Father-in-law in search of new SUV

[Bogeyman]

My father-in-law is in the market for a new vehicle to replace his aging Adventure. He was initially eyeing the new X-Trail, but decided against it since it does not have diesel and M/T. My wife suggests the Tucson, but it only seats 5 and the base CRDi variant is only available in A/T. So what else is out there? We're looking for other choices based on the following non-negotiables:

Budget: 1.3M - 1.4M

Mandatories: Diesel, M/T, can seat 7, third-row seatbelts (not lapbelts)

The most probable choice at the moment is the Montero Sport 4X2 M/T because of the looks and the ride quality, but he's somewhat concerned that the bigger tires might affect fuel consumption. Plus, my in-laws aren't too keen on vans (since they don't want to be 'conscripted' into ferrying relatives at events), and no Fortuners either, since an uncle already owns one.

[Titleist983k]

My father-in-law is in the market for a new vehicle to replace his aging Adventure. He was initially eyeing the new X-Trail, but decided against it since it does not have diesel and M/T. My wife suggests the Tucson, but it only seats 5 and the base CRDi variant is only available in A/T. So what else is out there? We're looking for other choices based on the following non-negotiables:

Budget: 1.3M - 1.4M

Mandatories: Diesel, M/T, can seat 7, third-row seatbelts (not lapbelts)

The most probable choice at the moment is the Montero Sport 4X2 M/T because of the looks and the ride quality, but he's somewhat concerned that the bigger tires might affect fuel consumption. Plus, my in-laws aren't too keen on vans (since they don't want to be 'conscripted' into ferrying relatives at events), and no Fortuners either, since an uncle already owns one.

You pretty much ruled out everything you can buy locally.

[Titleist983k]

My father-in-law is in the market for a new vehicle to replace his aging Adventure. He was initially eyeing the new X-Trail, but decided against it since it does not have diesel and M/T. My wife suggests the Tucson, but it only seats 5 and the base CRDi variant is only available in A/T. So what else is out there? We're looking for other choices based on the following non-negotiables:

Budget: 1.3M - 1.4M

Mandatories: Diesel, M/T, can seat 7, third-row seatbelts (not lapbelts)

The most probable choice at the moment is the Montero Sport 4X2 M/T because of the looks and the ride quality, but he's somewhat concerned that the bigger tires might affect fuel consumption. Plus, my in-laws aren't too keen on vans (since they don't want to be 'conscripted' into ferrying relatives at events), and no Fortuners either, since an uncle already owns one.

You pretty much ruled out everything you can buy locally.

You eliminate the following by requiring gasoline engine and/or 3rd row seats;

CR-V
X-Trail
Tucson
Sportage
CX-7
Forester
and the like.....

You eliminate the medium sized suv's simply by not wanting big tires unless you will change them to smaller ones which I do not recommend both on aesthetics and performance. Fortuner, Montero, Alterra, Sta Fe etc.

An Innova is a logical choice, smaller tires, 3 rows.... but your father in law wants an SUV.

What you are looking is simply not in the market

[OTEP]

Bigger tires don't affect fuel consumption that much. Its the bigger car itself that does. The gearing is always optimized to the tires installed. Hence the need to regear a vehicle when you do any significant tire upsizing as a some 4wd enthusiasts do.

[Titleist983k]

CORRECTED: Did not have a chance to edit my post last night due to forum maintenance.

You pretty much ruled out everything you can buy locally.

You eliminate the following by requiring a diesel engine and/or 3rd row seats;

CR-V
X-Trail
Tucson
Sportage
CX-7
Forester
and the like.....

You eliminate the medium sized suv's simply by not wanting big tires unless you will change them to smaller ones which I do not recommend both on aesthetics and performance. Fortuner, Montero, Alterra, Sta Fe etc.

An Innova is a logical choice, smaller tires, 3 rows.... but your father in law wants an SUV.

What you are looking for is simply not in the market

[Titleist983k]

Bigger tires don't affect fuel consumption that much. Its the bigger car itself that does. The gearing is always optimized to the tires installed. Hence the need to regear a vehicle when you do any significant tire upsizing as a some 4wd enthusiasts do.

Agree. Replaced the 205's in my Navara with 265's. If there is a difference in fuel consumption I hardly notice it at all.

[OTEP]

And if having to change a flat tire is another concern against 'large' tires, just buy a portable air compressor so you can at least drive to the nearest repair facility or at least some place safer.

I also went from 31" tires to 33" (that's height) and increased width by 2 inches. Fuel economy is just as bad

[GTi]

diesel M/T that can seat 7 for 1.4M and you don't want the Montero and Fortuner? I suppose you're left with the Isuzu Alterra then. A robust and reliable truck it is. Performance and fuel economy is surprisingly good as well.

And then again, if you are OK with grey market imports, you can always consider getting a grey market base model Santa Fe with the 6 speed manual transmission and 2.2ReVGT engine. Now that is a blast!

[SiRbossR]

^i was also about to say the Santa Fe from the Grey Market but i don't think the Father-in-law would like the idea of getting an import.

[Bogeyman]

Much obliged by the responses. Just to be clear, the Montero is actually the leading contender among his choices since he likes the looks and the ride quality, plus there's the brand loyalty from being a current Mitsubishi owner.

Titleist983k: I thought as much, so it'll most likely be the Montero. The Innova is out of the question since it somewhat defeats the purpose of upgrading from an MPV.

Doc OTEP: We suggested that father-in-law take an MS for a test drive, to see if the added rolling resistance of larger tires would be offset by the torque of common-rail diesel; that was the only concern he had on the MS. Mine was the lower headroom, higher floor height and weird handbrake placement. But hey, I'm not the one paying for the thing, much less using it as a daily driver. Yes, he does have a portable air compressor on his Adventure, so flats aren't much of an issue.

GTi: I don't know, but Isuzus have been a no-no ever since we've, well, started to own cars. Chalk it up to those noisy, vibrating Crosswind units we used to ride as part of our daily commute. Of course, one can argue that they didn't have common-rail powerplants. And to be perfectly honest, the Alterra's design doesn't exactly sing to the family's tastes. Personally, I think there are only two vehicles locally that are able to meet my technical requirements, and one of them is the Crosswind (as long as it's not the Sportivo variant), but I digress. The wife has her heart set on the Tucson (a radical switch from the ASX a year ago), so the ReVGT mated with the 6-speed stick is certainly an attractive proposition -- however, again, it's not our money on the line.

SiRbossR: Exactly. My in-laws want vehicle maintenance to be as easy as bringing it to the casa, at least for the duration of the warranty period; that's one less headache for them. Plus, I don't think the budget could be stretched any further if we were to look at the pricier grey market imports.

Funny, but the Everest didn't seem to come up in this discussion. It's in the same price range as the MS, both have common-rail diesel, and for a difference of 40k, we get LSD on the Everest 4x2 variant, as opposed to the open differential on the '12 4x2 GLX-V MS (tama ba?). I'm not sure how relevant LSD would be to my father-in-law since he very rarely gets off the pavement, though. And the longer bonnet looks a little scary from a safety standpoint. Still, a test drive is in order.

Heck, if my mother-in-law had her way, she would rather spend the money on a new house instead of a new car.

[niky]

Wait for K-AFTA... the Santa Fe will definitely come down in price then.

[GTi]

Well since you put emphasis on the 7 seater part, the Everest's 3rd row doesn't have head rests which makes it rather uncomfortable. Not so sure if it has seatbelts. As for the grey market Santa Fe, it will all depend on where you live. There are grey market dealers that have their own casas and even offer warranties matching those of their local counterparts.

[Bogeyman]

Well since you put emphasis on the 7 seater part, the Everest's 3rd row doesn't have head rests which makes it rather uncomfortable. Not so sure if it has seatbelts. As for the grey market Santa Fe, it will all depend on where you live. There are grey market dealers that have their own casas and even offer warranties matching those of their local counterparts.

Third row seats on the Montero don't have headrests either, which shouldn't be an issue; we'll only be needing the extra seats for family jaunts (such as going to the mall), not long-haul trips. Admittedly though, the Montero's split-fold rear seats are more flexible than the Everest's bench type, and the Ford website only shows the top-of-the-line variant with third-row seatbelts.

As for location, we live in Antipolo while my in-laws are in Bulacan. I don't know if there are grey market dealers in those areas, but the higher sticker price alone (compared to units from authorized dealers) would likely discourage my in-laws from considering a grey market unit, however tempting it might be in terms of standard features and accessories.

[GTi]

Third row seats on the Montero don't have headrests either, which shouldn't be an issue; we'll only be needing the extra seats for family jaunts (such as going to the mall), not long-haul trips. Admittedly though, the Montero's split-fold rear seats are more flexible than the Everest's bench type, and the Ford website only shows the top-of-the-line variant with third-row seatbelts.

As for location, we live in Antipolo while my in-laws are in Bulacan. I don't know if there are grey market dealers in those areas, but the higher sticker price alone (compared to units from authorized dealers) would likely discourage my in-laws from considering a grey market unit, however tempting it might be in terms of standard features and accessories.

Naku taga probinsya pala... Mahirap yan kapag kukuha ng grey market since most of the better grey market dealers are in QC.

Are you sure about the seatbelts in the Everest? Why would they be scrimping on such things as seatbelts? And then again, usually only the 1st row occupants use seatbelts. I'd say the Everest is more capable of road, is virtually flood-proof and has lots of space. But then the rather harsh ride due to the leaf springs may be a deterrent. If you don't mind the droves of Montero's on the streets, then it'll probably be the best choice being a dragster in the highway courtesy of a combo of their much hyped VGT engine and a manual transmission, and having the best ride quality in its class.

[Bogeyman]

Are you sure about the seatbelts in the Everest? Why would they be scrimping on such things as seatbelts? And then again, usually only the 1st row occupants use seatbelts. I'd say the Everest is more capable of road, is virtually flood-proof and has lots of space. But then the rather harsh ride due to the leaf springs may be a deterrent. If you don't mind the droves of Montero's on the streets, then it'll probably be the best choice being a dragster in the highway courtesy of a combo of their much hyped VGT engine and a manual transmission, and having the best ride quality in its class.

The Ford website showcases the 4x4 Limited AT as having third-row seatbelts, so I'm not certain if this applies to the 4x2 XLT MT as well; I need to drop by a dealer and see for myself to be sure. But yes, the Everest has obviously higher ground clearance and more interior space. And the wife is starting to be amused at how common the Montero is on the streets these days, it's becoming a good-natured running joke of sorts.

[Titleist983k]

The Ford website showcases the 4x4 Limited AT as having third-row seatbelts, so I'm not certain if this applies to the 4x2 XLT MT as well; I need to drop by a dealer and see for myself to be sure. But yes, the Everest has obviously higher ground clearance and more interior space. And the wife is starting to be amused at how common the Montero is on the streets these days, it's becoming a good-natured running joke of sorts.

The street quantity of the unit that fits your need should not be an issue. There is a reason why these vehicles sell more (Fortuner,Montero etc) It is because it suits the Asian market both in functionality and economy. :D

[Bogeyman]

The street quantity of the unit that fits your need should not be an issue. There is a reason why these vehicles sell more (Fortuner,Montero etc) It is because it suits the Asian market both in functionality and economy. :D

Large numbers of a particular model on the road also means readily available parts, accessories and service (I have owned an Adventure for the last seven years, so I know exactly what you mean). In fact, the wife and the MIL have already singled out a particular color they want for the Montero.

A more serious caveat, however, is the Montero's image as the prey of choice for armed carjackers (although I have yet to hear of a single carjacking incident involving a Montero in recent months, and it didn't stop a family friend from acquiring a Montero himself recently).

[SiRbossR]

I assure you, or we assure you that buying a grey market import especially from recommended dealers will be the best decision in car purchasing you've made. Warranty palang says it all.

[GTi]

Carjacking is the least thing on my mind when getting a car. As long as you do not park outside as much as possible, lock that steering wheel lock if you do park outside, always lock the doors when travelling, and pray first before you do.

But then, I would still be rooting for that grey market Santa Fe...

[SiRbossR]

All trims and variants of the Ford Everest has seat belts on the third row.

For the ride, well, the Father in Law will be coming from an Adventure so the ride will be better on the Everest hands down.

Also, the Everest is more planted on the road than the Montero or the Fortuner. Thus, giving it better handling on corners.

You might wanna check the Everest out. It's really tough i must say and out of the Box the best looking among the Montero, Fortuner or Alterra straight out of the casa(slightly biased here but still, you get the point)