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Another "which vehicle would you get" thread

S

sdilley14

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 8, 2007
1,242
201
Mesa, AZ
So I'm thinking about getting a different vehicle. I've had a 2008 Camry XLE for about 2 years now, but I would like to move to an SUV.

I want something that is compact to midsize, fair on MPG, must have 4WD/AWD, must have a moonroof, and I'd like to keep it around 35k miles or less.

Here are three that I am considering...

http://www.vhcars.com/vehicle-details/2012-toyota-rav4-sport-4x4-roof-sheboygan-wi-id-6231554

2012 Toyota Rav4 Sport

Pros: Great looking exterior. Great looking wheels. Hits all of my required features.

Cons: Top end of the price range I am looking to shop in at $20,900. Not really a fan of the interior - particularly the gauges and radio/console controls.

Price: $20,900 NADA Clean Retail: $23,625 Positive Equity: $2,725

http://www.vhcars.com/vehicle-details/2011-honda-cr-v-4x4-ex-fond-du-lac-wi-id-6285781

2011 Honda CR-V EX

Pros: I like the interior, gauges, radio, console controls. Hits all of my required features. Low end of the price range at $17,789...quite a bit lower than the Rav4.

Cons: Ok looking exterior but I'm not a huuuuge fan. Kinda has a minivan type look to it almost from certain angles.

Price: $17,789 NADA Clean Retail: $19,925 Positive Equity: $2,186

http://www.sneedford.com/2011-Ford-Edge-SEL-AWD-Missouri-64454/5077492

2011 Ford Edge AWD SEL

Pros: Good exterior, great interior. Hit all of my required features. Pretty high end on the interior with an in dash LCD, back up camera. V6 with good MPG

Cons: Higher end of the price range. Dealership is quite a bit further away (not a huge deal). Also, they don't have a Carfax report on the website for it yet...so the findings on that will be a big factor as well. I'm a bit suspicious as it is priced well below NADA.

Price: $19,997 NADA Clean Retail: $24,950 Positive Equity: $4,954



Thoughts on any of these?
 
Another "which vehicle would you get" thread

Honda Crv. Had a 2009 model and loved it but traded it in for a pilot because we just needed more space. Both great vehicles.
Have you looked at the ford escape?
 
jknight8907 said:
Not on your list, but we're loving our Subaru Outback and it hits all your requirements.
Click to expand...

The answer that was missing from the list. People don't think of Subaru as they're not Honda or Toyota but they make a quality vehicle. I have a 2011 with 36K on the clock, it's been in for ONE repair under warranty (except headlight bulbs which were covered under warranty), and that was the steering wheel controls. Also, if you watch the independent YouTube videos comparing the AWD systems on Subaru to those on Toyota and Honda, the Subaru wins every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOmZIu_y1js

I'm on my first set of brakes (the longest I've gone on a vehicle), second set of tires (due to a puncture at 25,000).
 
The Honda and Toyota are going to statistically have better longevity than the Ford.

Take a good look at the Mazda CX5. It's sharp, nice interior, and their SkyActiv engine is winning all sorts of awards.
 
Another "which vehicle would you get" thread

From the list, I'd pick the Honda CRV. My friend has 06-07 and it runs like a beast! We take it to Vegas daily, that car's been through hell and back. Minimal maintenance. Mazda CX5 as mentioned above win in terms of overall design imo. Not Ford if you're thinking of the long run. (Fix Or Repair Daily) :p
 
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hallux said:
The answer that was missing from the list. People don't think of Subaru as they're not Honda or Toyota but they make a quality vehicle. I have a 2011 with 36K on the clock, it's been in for ONE repair under warranty (except headlight bulbs which were covered under warranty), and that was the steering wheel controls. Also, if you watch the independent YouTube videos comparing the AWD systems on Subaru to those on Toyota and Honda, the Subaru wins every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOmZIu_y1js

I'm on my first set of brakes (the longest I've gone on a vehicle), second set of tires (due to a puncture at 25,000).
Click to expand...

They're pretty great cars. We've managed to get 64,000 on the factory tires on our '11. We did have a tire ruined at around 30k on a piece of metal, but TireRack shaved a new one to match the old ones so we didn't have to buy a full new set.

This last winter I finally got the chance to drive it on snow and ice. It's like driving a snowmachine, seriously. We had several inches of sleet and ice accumulated that was so slick you could barely stand up on it, and unless I made the car slide, it was stuck like glue. And that was with worn-out factory tires.
 
Menel said:
The Honda and Toyota are going to statistically have better longevity than the Ford.

Take a good look at the Mazda CX5. It's sharp, nice interior, and their SkyActiv engine is winning all sorts of awards.
Click to expand...

This is why there's more Fords still on the roads these days? I hate comments like this.
 
jknight8907 said:
They're pretty great cars. We've managed to get 64,000 on the factory tires on our '11. We did have a tire ruined at around 30k on a piece of metal, but TireRack shaved a new one to match the old ones so we didn't have to buy a full new set.

This last winter I finally got the chance to drive it on snow and ice. It's like driving a snowmachine, seriously. We had several inches of sleet and ice accumulated that was so slick you could barely stand up on it, and unless I made the car slide, it was stuck like glue. And that was with worn-out factory tires.
Click to expand...

Drove mine in 10" of snow this winter, just put the gas down and let the AWD figure it out. The lower grille was packed with snow by the time I was done. Started in my garage, downhill out of the garage but a stuck neighbor killed my momentum. Drove around 4 of them before getting off my road (less than 1/4 mile) with no drama.
 
Menel said:
You'll have to give evidence to your assertion. I was mildly curious and did a google. No good statistics came up.

But this article... A whole lot of Toyota/Scion/Lexus and Honda/Acura and a few GM. Not a Ford in sight.
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/22-most-dependable-cars-on-the-road#2
Click to expand...

What does the 'C' in their "CUV" type stand for? I consider a CUV to be a Crossover Utility Vehicle, the Yukon/Tahoe certainly doesn't fit there.

Those results, without data to back them up, seem considerably skewed, though I think J.D. Power is usually well-respected with this kind of data. I wonder if they sent ANY surveys to Ford owners?
 
sk1wbw said:
This is why there's more Fords still on the roads these days? I hate comments like this.
Click to expand...

More Fords on the road has nothing to do with reliability and everything to do with "we're ford, we have four dealerships for every one Honda dealership and we undercut our competitors".

Don't hate a correct comment.

----------
Menel said:
You'll have to give evidence to your assertion. I was mildly curious and did a google. No good statistics came up.

But this article... A whole lot of Toyota/Scion/Lexus and Honda/Acura and a few GM. Not a Ford in sight.
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/22-most-dependable-cars-on-the-road#2
Click to expand...

Ford isn't terrible, don't get me wrong, but to say that a Toyota and a Honda are somehow not as reliable is silliness.
 
sdilley14 said:
Thoughts on any of these?
Click to expand...

Well, only one: the CR-V is ugly, especially from the rear.

The thread title was more general. Moving to one level of specificity, for a small to mid-size SUV, I'd get a Mitsubishi Outlander. But then, I don't need two of them.
 
Gregg2 said:
Well, only one: the CR-V is ugly, especially from the rear.



The thread title was more general. Moving to one level of specificity, for a small to mid-size SUV, I'd get a Mitsubishi Outlander. But then, I don't need two of them.
Click to expand...


Yeah that crv looks terrible with the spare tire on the back. They changed that for the 2009 model year and did another redesign in 2012 I think. The latest version looks way better.
 
Ann P said:
Not Ford if you're thinking of the long run. (Fix Or Repair Daily) :p
Click to expand...

Says a BMW owner?;)

OP, if all you care about is going from point A to B, and want to drive a soulless appliance and nothing more, get the Honda/Toyota. If you want something a little nicer and less plastic fantastic, get the Ford. The Ford is also more "grown up" IMO - the Honda/Toyota you're looking at scream 19 year old girl IMO.
 
I've had a Kia Sorento for a few years and love it. It might be a little bigger than you're looking for, but it's got a comfortable interior, I like all of the dash items, and it gets pretty decent mileage for being a bigger vehicle. It appears that you can get 2011 or 2012 models for around $20,000, plus or minus.
 
How is the Subaru Forester not on your list? They are awesome. And their AWD is second to none.

 
zioxide said:
How is the Subaru Forester not on your list? They are awesome. And their AWD is second to none.



YouTube: video
Click to expand...


Hardly.
They use a center viscous coupling differential that isn't serviceable, and the silicone based fluid that will break down in time. After 60-70kmiles it fails back to functioning like a mere open diff.
 
I'm kinda biased probably but, my family has pretty much always been a Toyota family. As far as their reliability goes, there's really nothing bad that can be said. Can't go wrong with a Toyota.
 
Another "which vehicle would you get" thread

zioxide said:
How is the Subaru Forester not on your list? They are awesome. And their AWD is second to none.



YouTube: video
Click to expand...


The new one is fantastic. My wife loves hers. So do our dogs. That being said, I know very little about them prior to the current generation.
 
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MattG said:
I'm kinda biased probably but, my family has pretty much always been a Toyota family. As far as their reliability goes, there's really nothing bad that can be said. Can't go wrong with a Toyota.
Click to expand...


Reliability, for sure, however there is a major lack of creativity in the Toyota product lineup right now. The Rav4 is a major failure and none of their sedans are worth a damn.
 
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