Hedgehog Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 With moving to Canada in mind, I've been doing some research on vehicles. We'd like something with 8 seats (not 7); 4WD (4x4); preferably Far East make for reliability - although I'm not adverse to others if you have recommendations; and a good mpg would be a plus. Here, in UK, we have a Honda FR-V which I've been very pleased with. Can you help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 My Dad is a mechanic, and swears that the only vehicles worth getting now are Toyotas or Hondas. He thinks that the other North American brands are crap with the way they're being made right now. I'm in Canada, and will say that a 4 WD really isn't a 'must', depending on where you plan on living. If its a rural area, then its a good idea...but closer to the city, or in it, its really not worth the extra $$, at least according to the ppl I know who've had both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 My Dad is a mechanic, and swears that the only vehicles worth getting now are Toyotas or Hondas. He thinks that the other North American brands are crap with the way they're being made right now. I'm in Canada, and will say that a 4 WD really isn't a 'must', depending on where you plan on living. If its a rural area, then its a good idea...but closer to the city, or in it, its really not worth the extra $$, at least according to the ppl I know who've had both. We're not sure exactly where we'll be in terms of city/burbs/country.. but both DH and I were raised in the country and would prefer to be there, so I think a 4WD would be a good idea.. esp. in NL which is where we're most likely to be! Other options are NS, ON, or BC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Newfoundland/Labrador can be an issue for employment. Same with NS. East coast has employment issues. BC (west coast) can be horribly expensive. Where its cheap, there's no industry, usually a mill town that the mills closed down in. ON is where we're headed. The weather is far better for me than where we are now. To get an idea about jobs, check out the job bank hosted by the federal government. Its not just government jobs, any company can list on it. Its a good place to get started, as well as realtor.ca for real estate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 Thanks :001_smile: DH has a job offer from a company in NL, and interest from one in ON. There is no way on this earth that I would move overseas without a job waiting for DH at the other end. NL's economy has struggled, but, according to our relatives and contacts, it is much improved, partly due to the oil exploration there. Love the realtor.ca site!! When we were first thinking of moving (around 2yrs ago) I went on it a lot. I should check back there to update.. thanks for reminding me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra in FL Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 It's not a 4WD, but I love my 8-seat Toyota Sienna. We've had it since 2003 (140,000 miles) and have had no problems. There just your typical maintenance - oil changes, tires which we do at a nearby Firestone. BTW, Firestone has a great deal on a lifetime (of the car) alignment. It pretty much pays for itself after the 2nd alignment - about $119 - totally worth it if you keep your car for a long time. I've had either a Toyota or Honda since learning to drive (over 30 years) and no problems at all. They are rock-solid reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 NL tends to have a high cost of living too...at least the island does, since *everything* has to be brought in. Its not called The Rock for nothing! :lol: Excellent sea food though. :drool5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 the 2011 Honda Pilot is WONDERFUL. Everyone loves my car when they get inside it! We almost spent 57k on a Suburban, and I'm SO GLAD it didn't work out. The 2011 has a lot more space. I brought my 6'3 son to test out the middle seat before we purchased it. I've had it almost a year now and I absolutely LOVE it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 My Dad is a mechanic, and swears that the only vehicles worth getting now are Toyotas or Hondas. He thinks that the other North American brands are crap with the way they're being made right now. :iagree: I take such good care of my cars. Anytime it's time for maintenance, I have it taken care of. I wash them regularly, I just like the car to look nice. Well, as nice as it can on a dirt road. :tongue_smilie:(pearl white is PERFECT for our road!) I was getting SO ANNOYED that my dh's Toyotas kept going and going and going EVEN under his neglect, and my regularly maintained Chevy's (and one Mazda) were money pits, even though we bought them brand new! The Suburban was the WORST. I finally ditched the American made cars and I'm hoping my Pilot will be around for years to come. I absolutely LOVE this car!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I'm in Canada, and will say that a 4 WD really isn't a 'must', depending on where you plan on living. If its a rural area, then its a good idea...but closer to the city, or in it, its really not worth the extra $$, at least according to the ppl I know who've had both. :iagree: I live out in the country and we don't have any 4WD vehicles (unless you count the big tractor). I don't find it necessary at all. I do have an AWD, which I think is nice, but isn't dramatically different from the front-wheel drive van, IMO. That said, we do live on the Prairies, where it is flat. If I had to do hilly terrain in winter, I might change my mind about the 4WD. If anything, just make sure you get a vehicle with a good clearance. Anything low to the ground is just going to hung up on snowbanks. Oh, you might say you wouldn't drive into a snowbank, but you'd be surprised at how they just show up on the road anyway. :lol: NL is ... a difficult proposition, IMO. High cost of living, high unemployment. Many, many men and young people go west to Alberta for jobs, then send money back to NL to their families. As Imp pointed out, food is pricey due to transportation costs. However, NL is also gorgeous and I've never met anyone born and raised there who didn't long for the day they'd be going back, nor have I met anyone who has ever lived there who didn't wax poetic about it. So, it definitely has it's appeal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailofsparks Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 the 2011 Honda Pilot is WONDERFUL. Everyone loves my car when they get inside it! We almost spent 57k on a Suburban, and I'm SO GLAD it didn't work out. The 2011 has a lot more space. I brought my 6'3 son to test out the middle seat before we purchased it. I've had it almost a year now and I absolutely LOVE it. Here's a 2nd for Honda Pilot - just the right size for 8. Ours is '07 and very reliable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 the 2011 Honda Pilot is WONDERFUL. Everyone loves my car when they get inside it! We almost spent 57k on a Suburban, and I'm SO GLAD it didn't work out. The 2011 has a lot more space. I brought my 6'3 son to test out the middle seat before we purchased it. I've had it almost a year now and I absolutely LOVE it. :iagree: Well, my Pilot is an '09, but the body style is the same. We LOVE it! We live on gravel/mud/clay. The Pilot can get me out of here when needed. And the space! Heaven! We seriously considered a Suburban, but the increasing fuel costs shattered that idea. The Pilot really is good on gas for a vehicle of its size and capabilities. I love how 1,2, or 3 cylinders will shut off if not needed to maximize fuel economy. A little "ECO" light comes on when cylinders shut off. I try to keep that light on as long as possible. I really appreciate the space behind the third row. We looked at a Tahoe, but were turned off by the lack of space when the third row was up. Also, the Tahoe's third row doesn't fold flat. We seriously considered a Minivan. They have better gas milage, which is super important now, but we really needed something with guts to get us out of our country roads. The Pilot meets our needs wonderfully. Another vehicle to consider is a Toyota Sequoia. They are big and roomy, but terrible on gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Another vehicle to consider is a Toyota Sequoia. They are big and roomy, but terrible on gas. We drive a 4WD V8 Sequoia and average 22-24 mpg. I get 22 mpg if I drive 75 MPH and 24 mpg if I drive 65 MPH. It's roomy, powerful and has good ground clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 (edited) We have both a 2007 Suburban and a 2008 Pilot. We like both. However, the few times we've squished the whole family (6 kids) into the Pilot, using all seats, we were indeed squished. The Suburban has more room, especially for gear. I tend to greatly dislike American cars, but I *need* my Suburban. We spend a lot of time driving to and in the mountains on very snowy roads (around 9-10k ft). I don't know of any foreign-made cars that are comparable for space :bigear:. I wish the Pilot were a bit bigger. When the whole family is riding together, we always, always drive the Suburban. If we had fewer kids, it would be a closer call. ETA: for snowy mountain roads, the Pilot (I think it has AWD?) does ok, but the Suburban (4WD) is definitely a notch above. ETA: this is a bit off topic, but my brother recently visited, driving a Sequoia. He's from Texas. I couldn't figure out why he was worried about driving in the moutains - turns out his Sequoia only has 2WD - is that really possible? Part of me still doesn't believe him - better gas mileage I guess. I'm sorry, I'm still laughing at him. (he did fine.) Edited April 20, 2011 by wapiti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 We drive a 4WD V8 Sequoia and average 22-24 mpg. I get 22 mpg if I drive 75 MPH and 24 mpg if I drive 65 MPH. It's roomy, powerful and has good ground clearance. Lalalala! I can't hear you! (I liked the Sequoia. Dh hated it, using the mpg argument to sway me.) I still like my Pilot. Sequoias are pretty, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 We love/loved our Toyota mini van. It was an eight seater. We purchased it new in 06 and just last week when a tornado went through it got totaled. It was too small for our family but when we bought it our 15 passenger was still running. It quit a couple years ago and then we had to take 2 cars everywhere. Since the tornado last week though we don't have that problem anymore. We'll pick up our 12 passenger on Thursday. But we did love our Toyota. Never any problems with it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 We are 8 and it is just right. For long trips we put a car carrier on the roof, so make sure you get a roof rack. Jeri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I was a fan of Ford Expeditions until mine developed holes all over the roof. There is a manufacturing problem with all Ford trucks from 2005-2009, it is only a matter of time for the problems to show up. Ford has refused to fix them, although a few people have sued them and won. I now have a Honda Pilot and love it! The back seats are roomy enough for adults to sit on them. We went to Disney with our 3 kids, two of my grown sisters and my youngest sister's dd. It drives like a car. All of the seats fold down flat. You should have seen all of the stuff I fit in it on a recent Ikea trip. It is fabulous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeneralMom Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 So which 8 or 9 seater has the most trunk space? I am going to need to transport 7 people, 1 Great Dane and 1 Great Pyrenees. I know many, many people who love their Honda Pilots, but it doesn't look like there is any trunk space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kristine in Canada Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 So which 8 or 9 seater has the most trunk space? I am going to need to transport 7 people, 1 Great Dane and 1 Great Pyrenees. I know many, many people who love their Honda Pilots, but it doesn't look like there is any trunk space. I'm pretty sure the Suburban/Yukon XL has the most cargo space, although Ford's Expedition Max might be in the running as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 So which 8 or 9 seater has the most trunk space? I am going to need to transport 7 people, 1 Great Dane and 1 Great Pyrenees. I know many, many people who love their Honda Pilots, but it doesn't look like there is any trunk space. You'd need a Suburban/Yukon XL for that. My Pilot does have space in the back with the third row up, but not enough for a dog. With the third row down, you could fit the dogs, but not the people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 So which 8 or 9 seater has the most trunk space? I am going to need to transport 7 people, 1 Great Dane and 1 Great Pyrenees. I know many, many people who love their Honda Pilots, but it doesn't look like there is any trunk space. It sounds like you need a bus!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarleneW Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I have a Ford Expedition we have had for many years now- its a 2003- and I LOVE it! We have not had any problems and it has many miles on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 So which 8 or 9 seater has the most trunk space? I am going to need to transport 7 people, 1 Great Dane and 1 Great Pyrenees. I know many, many people who love their Honda Pilots, but it doesn't look like there is any trunk space. I think my Pilot has as much room in the back as my (non-extended length) Expedition did (and I would never buy another Expedition...or another Ford for that matter). You can fold down one of the seats in the back of the Pilot, that might help. How often do you ride with your entire family plus dogs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Mitsubishi Delica? or Toyota Estima 4wd, they seem to get exported all around the world and I think they are available in Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeneralMom Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I think my Pilot has as much room in the back as my (non-extended length) Expedition did (and I would never buy another Expedition...or another Ford for that matter). You can fold down one of the seats in the back of the Pilot, that might help. How often do you ride with your entire family plus dogs? Not very often because we have to take two cars - usually I take the back seat out of my minivan and have the two dogs back there, and the girls with me (and when we moved the cats in the front seat), while my DH folds the 3rd row down in our Suzuki XL7 for luggage and takes the boys. I always used to travel with my dogs, even just to run errands, but now don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TengoFive Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 We have an older Ford Excursion (not made anymore) which seats 8 and I love. I believe they replaced it with the Expedition EL. We have a ton of cargo room and plenty of elbow and leg room. I wanted something that the kids would still be comfortable in as they get older and something that could fit at least 3 car seats now. We have had several Fords. All of them have made it to well over 200,000 miles and looked good doing it. My dh's truck has 270,000 miles on it, we sold our old van with 250,000 miles on it and its still going with its new owner, our van now has close to 200,000 and the Excursion has about 150,000. We do a lot of driving and our Fords have held up amazingly well. Our Excursion is a diesel, so we get about 22 mpg. For the cargo room and leg room, I think it would be hard to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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