What's the best seven seater SUV for the snow?

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   Paul Edmondsonposted 13 years ago

   What's the best seven seater SUV for the snow?
   
   I'm looking for a 2007 - 2010 SUV that seats at least seven people and had really good power in the snow.  What SUVs meet this criteria?

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2. 88

   ThePracticalMommyposted 13 years ago

   I have a Toyota Highlander with the third row seating (seven seats). I was able to easily drive through the mountains in snow no problem. Is it the best? Not sure, but it worked very well for me. I had to drive through snow-covered windy mountain roads to and from work every day in the winter for the past several years.

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3. 80

   TahoeDocposted 13 years ago

   I have a Lexus GX470 (2006, so older) and I thought of it as a "fluffly" car when I got it. But, I cannot say enough about how great this thing is in the snow (I live in South Lake Tahoe and we get very serious snow!- feet at a time). It's annoying to stop it to put in 4wd, but at least in that year model, it was necessary. Maybe they have changed it since then. Honestly, though, this thing goes so well in the snow and on ice (with all-seasons, no less), that I have only HAD to use 4wd a few times in my 5 years of living here and I live out in the county, on a hill and not in town where the plows run continuously. It is a beast in the snow, and it has high enough clearance that it can get through the four foot dumps of snow on our street if I get called into work before the plows come through. The Toyota 4-Runner is similar, but when I test-drove them, the Lexus gave a better overall feel - or maybe I just thought it did because of the pretty interior
   The 3rd row replaces the cargo space so you will have to have one of those roof-mounted carrier things to carry gear.

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      Paul Edmondsonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I just got a 2007 Lexus GX470 with 43K miles and am really looking forward to taking it to Tahoe and seeing how it does in the Snow.  I looked at a lot of cars, and I think this is a really good combo of 4wd capabilities and luxury.

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   2. 80

      TahoeDocposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hope you like it. If you have good snow tires, you won't need 4wd much.
      Make sure you read the instruction manual and know well how to put it in 4wd before you need it since it's not easy to read the manual on the side of the road in a snowstorm.

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      Paul Edmondsonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm really looking forward to driving it in the snow. I'll get on that manual.

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4. 76

   mattdigiulioposted 12 years ago

   If a relatively new seven-seater with power and snow prowess are the keys, then the best options in my mind would be the Toyota Land Cruiser, or the Lexus LX 570 (the luxury variant of the Land Cruiser). These are not cheap trucks, nor do they get very good gas mileage, but they are extremely reliable and have been running for years in some of the planet's most punishing environments. I live in a ski town in Vermont, and there are a substantial amount of Land Cruisers and LX 570s hustling around, casting long shadows over my little Subaru.
   
   If these are too pricy or too gaudy for you, I'd check out the Honda Pilot, or the Acura MDX (the luxury variant of... you get the idea). I'm not sure about the absolute newest versions of these 'utes, but I know that the ones of the past couple years were running on Honda's bulletproof 240 horsepower V6. Both have great traction and high-speed stability. My brother-in-law has an '04 Pilot that has been to some incredible places, and it will comfortably haul seven and their gear.
   
   Best of luck, now's the time to buy.

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5. 53

   ilhan dagposted 7 years ago

   2007 Lexus GX470 with 43K miles in terms of differential super car possibilities at any moment of life life is very full remember.
   
   Some features : <3
   
   CLEAN VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT**, **LOCAL TRADE IN**, **MECHANICALLY-INSPECTED**, 11 Speakers, 17' x 7.5' 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels, 3.727 Axle Ratio, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, ABS brakes, AM/FM radio, Adaptive suspension, Air Conditioning, Auto tilt-away steering wheel, Auto-dimming Rear-View mirror, Auto-leveling suspension, Automatic temperature control, Brake assist, Bumpers: body-color, CD player, Cassette, Compass, Delay-off headlights, Driver door bin, Driver vanity mirror, Driver's Seat Mounted Armrest, Dual front impact airbags, Dual front side impact airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Front Bucket Seats, Front anti-roll bar, Front dual zone A/C, Front fog lights, Front reading lights, Front wheel independent suspension, Fully automatic headlights, Garage door transmitter: HomeLink(R), Genuine wood console insert, Genuine wood dashboard insert, Genuine wood door panel insert, Heated Front Bucket Seats, Heated front seats, Heated power door mirrors, Illuminated entry, Illuminated running boards, Leather Seat Trim, Leather Shift Knob, Leather steering wheel, Lexus Premium Sound System, Low tire pressure warning, MP3 decoder, Mark Levinson Premium Audio System, Memory seat, Occupant sensing airbag, Outside temperature display, Overhead airbag, Overhead console, Panic alarm, Passenger door bin, Passenger seat mounted armrest, Passenger vanity mirror, Power door mirrors, Power driver seat, Power moonroof, Power passenger seat, Power steering, Power windows, Radio data system, Rain sensing wipers, Rear anti-roll bar, Rear seat center armrest, Rear window defroster, Rear window wiper, Remote keyless entry, Roof rack, Security system, Speed control, Speed-sensing steering, Split folding rear seat, Steering wheel memory, Steering wheel mounted audio controls, Tachometer, Telescoping steering wheel, Tilt steering wheel, Traction control, Trip computer, Variably intermittent wipers

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6. 0

   FoldingOperatorposted 7 years ago

   Anything with AWD will be good for you. It might end up being more expensive in the long run, but All Wheel Drive cars are really the best for any terrain. My friend gave me a ride to the store in his Audi during a blizzard, and I couldn't even tell there was snow on the ground. It was ridiculous.

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7. 61

   WheelSceneposted 7 years ago

   Hey Paul!
   
   That is a great question! The Lexus GX / Toyota Land Cruiser is a very good pick. Lots of room and power and fairly reliable.
   
   Another option would be to consider a Tahoe / Suburban, they have lots of room, power and winter capabilities. You can find great deals on used ones that won't cost as much as a Toyota/Lexus upfront. They may be less reliable however.
   
   The last and coolest option in our opinion would be a Tesla Model X. They are expensive up front but have loads of power, AWD and 3 rows of seating, plus you never need to freeze at the gas pump!
   
   Happy hubbing!

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