I really want a TE but wife wants a Honda CRV! :(

[KCcarguy]

sell your m3,

sell the taco,

sell the corolla,

buy her a crv and get yourself a 4runner.

i love fast cars that handle well and all but i just love the 4runner that much more. my friends bugged me a little bit when i sold off my bike + traded in my car to get the 4runner. they told me, going from the fast lane to the family lane eh? and i replied, i may not get somewhere as fast as you can, but i sure as hell can get to places you'll never be able to in your car.

i know its hard to part with but i'd lose the m3. if you're planning for a future with family outings and more than one kid, the 4runner is the better choice.

the 4runner grows and grows on me more with each day I drive it. i've taken it on 1000km trips out to the mountains to snowboard without ever feeling unconfident about my safety or the safety of my family while driving it in 1+ foot of snow. other times i've taken it up fishing to remote lakes that most people could never access, and put a big smile on my dad's face as we havent spent alot of time together and fishing is the only real thing we have in common.

from the back story you've given i think you're wife deserves whatever car she wants and if its a crv she wants you shouldnt try and convince her otherwise.

i think your best bet is to just get her whatever she wants and figure out the rest from there arty:

I completely agree. Our son turned 6 months yesterday and priorities definitely change. To the OP: You don't realize how much a kid changes your life. My M3 used to be my baby. Two years ago I never would have considered selling it. Now, it just doesn't seem that important anymore and I hardly ever drive it. I haven't found a reason to sell it, but if I had too, I wouldn't miss it that much. So, I'd say let her get the CRV.

If you have an active lifestyle that requires a true 4x4, that's OK. You should definitely continue to do things you enjoy and find ways to include your kids. My bet is after baby comes, that M3 will be a lot less important and you'll trade it for a TE......with $ left over for mods!

 

[chmura]

I completely agree. Our son turned 6 months yesterday and priorities definitely change. To the OP: You don't realize how much a kid changes your life. My M3 used to be my baby. Two years ago I never would have considered selling it. Now, it just doesn't seem that important anymore and I hardly ever drive it. I haven't found a reason to sell it, but if I had too, I wouldn't miss it that much. So, I'd say let her get the CRV.

If you have an active lifestyle that requires a true 4x4, that's OK. You should definitely continue to do things you enjoy and find ways to include your kids. My bet is after baby comes, that M3 will be a lot less important and you'll trade it for a TE......with $ left over for mods!

I have a 4 door M3 so it still can be practical. Back seat will fit a child seat without a problem. My wife already purchased a Recaro infant seat for my M3. She is definitely a keeper and knows my passion for automobiles.

You are semi correct. I will probably get her what she wants (a CRV if she chooses) and later on t4r TE for myself. I might have to sell the Tacoma and be 4x4less and daily drive the Corolla for a year or two but I will eventually get myself a t4r TE.

I'm an enthusiasts and I just love to have a sports car like an M3 for weekends and capable 4runner that I can go explore the trails with.

 

[jca21]

I completely agree. Our son turned 6 months yesterday and priorities definitely change. To the OP: You don't realize how much a kid changes your life. My M3 used to be my baby. Two years ago I never would have considered selling it. Now, it just doesn't seem that important anymore and I hardly ever drive it. I haven't found a reason to sell it, but if I had too, I wouldn't miss it that much. So, I'd say let her get the CRV.

If you have an active lifestyle that requires a true 4x4, that's OK. You should definitely continue to do things you enjoy and find ways to include your kids. My bet is after baby comes, that M3 will be a lot less important and you'll trade it for a TE......with $ left over for mods!

just imagine,

if he sold the m3 and got a trail...

he could throw on a shrock works bumper front and back, bud built bump out beefy sliders, bud built full skids, toytec ultimate 3 inch lift, ultra gauntlet rims, gobi ranger roof rack with ladder, etc etc etc........



:zoom:

 

[chmura]

just imagine,

if he sold the m3 and got a trail...

he could throw on a shrock works bumper front and back, bud built bump out beefy sliders, bud built full skids, toytec ultimate 3 inch lift, ultra gauntlet rims, gobi ranger roof rack with ladder, etc etc etc........



:zoom:

haha, true!

You guys are great. No wonder I'm on this forum more than the M3 forums, and I do not even have a t4r yet! :biggrin2:

 

[brockeverly]

+1 on the kids changing your life. I had a 400hp fully built WRX on alcohol when my daughter was born, that lasted about eight months and I got rid of it. Not much point in a car like that when you no longer use it. Back then I thought that if I ever got rid of that car and it was for something like I have now I would be depressed, it is actually quite the opposite. I do, on occasion, miss the sound of the external wastegate and the feel of all four wheels spinning on dry pavement, but that doesn't last more than a few seconds. It is kinda like that new VW commercial (is it fast? is it fast? is it safe?) LOL

 

[jca21]

haha, true!

You guys are great. No wonder I'm on this forum more than the M3 forums, and I do not even have a t4r yet! :biggrin2:

i think the folks on this forum are pretty good.

we try to give a fair recommendation but might be a little biased

 

[KCcarguy]

I'm an enthusiasts and I just love to have a sports car like an M3 for weekends and capable 4runner that I can go explore the trails with.

You sound just like me 1.5 years ago, lol. I understand wanting to keep the M3. After the e9X, there will be no more "true" M cars. So, it's definitely a "keeper". But you might have to choose. Either way you'll have a great vehicle to play with on the weekends.....one on the streets, or one off road.

To the 4runner's credit: the great thing about 4x4's is you can actually take them out and use them as they're intended without killing yourself. My M is fun, but gets boring with time because you can never really drive it like it's meant to be driven. Unless you want to go to a track and best case burn through a $1000 set of tires or , worst case, slam your $70k car into a barricade.

So, why can't you keep the Tacoma/ M3 for yourself and trade the Corolla?

You could also trade the corolla for a nice 3rd or 4th gen.

 

[Okki]

How does the CRV fit one child and with necessary luggage, stroller, bags, etc.

My main concern getting the CRV is that we might outgrow it quickly. I rather just get a bigger vehicle outright rather then selling the CRV after 2 years to get a bigger vehicle like the 4runner. I'm the type that tends to keep cars 8+ years so I do not want to make the mistake buying a smaller CRV.

Like I said this is our first child so I am not really sure how much room we will need at the end.

no wait... seriously??? I grew up in a Fiat 500.. and a Peugeot 205. It's a kid.. not an elephant! My steph-daughter hauls a 110Lbs bull mastiff around in hers... Your baby will have a ways to go before it's bigger than that! LOL

Okki

 

[chmura]

You sound just like me 1.5 years ago, lol. I understand wanting to keep the M3. After the e9X, there will be no more "true" M cars. So, it's definitely a "keeper". But you might have to choose. Either way you'll have a great vehicle to play with on the weekends.....one on the streets, or one off road.

To the 4runner's credit: the great thing about 4x4's is you can actually take them out and use them as they're intended without killing yourself. My M is fun, but gets boring with time because you can never really drive it like it's meant to be driven. Unless you want to go to a track and best case burn through a $1000 set of tires or , worst case, slam your $70k car into a barricade.

So, why can't you keep the Tacoma/ M3 for yourself and trade the Corolla?

You could also trade the corolla for a nice 3rd or 4th gen.

Yeah it really is the last "true" M so that is why I purchased it. No way I want a turbo M3.

I want to sell the Tacoma because here in Southern California the market is extremely good for them. I can sell it for $13-14k. Corolla I can sell for $4k tops. I want to use the Tacoma money (along with my money) and potentially purchase the CRV for my wife outright. Want to pay it in full, do not want another car payment right now.

T4r TE was wishful thinking, I doubt I can spend $40k on one right now.

no wait... seriously??? I grew up in a Fiat 500.. and a Peugeot 205. It's a kid.. not an elephant! My steph-daughter hauls a 110Lbs bull mastiff around in hers... Your baby will have a ways to go before it's bigger than that! LOL

Okki

LOL, this is my first child so I do not know how much room I will need or want yet. The "American" way is to sell a vehicle and buy the biggest vehicle imaginable when having a child. But I am not like that, so CRV size ute should be fine.

i think the folks on this forum are pretty good.

we try to give a fair recommendation but might be a little biased

Funny thing is part of me wants to buy a t4r to be apart of this forum since its so active and everyone seems knowledgeable and helpful.

I went ahead a checked the CRV and Rav4 forum. Those two forums are DEAD! There are two CRV forums and one of them the last post was December 2011. Other one is little better but only has 32 posts in the 2012 CRV section. lol.

 

[jca21]

Yeah it really is the last "true" M so that is why I purchased it. No way I want a turbo M3.

I want to sell the Tacoma because here in Southern California the market is extremely good for them. I can sell it for $13-14k. Corolla I can sell for $4k tops. I want to use the Tacoma money (along with my money) and potentially purchase the CRV for my wife outright. Want to pay it in full, do not want another car payment right now.

T4r TE was wishful thinking, I doubt I can spend $40k on one right now.



LOL, this is my first child so I do not know how much room I will need or want yet. The "American" way is to sell a vehicle and buy the biggest vehicle imaginable when having a child. But I am not like that, so CRV size ute should be fine.



Funny thing is part of me wants to buy a t4r to be apart of this forum since its so active and everyone seems knowledgeable and helpful.

I went ahead a checked the CRV and Rav4 forum. Those two forums are DEAD! There are two CRV forums and one of them the last post was December 2011. Other one is little better but only has 32 posts in the 2012 CRV section. lol.

like i suggested before,

sell the m3

sell the taco

sell the corolla

have money left over to buy the crv, AND a trail edition 4runner PLUS either a nice pop up trailer/camper OR a boat

 

[Catchlight]

chmura wrote: "I went ahead a checked the CRV and Rav4 forum. Those two forums are DEAD! There are two CRV forums and one of them the last post was December 2011. Other one is little better but only has 32 posts in the 2012 CRV section."

What is there to discuss in an online forum about a RAV4 or a CRV? They are both competent, but boring, vehicles with an SUV-like body on a car chassis.

This forum has great discussions and advice by enthusiasts who love their 4Runners, know a ton about them, and are modding themselves into the poorhouse to get the most fun and function out of one of the last true SUVs.

 

[Dewfang]

Dude I don't understand, you can say whatever you want about money, kids, gas mileage, how much your wife won't like it! What can you do with a crv? If you can't afford the runner keep the truck!!!!!

 

[brockeverly]

Funny thing is part of me wants to buy a t4r to be apart of this forum since its so active and everyone seems knowledgeable and helpful.

I went ahead a checked the CRV and Rav4 forum. Those two forums are DEAD! There are two CRV forums and one of them the last post was December 2011. Other one is little better but only has 32 posts in the 2012 CRV section. lol.

rav4world is pretty decent, I don't know about any CRV forums though.

 

[fngfish]

There is no crv forum, due to fact that it's the moms vehicle and my wife already thinks I'm nuts being on this sight!!!

 

[scanny]

I think every vehicle has a forum on the Internet. Simple google search CRV forum showed me this link :
Honda CR-V Owners Club Forums

 

[Dusty Driftwood]

I posted this on the last page, but this furthers my point about online community. I belonged to the CRV forums for years and the Rav4 forum while I was gathering information/shopping for our new car.

HondaSUV Forums - Discussion forum and bulletin board for Honda CR-V, CRV, Element, Pilot, HR-V owners - Powered by vBulletin has more past content about mods and "adventures" but most of the members that do those things have the 1st or 2nd gen CRV. Ever since 2007 re-design it has been mostly a soccer mom-mobile and thus a lower online presence

Honda CR-V Owners Club Forums just went through a re-design, but that is the most activity that board has seen in a long time. That is just a good place to ask stupid questions that you could answer for yourself if you just RTFM

Toyota RAV4 Forums : RAV4World.com was the best of the smaller SUV boards. They had more activity than the CRV boards, but not as much as this one. Keep in min though that the T4R has been around longer than both the previously mentioned vehicles and thus has had a longer following

Other vehicles that I cross shopped against the CRV & Rav4 were the Honda Element & Subaru Outback. But almost every thread on those boards ended in an argument about what generation is better or (for Subaru) the issue about the shaking steering column

 

[DizzyV6P]

Check stroller sizes as well. If you get a nice McLaren umbrella style, it doesn't take too much space. But early on, you'll need those large sized ones to hold the baby carrier, then convert it to a sitting one later. Want one of those fancy $800-$1000 strollers? You'll soon find that the CRV will no longer have any room to store much stuff/groceries with a large size stroller in the back.

With our two girls, we probably went through 9-10 different strollers. My wife didn't like the weight on one, another broke, got two different dual strollers with different sized wheels (those will take up the entire trunk!) plus various umbrella type strollers. You'd be surprised how much room these things take. Throw in a diaper bag, backup diapers and wipes, room for groceries and a trip to Costco or Sam's Club and you'll have one full CRV.

You're only having one kid? Depending on how often you buy cars, you should plan for two. Those back seats get real tight once the rear-facing baby seat is in there. Don't get me wrong...its doable. I've seen many families on the road with two kids, and a full trunk on a Saturday. But why deal w/ space crunch when now you can plan ahead.

I admit it. I sold my 2001 Mercedes S430(it was in the shop more than I drove it per month)for a 2004 Toyota Sienna AWD minivan. Yes, the dreaded M word. But let me tell you. A worried prego wife about the reliability of my current ride, plus all the added stress of a pregnancy is not one to cross. So when da boss says go find a new bigger car...I goes to find a new car. I wanted space and I got permission to load it up because she didn't want me modding it like I did my Honda Accord After seven years and 130k of great service, the Sienna was traded in for the 4Runner. Space was always a concern, especially with two kids.

As a new father, there's a lot of things to take into consideration and as much as we like our fast cars, we now have to plan ahead for a family. If she wants a smaller CRV to cart around town. Then great! But you'll soon find that you will need something bigger when you need to start hauling stuff around. Think vacation as well. What will be packed? With a stroller taking up more than half the space of a CRV trunk, what will be left? You don't want to stack stuff in the passenger seat cuz of the loose items hitting the baby danger, so everything will have to go in the back.

My buddy got a nice diesel Mercedes ML350 Bluetec SUV. A really nice SUV. Except, he's now having a space crunch for his ONE 3 month old. Yes, that nice fancy $1000 stroller he got? Took up more than half the trunk. Then start stacking diapers from Costco, wipes, baby forumla and you've got one full trunk.

These are just some of the many things to consider for new parents that many folks don't think about.

Heck, after typing this, we should start a new thread for new parents and what to look for in a car/suv. I wrote up a nice full-size SUV comparison for my other website when I was doing my suv search that would fit nicely here as well. I'll be the first to admit that I don't go off-roading. The 4Runner was purchased as a necessity to navigate WISP ski area during the winter and getting to and from a cabin. My Sienna AWD went backwards down a hill there...while the Subaru Tribeca had no issues. That alone says a lot about those slippery hill tests that many see as marketing tools. Since you are in SoCal, you don't have to worry about snow and ice. But what about rain? Will you goto Tahoe for vacations? What car will you drive to the mountains? There are plenty of good reasons to still have a good reliabile SUV.

Good luck with your decision and test drive, test drive, test drive. Don't just limit it to what you listed either. You'll never know what your wife will end up liking.

 

[phillyd2]

Its amazing that some of us lived through driving from PA to FL sitting on the back seat hump....without seatbelts.....without IPADS!!!!!! Your kid will be fine no matter what you drive. The wife is the one you need to keep happy.

 

[KCcarguy]

Its amazing that some of us lived through driving from PA to FL sitting on the back seat hump....without seatbelts.....without IPADS!!!!!! Your kid will be fine no matter what you drive. The wife is the one you need to keep happy.

lol, I remember sitting on the fold-down armrest in my mom's cutlass. Those were the good old days.

 

[1engineer]

lol, I remember sitting on the fold-down armrest in my mom's cutlass. Those were the good old days.

Sitting in the backwards facing seats in the back of my dad's station wagon going to Florida.