I like the Volvo XC70 wagon. I think it's a lot like the Ford Freestyle, so you might want to take a look at that one too. Probably more practical than an SUV for most people, especially if you don't need to tow anything. I agree with Bill_h, getting a legal resolution to your problem might be a long process, but maybe not if you live in a state with a law that's slanted toward consumers. I feel bad for you though; didn't you just get the Mitsubishi to replace something else? Pretty soon you're going to have experience with every make and model of vehicle on the road, and obviously not all of it will be positive.

RE: Help in choosing a large SUV Posted by: beaglebuddy (My Page) on Mon, Mar 13, 06 at 21:59 Could an attorney please step in and explain this to johndeere ? If the person hit is injurded and is in the Hospital for a long period of time and has surgery and then needs Thearapy.Has to take medication for the rest of his life.Then his pain and suffering and lost wages and can not pay his bills.Who do you think pays?Just because your insurance pays $10.000 per victim medical and you have say a $600.000 Liabilty.Does not mean your off the hook.Just because that is all they will pay.Because chances are that will not cover it. If the victim dies.Your not going to get off cheaper.Because a funeral is cheaper then if they lived and had huge medical bills.Say the victim is 40 years old and made $50.000 per year.The family would recieve a minimum of $50.000 x until his kids are grown.Not counting pain and suffering. Insurance Co.Cover there rearend and will only pay so much.You pay the remainder and that very well could be the larger portion. Could a Dr. please step in and explain this to beaglbuddy?

Hi Robo, funny you should resurrect this thread. We were pretty set on getting a Volvo crossover (DS didn't like the Subaru and we were fine with that since it didn't have any real advantage over the Volvo to us), and planning to look in earnest when they got back from their travels. We were out to lunch the day before they left, and DH mentioned a dealer friend he golfs with. I told him that I had checked his sites regularly and the only used SUVs they had were always late model and way more than what we wanted to spend. But I looked again anyway, and there it was. A 2004 BMW X3, over 100k miles. Not what we were planning on, but this dealer is a friend and we already have bought used BMWs from him and trust him. We called from the lunch table, then hurried over, and bought it. There were two other teenage boys in the waiting room with their Dads wanting to look at the same car. All of the other used SUVs they had were only 2-3 yrs old and multiples of the price. Anyway, yes, service is a killer on luxury cars, esp ones far past their prime. The cars we drive are usually still under warranty, but I had an old Benz once and we gave it to my stepson, who drove it 225k miles before selling it. You have to have the cash for the repairs, but actually it was a good deal all in. Hopefully the BMW will be the same. I am actually glad the car is so old and it even has a few dings; I don't want to spoil him. DS, OTOH, is tickled pink to have an X3. Safety wise, it has side airbags as well as front, and a low center of gravity, eg crossover SUV. Having now spent half of what we planned on, I told DS the first 7k of repairs are on us, LOL. In actuality I don't expect him to fully cover the costs of owning and insuring a vehicle; as long as he is a good student and is working at a job too, he is doing what we need him to do. The purpose of the job is to make sure they don't lose sight of the value of a dollar, but with all of the academic, extracurricular and volunteer demands on his time, (not to mention all the travel we do), he can't realistically earn terribly much. Good news is the dealer will give him a job (washing cars). ETA: Good luck to all the new drivers out there!

Along the lines of what Funky said, in 2015, I bought a used Lexus RX350, with low mileage that looked new. Its been great to haul dogs, compost, small trees, you-name-it. Brace yourself - I bought it after seeing it on Craigslist, and doing careful researching and having it checked out. It's incredible. A friend has a Toyota 4Runner that he loves, but he says the Lexus has more zip. It's called a crossover, meaning "the difference between the two is simple: A crossover is based on a car's platform, while an SUV uses the chassis of a truck. The result is that crossovers use "unibody" architecture, meaning the body and frame are one piece, while SUVs use a "body on frame" design." I also have a WONDERFUL place in Maine that services it for much less than the local dealership. They are all former dealership employees and do not try to up-sell anything like the dealer. I wish everyone had access to a place as nice as this one.