Looking for a reliable SUV that will last

what-car@globeandmail.com

Dear Jeremy and Michael:

I am looking for a larger family vehicle that offers great value.

I am not fussy about brands or image or any of that. I want a vehicle, probably an SUV (sport-utility vehicle), that will last a good long time without costing me much after I pay for it.

So? What do you think?

Janice

Cato: Janice obviously is a no-nonsense straight-shooter.

Vaughan: So don't waste time meandering around the subject, Cato.

Cato: If we want to talk value, the discussion gets into this whole total cost of ownership thing. So we're looking at what a vehicle costs in terms of its MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price), and also how much an owner will spend in, say, five years, on maintenance, repairs, insurance, depreciation, interest (on the loan or the lease), opportunity costs and taxes.

Vaughan: I can tell you right now, without crunching a single number, that depreciation and government are the biggest hits for any car owner.

Cato: I have seen studies that show safety and environmental regulations account for more than a third of the cost of a new vehicle. Safe and green come at a price. But there is no way for Janice to get around the cost of government. New vehicles must meet green and clean regs - and they are getting tougher every year.

Vaughan: I don't think most voters put a price tag on the tougher vehicle regulations they vote for when they mark the ballots of politicians vowing to tighten emissions regulations and improve fuel economy.

Do they know they are voting to pay more for their next vehicle?

Cato: But let's get back to Janice.

She wants to spend less; she wants value in what looks to me like a decent-sized SUV. This is the kind of analysis she can do on her own, if she'll willing to dig out facts and crunch numbers.

Vaughan: But to do that for every potential vehicle poised to land on her shopping list would take days. So I went looking to see if someone has already done the legwork here in Canada or even in the United States. And there was Forbes magazine.

Cato: Ah, Forbes. Business rag. Didn't Steve Forbes run for president at one time? Made Ralph Nader look like Abraham Lincoln.

But I have seen the data Forbes used in picking a list of best values - vehicles with the lowest five-year ownership costs. It came from the auto consulting firm Vincentric.

Vaughan: All the best values on this list are also a "Recommended Pick" for 2010 from Consumer Reports. So these vehicles are safe and reliable and are best-in-class for penny pinchers.

Cato: Like you.

Vaughan: And Janice.

Cato: So here you go Janice; three SUVs that represent very good value: the Buick Enclave, Lexus RX 350 and Chevrolet Traverse.

Two General Motors' products and a Toyota. Interesting.

Vaughan: Well, the General did manage to repay its government loans last week, although there still is that little matter of 50-billion bucks in non-trading shares.

Nonetheless, GM has some vehicles that offer good value.

Cato: And Toyota - including its Lexus luxury brand - has been hanging its hat on "value" for decades.

The RX 350 is a particularly good crossover SUV.

I have friends with 10-year-old RXs who simply cannot bring themselves to get a new one. There is nothing wrong with the old one.

Vaughan: Vincentric found that the Enclave ($43,505-$51,475) is the least-expensive car to own in its segment.

It's well equipped with loads of features and you can buy an Enclave with either front- or all-wheel-drive.

Cato: The 288-horsepower V-6 is decently fuel-efficient for a big rig, though it's no gas-sipper. The Enclave does weigh 2,269 kg, after all.

Most of all, this rig is hugely quiet and very well done - quieter than the RX.

Vaughan: The RX 350 ($46,900) has been the best-selling Lexus for about a decade now. It was updated significantly last year. The resale value is excellent and reliability is outstanding.

For Janice, this is the safest choice.

Cato: She may get sick of owning one before her RX 350 starts to show signs of age.

Vaughan: As for a third, the Chevrolet Traverse ($35,700-$50,525).

Cato: The data says this is another outstanding value in a big SUV. The Traverse, of course, shares its platform with the Enclave. So for Janice, the Traverse stands out as the less-fancy and less pricey family vehicle she's been looking for - and one with the lower overall ownership costs in the segment.

So Janice, that's my recommendation for you.

Vaughan: The obvious question is why would anyone want an SUV in the first place, but if you must, Janice, go with Cato's recommendation.

Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan are co-hosts of Car/Business, which appears Fridays at 8 p.m. on Business News Network and Saturdays at 2 p.m. on CTV.

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