They tested the six SUVs below. Who wins, who loses?

Chevy Traverse
Dodge Durango
Ford Explorer
Mazda CX-9
Honda Pilot
Toyota Highlander

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/1105_three_row_crossover_suv_comparison/index.html

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5th Place: Honda Pilot 4WD Touring
Noisy and harsh are not good family-hauler traits. However, it offered great storage solutions.

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The transmission is a mess. In manual, the tranny does everything wrong. Sometimes upshifts, sometimes doesn't. Often the display doesn't show the correct gear. I tried just putting it in D, and it virtually rolled to a halt before waking up again. I know that manual mode in these cars is rarely used, but it worries me that this is indicative of other lapses in the car's development

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Yes, but can you shut off the engine and put it in park while it's still moving?

I think the two surprises are the Dodge and the Ford.

The Pilot deserved its 5th place finish.

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Four years on and the scrappy, fantastic-driving Mazda CX-9 is still the best seven-passenger SUV you can buy.

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I'm not surprised. I've been singing it's praises for the last 4 years.

We just turned 71,000 miles on ours during a 2100 mile spring break trip two weeks ago, and it still looks and runs like new. Routine maintenance and a couple of sets of tires is all we have ever had to do to it.


[This message has been edited by KRT-1 (edited 3/29/2011 5:17p).]

What do they consider an Expedition or Tahoe, let alone an Expedition XL or a Suburban?

I suppose I could shoehorn 8 into my suburban.

We are going to be acquiring the family truckster within the year and I've been trying to convince my wife to consider the CX-9. Drove it one day between appointments and was very impressed. The wife likes the looks of the Honda and having had an Accord and two Acura's (RSX and TSX) she is quite biased. I think once she drives both, she will be a little more open to the CX-9.

Dissapointing to see the Ford in 6th place and the Durango 2nd. I was more impressed by the explorer, at least at the auto show, than the durango.

Has Car and Driver performed a similar test? I've never been a big fan of Motor Trend and their reviews, so I take this article with a grain of salt and will definitely drive all of the participants when we decide to make the purchase.

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The wife likes the looks of the Honda and having had an Accord and two Acura's (RSX and TSX) she is quite biased.

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I sold mine after 2 years. I am not anti-Honda, just anti-Pilot. Email in profile if you want details.

MouthBQ98 - wasn't it obvious to you they didn't test any full size SUVs? None of the test vehicles had a V8. They tested mainstream mid-size SUVs with V6 engines. The biggest omission in the test was probably the Hyundai Veracruz.

BTW - I don't generally like Motor Trend either. I would be much happier with a Road and Track or Car and Driver test. But the MT test isn't worthless.

Car and Driver I believe did a similar test, with the new Cherokee, the big Kia SUV, a Pathfinder and a Four Runner

(none of which may have 3rd rows I'm realizing)

I was really liking the Explorer when I first saw it and read about the technology. But driving it was an immediate turn off.

Spice, I know. I'm just saying fairly comparable gas mileage to most of the smaller SUV, and much more space...

I suppose some of them with moderate size engines get slightly better mileage.

i don't think i can get excited about an ff suv

ff?

Gran turismo code for front engine front drive?

Heh.

Are they putting transmission coolers on the Explorer and Pilots?

[This message has been edited by p_bubel (edited 3/29/2011 10:11p).]

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I think the two surprises are the Dodge and the Ford.

The Pilot deserved its 5th place finish

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Me too. Surprised the hell out of me.

I've spent a little time behind the wheel of a 2011 explorer and I'm very surprised at their 2nd to last rating.

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Gran turismo code for front engine front drive?

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i thought ff was common knowledge. guess not. ff, fr, mr, rr, f4, m4, r4...

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What do they consider an Expedition or Tahoe, let alone an Expedition XL or a Suburban?

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The test was Crossover SUVs not SUVs. No real surprise that the most car like one won. The Dodge is the only outlier of the group for design to test parameters results.

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BTW - I don't generally like Motor Trend either. I would be much happier with a Road and Track or Car and Driver test

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If Car and Driver did this test, it would be 1)Honda and 2)Ford. It's annoying reading C&D when everything Honda/Ford/BMW do is the best thing EVAR in C&D eyes.

I can't speak on MT or R&T bias, but I stopped subscribing to C&D because I got tired of reading their fan-boy columns.

We just test drove some of these vehicles (car shopping due to growing family).

We actually liked the Honda Pilot apart from the engine. Thought for a 3.5 6 cylinder, it was pretty gutless and needed to be revved more than I thought it would to get going.

Coming from England, I wish they would put more diesels in SUVs. I think the way they deliver power would be great for these kind of vehicles. You can find them, but they are in BMW's, Audi's, and Mercedes.

We also drove a Mazda CX-9. Really liked it, but definitely felt smaller inside than the Honda.

The latest model Toyota 4Runner does have a 3rd row seat, but they are up there in price.

Looking at a lightly used Toyota 4x4 Sequoia right now (if we can stomach the gas consumption).

The Pilot is very roomy. That may be its best quality.

The CX-9 suffers a bit on room because of its styling. But very nice to drive.

4x4 Sequoia? Ugh.

I'd throw the new Explorer and the Traverse/Acadia into your pile of consideration as well LO.

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Thought for a 3.5 6 cylinder, it was pretty gutless and needed to be revved more than I thought it would to get going.

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This is typical for Honda Engines.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_mydiqNZInys/TYvoN4gsQnI/AAAAAAAAlQ8/42E_MBTzjaI/s800/m7ryHncGLXpe.jpg

^for the rook

whats the mazda CX-7 like? i had never considered a Mazda SUV but after reading the comments here on the CX-9, the smaller CX-7 would fit our family well when my wife's Vue dies

I found it rough and loud, but that was back in '07. I suspect that has been addressed since.