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I know I heard wheelin in the first question, however, those Nissan Morano's are sweet. I don't know if they come in 4 wheel drive, but I took one around and they have excellent handling, leather, instrument column, looks, etc.... And its 4 door. I would go with another VX, but I think 4 door is a luxary that is needed.
The Morano, but I don't know if you can get under 30, maybe last years model, but I think those are a hot ticket item....
just got done looking at the morano (off the nissan website) they dont have cup holders either
We seriously considered a Murano late last year to replace the 4Runner. I found it fast and it does have a good mix of luxury/functionality. On the flip side, it's really more of a modified station wagon than an off-road vehicle. If you want something that handles well in bad weather and has some luxury and quickness (loved the CVT), the Murano could easily fit the bill. For a bit more $$ the FX45 is much nicer (esp with the V8) but it was out of our price range.
If you are looking for an actual truck that has some luxury options I can't think of anything in your price range that would work. If price wasn't an option, the Toyota Landcruiser (and Infiniti equivalent) blows everything away. Second to that would be the Range Rover. I've personally had bad experiences with the Rover products from the last 15 years or so (I'm not sure about the new "Ford" products). Most other SUVs that we looked at were basically station wagons with AWD/limited 4WD.
We ended up buying a Toyota Highlander - really a station wagon and not a truck. It had a good mix of luxury/performance/looks and was more economical than the Lexus version (330). It foot the bill for my girl friend who is in real estate (she was driving the 4Runner and the manual tranny plus lift made it difficult to show properties). We looked at a lot of vehicles including most of those listed above, both new and used. With the incentives Toyota was providing the Highlander won hands-down for our needs.
-- Best, John
(of course I do miss the 4Runner - that beast could do a lot! It just didn't meet the need, plus we have the VX for "fun"!).
Luxury....four wheeling....camping....power...around town....etc.
How about a VX, with Tone's hitch, and then tow a small, lifted trailer (simular to what U-haul has).
There are pro's and con's to all ideas here. Now, do you think you will find everything you want in one auto? Probably not...