New SUV for me

kbutternut

I'm looking for a new SUV sometime soon. I have 2 kids, age 6 and 3. I have a 1 year old niece that will sometimes ride with me. And I think it would be nice to be able to drive grandparents or kids' friends. So thinking about a bigger 3 row SUV.

I currently drive a 2011 Subaru Outback that has 110k miles. I drive about 70 miles per day mostly highway, so gas mileage is important. I live in northern New England and can't always stay home in a storm. I really like the AWD capabilities of my Outback - ability to exit my uphill unplowed driveway without any trouble is great.

Because my commute is longish, I want some luxury features - like a heated steering wheel, leather seats, and all the cameras/safety features possible.

Have considered the new Ascent, but it looks really big in photos, and I'm not sure I need 8 passengers. Similar feelings about the VW Atlas. I like the look of the Mazda CX-9, but then people complain it's too small, and it's not clear to me that the AWD system is as good as Subaru's.

What else should I look at? Or wait longer for some other cars to be available? I can spend $40-45k.

texases

Get yourself the April issue of Consumer Reports, lots of info on these. And the CX9 is an inch longer than the Atlas. You really won't find a huge difference in dimensions between most 3-row SUVs, as long as you ignore the much too small ones.

jingranbury

I bought an VW SE FWD V6 with the technology package for safety... I didn't need the 4motion AWD because I live in an area of Texas with really no snowy days so the FWD was fine with me... You can buy an Atlas with VW's brand new 4motion AWD system... I traded a 2011 Ford Flex and considered buying another one, but it is going to be discontinued in 2019/2020, so it has not been updated with all the newer tech features... I test drove a Pilot and Traverse, but I really loved the Atlas... I'm not worried that it is a new model as it comes with a 6 year/72K bumper to bumper warranty and two years of free maintenance... I'm not a fan of 4 cyl large SUV's even with a turbo, V6's are just smoother to drive... Do yourself a favor and test drive an Atlas... It maybe a large midsized SUV, but it drives and handles like a smaller SUV... I'm a fan of simple exterior designs and functional interiors and the Atlas fills the bill for me... While the SE does not have leather, it uses VW's new perforated leatherete and will handle my dog much better as his nails scratch leather, besides most vehicles with leather only have it on the actual seat surfaces and it's not really high quality leather... Again, test drive an Atlas and I believe you will love it as much as I did...