which big SUV to choose?

**JASON** · December 25th, 2003 01:05 AM

my parents are going to the US to stay with my brother and he drivers a camry and an accord.he's planning to trade in one of his cars, di na raw sila kasya (he has 2 kids) so he's planning to buy a big SUV niya gusto van. he said he's choosing between the toyota sequoia and the new nissan pathfinder armada. ano tingin nyo?ano ba mga yon?

**sikuya** · December 25th, 2003 03:12 AM

between the new armada and the sequoia,i'll pick toyota's fullsize SUV.i'm biased cuz i drive one,and i love it so far.i was down the road like your brother in late 2001 shopping for the big ute, did some research and eventually ended up buying the sequoia.to this day,i have no regrets.unless your brother tows a big boat/trailer or goes off-road a lot,then he can opt for the armada with its big,brawny endurance v8 at 5.6L.

just want to share a comparison test done lately among full-size SUV's:armada,tahoe/yukon,expedition,montero(pajero) and sequioa.

5.mitsubishi montero(pajero everywhere else)

pros:high-quality interior materials,sharp interior design,large cargo capacity,excellent off-road capability
cons:anemic 6-cylinder engine,poor on-road handling,cramped 3rd-row seat,trouble passing a corolla in the highway

4.ford expedition

pros:improved handling,precise steering,well thought-out interior,fold-flat 3rd row,lots of room
cons:needs more power,lacks refinement in rough roads

3.chevy tahoe/GMC yukon

pros:plenty of power,smooth drivetrain,handles well
cons:cheap plasticky interior,bland exterior,cramped 3rd row seat

2.nissan pathfinder armada

pros:big v8 power,off-road capability,roomy cabin,best-in-class towing
cons:ride and handling not as comfortable as the sequoia's, truckish ride

1.toyota sequoia

pros:smooth ride,composed handling,comfortable seating,high build quality,classy interior
cons:heavy 3rd-row seat to remove,not as much towing as rivals

**pajerokid** · December 25th, 2003 08:14 AM

Hmmmm..... if it were up to me, My first choice would be the Toyota Land Cruiser (LC100), Followed by the Montero.

**OTEP** · December 25th, 2003 12:17 PM

If he is going to use it to ferry people around, why not get a people carrier / minivan? They will be more comfortable. They won't be using the off-road hardware anyways.

I like the Pathfinder Armada, though.

**sikuya** · December 27th, 2003 12:27 AM

jason,if your brod is choosing between the armada and sequoia, he probably doesn't want a van.but i'm sure his wife wants a van just like mine did.but if we both are thinking the same way just like the millions out there in good ole USA who made suvs/trucks outsell cars/vans, he wants a fullsize SUV cuz he doesn't want to be seen driving a MOM MOBILE (that is, a van).
macho image..............
oh yeah, here's the armada's picture:

2004 nissan pathfinder armada

**JASON** · December 27th, 2003 01:43 PM

thanks for the infos and pictures pipol.
my brod tells me the landcruiser and the pajero(montero there) are the smallest in the group of USA fullsize utes?

and sikuya,my brod mentioned your term "mom mobile" on vans,
so di siya bumili.and he's about the choose the sequoia.

**OTEP** · December 27th, 2003 02:05 PM

The Armada does have more room in the third seat because it is IRS and not solid axle as on the Sequoia.

**sikuya** · December 27th, 2003 02:18 PM

my hats off to you OTEP and everyone here who are so knowledgeable on mechanicals and all. i didn't know the sequoia doesn't have an IRS, oh well, i just drive it.

jason,between the sequoia and armada,your brod will not go wrong. it's like a choice between an accord or camry. the icky part is nissan's realiability compared to toyota and honda's.but i wont worry about it (heck it's not a kia or hyundai), i trust nissan

**kuroy** · December 27th, 2003 02:54 PM

Try ninyo rin ang Chevy Trailblazer or GMC Envoy. Ganda ng SUV nila and pricewise oks na rin... Envoy ay nasa 40k+ up lang yata.

Sequioa maganda din talaga...

Pangit ang style ng bagong Montero... with due respect sa mga new Montero owners.

**OTEP** · December 27th, 2003 03:13 PM

Car & Driver recently had a long term test on a Chevy Trailblazer EXT. They had very little good things to say about it. The power steering broke, the 4wd sytem broke and it was not really a pleasure to live with.

Sa bagay, almost all domestic brands have less than stellar track records. Ang advantage lang ng domestics (sa U.S.) is that cheap and abundant ang parts.