New vehicle

[vchizzle]

Thinking of a new vehicle. Been researching, been on some test drives...
I currently have a 2012 Chevy Equinox with 92,000 miles so looking to trade it before it turns 100. I drive about 45 miles each day total so no V8's allowed. I bought the Equinox because it's supposed to get good highway mileage. I'm not really a 4 cylinder kinda guy, but I took the chance. I pretty much drive all highway 70-75mph. At least 40 miles a day is set on cruise control. My other gripe is the back seats don't fold flat. That sucks for moving gear. I don't move it a lot in my vehicle(not for gigs, we use trailor) but I like having the capability.

So...looking at 6 cylinders that get in 17-25 mpg range that the seats fold flat. I'm also not into the new trend of making SUVs all curvy and minivan-esqe. I've narrowed it to 2 that I like. Both are 2015 with low miles. Very similar specs in terms of options.

2015 Honda Pilot
I've obsessed about this one a bit. I've wanted one for awhile. Not a fan of the new 2016 body style.
pros:
-I've obsessed about it
-It fits in my garage better, 10" shorter leaving me more room
-stereo has a little more boom to it
cons:
-no remote start, which is ridiculous for a vehicle in this price range...so I'd have to add it on(or have dealer)
-no Onstar. Not a big deal, but it's handy. I've driven Chevy for awhile, so I'm used to it. I don't pay for it, they gave me the basic functions of lock/unlock/start/panic from my phone for free. Comes in handy when I'm at work in the winter mostly.

2015 GMC Acadia
pros:
-option wise it a little better equipped(not needed stuff, but nice)
-has Onstar
-more interior cargo room(really only in length in the back). All seat rows have about the same leg room
-ride is slightly smoother
cons:
-longer SUV
-less room in garage

I'm sort of leaning Honda since they changed the body style this year to something I like less, it's kinda the last shot at low mileage vehicles in that form.

Feel free to suggest others, but I'm really kinda down to these 2 in terms of looks and features. Not gonna put an other in the poll though, it'll be too hard to figure out what those are.

 

[Ovibos]

I would think the resale value on the Pilot would be higher, when you move on from it later.

 

[vchizzle]

I would think the resale value on the Pilot would be higher, when you move on from it later.

They seem to hold their value pretty well and I do see them used on lots with hefty amounts of miles still selling for pretty good money.

 

[veinbuster]

I'd probably keep the Equinox, but I like to see 300,000 on the odometer before I spend money on a new vehicle. But if you had another 100,00 miles on it (my car is in km) I would go for the Pilot - mostly because the cons you have listed for it don't matter to me and the ones you have listed for the Acadia do - I like to have room to move in the garage.

 

[rugerpc]

give in to your obsession....

give in to your obsession....

give in to your obsession....

give in to your obsession....

give in to...

 

[WEDGE]

WANT is as good enough reason as any to get a car.....go Pilot or you will regret it every time you see one on the road.

It helps that it is probably the better car anyways.

 

[bodia]

I'm going Pilot simply because I have a Ridgeline, and they are very similar. It's a 2008, but I only have 55k on it since I now work almost exclusively from home. IIRC, same platform, and engine. I get about 20/22 on the highway (last I checked) and 16/17 around town. It was my first Honda, but it won't be my last. If you're settled on the Pilot, I say go for it. If your high on Honda, and have any inkling that a "truck" might fit, I'd look at the Ridgeline too. Or at least give it a glance. Back seats flip up, although there is a channel on the floor that sticks up to dock the seats when they're down. Easy to get around that though. The real sellers for me are the ability to use it for truck like activities when needed. And I can not say enough about the trunk molded into the bottom of the bed. Definitely big enough for a body (in case you name ends in a vowel ). Better yet, it's got drain plugs and acts as a perfect cooler for use on those game day tailgates. The dual opening tailgate is a plus too. Full time 4 wheel drive, and just enough pep in the engine (although I would have liked a little more). I think you could comfortably fit a 2x12 or 4x12, head, guitar case, and pedal board in the back seat area with the seats up.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Honda_Ridgeline/

 

[László]

I don't know what would work for you, but my daughter has an Acadia and loves it; and my other daughter's fiancee has one and loves it.

They're both really nice cars.

 

[Drew]

I'd just drive current vehicle into the ground. The best thing in the world is not having a car payment. I drove my 2003 F150 until 2011 and would have had it longer if it didn't need costly repairs. I went and bought a new 2011 in the same color and will drive that into the ground.

To each his own, but constantly putting a lot of money into something that just gets you from point A to point B is not the best financial decision. Its shocking how many people cycle through cars every 3 to 4 years.

2 years of not having average sized car payments covers a rather nice private stock.

 

[markintime]

Interesting... . I would not be afraid of going past 100,000 miles on a vehicle. Properly maintained, the newer models these days do quite well. Last year my wife wanted to trade her VW Routan on an SUV, so I hunted and found her a GMC Yukon Denali XL. With 152,000 on the odometer. It was a corporate vehicle and after checking out the Carfax, I got it for her. It had a well documented maintenance record. The leather seats look almost brand new, practically no discernible wear. Now obviously it is not an economy car, but boy can I ever load some gear in that baby. It now has 165,000, just changed the oil today and it came with everything except a toilet and kitchen sink. I'm thankful the price of gas came down since it does have a 26 gallon tank. And it does have all wheel drive and plenty of power. I plan to keep it a long time.

But, having said that, I would probably go with Honda in your shoes and btw that Ridgeline looks good.

 

[Guitar_Brat]

I'm going Pilot simply because I have a Ridgeline, and they are very similar. It's a 2008, but I only have 55k on it since I now work almost exclusively from home. IIRC, same platform, and engine. I get about 20/22 on the highway (last I checked) and 16/17 around town. It was my first Honda, but it won't be my last. If you're settled on the Pilot, I say go for it. If your high on Honda, and have any inkling that a "truck" might fit, I'd look at the Ridgeline too. Or at least give it a glance. Back seats flip up, although there is a channel on the floor that sticks up to dock the seats when they're down. Easy to get around that though. The real sellers for me are the ability to use it for truck like activities when needed. And I can not say enough about the trunk molded into the bottom of the bed. Definitely big enough for a body (in case you name ends in a vowel ). Better yet, it's got drain plugs and acts as a perfect cooler for use on those game day tailgates. The dual opening tailgate is a plus too. Full time 4 wheel drive, and just enough pep in the engine (although I would have liked a little more). I think you could comfortably fit a 2x12 or 4x12, head, guitar case, and pedal board in the back seat area with the seats up.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Honda_Ridgeline/

I second the Honda, as I also have a Ridgeline. At the Moment my 2013 Ridgeline and my 2013 BMW X5 are both sitting on my property un-driveable due to the Takata Air Bag Fiasco and replacement parts are not expected to arrive until mid to late summer. But out of all of the Car manufactures affected Honda is the only to offer it's owners rental cars for free until the your Honda has been refitted with a new Bag, That alone makes me favor Honda, The other car manufactures send you a letter telling you that your car is not safe to drive, so stop driving it, oh and the parts are back ordered for at least 3 months. The Pilot and Ridgeline share much in Power train and frame.

 

[mezzio]

Buy a Raptor!!!

I'd honesty go with the Pilot, I have a couple friends who own Arcadias, and they complain about reliability (but do complement the "niceties" that it has... But what good is a beautiful vehicle with lots of bells and whistles that risks breaking down).

 

[DuncanCE22]

I'd say Honda, However in the interest of making this a fair test you should know I'm quite biased, I have 2 Honda's, the wife has a Honda, my brother has 2 Honda's, My sister in law has a Honda, my sister has a Honda and my mum has a Honda. oh and I am a parts manager at a Honda dealer. That and we don't get the Pilot in the UK and they are mega cool!!!

 

[nosidamde]

Like DuncanCE22, I'm quite biased, but for the Acadia because I work for Chevrolet. The Lambda platform cousins (Traverse, Acadia, & Enclave) have had some timing chain issues in the past due to owners going to long in between oil changes. GM has since issued a re calibrated OLM (Oil Life Monitor) update. I've heard of very few issues since this happened years back. The Acadia provides the extra room that could be handy with band gear, and the 3rd row seat folds flat nicely with little effort. Make sure the Acadia is CPO (Certified Pre-Owned). The CPO warranty comes with many benefits, including free trial periods of XM and Onstar. $0 deductible warranties are another benefit, both bumper to bumper and powertrain. If you have an Android phone or iPhone you'll get 3 years of the Remote Link App included as well. This app will include key fob services straight from your phone, including remote start, even if you don't opt to pay for Onstar after the free trial.

http://www.gmcertified.com/certified-benefits

 

[QuiltTop319]

We own a 2015 Acadia. So far, we had to have the touch screen replaced, both blind spot monitors died, need to be replaced, one of the replacement blind spot monitors had to be replaced a second time, and some recall issue which I don't remember. The blind spot monitors were not in stock. When I spoke to the mechanic , he said they had a run on them, so clearly a batch of defective parts. All covered under warrantee but a major inconvenience. Check consumer report. Personally, I wouldn't buy another one of these.

 

[nosidamde]

I'm not trying to argue with QuiltTop319, but I personally haven't seen the issue of the SBZA (Side Blind Zone Alert) radar module needing to be replaced in late model Lambda platform vehicles. However, I have seen where certain Intellilink/MyLink radios can be an issue... I say certain because there isn't just one radio available on those vehicles. I didn't want to go there initially but I'm like Les and know many that own and have owned them, and love them. Seems like we're arguing about music equipment doesn't it?

I'm not sure what Consumer Reports says about either of these vehicles, but I'm sure you'll find with a simple Google search that you can find out what owners are saying through user reviews on automotive related sites.

Either way, I hope you're happy with your decision and I'm sure everyone else here feels the same way.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

My big sister had the Pilot and now drives a Ridgeline, both are nice "trucks". I'd probably get the Arcadia 'cause all I care about now is a soft cushy ride and a cheaper bill.

 

[cwhenke]

I used to drive a Honda Accord, and I really enjoyed it. Switched to an Odyssey after kids, and it was pretty nice...for a van. I can't remember any problems with the brand. We looked at Pilots this weekend, and I didn't like the looks of the front end, but that's just personal preference.

My wife drives an Acadia, and we like it, but we have had a few things come up. Everything covered by warranty, but it is an inconvenience. It has served our needs, but I can't say I love it.

 

[vchizzle]

From what I read on the airbag deal, the Pilot affected was up thru 2008, Ridgeline 2014.

All good info.

I have considered keeping my Equinox and driving it into the ground. I've done that with my last 2 cars. I just hate the nickel and dime thing. It's not as big of deal with no car payment but still hate the pain in the ass of it all. Pretty sure I lost some hair due to all that Still weighing options and looking at the #'s. Price between the 2 is comparable so that's not an issue.

 

[dmatthews]

Given the choice between the two, I'd choose the Honda. That being said I'm a Toyota fanboy and have a Venza. Very roomy, comfortable, smooth, and problem free for almost 5 years now.
Check one out if you can.