Need Doodle-mobile recommendations/ RESULTS

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

We are in the process of looking for a different SUV for more practical purposes, like lugging 2 big doodles and soon, car seat and grandson around in.  Neither the dogs, baby or I need a Lexus and having them damage the seats like they have is too frustrating when I consider resale, so the time is now before more damage is done.

What type do you have and what do you like or dislike about your SUV in regards to the practicality of having your doodle travel in it?  Thanks.

 

RESULTS: This is what we all either have, wish we had or wish we didn't have. I only included the comments of why we did not like the vehicle because there was too much of the good to mention about the others. Just a summary for us all to review. Comments anyone?

Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7.
Honda Element   "good for doods, not for travel"
Honda Odyssey
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota RAV4
Jeep Grand Cherokee, "good for doods, poor gas mileage"
Toyota Highlander
Nissan Murano
Nissan Pathfinder  "too tall for medium dood to jump into"
Hyandai Santa Fe  "too small"
Ford Explorer
Subaru Outback  "smells like dog"
And of course :

Echo's Corvette with side car!!!

 

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Sue, I am looking for an SUV myself for this same reason (dog), right now I have a Lexus sedan.  The cross overs are not large enough, if I'm going SUV then I want to be able to ride 4 people plus luggage from the airport (living in FL we get company coming down) or ride 6 people, plus drive back and forth to Michigan with Rooney Doodle in tow.  I like the Lexus mid size SUV (GX I think) and the Nissan Armada is very nice looking and has all the bells and whistles.  I have not test drove any of these yet but I need to get busy as we want to purchase in March.  I'll be watching everyone's answers - have fun shopping and let me know what you get.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Hi jane, spent the day out with Dh car shopping. We have certain criteria regarding the doodles and our grandson that you may not have to consider, but we want something with a bigger back than the lexus RX350 we have now, and for it to have rear air vents both for middle row for grandson and back for dogs. We found the Honda Pilot to have everything we could ask for and like that it is more sporty/utility looking and less luxurious and more dog and child friendly than the Lexus. 

We are also test driving the Toyota 4Runner tomorrow as it is very similar in options and price. We also looked at the Honda CRV -too small, the Jeep Grand Cherokee,- nice, but about the same size and luxury as the Lexus, Mazda something or other, also small, but adequate. the Kia Sorento, nice in size but rough riding. the Dodge Durango, the Dodge Nitro and the Jeep Liberty. All okay, just not quite IT.

So what have you decided or are you out shopping yet?

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Sue, DH and I bought an SUV on Thursday.  After spending a good 6 wks looking at everything.  It came down to 3 - a Ford Expedition (too truck like, too manly looking, too big) - a Toyota Sequoia (nothing bad to say, loved the pull up windown shades in the 2nd row) and a Lexus GX 460.  We ended up buying our Lexus through a Costco program that gets you a super good buy.  We went to CarMax and had them give us a price to buy my Lexus Sedan and then got the Lexus dealer to match the higher CarMax price.  This GX is the really blinged out version.  It will take a while to figure out all of the stuff but so far I'm loving the bluetooth phone and the satellite radio and for Rooney 3 zone temp. controls plus the remote start so that I can travel, exit the car and then hit remote start so that he remains locked inside with the AC running.  Bad milage for sure and it takes premium but those were the trade offs.  I'm thrilled with it.  I hope you find your "puppy hauler 2011" as I can my new ride - lol.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Interesting I should get this from you this morning as after many weeks of searching as well and a full day test driving, I decided this morning that I was comparing everything to my Lexus RX350 (2010). I originally wanted something more utility like and dog durable, but needed the rear seat a/c and safety features. There wasnt;' a lot out there that fit all my criteria so I decided to just keep my lovely Lexus and just drive it like it's stolen from now on and use it till it gives out on I-95,(I-10 here) take the tags off and leave it! We usually keep our cars for about 10 years so this is what I plan to do with this.

You might be surprised about the gas mileage though, My sticker says 18-24 and I get 23-24 around town and 28-29 on the highway. The computer system in it with the ECO drive accomodates engine use better as you drive it and it gets used to your way of driving.(Another reason I am keeping it. Only a small CRV or Rav4 gets even close to that)

DH was just saying he can add the remote start for me so we can turn it on so it can cool down for us. I don;t know if it will over-ride the system to stay running and lock the doors tho as mine doesn't now.

 

The bluetooth is great, and I have had sirius for the whole time I've had it (2 yrs in July) and LOVE it.

I do put middle grade gas in it and but don't know if the 2011 GX only take premium.  You will love it for sure, what's NOT to love about a Lexus?  So we have matching (almost) puppy haulers.

Thanks for the update. Enjoy

 

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Really the quality of the Lexus brand was just too difficult to walk away from.  My 430 LS sedan was a 2004, pearl white, still looked new, interior pristine and only had 79,900 miles on it.  I drove it 8 years and could have driven it 8 more.  I never had one single problem with it.  I've driven the RX350 when I've had a loaner for the dealership - great vehicle!  I wanted something a little bit larger, living in FL we get tons of company flying down and really wanted those 3rd row seats.  My daughter just moved to Atlanta - a 9 hour drive and I will be driving there and back as well as to MI now that Rooney won't fit under the airplane seat.  If you do that after market remote start - your car will stay locked (per someone at the Lexus dealership).  Think about it - if you car was parked on a street in NYC and you remote start it to warm it up (or in my case cool it down) - it has to stay locked or someone would steal it.  I was sold on my GX the minute I heard that it had remote start - now Rooney can safely stay in the car while I travel and not die from the heat - whohoo - I'm thrilled.  I'll let you know how the milage goes - for now I'm just trying to learn how to operate the basic controls - lol - looks like a airplane cockpit control panel in there.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

I do love the sirius radio - have never had that before and I will happily pay to keep it once my free year is over.  There is also some kind of safety service thing (sorta like Onstar) that we have a free year on and this would also be something I might keep after the free period is gone - I travel mostly alone but there is some kind of consierge (spell?) service that comes on with a live person to tell you where you can buy Origen from where ever your car is, find a dunkin dougnut or make a reservation.  Very cool but I don't think I'll use it enough to make that pay.  I'll post a picture later with Rooney in the puppy hauler 2011.  I went with the white agin, what color do you have?

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I have the 2010 light blue because it matches my eyes!!! It was a toss up between that and a white one, but so many people have the white I just wanted to be a little easier to spot in a parking lot. It has the beige leather which is very nice, except Murphy has ripped 2 holes in it with his nails and I haven't figured out where to take it to get it fixed if it can be. I would like the onstar probably, but I use my iphone for everything else really so I don;t think the concierge service would be worth it to me, but you travel more than I do.

 

We will probably add the auto start then if it stays locked and yes that makes total sense. I can't lock it now if it's running. The Sirius has a great rate you can ask for when it's time and unless you ask you don't get it. $77.00 a yr. Can't beat that. Seems silly to look for deals when you drive a Lexus, but I have always been that way sometimes out of necessity and sometimes just because I like the challenge.  As for your controls, mine looks like a cockpit too and I am still learning about differnt things. YOu'll laugh at this,  I had had it a whole year and I love that you can push a button to open the back and then push the button on the back door to make it go down but I kept wondering why in a 2010 Lexus there wasn't a button to make the door go down once you got into the car. This puzzled me for the longest time. The little picture on the button in the car shows the door going up so I only used it for that purpose. Then one day someone said it works both ways...DUH!  Did I feel stupid. Also did you get the airconditioned seats? We bought ours at Palm Beach Lexus in July and once the sales person put the AC on in my seat I was a goner!!! Fla/AZ. Works well either place.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Ooooo - I love the light blue!!!!  If I matched my eyes I'd be driving a poop brown SUV - have to call it the turd mobile.  Ha ha.  Thanks for the tip on the Sirius rate - I'm going to be asking for that too when my time is up!  The concierge service I will not pay for and doubt I'll ever use it at all.  The safety call thing - might keep - we'll see.  And I'm with you - I don't like to give money away so I'm always looking for a deal, that is why we drove 4 hrs round trip to buy cheaper.  I'm sure I'll drive this one for 8 years or more.  If I could get off of DK I might find time to read the manual and watch the dvd and learn how to use the buttons, voice activation etc. - lol.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Ha, I never even unwrapped the DVD. But the manual is all highlighted and dog earred. Especially the garage door remote section!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Although not an SUV, I'm totally in love with my Honda Odyssey!  Probably the only non Mom around driving a Mini Van, but I can take 8 people and still have plenty of room for Groceries or Luggage.  The girls like to be on the 1st row of seats behind the drivers seat and there is room for 2 large doodles and Mamaw in that row.  I can fold the back row down and have room for a large dog crate, groceries and luggage.  When we travel we have two large dog beds in addition to all the luggage and dog stuff and everything fits perfectly.  There is a small seat that fits in the second row to make the row a bench seat for 3 passengers or you can remove it for a 2nd row of bucket seats.  The back row has a split bench so you can fold it all down or leave either two seats or one seat up.  This work great when traveling with extra people and dogs.  It has all wheel drive so it goes great in the snow.  The best part is that the new ones (year after ours, 2010) have excellent gas mileage for a minivan.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Thank you Lucy, I had thought about the mini van and I have just recently handed down my 2000 Honda Accord to our son and it's still ticking, so I am a big Honda fan. I will put this on my list to check out. Thank you for so much detail. that's what I needed! 

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Though I do not have a Honda Odyssey (I have my Doodle Limo - Ford Flex), my son and DIL are on their third Odyssey (they lease them).  They just had their fourth baby so they have 1 booster seat and three car seats.  They don't have dogs but do travel a lot.  The Odyssey is a very functional car as Lucy and Sophie's Mom said.  That would have probably been my choice if I didn't get my Flex.  My son is in love with the mileage he gets on the Odyssey and the double automatic side sliding doors are fabulous!