[lesmore49]

My wife and I are in our 60's. We're retired. We're looking for a new vehicle. Currently we have two sedans...a 2015 Impala, 3.6 V6...the new style, not the old style Impala that's been around for years. It's been a wonderful car. Bought new, it has not had one issue. The other a 2007 Buick LaCrosse. Bought new, also big V6, very comfortable, very good car over the years.

We live in snow/winter country. Winter comes in early November, here till at least late March. Cold, ice and snow stays till the end, not much in the way of melting.

We want all wheel drive. I need a vehicle that I can stretch out my front legs...bad knees...hockey injuries when I was younger. My wife has difficulty getting up in a pickup truck or truck based SUV.

We also like the hatchback style of an SUV, easy to slide in groceries without lifting up and over sedan trunk.

I've tried sitting in imports over the years (latest 2015 models) and most of them don't have enough front leg room to accommodate me comfortably. Maybe this has changed with new models, I don't know.

We live in Canada, so this thread would have to focus on vehicles available in North America...Canada/USA. Thanks.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. We buy knew, so it will be an NOS 2017 or new 2018.

[TedH42]

Does a Subaru Outback work for your legs? A great winter vehicle. Lower even than the Subaru Forester. Love mine in Colorado.

[gm4life]

Well I would suggest you look at a new GMC Acadia nice size not big but not to small. They ride up but not so high you need to take a huge step up in.

FWIW in my family fleet we have a 2016 GMC Terrain Denali FWD 4 cylinder and a 2015 GMC Yukon SLE 4WD. The new 2018 Terrain looks nice but is a bit smaller so that is why I suggested an Acadia. The Yukon is a great truck but is a little higher off of the ground... So the new Acadia strikes a nice balance furthermore it comes in AWD with a fully updated version of the 3.6L V6 in your Impala. The engine was completely re-worked only the displacement stayed the same... From the vehicles reviewed with that motor it is nearly universally praised too.

Give one a try and let me know what you think. If the Acadia is too big you could try a Terrain (2017's are on close out) or a new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox or 2018 GMC Terrain - but they are four cylinder only.

If budget is no issue I would suggest looking at the new Cadillac XT5 too. If your wife could do a truck based SUV I would in a heart beat suggest a new a Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC Yukon - they are pricey but worth the money. At least in the states you can find some deals on them, they ride great, do snow great, have a sweet heart of a 5.3L V8 based on the Corvette motor with plenty of power and get nearly crossover fuel economy. Need to tow a travel trailer, boat, utility trailer they laugh at those!

Best of luck please advise what you end up with.

[gaweidert]

Not sure how much money you have for a new vehicle, but my Ford Edge was the best traveling vehicle I ever owned. And you can get on in AWD. I had the FWD version and it was very comfortable and seems the right height for me, I am 66, to get in and out of. Easy on my back on the road and plenty of leg room. Sadly I wanted to go 4WD and the Edge was jut more money than I wanted to spend. I currently drive a Nissan Frontier pickup. I got it new last November for about $26,500 USD. It was great last winter and I took a 5,000 mile trip in it in May and it was pretty comfortable. Good legroom.

[lesmore49]

Does a Subaru Outback work for your legs? A great winter vehicle. Lower even than the Subaru Forester. Love mine in Colorado.

I tried a 2015 model of that exact car. I find it really appealing...AWD, station wagon and the available 3.6 liter flat 6. I had problems stretching out my legs in the driver's seat, also my shoulders hitting the pillar. I should of mentioned that I'm a big guy,,,,6' 3.5 ", broad shoulders and 240 lbs. My clothes size are generally around 2 extra large, tall (2XLT).

I drop by the Subaru dealer every few years to see if the cabin is bigger. Probably should do so again. I know a pickup truck would meet my needs, but not my wife.

---------- Post added 09-17-17 at 03:02 PM ----------

Well I would suggest you look at a new GMC Acadia nice size not big but not to small. They ride up but not so high you need to take a huge step up in.

FWIW in my family fleet we have a 2016 GMC Terrain Denali FWD 4 cylinder and a 2015 GMC Yukon SLE 4WD. The new 2018 Terrain looks nice but is a bit smaller so that is why I suggested an Acadia. The Yukon is a great truck but is a little higher off of the ground... So the new Acadia strikes a nice balance furthermore it comes in AWD with a fully updated version of the 3.6L V6 in your Impala. The engine was completely re-worked only the displacement stayed the same... From the vehicles reviewed with that motor it is nearly universally praised too.

Give one a try and let me know what you think. If the Acadia is too big you could try a Terrain (2017's are on close out) or a new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox or 2018 GMC Terrain - but they are four cylinder only.

If budget is no issue I would suggest looking at the new Cadillac XT5 too. If your wife could do a truck based SUV I would in a heart beat suggest a new a Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC Yukon - they are pricey but worth the money. At least in the states you can find some deals on them, they ride great, do snow great, have a sweet heart of a 5.3L V8 based on the Corvette motor with plenty of power and get nearly crossover fuel economy. Need to tow a travel trailer, boat, utility trailer they laugh at those!

Best of luck please advise what you end up with.

The new 2017/18 Acadia with the 3.6 liter V6 is one we will definitely look at. I've tried the Equinox/Terrain, but the bolster of the front seat really digs into me, although the leg room is fine. You must of read my mind. I've checked out the new Acadia...only online though...but on paper it seems to be a strong candidate.
Budget is ok, but won't venture into Cadillac territory.

---------- Post added 09-17-17 at 03:05 PM ----------

Not sure how much money you have for a new vehicle, but my Ford Edge was the best traveling vehicle I ever owned. And you can get on in AWD. I had the FWD version and it was very comfortable and seems the right height for me, I am 66, to get in and out of. Easy on my back on the road and plenty of leg room. Sadly I wanted to go 4WD and the Edge was jut more money than I wanted to spend. I currently drive a Nissan Frontier pickup. I got it new last November for about $26,500 USD. It was great last winter and I took a 5,000 mile trip in it in May and it was pretty comfortable. Good legroom.

I haven't tried the Edge, but we did try the Explorer, which we liked. Will have to look at the AWD Edge, didn't realize you could get it in AWD.

As far as the Nissan Frontier pickup is concerned, our son just got one. He has the 4WD Pro4X model. What a truck ! I'm very impressed.

[TedH42]

I tried a 2015 model of that exact car. I find it really appealing...AWD, station wagon and the available 3.6 liter flat 6. I had problems stretching out my legs in the driver's seat, also my shoulders hitting the pillar. I should of mentioned that I'm a big guy,,,,6' 3.5 ", broad shoulders and 240 lbs. My clothes size are generally around 2 extra large, tall (2XLT).

I drop by the Subaru dealer every few years to see if the cabin is bigger. Probably should do so again. I know a pickup truck would meet my needs, but not my wife.

I think that could eliminate the Outback. Too bad. (I'd also like a larger Outback version - something to tow > 3500 lbs.)

[twilhelm]

As stated, the Edge in AWD is a good vehicle. I've had 3 Explorers over the years, a little more room but also a little more seat height from the ground. If you like the sedans, there is a Ford Taurus AWD. I'm 6'2" tall and drive one at work every day with plenty of leg room.

[dms]

For snow nothing beats real winter tires on all 4 wheels. I like General Tire's Arctic and have 4 mounted on my winter wheels. That is from what I read (my driving being two wheel drive) more important than front wheel vs all wheel drive.

[csa]

If you're not in an immediate hurry, Subaru is coming out with one that might fit you!

Forbes Welcome

[SSGGeezer]

I am in Maine and have a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Ltd. It had a year sitting on the lot so I stole it after discounts and rebates. SInce I live in the sticks, I just added actual winter tires and have no issues even when I am ahead of the plows. Winter claw is an inexpensive brand and snows hurt my mileage, but I never worry about getting stuck. Subaru is very popular up here but I just don't see the cost benefits due to less warantee, more weight due to the driveline, and poor fuel economy when compared to similar sized imports. You should just ensure that your wife makes the final decision on model to keep a peaceful life.
Good luck.

[CP140]

My wife and I are in our 60's. We're retired. We're looking for a new vehicle. Currently we have two sedans...a 2015 Impala, 3.6 V6...the new style, not the old style Impala that's been around for years. It's been a wonderful car. Bought new, it has not had one issue. The other a 2007 Buick LaCrosse. Bought new, also big V6, very comfortable, very good car over the years.

We live in snow/winter country. Winter comes in early November, here till at least late March. Cold, ice and snow stays till the end, not much in the way of melting.

We want all wheel drive. I need a vehicle that I can stretch out my front legs...bad knees...hockey injuries when I was younger. My wife has difficulty getting up in a pickup truck or truck based SUV.

We also like the hatchback style of an SUV, easy to slide in groceries without lifting up and over sedan trunk.

I've tried sitting in imports over the years (latest 2015 models) and most of them don't have enough front leg room to accommodate me comfortably. Maybe this has changed with new models, I don't know.

We live in Canada, so this thread would have to focus on vehicles available in North America...Canada/USA. Thanks.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. We buy knew, so it will be an NOS 2017 or new 2018.

My brother (Whitehorse) swears by his Subaru Forester.

[reeftool]

I own 2 Honda CRV's, a 2014 and 2007. I highly recommend them. They are all wheel drive and get very good gas mileage. I live in upstate NY, snow country, and they handle the winter weather well. There is plenty of storage for the daily chores as well as vacations. It's not a truck and doesn't drive like one. A previous (2000) CRV bounced around the family for many years. My daughter sold it last year with 280K miles on it. I still see it. One of the nurses in our doctors office now owns it and it's still going strong. They are very well built and durable.
My only gripe, and it's a gripe with a lot of the current new cars, was the OEM tires. They are putting low profile 17 inch tires on everything these days and they don't wear as well. The Bridgestones that came on the car were noisy and didn't wear well. I have installed Cooper SRX tires on both cars and the difference is astounding.

[PJ1]

Another vote for Subaru. We are on our second Forester. Had a Liberty before those. Good vehicles and the Outback might have the size you want. (As an aside, a friend of mine (Rolls Royce owner) once borrowed my Liberty and could not believe that it felt better to drive than his Rolls!)

[gaweidert]

If you look at the Forester make sure that you check the legroom. My wife owned two of them before she got an Outback earlier this year. I always found it uncomfortable to drive. She always got standard transmission ones and since the steering wheel did not telescope finding a good position for long haul driving eluded me and I am 5' 9" . I have not tried the latest models and they are bigger. No complaints in the reliability department and they AWD on them was awesome in the winter. She drove her first one for 7 years and her second one for 10.

If seating and headroom is important, you might want to sit in and/or test drive a Kia Soul. It is only FWD, but it supposedly does well with snow tires. Small on the outside, big on the inside.