Trying to figure out the best way to go for a new vehicle that is going to be used mostly for my job, Sales, and occasionally to sneak away an extra hunt during the week between meeting with clients. I got downsized earlier in the year and am looking at ways to get the best bang for the buck while making sure I don�t miss out on meeting with clients due to a little nasty weather.

Gas mileage is huge here, specifically; I would like to have a city/hwy range of 22 - 30 or close to that. I also want to keep cost down and need AWD or 4wd for the snow. It won't be used for any serious off road. I don't have any plans to pull trailers at this time, but that could happen at some point, especially my Rubicon. I would also like to keep the cost in the low to middle $20s.

I recently figured out that this seems to be an exploding market, with every major and minor manufacturer offering at least one, if not two models.

What are your experiences with any of these models?

Ford Escape
Ford Edge
Chevrolet Equinox / GMC Terrain
Nisan Rogue
Toyota RAV4
Honda CRV
Kia Sportage
Hyundai Tucson
Mitsubishi Outback Sport
Suzuki Vitara

In each model, I'm more concerned with the smaller, more fuel efficient engine, so 4cyls instead of 6cyls. This isn't a type of vehicle I've ever really looked into much, so I'm hoping that the 30,000 plus members can help me out. If there is another model that I've left off, I would really appreciate input on that also.

As always, thanks in advance!

Chris

My wife had two 2000 CRV Hondas (first was totaled). My daughter currently drives it (has 180,000 trouble-free miles on it. My wife now drives an 05 Honda Element and likes it a lot. Visibility can be an issue with the Element as the B & C pillars are large.

We have the Honda Pilot and are very satisfied with it. Lots of room, 4wd, great power and gas milage.

The Hyundai Tucson or Sante Fe are great little SUVs. My wife loves her 2009 Tucson. My only criticism is that is has a bit too much road noise. Other than that, I think I'll buy one for my next vehicle, also.

I like my KIA Sportage, 2002 with 91,000. Mileage is right at 20-21 combined city/highway with the 4 banger. Except for price I would look at the Subaru Forester. The Suzuki Grand Vitara is also on the short list.

CRV. I am 6' 3" tall and have plenty of head room. It rides and drives very well.

How about leg room. My wife has an Accord and it is very incomfortable for me to ride in. I am 6'4" I am interested in getting the Accord Cross-Tour next, its like 8" higher off the ground. If the leg room is better than a 2000 Accord, it may be the way we go.

Although they have gained a rather questionable reputation as far as their "manliness" goes, you didn't include any Subarus on your list. The newest Outback wagon looks more like an SUV than it used to, and the Forester might be worth a look, too. I believe that they are rated close to 30 mpg highway.

The Subaru may have the best no-nonsense AWD system compared with the vehicles that you mentioned.

Edit:
Just noticed that T LEE beat me to it.

I'd definitely look at the Mazda CX-7 S Touring AWD.

Easily the best handling and best looking crossover out there.

Superb 244hp turbo 4 cylinder, superlative brakes, sportscar handling, great interior.

Consumer reports rates the 4-cyl RAV4 as the highest mileage of any non-hybrid SUV. The V6 model (269 HP) gets only 1 MPG less, does 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and is rated for 3,500 pounds with the towing option. The base model 4-wheel drive V6 can be had for around $27 grand.

Which is $13,000 more than we paid for our first site built home!

You can easily get a Forester in his price range. I recently looked at Foresters before buying an Outback. A nicely equipped Forester could be had for $20K.

The seats in the Forester were a deal breaker for me,they were terribly uncomfortable. Ended up with an Outback 2.5i which is the base model. It still has a/c,cruise,power windows,locks,and mirrors and C/D player. The OB came in at about $1000 more than the Forester.

The Subaru AWD system is the gold standard. They're like tanks in the snow.

The Ford Edge is a pretty solid choice. I have a 2008 that I absolutely love for what it is. Mine is a SEL with awd, V6, leather, sync, urgraded wheels, etc... It is pretty loaded, everything that the Limited gets except the powere passenger seat and the chrome trim. Driven conservatively, I have managed right at 30 mpg highway (67ish mph and no ac). You should easily be able to get one in the mid 20s.

Having sold and owned several Subarus including my present Legacy GT Turbo wagon I can say that although the Suby AWD system is indeed very good I still prefer the Audi quattro system.
Everything the Suby system is plus refinement.

Suzuki SX4 AWD 28/29 mpg.

Wait, wait, wait, am I reading this right, are you guys actually pushing Subaru's.... I'm actually looking at an older outback for a runaround that gets better gas mileage than my truck.

When I managed a small used car dealership Subarus and VWs with over 200K still brought a nice dollar and never sat on the lot very long!

Let me third (or fourth!) this motion: look hard at Subaru!!

I just sold my '09 Forester to my daughter. When I bought it (brand spanking new) I paid a tad over $24K for it, with all the options except the big engine. I drove it to work (50 mile commute) for 2.5 years, took it hunting in WI, WY and MN on and off-road, hauled a 400-lb bison carcass back from WY on/in it, and had an aggregate 24.3 mpg over those 2.5 years.

I was shopping for an SUV to meet the demands you've cited, and additionally I wanted it to be able to handle the absolutely horrific road conditions we have/had in Wisconsin every winter. I am 6'2" tall, 220 pounds, and my daughters are 5'6" and 5'9" and slender. We test-drove every one of the vehicles in your list except the Mitsubishi.

In the end I selected the Forester, and was absolutely pleased with it. Its intelligent AWD traction-control system is second to none (I realize some like Audi's quattro system better, but on snow, ice and mud, the Audi's I've tried don't come close to the Subaru system). I hear Mercedes Benz has a new system that rivals it, but that's out of my price range (as is Audi, to be honest).

As a final, and I believe telling, point: Subaru's reputation for low maintenance costs and longevity is real. Among my kids and myself, we've now owned 6 Subarus. All were cheap to run, easy to maintain, free from electrical gremlins. I just scrapped my first Legacy wagon ('93) a couple years ago, with 390,000 miles on it. It still ran great, but the body was rusted out to the point of being unsafe. My Forester, which I bought in January 2009 and sold to my daughter 2 months ago, has 110,000 miles on it. I have yet to do ANY engine or transmission work on any of them, other than scheduled maintenance. I can't think of any other brand of vehicle I and my family have owned, other than Mercedes Benz, with such a stellar maintenance record, let alone SIX of them.

Here's a couple of high points on your quoted list:

1. The Chevy Equinox is a death-trap. It was the worst-handling, least stable vehicle on your list on DRY road, and on snow/ice, it was truly frightening.

2. Almost all of the vehicles on your list are far from roomy inside for an average person, but for a tall person only the Escape and the Forester offered what I consider ample interior dimensions. The Honda is OK, the Toyota is claustrophobic.

3. At the end of my car search, I narrowed it down to three: the Nissan, the Toyota, and the Subaru. Driver ergonomics, traction-control system, and experience with Subaru were the points that led to the Forester as final winner.

Hear, hear,

My youngest son was a manager of a local Subaru service department so I tried the Forester (good price!). I'm now on my third one. The 2011 is larger, quite comfortable, decent mileage, and good off road within reason. I wouldn't want to take it through deep mud 'cause it's not as high as a full size but so far it's great for normal stuff and snow.

I really improved the off-road performance of my Forester by putting Blizzaks on it each fall. Not only do the Blizzaks give unbelievable traction on icy roads in winter, they do really well on slick, greasy, wet-leafy, muddy Wisconsin backroads.

As for deep mud, I don't go there. My son likes that stuff, but he's got a lifted '96 Jeep Cherokee that'll go anywhere (although it is ungodly uncomfortable on pavement above 45 mph!).

Thats funny. Our final three were the Rogue,the Rav4 and the Subaru. Even stripped down,we couldn't get the Rav4 close enough to our budget. The 4wd system seemed funky as well. The Rogue was a close second behind the Outback,didn't have near the cargo room of the Outback though.

Well that just goes to show that great minds think alike, and apparently ours do as well!


I liked the Outback almost as much as the Forester, but picked the Forester because of its higher driver position (better visibility) and cargo capacity. My younger daughter loves her Outback (which she recently bought, used, with 155,000 mileson it and in excellent condition).

I can't say with 100% certainty but from the list of vehicles you're considering, I believe the Suzuki Vitara is the only one that is rear wheel drive, and offers a true 4X4 Hi/Low range transfer case.

This may or may not be an issue to you but in my opinion, assuming that in your line of work you will be doing a lot of almost all highway driving in all kinds of weather, you might be better served by a front wheel/all-wheel drive vehicle.

Also, were it me spending long hours behind the wheel, I believe I'd have to add comfort to my list of requirement's.

I own a 2002 Chevy Tracker/Suzuki Vitara 4X4 (different brands but same vehicle thru 2004) and do like it very well for how I use it. That said, as well as I like it, it lacks a bit in the comfort area and do believe I would soon dread spending hours upon hours driving it on extended road trips, day in and day out. As always, YMMV.

If you're the kind of guy that measures his manhood based on the vehicle you drive,then you won't like a Subaru.

They're not big macho 4x4 trucks. They're solid,affordable,capable,and very practical.

My wife's Turbo Subaru Forester is simply awesome. It's really capable in the snow, a hoot to drive and - so far (five years) - 100% reliable.

This is like the equivalent of a .30/06 vs .270 thread only not nearly as nasty.

Well, doc, I think even the harshest of the "Subaru's are gay" guys here will let you keep your man card if you haul around a dead bison!

For what it is worth on the Subaru question, 2 guys I know here in northern Sweden (i.e. snow and ice driving is the norm for 5-6 months per year) have had multiple Subaru's each over the years and they don't even bother looking at other brands when it is time for a new vehicle.

John

That's only because neither the .30-06 and the .270 have been officially endorsed as the official American Lesbian Caliber.

For what it's worth, John, I've really missed my Forester since I sold it to my daughter. The only reasons I'm not gonna buy another Subaru now that I've moved down to west Texas is that 1)the winter roads down here don't require that level of winter roadworthiness, and 2) I need a pickup for hauling more cargo. Oh, and 3)my Lady is talking about trading in her Chrysler and buying a Subaru.

These reasons, plus the lamentable fact that Subaru doesn't make a pickup, have made my mind up.

But if I lived anywhere north of southern Oklahoma, I'd be buying another Subaru and a utility trailer for cargo-hauling.

Any experience with the Suraru Tribeca?

The recent Tribecas are decent.

The early ones were pretty goofy looking both front and rear and had the older 3.0 liter H-6 which required premium fuel.
The later ones have the 3.6l H-6 which uses regular.
The 7 passenger versions are barely usable in the rearmost seat.

The wife had a 1999 CRV AWD and we never had any trouble with it. She now has a 2011 CRV AWD and she loves it. It has about 10 more horsepower and the back seat has more leg room. I am 6'4" and have plenty of leg room on the passenger side. I have not driven it so can't speak to the drivers side. I did ride in the back seat while going to therapy for my knee replacement and managed pretty good. miles

In 2007 the CRV was redesigned and based on the Accord chasis instead of the civic chasis. Making a longer wheel base and bigger vehicle all around. The rear windows are small on the 3rd generation (2007-present) CRVs. My wife has a 2006 CRV and that thing is great. With the seats folded down you can haul nearly as much stuff as I can fit in my Ford Ranger bed.

We looked at the newer foresters when we were shopping, the dash is higher and the big "nose" on that thing made it difficult for my wife to drive. That said, my mom went from a 92 Subaru Loyale to a 2004 CRV, she likes her CRV but it doesn't handle the snow nearly as well as the subaru did.

We have a 2001 Honda CRV which we purchased as a Honda Certified used car in the fall of 2003. The car had 23,000 miles a time of purchase. It now has 275,000 miles. We use Mobil One with a moly additive and a LOF every 12K miles. We have a great Honda mechanic who keeps the car in tip top condition mechanically. So far, we've only had to replace belts and hoses, one starter and one water pump. I told my wife I'll not be satisfied with less than 400,000 miles from this great little car. I believe the car can do it. If we get those miles with LOF every 12k miles, I'd say that is a good return on investment.
The CRV's are not real peppy (the engine makes its HP at pretty high rpms) but they are very sound. They have a great ride with AWD as soon as a rear wheel slips 1.5 turns (If I recall correctly). The current production model makes significantly more horespower than ours and the interiors are very nice. I don't think the CRV is the best choice for a SUV that is primarily off-road, but it is a great choice for a primarily highway vehicle where you also want AWD for snowy pavement and such. We've had ours in deep snow and never gotten it stuck.

Its been a great car.

One minute you're saving the rainforest and the next you're chugging cock.

Driving a Subaru don't make you gay, but it don't help......

http://www.bnet.com/blog/electric-cars/gay-friendly-cars-is-subaru-number-one/309

http://gaywheels.com/category/subaru-reviews/

I would go with a Jeep Liberty 2005-5006 with the 2.8L Turbo CRD (Common Rail Diesel). I have two friends that own them, both say they get 36MPG of better. The best I have heard from one of them was 42MPG!

Wife has a 2008 Honda CRV and I have been really impressed with it. The 4wd drive system works very well. We don't get a lot of snow but it has performed great the few times it has been out in it. Gets good gas mileage, is fairly comfy and has a decent amount of room in it.

The local Subaru Dealer in Bremerton makes a donation to Human Society US with every Subaru purchased off their lot. I dpon't know if this is a National thing or not, but I would sure be checking this out before purcasing a Subaru as I sure don't want to be supporting Purcell(SP) (the founder of PETA) who is now at the head of Human Society US.

Interesting info on the Subaru's. Actually, I never even thought about them since the local dealer has none on the lot. I'll do some checking into them.

Thanks,

Chris

I drive a lot in the snow and ice. Far more than most.

I looked at many options, Pilots, CRVs, Outbacks, Santa Fes, Foresters.

Last year I purchased a 6 cylinder 3.0L Limited Outback in December to drive for work.

I put about 30k miles on it and sold it late this Spring.

Loved the car. Loved the way it handled bad roads.

Hated the way it treated me after working all day in the cold and having to drive 6-8 hours that night. The car felt good the first few hours but when hour 4 or 5 rolled around, I started getting pretty uncomfortable.

I am an extreme case with regard to the miles I drive. If I was only commuting some or driving in and out of town, I would and do wholeheartedly recommend a Subaru Outback. The Forester, not so much. Felt much lighter and chincy.

If you buy an Outback, try to get the 6 cylinder. It's absolutely bulletproof. No timing belts to replace. No head gasket issues which the 4 cylinder Sub engines are notorious for.

Now I am looking at getting a used Audi Allroad. Heard and read a lot about them. Looking forward to picking one up tomorrow. Hopefully it will meet my expectations.

Heck we have a Ford 1994 Explorer with over 300,000 mile son it and my wife still drives it 100 miles 5 out of 7 days.

I sure liked my Audis better than my Subarus.

My Legacy GT Limited is quicker than any of my Audis but the road feel and driving comfort of the Audi is superior. As is the quality of the interior.
Reliability and maintenance costs are similar with a slight reliability advantage to the Audi.

I really like the look and feel of the Audis, but not the price. Until I figure out the best direction, I'll just keep running my '97 Explorer with over 200K on it. It runs pretty good most of the time, but the upkeep can add up pretty quick.

Chris

In late August, we traded our 2000 CRV with 204,000 trouble-free miles on it and got $4800 for it on the trade. Got a 2011 CRV EX-L with the navigation system on it. Have already put over 8,000 miles on it, mostly on two long trips out west.

We love it. Have gotten averages over 30mpg running two lane highways at 65 mph or so. Have averaged around 22.5 to 23 around town, and wife is not easy on the go-pedal. Have averaged 26 to 27 mpg running 70 to 80 on interstates and 23 to 24 running around 85 or a little above.

It really surprised us averaging 24.5 mpg driving for two days all around Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Pk and Estes Park area, with four adults in the car.

And it is VERY comfortable, smooth and quiet. I can drive for 12 hours straight without feeling beaten up at the end. We also love the dual zone climate control. Wife and I have quite different comfort zones and used to constantly be dickering back and forth with the controls. No more. I set it where I'm comfortable and she sets her side where she feels comfortable. We're both happy and there's no constant diddling with the controls.

We get a lot of snow here and we have always liked the Honda AWD system. Always performs very well in the snow and muck. The CRV is a 4 cylinder, but sure gets up and goes better than our '00 model did.

We also have an '05 Tacoma 4-dr double cab, 4 wheel drive, and the CRV is MUCH more comfortable. Son and daughter-in-law have a RAV4, and the CRV is more comfortable than that, front and back, but especially in the back seat.

I have had 3 Honda C-rv's, a 2001 SE(new), sold that one with 12,000 miles as I didn't care for the performance characteristics of the A/t (my first automatic trans in more than 2 decades.

#2 and still have is a 2002 CRV with a 5 speed manuaal. I was completely surprised at the performance of the vehicle ina 17"dump we had here last year here in Arkansas. It simply was a no issue (miss being able to do handbrake turns though). MPG is 27 -29 but I have not seen 30 on it. I get pretty anal about accurately calc'ing MPG from time to time. No timing belt on the 2002 model year and on. Plenty of power for what it is a "soft roader" that can go in the dirt and mud but it is certainly not a hardcore offroader.

#3 and a recent purchase from about 6 months ago, a CPO 2009 ex with a great warranty, 19kmi and a extremely nice vehicle overall as (I think) it has all the bells, whistles and power leather. A very nice vehicle overall and absolutely no problem to power drive from Ft. Myers FL to NW Ar in one day (1275+ miles) Very acceptable stereo, comfy seats and the mpg is actually BETTER than the manual (27 -33 carefully measured and calculated).

Also, ZERO maint issues on any of the C-RV's....

I do like Scoobies but am a Audi loyalist for the last 25 years owning more tha a dozen new and used A4/S4 models both sedan and Avant (wagon in audispeak),. Simply the Ne Plus Ultra forus in comfort, utility, reliability and performance, but unless you go with a series forget offroad.

FWIW, out next likely vehicle purchase will be a slightly used or maybe even new with a smokin deal Toyota Tacoma cab and a half 4x4 auto trans with the "turd" (TRD) package as we intend on getting a small to modestly medium size travl trailer and 18' or perhaps a smidge larger boat for coastal fishing and general mayhem and some camping for a hunt trip here and there as health permits...

Good luck on you choice and enjoy the hunt
Be safe
Patty

Not trying to sell anyone anything, because my SUV thingy is a GMC Sierra 2500 HD 4x4 Crew Cab with the DuraMax Diesel and Allison transmission - all 6,700 pounds of it.

What I would like to mention is the Jeep Cherokee, now only available in the Grand Cherokee dress. I drove a Cherokee as a patrol vehicle from 1996 through 2004, and it was one of the best rides I had. I put over 100K miles on it over tough mountain roads, dirt and gravel forest roads, fire roads, through mud, snow rain, floods and even forded creeks daily. Wore out a set of brakes, and the only other part that quit was an oxygen sensor. It never let me down, never got mired, and could pull the steepest grades in mud. It may be expensive, but if I didn't need the room of the GMC, I'd give it some thought.