars short listed: None as of now, so all suggestions welcome.

-Price range: USD 30K

...

See this link for a good list.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...-Compact-SUVs/

Personally I liked Subaru Forester and Honda CRV in the small SUV range.

[bhardwhu]

I am contemplating purchase or lease a car under $20k. I have homed on to Ford Fiesta, 1.0 liter eco boost and Honda Fit 2015.

This would be my first purchase here in US and need expert advise on the decision.

The car would be used for office commute and weekend travel to explore US.

Appreciate the inputs.

[Jeroen]

If you have a 20k budget you might consider going second hand. You get a lot more car for your money. Have a look at the Ford second hand cars. They usually sell them with good warranties and a 2-3 year old car is essentially as good as new, when maintained properly. And the Ford dealer would know

Of course, more car for your money might mean slightly higher insurance cost etc. But for that money you should be able to get a fully loaded Ford Focus with a nice engine,


Check out Car max: http://www.carmax.com/search?ASc=15&...results%20page
Jeroen

[josejoseph]

Sad news for Viper fans. Chrysler is destroying the first Dodge Vipers made as they are not street legal. Here is more info - http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/news/...?src=soc_fcbks.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by bhardwhu

I am contemplating purchase or lease a car under $20k. I have homed on to Ford Fiesta, 1.0 liter eco boost and Honda Fit 2015.

This would be my first purchase here in US and need expert advise on the decision.

The car would be used for office commute and weekend travel to explore US.

Appreciate the inputs.

As Jeroen mentioned, look at the used market for a much better bang for your buck.

While there's nothing inherently wrong with low powered cars on highways, you will get frustrated sooner or later if you plan to tour extensively.

Are you looking at hatchbacks only? If yes, look at Mazda3 and the Elantra GT too. Both start at around your budget brand new so even if you go that route, you will have a bigger/better car than the fiesta.

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by Shortsell

My friend has recently relocated to the US and is looking to buy a family SUV there. I hope the members can possible give inputs.

-Cars short listed: None as of now, so all suggestions welcome.
-Price range: USD 30K

Depending on which part of the US, your friend may need to decide if AWD/4WD is required.

I would choose among
1) Ford Edge
2) Toyota Highlander(might be a stretch)
3) Subaru Outback
4) Mazda CX5
5) Honda CRV

[Superleggera]

Originally Posted by Shortsell

My friend has recently relocated to the US and is looking to buy a family SUV there. I hope the members can possible give inputs.

I would go with the New Highlander or Nissan Path Finder. He may have to stretch 2-3 grands more, but the spend be worth it.

Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento are the two options that he can consider if he is strict on budget.

Honda Pilot is also good, but all new Honda Pilot is due soon.

[bhardwhu]

Originally Posted by mohit

As Jeroen mentioned, look at the used market for a much better bang for your buck.

If yes, look at Mazda3 and the Elantra GT too. Both start at around your budget brand new so even if you go that route, you will have a bigger/better car than the fiesta.

Thanks for the update Mohit. I am enamored by the ecoboost 1 liter engine in fiesta. Do you think that would be underpowered for speed controlled freeways here in US.

Also, since I am still dealing with financing my studies here, cost is definitely a concern. I am wondering whether to just lease the car or go in for an outright purchase.

For the used cars, I am getting used M/T Fiat 500s for about 15k. Do they make sense if I plan to upgrade in about 2 years, in terms of resale and A.S.S.?

I like 500 for its looks and not sure whether the market has wide acceptability for the product since I see a lot of them with 10k miles on carmax.

[Jeroen]

You are in the USA. Nobody drives diesel engines. Besides that the overal performance isn't all that great, apparently drivability isn't that great in particular.

See http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2...ick-drive.html

[mohit]

Originally Posted by bhardwhu

Thanks for the update Mohit. I am enamored by the ecoboost 1 liter engine in fiesta. Do you think that would be underpowered for speed controlled freeways here in US.

Also, since I am still dealing with financing my studies here, cost is definitely a concern. I am wondering whether to just lease the car or go in for an outright purchase.

For the used cars, I am getting used M/T Fiat 500s for about 15k. Do they make sense if I plan to upgrade in about 2 years, in terms of resale and A.S.S.?

I like 500 for its looks and not sure whether the market has wide acceptability for the product since I see a lot of them with 10k miles on carmax.

If you are bent on getting a small peppy car, I'd say skip the FIAT and look at the Mini Cooper

http://www.carmax.com/search?D=50&AS...ckNum=10218651

Way more fun and little more power even in base cooper guise. The fiat is a perfectly good city car but as I said, for highways, you will want something a little bit more substantial.