I'm shopping an SUV since almost 8 to 10 months. I first looked at specs on the web and then compiled them in an MS Excel spreadsheet. Here are the vehicle I'm comparing:
Honda Pilot SE 2008, Toyota Highlander Sport 2008, Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 Sport 2008, Hyundai VeraCruz GLS 2008, Mazda CX-9 GS 2008,Nissan Murano SL-TI 2009, Nissan Pathfinder SE V6 2008. I had other that I just left aside.
My GO-NO GO (or primary point) was that I need a vehicle with a minimum
Towing capacity of 3500 lbs because I need to tow my Regal 1800
Boat that is around 3300 lbs with trailer and the tank full of gas. I have presently a Ford Escape 2001 and it cost me a new transmission last year. Can't say if it because of the boat or the transmission freezing during winter. But I'm pretty nervous about that now.
Only the Pilot, The HL, the 4Runner and the Pathfinder can tow more than 3500 lbs and I decided to forget the other because of that. I never saw a Murano or a CX-9 with a towing package. Nissan could not even offer it for the 2009 edition. That tells a lot.
The HL is one of the Lighter SUV on the market but can handle
more than the Pilot. The HL has a
great Ground clearance compared to other SUV but the 4Runner and Pathfinder are the best on that point.
Except for the Murano, the HL as the
best mileage per gallon than any other even if it has
more HP.
It has a
full size spare tire,
Leather seats with heating and
8 electrical adjustable positions. After the Murano, who has a very huge Information system that can be used as a backup camera, the HL almost the only one who offers a backup camera in the SR5, Sport and Ltd edition. That could be very helpful to put my boat in the water.
Speaking of that, the
HL is the only one offering a system that detect that you are climbing in a hill and that will maintain the brakes 2 seconds to permit you to move your feet from the brake pedal to the gas pedal. This way, the HL will not back off in the water. In my Ford Escape I have to use the hand brake to do this to get the boat out of the water.
Safety:
The crash test from
www.safercar.gov and form
www.iihs.org are absolutly perfect. The Honda Pilot as a better Rollover resistance (15%) compared to 17% for the HL. It's the only one with
Air bags for the driver knees.
Test Drive:
The
HL is very comfortable, Good acceleration and Very Good braking. The Pilot and the CX-9 are more fun to drive than the HL; More Sporty. The Interior is Pretty well don in the Sport Edition. The basic edition is a little cheap.
Interior:
The HL has AM/FM/MP3/WMA with a 6 CD Changer. Almost all the other have it except the CX-9 GS. You have to go in the GT (50000$) to have it at Mazda.
The heated seats have an analog heat control that you can adjust the temperature. All others have 1 or 2 temperature settings. Leather seats are comfortable with good support.
Dashboard is OK and central console is well designed with large buttons that you can operate even with winter leather gloves. That is appreciated here in north of Quebec. Ventilation is a little noisy and it took time to get the heat out of it last week in the test drive.
Price:
The HL is not the cheapest but Toyota has lowered the price by 2700$ in Canada recently making it more competitive. Honda did not and you will pay 5000$ more for a less equipped Honda Pilot. The Murano was the best price but it is not comparable to the HL. It is a 5 passengers not a 7 passengers.
Honda Pilot has less depreciation on a 3 year basis (37%) compared to the HL (43%).
But HL reliability is rated 5/5 compared to the Pilot who has 4/5.
Recommendation: It is one of the best SUV you can have for the Price if you need a good towing capacity and good mileage per gallon. Buy on.
I hope t could help others to make their choice.
Here is some more information
2008 HL Sport 4WD - leather - NAV - XM - Cypress Green
Linear Mode
