Who knows their SUVs and Jeeps?

[Beefieee]

Im in the process of looking for a jeep or SUV for my daily 2 and half hour round trip commute. My commute is near the DC area, so I need something that could handle snow and ice in the winter time. I've narrowed down the cars that I like in my price range to the following:

a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with 62k mileage at $12k(decent features)

a 2014 Jeep Patriot Sport at $17,500(brand new but stock)

a 2011 Ford Escape XLT with 50k mileage at $17,500(decent features)

a 2010 Jeep Liberty 4x4 Limited with 51k mileage at $18K(fully loaded but private seller)

a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport GT with 39k mileage $20k(fully loaded)

a 2011 Mercury Mariner Premier with 39k mileage at $20k(fully loaded)

*Note that are 4x4 and automatic*
So my question is, Does anyone have any input on those models or the deals? Any other models I should look into? All input is much appreciated.

[fredjacksonsan]

Wow, DC traffic for 2 1/2 hours daily....which seats are the most comfortable for you?

I figure by now you've made the choice...what did you get?

[MagicRat]

This may be too late, but here goes -
Don't get Mitsubishi anything. They are a dying car brand with low levels of aftermarket parts support. The popular perception is that they may not be around long, which drives their value down. This means it will he harder for you to sell it when the time comes.

Same goes for the Mercury - expect its a dead brand now.

I own several Jeeps. but I would hesitate to recommend a newer one since they tend to be more troublesome than other brands.

Finally, you really do not need a 4x4 for snow and ice, especially in the DC area which has very little. A car with snow tires, especially a front wheel drive car can handle snowy conditions just fine.