SUV choices

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I'm considering nearly everything....the escape is back on the list that we need to look at (we would use a different dealer) and I stopped off at the KIA dealership and was really impressed with the top of the line Sportage and a mid/high level Sorento.

I mentioned I did look at the Cherokee and it looked great but reliability ratings are less than stellar. The Sorento and the Santa Fe sport are still really peaking my interest because they are about the only SUVs that are a bit bigger than the compacts but not too large to be minivan wannabes, they also have good incentives right now and in the case of the KIA, service charges are really low at the dealership. The versions I'm looking at don't come with a 3rd row of seats. Should be able to fit in a few more test drives this weekend. I'm hoping to get the turbo Forester out and at least the Santa Fe Sport.

Nothing by Chevy, or Dodge really interests me. My list is still long but I'm left with the Santa Fe Sport, Sportage, Subaru Forester turbo, Sorento, Mazda CX-5, Honda CRV and now the Ford Escape.

Visibility is still an issue. It may not bother some people but I really hate seeing a tiny rear window in my rear view mirror and as a result poor rearward vision. Also after driving the base Forester I realize I need a reasonably powerful engine or decent power/weight ratio.
 
DemonPig said:
What about the H6 Outback? It is borderline SUV and certainly larger than many of them with more cargo capacity.

I wouldn't recommend H4 because if you think that Forester is jerky with that engine, you won't like how Outback feels.
Mainly why I bought the Golf wagon instead of a Subaru even though I am a big fan of their cars (and the amazing visibility). I would've gotten the H6 myself but it was outside my price range of $30,000 all in.

Jeep seems to have went for style over function. (Which is nothing really new for them)
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The Outback looks lovely but it sacrifices head height for a lengthier cargo space over the Forester. Ultimately I felt a bit more confined when sitting in it over the Forester and thought that even though the dogs would have room to lay down easily, standing up they wouldn't.
 
Brian P said:
What makes that somewhat of an unfair assessment is that a Toyota Camry or a Honda Civic (except hatch) is substantially a US/Canada-built vehicle but a Buick Envision is made in China. The Honda Civic hatchback final assembly is in Swindon, UK. Chevy Cruze sedan final assembly is Lordstown OH but the hatchback comes from Mexico.
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Plus to complicate matters more they seem to be sharing base components with other vehicles pretty readily too. The reason I started looking at the Cherokee is that the substructure has something to do with Alfa Romeo or Mercedes I think. Unfortunately when I poked around a little more inside some of the shortfalls became apparent. The handle to fold the rear seats down in it felt so flimsy and plasticky I would be worried about it snapping off.
 
jc100 said:
I

Nothing by Chevy, or Dodge really interests me. My list is still long but I'm left with the Santa Fe Sport, Sportage, Subaru Forester turbo, Sorento, Mazda CX-5, Honda CRV and now the Ford Escape.

.
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I'd say you whittled it down your list pretty well. the Escape is a decent product, but its just not screwed together as well as the others. You'll notice more groans, creaks and fit and finish issues with the Ford over the others as time passes. The Hyundais and Kias offer incredible value, but I always say they are cheap for a reason. i believe they scrimped some R&D dollars in the chassis, steering and suspension department, but instead focus on content and style..things that buyers focus on most.

if it were my dollars, I'd stick with one of the Japanese brands.
 
The Mazda CX-5 is very nice. Recently took one out for a spin and its miles better than the previous generation.

Quiet ride, decent power, nice amenities.

And it one of the best looking IMO.

Not sure if Mazda is still offering their 3 year unlimited KM warranty?

The local Subaru dealer for this area is really good. Nothing else comes close to the Forester visibility.

Can't comment on the turbocharged power train. Only driven the base engine.

Resale is also best in class for the Subie.




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Took a top trim Santa Fe Sport out for a drive last night. Ventilated seats were nice. Detected some turbo lag as it's a bit sluggish off the line, once it's spooled up it was fine. Everything was comfortable and nicely set out. Tons of room, way more than in some of the other SUVs we looked at. However....I didn't step away with a massive grin on my face, it was just......very good. Maybe this is part of growing up...sensible options are just that. Sensible. I now fully realize why I own a bike too. Up next this weekend is the Honda CR-V Touring. Need to get a drive in the Mazda and the two KIAs next.
 
Honda CRV. Very nice vehicle. Solid, nicely put together. Quiet ride but not as quiet as I hoped. Info/entertainment system sometimes has a lag. Voice recognition seems very hit or miss at times. Adaptive cruise control is entertaining but the lane departure thing is annoying...felt like someone was tugging at the wheel while I was driving, very disconcerting. I think it is supposed to be used as a more or less hands-off semi autonomous device but I didn't trust it enough. The CVT is actually pretty good, no real surging, just smooth power delivery.
 
nakkers said:
The Mazda CX-5 is very nice. Recently took one out for a spin and its miles better than the previous generation.

Quiet ride, decent power, nice amenities.

And it one of the best looking IMO.

Not sure if Mazda is still offering their 3 year unlimited KM warranty?

The local Subaru dealer for this area is really good. Nothing else comes close to the Forester visibility.

Can't comment on the turbocharged power train. Only driven the base engine.

Resale is also best in class for the Subie.

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1 year and 36K on my 2016 Forester XT (2.0 turbo) and I still love it.
I originally drove the 2.5 NA Forester and it was OK.
I took the 2.0 Turbo out and put it into S# mode. It is a completely different animal.
If you're OK with putting premium fuel in, take the 2.0 out and then decide.
 
Can't comment on the various options you are looking for - you want what you want. My money is on the Forester. Nobody does AWD better than Subaru - a couple of manufacturers are as good - Audi comes to mind. Nothing holds it's value like a Subaru - except Honda. Toyota's are really close. The Korean offerings seem to be decent and well priced - but, it will be worth half what you pay for it, in less than three years. Mazdas are solid - but I'd still take a Forester over one.
The 2L Boxer engine is new-ish and has been performing well. My buddy had one in his WRX and it performed flawlessly - had a crap-load of power (it's turbo, of course). Not sure if the Forester has the same boost - I think his was Just under 270 hp. Had the CVT, too - I wasn't and still aren't a fan of CVT's - but his was amazing - as previously mentioned, it has different shift modes - if I didn't already know it was CVT, I would never have guessed. When his lease was up, he got another Subaru, but something less sporty and more befitting an old man (a Legacy- H6). I'm still driving my '05 Impreza RS wagon. If/when I need to replace it, I'll get another Subaru.
Good luck in your search.
 
Doug Tait said:
Can't comment on the various options you are looking for - you want what you want. My money is on the Forester. Nobody does AWD better than Subaru - a couple of manufacturers are as good - Audi comes to mind. Nothing holds it's value like a Subaru - except Honda. Toyota's are really close. The Korean offerings seem to be decent and well priced - but, it will be worth half what you pay for it, in less than three years. Mazdas are solid - but I'd still take a Forester over one.
The 2L Boxer engine is new-ish and has been performing well. My buddy had one in his WRX and it performed flawlessly - had a crap-load of power (it's turbo, of course). Not sure if the Forester has the same boost - I think his was Just under 270 hp. Had the CVT, too - I wasn't and still aren't a fan of CVT's - but his was amazing - as previously mentioned, it has different shift modes - if I didn't already know it was CVT, I would never have guessed. When his lease was up, he got another Subaru, but something less sporty and more befitting an old man (a Legacy- H6). I'm still driving my '05 Impreza RS wagon. If/when I need to replace it, I'll get another Subaru.
Good luck in your search.
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excellent and accurate post on the first half, I don't have/know enough about Subaru's to comment on the rest.

my only comment is why having the "best" awd system is so important for the typical all weather (snow) owner.

once upon a time, I had an older cr-v at my disposal with the "real time" all wheel drive system. basically a slip and grip system that delayed kicking in the rear wheels until about quarter rotation of slip of the front wheels. having said that, the thing was absolutely remarkable in snow, sleet and pretty much any inclement weather situation we encountered. its simply ploughed through.


To sum it all up, I wouldn't base my current SUV buying decision on the vehicles AWD system, I'm pretty sure todays systems across the board are more than adequate for majority of buyers.
 
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If it's going to be under warranty I quite liked my Outlander. Unfortunately they aren't the most reliable once out of warranty.

Japanese do the best for the price and size use, in my experience. Not really very happy with my X3 I just got. This is from someone that used to love all European vehicles.
 
Not yet. Took out a Sportage and a 2017 CX5 GT since the last instalment. Both pretty decent. The CX5 is very nice inside but contrary to other reviews I found the ride a bit stiff. Nice on smooth highway but I could feel every bump around town. That may be due to the wheel size difference on the top level trims. The Sportage was very capable and nicely outfitted and had a decent ride. Both were reasonably peppy but the CX5 was definitely the better car for driving aside from the firmness. The infotainment system in the Mazda was better than the Honda's though for speed, pretty snappy but there were some customization options lacking and it doesn't have Android Auto. I'm waiting to drive the new Tiguan that's supposed to be coming in soon. Extended wheel base and around the same price as the CRV. The CX5 has a smaller cargo area though which is exacerbated by a sloping rear hatch. That is a concern as we need to get 2 big dogs in there.
 
jc100 said:
Not yet. Took out a Sportage and a 2017 CX5 GT since the last instalment. Both pretty decent. The CX5 is very nice inside but contrary to other reviews I found the ride a bit stiff. Nice on smooth highway but I could feel every bump around town. That may be due to the wheel size difference on the top level trims. The Sportage was very capable and nicely outfitted and had a decent ride. Both were reasonably peppy but the CX5 was definitely the better car for driving aside from the firmness. The infotainment system in the Mazda was better than the Honda's though for speed, pretty snappy but there were some customization options lacking and it doesn't have Android Auto. I'm waiting to drive the new Tiguan that's supposed to be coming in soon. Extended wheel base and around the same price as the CRV. The CX5 has a smaller cargo area though which is exacerbated by a sloping rear hatch. That is a concern as we need to get 2 big dogs in there.
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I've found most vehicles destined for use on the road quickly get worse as wheel size increases. Putting 19's on a car or 21's on an SUV (or CUV or whatever buzzword they want to call it) just makes for a crappy ride and does very little to improve anything over wheels a bit smaller.
 
jc100 said:
Not yet. Took out a Sportage and a 2017 CX5 GT since the last instalment. Both pretty decent. The CX5 is very nice inside but contrary to other reviews I found the ride a bit stiff. Nice on smooth highway but I could feel every bump around town. That may be due to the wheel size difference on the top level trims. The Sportage was very capable and nicely outfitted and had a decent ride. Both were reasonably peppy but the CX5 was definitely the better car for driving aside from the firmness. The infotainment system in the Mazda was better than the Honda's though for speed, pretty snappy but there were some customization options lacking and it doesn't have Android Auto. I'm waiting to drive the new Tiguan that's supposed to be coming in soon. Extended wheel base and around the same price as the CRV. The CX5 has a smaller cargo area though which is exacerbated by a sloping rear hatch. That is a concern as we need to get 2 big dogs in there.
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I like the Tuscan.. and don't know why... but like the look of the Sportage. Same truck I believe.
I've driven the cx-5, rented it a couple times... and I also found the ride a little too stiff... thought it was like driving a Mazda car.
Not that the others are much different.
 
I should look at the Tucson, the Sportage is similar but seems to have a few more bells and whistles and I like the exterior design oddly enough. It's one of the few SUVs in this segment that looks different and not generic. Here's the odd thing that may sway things....the navigation in the CRV couldn't understand my wife's Scottish accent but the Mazda got it first time.
 
I have an appt tomorrow to go see a 2017 Santa Fe. Considered the Tucson but towing was 1500 lbs and I want a bit more oomph.

My wheels I'm gonna keep, I've put good rubber on them and p/c'ed them. Same bolt pattern, same size. Tint, tow, remote start, roof and I'll ask for weathertech mats.
My wish list
 
meme said:
I have an appt tomorrow to go see a 2017 Santa Fe. Considered the Tucson but towing was 1500 lbs and I want a bit more oomph.

My wheels I'm gonna keep, I've put good rubber on them and p/c'ed them. Same bolt pattern, same size. Tint, tow, remote start, roof and I'll ask for weathertech mats.
My wish list
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Have you looked at the unhaggle price? They give you the "invoice" price and a reasonable offer should be a 2-3% profit for the dealer off that price. However, the "invoice" price from these sites still has profit built in for the dealer so some buyers have offered the invoice price and no more and been successful.
 
....and the new VW Tiguan just arrived at the local dealership so I need to go and look at that too. It's even slightly bigger than the CRV with more or less identical features and the addition of a digital cockpit similar to some of the higher end Audis. Price of the loaded version is more or less the same as the loaded CRV.
 
jc100 said:
....and the new VW Tiguan just arrived at the local dealership so I need to go and look at that too. It's even slightly bigger than the CRV with more or less identical features and the addition of a digital cockpit similar to some of the higher end Audis. Price of the loaded version is more or less the same as the loaded CRV.
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the only advantage I see with a Tiguan is its physically bigger.

VW did some cost cutting where you can't "see". for example, the engine is an iron block with an alum head. The CR V is all aluminum.

When you test one, test it really well on the road, Reviewers say the driving dynamics on the VW is poor compared to the CR-V

The CR-V is faster, lighter, and gets better mileage and the legendary Honda reliability and quality that VW lacks.
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