I have been looking to replace my 2008 Toyota Sienna Limited with a newer vehicle for a long time. My vehicle requirements were as follows:
- hybrid engine (to lower fuel costs)
- space to carry mountain bike, windsurfing gear, surfboards
- AWD/4WD for ski trips to Lake Tahoe and Mammoth
- low maintenance costs
- excellent long-term reliability
- price of $50,000 or less new (or used with an extended warranty)
I started my search over two years ago, during COVID-19 days. At that time, Toyota Sienna availability was sparse, and I was added to a waiting list (to avoid paying above MSRP).
In May 2024, when Alex graduated from Northeastern University, we decided we needed an additional car. We resumed our search and looked at a few possible vehicles:
- 2024 Toyota Sienna Limited AWD
- Positives
- Hybrid 4-cylinder engine without turbo (better reliability)
- Impressive gas mileage (35 mpg)
- Lots of cargo space for holding gear
- All-wheel drive (great for going to Lake Tahoe in the winter)
- Negatives
- Low vehicle availability
- Most dealers are charging $5,000 - $10,000 above MSRP
- The price was over $55k for the Limited AWD version
- Old-fashioned instrument cluster (looks low-tech)
- None available to test drive
- Slower acceleration due to the hybrid powertrain.
- Very long braking distance
- 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Limited AWD
- Positives
- Newest large-panel navigation
- Massive storage (great for carrying people and gear)
- Negatives
- Limited availability for the Limited Hybrid AWD trim (though turbo versions were more common)
- High price for mid-level interior quality
- Drives like a minibus
- Recent problems during collision tests (stop ship on the vehicle to fix airbags)
- 2024 Kia Telluride SX
- Positives
- Lovely interior with an excellent 12" instrument cluster
- 291hp V6 engine
- Excellent driving dynamics but very light steering
- 3-row seating
- Plenty of cargo space
- High ratings on Consumer Reports
- Negatives
- Multiple reliability problems reported by owners, so it may not be a good long-term vehicle
- Too many confusing trim levels
- Vehicle availability is spotty
- High insurance cost
- 2024 Honda Pilot
- Positives
- Cavernous space
- Honda reliability with non-turbo V6 engine
- Reasonable price
- Modern instrument cluster
- Negatives
- Huge size
- Unexciting to drive
- 2024 Infiniti QX60 Sensory AWD
- Positives
- Luxurious interior
- Excellent controls
- Plenty of space
- Lovely 3.5-liter V6 engine
- 3-rows of seating
- Negatives
- High depreciation (low desirability)
- Acceleration lag (hesitation when pressing the gas pedal)
- Unimpressive audio system
- 2024 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4WD
- Positives
- The finest Toyota build quality from Japan's Tehara factory
- Proven 10+-year-old design, with many vehicles, lasts over 350,000 mile
- Lots of trunk space for bikes and windsurfing gear
- High availability at Toyota dealerships
- tried and true V6 engine (2024 is the last year of the V6)
- Proven 4WD system for winter driving to Lake Tahoe
- Negatives
- Front end dives during braking
- Very old-fashioned interior
- Feels cramped inside (despite the large size)
- High price (though discounts are available)
- 2021 BMW X5 Xdrive40i
- Positives
- Excellent acceleration (using Xdrive40i 350hp twin-turbo engine)
- Beautiful exterior design
- Excellent driving dynamics
- All wheel drive for winter driving to Lake Tahoe
- Modern 12" instrument cluster with Apple CarPlay
- Multiple high-tech features like lane assist, parking assist
- Negatives
- Poor long-term reliability
- High cost of maintenance
- Need to buy Certified Pre-owned (CPO) to extend the warranty
- Turbo engines require lots of upkeep
- Limited Trunk Space
- High depreciation
- High auto insurance cost ($1070/6-months)
- 2024 Acura MDX SH-AWD with Technology Package
- Positives
- Excellent driving dynamics
- Good non-turbo V6 engine
- Modern 12' instrument cluster with Apple CarPlay (without touch support)
- Excellent long-term reliability
- Reasonable maintenance costs
- 3 rows of seats with lots of trunk space
- High safety ratings
- Low insurance cost (compared to BMW X5)
- Negatives
- No touch user interface (fixed in 2025 model); must use the touchpad
- Mushy brakes with long braking distances
- High initial depreciation
- Long warranty (CPO certification extends warranty by 2 years)
- 2016/2022 Mazda Miata GT/Club
- Positives
- Excellent driving dynamics
- Quick shifting 6-speed manual transmission
- Modern but small 7" instrument cluster with Apple CarPlay support
- Excellent reliability
- Fits in our tiny garage
- Excellent fuel economy
- Convertible top
- Negatives
- Two-seater (roadster), no space for 3 or 4 people (unlike Mini Cooper)
- Hard to get in and out off
- Lackluster acceleration (compared to BMW X5 Xdrive40i or Tesla Model Y)
- Limited trunk space
- Noisy (soft top does not cut out road noise)
- Stiff suspension (feel every bump)
- Poor Apple CarPlay implementation (when playing Spotify during Apple Maps navigation, Apple does not lower the volume for music but cuts it off in the left speaker)
Eventually, we decided to look for a 2021/2022 CPO BMW X5 Xdrive40i, as Inna was enamored by the vehicle. It was her dream car. However, none of the BMW X5 Xdrive40i offered by local dealers (BMW of Mountain View, Fremont BMW, Stevens Creek BMW) were ready to be sold; they were all undergoing BMW CPO certification (which can take many weeks).
During this time, I was looking at Autotrader and saw an ad for a 2022 Mazda Miata Grand Touring with low miles. I have always wanted to drive a small manual car, and this Mazda Miata could fit in our garage, along with our Tesla Model Y.
On Monday, July 1, 2024, I met Sam (the owner of the Miata) after work. I was impressed by the car's mint condition. It looked new — beautiful and well cared for.
After discussing it with Inna, I decided to make an offer on the 2022 Mazda Miata. Sam accepted my offer, and now I am the proud owner of a 2022 Mazda Miata Grand Touring edition in red. Since my 2008 Toyota Sienna Limited minivan still runs fine, I postponed replacing it.
Registering the car took a little work, but my local AAA Almaden handled all the paperwork, including title transfer and registration.
I checked the tires, and they were at the limit of their life. I ordered 4 new Michelin tires from Costco and installed them (it took about one week to get them delivered to the Almaden Costco warehouse).
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