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Looking for Compact SUV

AustinIllini

AustinIllini

macrumors G5
Original poster
Oct 20, 2011
12,787
10,746
Austin, TX
My wife wants to replace her Rav4 with a similar size (new, not German) compact SUV. Looking at the rankings (US News, Consumer Reports :rolleyes:, etc), the Honda CR-V looks like the best deal. We're starting to make a list of what to look at. So far it's

Acura RDX
Honda CR-V
Mazda CX-5 (wife loves that it comes in red, her favorite color)

Things we have eliminated:
Anything German (we want to keep the thing for some time)
Toyota Rav4 (Toyota did nothing right in designing this model)

Everything else is fair game. Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!
 
prostuff1 said:
Chevy Equinox
Ford Escape or Ford Edge
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puma1552 said:
Another vote for Escape.
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Thanks for the feedback!

My boss drives an Escape and likes it a lot. I would have to convince my wife to look at a Ford, which wouldn't be too hard.

I grew up driving Chevys so I appreciate the Equinox. I'm hoping they refresh the face soon (like the Traverse) but doesn't seem super likely.
 
Subaru Forester. The new 2014 redesign has been selling like crazy... I keep seeing tweets that Subaru keeps breaking their own sales records. It's one of the top rated SUVs across the board and one of the only that's IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Motor Trend picked it as SUV of the year. Gets up to 32MPG too.

The Honda CR-V is really nice too. My mom owns one and she loves it.
 
zioxide said:
Subaru Forester. The new 2014 redesign has been selling like crazy... I keep seeing tweets that Subaru keeps breaking their own sales records. It's one of the top rated SUVs across the board and one of the only that's IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Motor Trend picked it as SUV of the year. Gets up to 32MPG too.

The Honda CR-V is really nice too. My mom owns one and she loves it.
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Forester OR Outback. They're similar size but even the not-yet-restyled Outback has slightly better interior finishing than the Forester. The Outback will still get 30+ MPG (4-cylinder), I've gotten 33 in my 2011 doing 75+. I also think the Outback looks nicer on the outside. It also gets the same IIHS crash ratings the Forester does except for small overlap front (and still better than the CR-V in that one).
 
hallux said:
Forester OR Outback. They're similar size but even the not-yet-restyled Outback has slightly better interior finishing than the Forester. The Outback will still get 30+ MPG (4-cylinder), I've gotten 33 in my 2011 doing 75+. I also think the Outback looks nicer on the outside. It also gets the same IIHS crash ratings the Forester does except for small overlap front (and still better than the CR-V in that one).
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They're both great vehicles. I'm partial to the Forester cause I'm not a huge fan of the wagon style like the Outback but they are great cars too. I actually own a Legacy (09) which is built on the same platform as the Outback and it's the best car I've ever owned.. I love it. There's not many sedans that can drive though 12-18'' snow drifts without any problems.

Subaru also has the new XV Crosstrek which is essentially an Impreza with a lift kit and bigger wheels. It's smaller than the other two obviously, but if you're looking for something small, it's a great choice. It get a little bit better MPG than the Forester and Outback because of this, and it comes in a Hybrid if you really want good fuel economy.
 
zioxide said:
They're both great vehicles. I'm partial to the Forester cause I'm not a huge fan of the wagon style like the Outback but they are great cars too. I actually own a Legacy (09) which is built on the same platform as the Outback and it's the best car I've ever owned.. I love it. There's not many sedans that can drive though 12-18'' snow drifts without any problems.

Subaru also has the new XV Crosstrek which is essentially an Impreza with a lift kit and bigger wheels. It's smaller than the other two obviously, but if you're looking for something small, it's a great choice. It get a little bit better MPG than the Forester and Outback because of this, and it comes in a Hybrid if you really want good fuel economy.
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I heard the hybrid in the XV isn't all it's cracked up to be.

For others, I brought up the Outback as it seems many cross-shop the Outback with the CR-V, Highlander and RAV-4.

If AWD is important to you, see this.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOmZIu_y1js The Forester is tested in the video but it's the same AWD system as the Outback.

I should add, the CVT in the Outback/Legacy and now in the Impreza and Forester is absolutely WONDERFUL to drive. I'm not sure if the one in the Impreza and Forester is the same as in my Outback but it is absolutely smooth when driving as there are ZERO shifts (unless you go to manual and use the paddles for the 6 pre-programmed ratios). Nail the gas while moving and it just spools the engine, no harsh kick from the downshift.
 
Last edited:
AustinIllini said:
Thanks for the feedback!

My boss drives an Escape and likes it a lot. I would have to convince my wife to look at a Ford, which wouldn't be too hard.

I grew up driving Chevys so I appreciate the Equinox. I'm hoping they refresh the face soon (like the Traverse) but doesn't seem super likely.
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The Equinox is being redesigned for 2016 MY.

Frankly out of the two I prefer the GMC Terrain to the Equinox. But, my mom loves her 2013 Equinox AWD. On a trip to NYC, I managed 35 MPG on the return trip.
 
senseless said:
Seeing that the OP is in Texas, I'm guessing AWD is not a priority. Otherwise, it's the Forester without question.
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Don't need bad weather to need AWD. Some people like going places that require dirt road driving to access them. Also, Texas HAS had snow and ice, look at what happened when the Super Bowl was in Dallas a couple years ago. AWD also helps with driving stability in rain.
 
Volvo XC60
Safe and reliable.
volvo-xc60-05.jpg

Comes in red too. Happy wife happy life :p
 
Ford Escape…puhleeze.


Ford recalls 2013 Escape SUVs for seventh time


Ford Motor Co's bad safety streak with its 2013 Escape continued on Tuesday as the automaker issued two more recalls for the second most popular sport utility vehicle in the U.S. market.

There have now been seven recalls of the 2013 model of the Escape, a key SUV for Ford, the No. 2 U.S. automaker. The recalls affected 161,334 Escape SUVs globally, mostly in the United States, and addressed potential leaks that could cause a fire.
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I like the Toyota Venza, but it is pricey. USNews Best Cars link. One thing to consider when purchasing U.S. vs everyone else (unless you plan on keeping the car forever) is resale value. U.S. products as a whole seem to fair poorly as compared to other brands. Recently traded in an 8 year old Nissan Murano for $11000. I assume it's retail value is around $14000. I don't know if this supports my premise or not. :)

2012-toyota-venza-left-side-view-2.jpg
 
Huntn said:
I like the Toyota Venza, but it is pricey. USNews Best Cars link. One thing to consider when purchasing U.S. vs everyone else (unless you plan on keeping the car forever) is resale value. U.S. products as a whole seem to fair poorly as compared to other brands. Recently traded in an 8 year old Nissan Murano for $11000. I assume it's retail value is around $14000. I don't know if this supports my premise or not. :)

Image
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The Venza's great if you like an uglified Highlander. And the Highlander is just bland…. :p
 
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