re: When would you all recommend getting a new car?

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and it is more pronounced in interstate driving.

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Still a difference in city driving as well.

While going from 16 to 19 doesnt seem like much in raw mpg, it's a near 20% increase in mileage. No different than say going from 22 to 26 mpg.

Again, no one is really going to buy the story a Pilot is getting the same mileage as a big body on frame 3 row gas SUV. Maybe a VERY old Pilot but not a more recent one that's rated at like 20 city 26-27 highway. You were driving it like a dog to get that poor of mileage.

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I'd say the guy driving a foreign luxury vehicle (with msrp comparable to a large domestic suv) shouldn't be throwing stones at the glass house of necessity guiding one's choice of vehicles

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The MDX isn't really a "luxury" vehicle. It's a "premium" Pilot. Luxury is something like a BMW X7 or MB GLS, etc...something way more than an MDX costs. The MDX is just a slight upcharge from a Honda Pilot, even today it starts UNDER $50k...or still thousands less than the price of a stripped out poverty spec Tahoe/Expedition (which dont really exist anyways). People arent buying $55k new Tahoes or Expeditions, they are spending way more.

Also we bought our 2014 MDX in 2017 for $25k with 39k miles on it. So I will gladly still say buying a brand new body on frame 3 row SUV makes NO sense for a 1-2 kid family with no major towing requirement and is just a huge waste of money not only up front but over time (MPGs) when you could get essentially top trim level 3 row unibody SUVs for thousands less than the stripped out non-existent 3 row body on frame Expeditions/Tahoes. They are just a gigantic waste of money without multiple kids (3+) or an actual towing requirement...and I dont mean towing a 5k RV once a year somewhere either which you could rent something for anyways


Also again it's not a "coule thousand dollars" over a few years. If we're talking new here, you're saving A TON of money over a few years, not just in fuel but in the actual cost of the vehicle of saying buying a $45k 3 row minivan or unibody 3 row SUV vs. a $65k body on frame 3 row SUV. Up front you're already down $20k, now every year you're probably throwing away another $750-$1k on gas.

Do a 5 year loan at say 5% financing say $25k vs. $45k (assuming $20k down/trade on both). $28.3k on the $25k loan over 5 years vs. $50.8k on the $45k over 5 year. So after 5 years, you've now paid $22.5k more for the car, and another $3500-$5000 more in gas. This isnt even factoring in depreciation which will be worse over time on the Ford/Chevy body on frame more expensive vehicle as well. financially just a really dumb choice unless you absolutely need that kind of space or towing requirement.

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I'd say the guy driving a foreign luxury vehicle (with msrp comparable to a large domestic suv)

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You can get a lightly used (like 30k or less miles) MDX for around $30k. Tell me how comparable that is to a Tahoe/Expedition with the same year/mileage

I'll go on autotempest right now and look if you want. Just give me the zip and range.