If I were to ask I'd take a closer look on sta. fe than on fortuner and the Alterra, Fortuner has the looks but a questionable engine reputation while the alterra is just too bland with a decent power plant though, I reckon the Sta. Fe is just somewhere between the two...
in my own preferrence, this is how i rate them midsizers...
1. Sta Fe (good looks, stable CRDi system)
1.a Sorento (same as above, but will loose that bmw type kidney grill)
2. Everest (love the front, kaso same old rear... engine? well well have to wait kung stable and its CRDi system)
3. Fortuner ( ke horror about the D4D...VVti nalang, kaso dami na sa daan)
4. Alterra (was never into it sorry)
sir ask ko lang mga oppinion nyo kung ano un pinaka ideal bilin dito sa 4 suvs. we are really looking for our first suvv. thanks.
It all depends on how you'll use it and what your needs are. If you drive mostly on road the Santa Fe is the best bet and is really more comfortable than your other choices and it has more elegant trim inside. You might fall into the Hyundai vs. Toyota image and re-sale value arguments but this is just one of the hurdles you will go into in shopping for the right SUV. I suggest you test drive your choices
for purely on-roading( with a bit of light off-roading)- Santa Fe 2.2crdi or Sante Fe 4x4 2.7 V6 for both.
mixed off-roading and on-roading - 3.0 Fortuner d4d gets my vote coz of the looks...but Topgear Ph mag said, Everest is better off-roading wise.Sorento deserves a look, but sacrifices on the lack of 3rd row seats, but could be the best on dirt and rocks.Alterra? just not my kind....lacks pogi points to me
On-Road ability
1. Santa Fe - Road biased tires, unibody chassis (good for handling), powerful.
2. Everest - Thinner tires should prove more road compliant than old ones. Most power in class at the moment, 5-speed AT, and supposedly good handling.
3. Fortuner - Drives well, despite off-road tires. Powerful once past first gear.
Comfort - Second Row
1. Santa Fe - good ride, decent space.
2. Everest - supposedly better ride than before, but it's still a leaf-spring vehicle, not the best interior room, but it's better than the Alterra, which has a washboard for the middle second row passenger (seriously uncomfortable seat).
3. Fortuner - it's nice to drive, looks great... but comfort in the second row is compromised by the jittery ride, and there are no second row vents.
Comfort - Third Row
1. Everest - not the best third row space, but it's easily accessible, and there's a bit of legroom, despite the second row not sliding. Third row gets own AC vents. Only gripe is lack of headrests.
2. Santa Fe - Third row is pretty small (second row doesn't slide), but not as bouncy in the big trucks.
3. Fortuner - Third row is well sculpted and has own AC vents. Ride all the way back there is kind of bad, and you need to scoot the second row all the way forward for decent leg space.
Cargo capacity
1. Everest - definitely. Third row folds easily, and is actually detachable, and the door locks in place to facilitate loading. High rear floor limits space, but that's the only problem here. All the others are more compromised.
2. Fortuner - Third row compromises cargo space, as it doesn't fold flat (bulky seats), and the high bumper has no scratch guard or step.
Off-roading
1. Fortuner - actually more rugged and capable than you think. High bumpers actually give good clearance. Many aftermarket off-road parts for the Hilux will fit this truck.
2. Everest - LSD (daw), good angles, sturdy frame. Better water fording capabilities than the Fortuner, theoretically, but then you'd be kind of silly to try it unless you know what you're doing, or unless you have a snorkel.
3. Alterra - well, at least it's available in 4x4.
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Nag test drive ako kahapon sa Mall of Asia ng Everest 4x4 at 4x2, MT and AT. Pag sakay ko pa lang ramdam ko na yung Difference ng Old Everest at ng Bago. Meron akong Everest 06 at Ranger 07, kaya napansin ko kaagad yung pag kakaiba
Ang gamit na tranny ng Everest at Ranger ay pang Explo. Yung Suspension naman ng bagong Everest ay mas malambot kay sa bagong ranger.
Masmalakas ngyn ang Engine ng Ranger/Everest, TDCi na at parang Gas Engine na ang takbo nya. kahit yung 2.5 lng ay napaka lakas na, at mas matipid ang TDCi kaysa sa lumang WLT engine.
@Niky: May LSD, ABS w/ EBD ang bagong Ranger at Everest, kaya sarap ihataw lagi eh. Bkt wala ka kahapon?
@RAV_5: Got held up at work. Went there kanina with sina Marvin... teka teka... ba't dalawang araw ka pumunta?
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Word! The new Everest strikes a good balance between comfort and handling... and the power is great! Only dislike, really, is the electronic throttle programming, but then again, I really hate electronic throttles... Will post more on it when I get to work tomorrow.
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The Fortuner has one of the largest and most comfortable second row seats, particularly if they're pushed all the way back to the end of their tracks. The cushion is high so there's ample thigh support and legroom. The third row is quite hospitable too, because the seat is mounted high and there's a footwell, as well as headrests. You will not feel like sitting on the floor (knees to chin) in the Fortuner's third row, unlike in the Alterra and Everest.
The way the Fortuner's third row folds (split-half and folds against the side windows) makes it more versatile as well compared to the one-piece forward-folding third row seats in the Everest and Alterra. Say you want to carry a big, long box. In the Fortuner, just fold up the third row, fold the second row, and you're set. In the Everest and Alterra, it's not that simple because folding the third row means that it will block the cargo space and you won't have a continuous floor from the tailgate up to the front seats. Also, carrying a comination of persons and cargo will be easier in the Fortuner (situational though).
Of course a third-row seat that folds flat into the floor is ideal, but it's technically almost impossible to do in a live-axle and ladder-framed truck like the Fortuner, so I think Toyota has the next best configuration. The floor space that the side-folding third-row seat liberates is more useful than the space along the walls of the cargo bay that it eats up.
07' everest or fortuner or alterra or sta. fe
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