Recommendations for a crossover or small SUV?

In My Humble Opinion
1

My current car, a 2007 Versa hatchback, is okay in months with decent weather, but the worst thing I have ever driven in the snow. When I bought it three years ago, I was making about 1/3rd of what I do now, and I can afford something better. I was driving a third as far to work then too.

“Better” will probably be either a crossover or a small SUV (smaller the better, really, I’ve mostly driven compact sedans or hatchbacks). Given the distances I now drive, and the fact that it can snow from October to April in NH, it makes sense to replace it with a vehicle with 4WD/AWD, and I have always like the utility of having a hatchback, so a crossover or SUV would be a lateral move or better there.

I’m only at the beginning stages of looking for something, and will probably be looking to buy sometime before summer.

[ul]
[li]Ideally I’d like to find something under $30,000 [/li][li]and that gets semi-decent gas mileage[/li][li]If people have suggestions of vehicles they/people they know have vetted as being good in snow that’d be great information to have too [/li][li]Oh, and I would love love love something that has fewer or smaller blindspots/a larger rear window than the Versa does because not only is it hard to see backing up (at least for a short person), left-hand turns have a sizable blind spot where the frame meets the windshield.[/li][/ul]

So anything you care to recommend as a vehicle to consider, or conversely warn me away from one?

2

I have had a base model 2012 Honda CRV for just over a year. Great back seat room room, good luggage room, 25 mpg in a mix of city & highway, and a backup camera. I don’t drive extensively in snow but did take it on a ski trip into snowy mountains and it handled the icy/slushy roads and parking lots at the resort quite well. It’s the first SUV/crossover type vehical I’ve owned and driving it feels like driving a sedan to me.

No blind spots with correct mirror positioning…
How to Adjust Mirrors to Eliminate Blind Spots

3

Well, nuts. I was gonna recommend a Subaru Outback until I got to your last bullet. I can lose a UPS truck in the blind spots of my Outback.

And, the mileage kinda sucks, about 20 freeway. However, if maintained, they’ll run practically forever.

4

Small SUV’s are cool. Not sure how small you mean though, like a Rav4? They and CRX’s are good.

Personally I abhor most crossovers. Some look like an elephant stepped on them. And that ugly dodge that looks sorta like a stationwagon. Barf!

5

Consider the Honda CRV or the Mazda CX5. I’m shopping for the same kind of vehicle and have recently test driven several of them.

The Mazda costs less than the Honda, handles well, feels solid and gets the best milage of all cars in that category. It is a bit sluggish when you hit the go pedal though. I hear it will be getting a larger engine option shortly.

The Honda feels both bigger and lighter, handles well and has a lot of get-up and go. Almost too much - as in, I can picture an inattentive or inexperienced person easily rear-ending a car in front of it. It does have great brakes however.

Both cars have back up cameras. I’m a bit leary of relying on those because they do not show how close you are to the cars on either side, but I can train myself to deal with it.

Both cars have made my short list. I ruled out the RAV4 simply on how the driver’s position felt for me. But it might work well for you. Next week, I plan to test drive a VW Tiguan and stop by Subaru or Hyundai.

6

If you want something good in the snow, put snow tires on it - your versa with snow tires will probably outperform any crossover SUV with the stock all-season tires on it. Edit to add, not that the versa is a particularly good car overall, just that the tires matter more than 4 wheel drive or the slightly higher added weight of a crossover.
That said, for a crossover I like the CR-V. No better in the snow than any other crossover, but decent gas mileage, still relatively small, and good reliability.

7

These are actually the ones I find most interesting so far, and the only ones I’d already spent time investigating on the net before starting this thread. :slight_smile:

jacobsta811, Nissan boards posters say they still suck in the snow with good snow tires. The problem is not only is there low ground clearance and that it’s pretty light, it also has a nasty habit of getting snow compacted between the tire and walls of the wheel-well. Clearly not a car designed with snow in mind.

8

jacobsta811 is correct however. A good front-wheel drive car with snow tires can outperform many, many SUVs in winter driving.

Your problems are the low ground clearance and the snow pack you mention. However, snow tires WILL make your car handle better in snow despite these issues. The lightness you mention shouldn’t be an issue unless the snow you are driving through is really heavy and usually the wet stuff.

9

Here’s a bunch of comparisons for the “big” competitors in the segment.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/1209_2012_2013_compact_crossover_suv_comparison/viewall.html
http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/small-suvs-big-capabilities-20122013-compact-crossover-comparison/2000008495/

http://www.motorweek.org/reviews/comparison_tests/25k_compact_crossover_shootout

You can read them all to get an idea of the features and whatnot but really they’re all pretty decent vehicles and if you’re going to pick it’s just going to come down to which dealer gives you the best deal.

There’s a couple that weren’t included, the RAV4 wasn’t in some of them because it was up for a completely new generation this year, same for the Subaru Forester, The Nissan Rouge, VW Tiguan and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport also aren’t on there but they don’t really have anything particular to recommend themselves so they’re not really on the consideration list for most people.

The Jeep Compass is terrible, the Jeep Patriot is also terrible unless you specifically need a very off-road oriented vehicle with a low range transfer case. Actually not knowing the specifics of your driving enviroment the Patriot might not be a bad idea, and they’re pretty cheap for how capable they are off-road, but you’ll pay for the utility with very bad fuel economy.

But from the sounds of it most of these vehicles are overkill for what you need a car for. I would recommend you look into a Subaru XV Crosstrek. It’s basically a slightly macho-ed up version of the Subaru Impreza wagon. It’s slightly smaller and cheaper than the others, which sounds more like your style, has AWD when you need it and the CVT version gets 25/28/33 MPG which is pretty great.

10

You should definitely take a look at the Mazda CX-5 Crossover. It has been highly praised by all the major automotive media sources. It also won 1st place in a Car & Driver comparison test against Honda CRV EX AWD, Ford Escape SEL 4WD, Toyota RAV4 Limited AWD and Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD. Motor Trend magazine ranked it 2nd place in a recent comparo against the VW Tiguan, Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape.

Consumer Reports rates the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V as their top two compact crossovers. Their survey results also indicate that CX-5 and CR-V rank at highest in Owner Satisfaction. The survey question they ask is simply, “Would you buy this same vehicle again if you had it to go over again?”

The most common issue mentioned in reviews of the CX-5 is lack of engine power and slightly slower than average acceleration. The 2013 models in those tests all had the 2.0L 155hp version of the Skyactiv engine. For 2014, only the base Sport model has that engine and the Touring and Grand Touring models have a much stronger 2.5L 184hp version of the Skyactiv engine. They are much quicker and still manage to get 24mpg city and 30mpg highway.

The 2014 CX-5 comes in three trim levels- Sport (basic), Touring (mid-grade) and Grand Touring (loaded to the gills). You can get front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive on any trim level.

The CX-5 Touring AWD has a starting price of $26,660. The Moonroof & Bose Audio Package adds $1130 and includes a Power Moonroof and Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound Audio with 9-speakers. The Touring Technology Package adds another $1485 and adds Navigation, Rain-sensing wipers, Smart City Brake Support System and Bi-Xenon headlights with auto on/off & automatic leveling and Auto-dimming rear-view mirror with Homelink remote.

The CX-5 Touring standard features include a 6-way Power Driver’s Seat, Fog Lights, 17” alloy wheels, 6” Touch Full Color Touch Screen w/ Rearview Camera, Premium Cloth Upholstery, Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, Bluetooth phone & audio, Blind Spot Monitoring System, and more.

The CX-5 Grand Touring adds larger 19” alloy wheels (very sharp looking), Heated leather seats, Dual-zone automatic climate control, and heated side mirrors. Rain-sensing wipers, Power Moonroof and Bose Audio System (optional on the Touring) are also standard.

The 2014 CX-5 Grand Touring AWD pricing starts at $29,665. The only option is the Grand Touring Technology Package for $1625. It adds Navigation, Mazda Advanced Keyless System, Smart City Brake Support System, Bi-Xenon HID headlamps with auto on/off and automatic leveling and Auto-dimming rearview mirror with Homelink.

Mazda makes things a little confusing because the a lot of the Grand Touring features also come in the Touring’s option packages. Ultimately, there’s $2,015 difference in the price of a loaded Touring AWD and Grand Touring AWD. That $2, 015 will get you the larger 19” wheels/tires, heated leather seats and the advanced keyless entry with push-button start.

One feature that I think you will really love is the Blind Spot Monitoring System. I have a 2012 Mazda CX-9 (their big 3-row Crossover) and it has the BSM. Whenever a car is in your blind spot on either side of the car, a yellow light shaped like a car will appear on your side view mirror on whichever side they’re located. If you start to signal a lane change while a car is in the blind spot, it will sound a warning chime and the symbol on the mirror starts flashing. It annoyed (and scared) me the first time it went off, but I love it now!

One final note- the CX-5 was recently named a ‘Top Safety Pick’ by IIHS because it scored as high as possible on each of their crash tests! Great peace of mind and should make the insurance premiums a bit lower than similar vehicles.

11

I can’t tell you how much I hate the wheels on this thing. Apparently these black wheels are the latest thing (have also seen them equipped from the factory on new Ford Focuses), and I think they’re abominable. The 13-year-old liked them though.

If you can get past those, that is a good option. The Forester, which has a huge greenhouse and excellent visibility, is another. Just hope you’re not picky about stereo quality because in my experience Subaru sound systems suck (I own a 2003 Forester).

12

Virtually all of the stuff in the reviews now get IIHS top safety pick, since they are all quite new. You can clearly see the older vehicles like the Rogue and (now last gen)RAV4 don’t do as well.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/summary.aspx?class=58

Here’s the “Midsize” category where they put the Dodge Journey and Chevy Equinox.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/summary.aspx?class=55

To combat grade inflation IIHS has recently come out with a “Small Overlap” test that really tests a car’s door frame and a-pillar strength. No results for SUVs are out yet, but the results that are out for midsize cars are quite interesting. Cars can now get a “Top Safety Pick +” test.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/summary.aspx?class=30

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/summary.aspx?class=15
As expected Volvo comes out on top by a big margin and VW/Audis are deathtraps, but Toyota has also done especially poorly while Honda has done especially well. This gives me a good feeling about Honda products.

This is born out by the NHTSA ratings for 2013 cars. I have put together 10 as a comparison below, including the Volvo as a benchmark although of course it is a more expensive, higher end vehicle.

http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shoppers/5-Star+Safety+Ratings/2011-Newer+Vehicles/Search-Results?searchtype=comparemultiple&compcars=7376%2C7253%2C7359%2C7378%2C7142%2C7194%2C7503%2C7290%2C7137%2C7118%2C

Note that the CX-5 is around the average for the class, with 4/5 stars for passenger frontal. In contrast the only 2 vehicles in this category I could find that get full marks all around (except for rollover avoidance which no one gets full marks on and in any case isn’t an actual test of the car’s crashworthiness) are the Volvo (of course) and the new Honda CR-V.

Which generation are you talking about? We owned a 2007 (same generation as your 2003) and it indeed has great visibility, but times have changed since 10 years ago. the 2008-2013 generation didn’t have particularly good visibility in my brief experience with it, and in any case there’s little reason to go with a 2013 Forester, the very last year of an older design, compared to all the other options like the CR-V and CX-5 that came out just this year. The Forester’s powertrain is completely outdated (4 speed auto) in terms of performance and fuel economy and the interior appointments are terrible. The Legacy Outback is a much better choice.

Agree that the XV is certainly no looker, the ones I’ve seen on the street have an awful gaudy rear diffuser type dealie that make it much worse, although that could be some kind of aftermarket/dealer installed thing.

13

I’m not in the market for a new Forester (going to keep the one we’ve got until it implodes; my wife likes it), so I’ve actually not been in a newer model, but I do follow cars to some extent. I’ve not heard anything regarding a marked change in outward visibility; everything I’ve read continues to consider the Forester’s visibility as a benchmark. I think the roof pillars of all cars nowadays suffer at the altar of the IIHS rollover safety ratings, don’t they? Therefore maybe more of a relativity thing.

Current models appear to have ditched the archaic 4-speed AT for a CVT.

14

We went back and forth comparing the Mazda 5 and Ford Escape hybrid for nearly a year. We finally went w/ the Escape for its greater towing capacity while still getting over 30 mpg. That said, the hybrid now comes only w/ the leather package and that probably puts you over 30K unless you have A or Z Plan pricing, or are OK to wait till the last week of December 2013 to buy a 2013 model (and prepared to walk away if your price isn’t met).

15

I guess you can ignore my whole post above, OP; looks like the Escape hybrid engine’s no longer being made.

16

I bought my 2001 Honda CR-V brand new and it has been great. Very reliable, small enough yet can seat 5 adults. I have over 206,000 miles on it and it is still running very well. It has never stranded me.

17

My dad has been looking at Escapes lately. He’s being quoted just under 30K for the top of the line Platinum edition that has every option. They’re turbocharged and have pretty good power and still get over 30mpg. I want one now.

18

don’t bother with magazine comparison tests. the enthusiasts (and quasi-enthusiasts) who write for those publications do not look for the same things in a car that the average car buyer does.

19

You will pry my Chevy Equinox out of my cold, dead hands. LOVE it. It handles like a car, sticks to the roads around corners (I drive a lot of curvy country roads). It has, hands down, the most comfortable driver’s seat that I’ve ever sat in. It is supposed to get 31mpg highway, but the it rarely does except under ideal conditions (flat roads, 60mph). Still I get 28 highway and 25-26 around down which is still pretty good for the vehicle.

20

I adored my '04 Subaru Forester until some asshat ran into it when it was parked out on the street overnight and totalled it. :frowning: Just a great little SUV. My only complaint wasn’t its fault: my camper was just a little too heavy for perfect towing.

We couldn’t afford another due to some stupidity with the insurance companies, so we got an '05 Kia Sorento instead. Also a nice SUV, but not such great gas mileage, and it’s no longer what I’d consider “small” or “crossover”. It does, however, tow more, so I’m looking forward to trying that in a few weeks.