Hi All,
I'm new to the forum, hopefully I'm putting this in the right place. I've been looking for a vehicle that can take me, my wife, and 4 kids ages 4-10 on dispersed camping trips in Colorado (and maybe surrounding states once we're feeling a bit more brave). We just got back from camping in the Collegiate Peaks area using our AWD Toyota Sienna, which got us there and back, but clearly was not the right vehicle for the job. I was thinking of a full size truck but even trucks that fit 6 people most likely wouldn't fit 3 booster seats in one row (and even if they did I don't know that they'd fit the rest of the crap we took). So, now I'm thinking one of the big 8 passenger SUVs might be the way to go. I'm not looking to go full on 4 wheeling, just need something to get us up and down the rough forest service roads.
I'd want a legit body on frame 4x4, none of that crossover silliness. It would need to have at least some trunk space (we'd still put a bunch in a rooftop carrier too). My first thought was a Toyota Sequoia, I've had several Toyotas and I like their reliability. That said, I don't have a ton of money to be throwing around, and Toyotas tend to be more expensive than other brands (unfortunately that eliminates the Landcruiser, which would otherwise be the correct answer). So, I'm wondering what other options are out there.
I'm looking at two possible scenarios: either buy a 3rd car with just cash (maybe $5,000) or sell my current daily driver and use the proceeds plus cash to buy a new daily driver (maybe $10,000 to make the math easy). I barely drive at all now, and even before the pandemic I worked from home, so I'm not too concerned about putting too many miles, too much gas, or too much maintenance into a large SUV "daily driver." Based on this price range I think I'm looking at early to mid 2000s SUVs. In addition to the Sequoia I was wondering about the Nissan Armada and Ford Expedition. I think a Yukon/Tahoe is going to be too short, not enough trunk space. A Suburban or Excursion seems too big, but I could potentially be persuaded otherwise. I'm sure there's more out there, I'd love to hear any suggestions.
Thanks in advance for the help!
Scott
I'm new to the forum, hopefully I'm putting this in the right place. I've been looking for a vehicle that can take me, my wife, and 4 kids ages 4-10 on dispersed camping trips in Colorado (and maybe surrounding states once we're feeling a bit more brave). We just got back from camping in the Collegiate Peaks area using our AWD Toyota Sienna, which got us there and back, but clearly was not the right vehicle for the job. I was thinking of a full size truck but even trucks that fit 6 people most likely wouldn't fit 3 booster seats in one row (and even if they did I don't know that they'd fit the rest of the crap we took). So, now I'm thinking one of the big 8 passenger SUVs might be the way to go. I'm not looking to go full on 4 wheeling, just need something to get us up and down the rough forest service roads.
I'd want a legit body on frame 4x4, none of that crossover silliness. It would need to have at least some trunk space (we'd still put a bunch in a rooftop carrier too). My first thought was a Toyota Sequoia, I've had several Toyotas and I like their reliability. That said, I don't have a ton of money to be throwing around, and Toyotas tend to be more expensive than other brands (unfortunately that eliminates the Landcruiser, which would otherwise be the correct answer). So, I'm wondering what other options are out there.
I'm looking at two possible scenarios: either buy a 3rd car with just cash (maybe $5,000) or sell my current daily driver and use the proceeds plus cash to buy a new daily driver (maybe $10,000 to make the math easy). I barely drive at all now, and even before the pandemic I worked from home, so I'm not too concerned about putting too many miles, too much gas, or too much maintenance into a large SUV "daily driver." Based on this price range I think I'm looking at early to mid 2000s SUVs. In addition to the Sequoia I was wondering about the Nissan Armada and Ford Expedition. I think a Yukon/Tahoe is going to be too short, not enough trunk space. A Suburban or Excursion seems too big, but I could potentially be persuaded otherwise. I'm sure there's more out there, I'd love to hear any suggestions.
Thanks in advance for the help!
Scott