Anyone planning to buy a small SUV ?

[fiona00004]

So we are looking for a small AWD car to buy soon...and have our hearts set on maybe the Mazda CX3 or Honda HRV...they are not out on the market yet....

Does anyone have similar plans?

What other cars are comparable?

 

[Tanzigrrl]

I have a 2013 Buick Encore and it's awesome!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I just got a Mazda CX5. I test drove the Honda CRV and hated it. I also looked at the Rogue and Tucson.

 

[diamondringlover]

I would like to get one here in the next 6 months...I am going to look at at a Honda CRV and a Toyota Rav4....I want 4 wheel drive and all the bells and whistles....but I will get a use one maybe 2011-2012, I cant afford to buy it new...

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I am waiting for the ford escape hybrid to come back. I'll be all over it.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Spent the last two weeks in car buying hell. I need therapy.

Very HAPPY to have purchased a Subaru. Imprezza--compact car.

Had we not purchased this, a Honda (CRV or Civic) would have been my other choice.

Good luck!

cheers--Sharon

 

[TooPatient]

LOVE our Mazda CX5. Had it for about 2 years and no regrets (except maybe that we got the early 2013 and they made the engine and mileage better in them just a few months later).

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

I have had my 2014 Mazda CX-5 AWD Grand Touring for just about a year (bought it brand new). I live in the northeast US and we have had a significant amount of snow and this car is a BEAST! I came from a honda civic coupe (tiny tiny) and the CX5 is perfect size, not too big, not too small. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I also tote around my labrador in it, plenty of room!

 

[swingirl]

I love our Subaru Crosstrek. Not sure if it's the size you are looking for. It's a bit smaller that the Subaru Forester.

 

[fiona00004]

I just got a Mazda CX5. I test drove the Honda CRV and hated it. I also looked at the Rogue and Tucson.

Why did u hate the crv? I am familiar with mazdas, they seem to drive a bit rough.. a bit noisy...how do u feel about the ride in the cx5?

 

[fiona00004]

I would like to get one here in the next 6 months...I am going to look at at a Honda CRV and a Toyota Rav4....I want 4 wheel drive and all the bells and whistles....but I will get a use one maybe 2011-2012, I cant afford to buy it new...

I would love bells and whitsles... especially moonroof, leather...awd is a must in montreal...so yeah... those are both on my "to try out" list...

 

[fiona00004]

I am waiting for the ford escape hybrid to come back. I'll be all over it.

cool! I never considerd the ford escape... I will look into it!

 

[fiona00004]

HI:

Spent the last two weeks in car buying hell. I need therapy.

Very HAPPY to have purchased a Subaru. Imprezza--compact car.

Had we not purchased this, a Honda (CRV or Civic) would have been my other choice.

Good luck!

cheers--Sharon

Ya, the subaru impreza and even the crosstrek have been in my to try list also... DH prefers the WRX becaus of the powerful engien but in my price range, I can only afford the impreza for now...without moonroof

 

[fiona00004]

I have had my 2014 Mazda CX-5 AWD Grand Touring for just about a year (bought it brand new). I live in the northeast US and we have had a significant amount of snow and this car is a BEAST! I came from a honda civic coupe (tiny tiny) and the CX5 is perfect size, not too big, not too small. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I also tote around my labrador in it, plenty of room!

VERY interesting about the CX5. I will definitely try it out and strongly consider the cx3 then...i think they will be vey similar except the cx3 is like 1 foot shorter than the cx5. Mazda cars are definitely looking nice though!

 

[fiona00004]

I love our Subaru Crosstrek. Not sure if it's the size you are looking for. It's a bit smaller that the Subaru Forester.

I never considred the crosstrek until one day, I saw one parked in front of me in a pearly baby blue color and I thought "wow!"... but, I think this color only existed in older models because i don't see that color in their website anymore

 

[fiona00004]

We initially had our hearts set on the upcomng Jeep Renegade...I would love a cute little rugged jeep... it looks funky, reportely drives well...however, lots of people question its reliability/longevity.....too bad because i think it's cute. Price might be a bit steep tho...

Anyone thinking of getting that? It isn't out on the market just yet...soon tho

 

[jordyonbass]

I mentioned this in another thread but I've got a Honda CRV and I tow my boats with it, cart around anywhere up to a full 4 piece band's worth of music equipment and do some light off-roading with it occasionally. I love it and the only reason I would ever upgrade is for some more towing power over long distances as I have upgraded to a larger boat recently and the car was bought to tow my smaller boat. I can still tow the new boat with the CRV though so it does hold it's own.

They're a solid car

 

[TooPatient]

I just got a Mazda CX5. I test drove the Honda CRV and hated it. I also looked at the Rogue and Tucson.

Why did u hate the crv? I am familiar with mazdas, they seem to drive a bit rough.. a bit noisy...how do u feel about the ride in the cx5?

The Mazdas have a computer that learns your driving. The first few days or so can be a bit rough but after it adjusts it is wonderful. We also had a shorter learning time (something like a day) after an engine software upgrade. Gets really quiet too. I've actually forgotten I had it running and tried to start it again...

We had the same thing with the CX7 we had before the CX5.
Just drove my brother's Mazda 3 and it is beautifully smooth too.

Oh... Ours is the Touring. If you want leather and all that, the grand touring would probably be your favorite. We drove that too and it was great inside!

 

[dk168]

I am in the UK, and have only driven Mini x 1/MINI x 1 and current car since 2002, and my SUV will also be a MINI as in a Countryman, ALL4, Cooper D(iesel) Automatic (I believe that is a 2L engine however I could be wrong).

I have considered the Skoda Yeti, however, sorry, it is not as cute as the MINI Countryman.

I need a Diesel engine as I tow a trail with my camping gear in it, and prefer an automatic as I could be on the road more due to work.

DK

 

[autumngems]

I have hte same delemna, my daughter got my old Ford Escape so now I don't know what I want to get, it's between:

Chevy Equinox, Maxda CX5 or 9, or Jeep Wrangler

I want a 6 cyl I know that, I do not like 4 cyl.

 

[wildcat03]

I love my Nissan Rogue. Yesterday I was driving to work and watching a Jeep slip all over the place...not my Nissan.

 

[autumngems]

I was looking at a Jeep SUV but hubby looked them up and there are issues with the 9 speed automatic transmissions they are using in them.

 

[TooPatient]

I have hte same delemna, my daughter got my old Ford Escape so now I don't know what I want to get, it's between:

Chevy Equinox, Maxda CX5 or 9, or Jeep Wrangler

I want a 6 cyl I know that, I do not like 4 cyl.

The CX9 is longer than the CX5. The 9 felt very similar to our CX7 and I loved it. Didn't need the extra length so got the 7. Then the 5 came out about the time we hit 85,000 miles on the 7. Was a tough choice between the CX9 and the CX5 but I'm glad we got the one we did. It feels smaller which is great for me since I hate parking bigger cars. We have hauled all sorts is stuff in here just fine. Lots of space.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I thought the blind spot was a deal breaker. That back window is SO little. The mazda has blind spot monitoring and its saved me a few times. Also there was this strange vibration. The finishes were blah (felt the same with the rav4). I got more bang for my buck with the madza and it is more fun to drive. I have the Grand Touring level.

ETA: I like 4 cyl. Better gas milage and I don't tow anything. For me it was a no brainer.

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

for what it's worth, the CX5 wasn't even on my radar when I went car shopping. I had never bought a new car, and it was a pretty big deal for me. The car I thought I wanted was the Subaru Crosstrek (In orange!!!) or a Ford Escape. We went to the Subaru dealership, which is on a very very busy 2 lane highway. The car was cute, the backup cam/navi screen was really tiny but it was pretty small inside - much like a hatchback and less like an SUV (which is how i envisioned it!). When taking it for a test drive, we nearly got smacked leaving the parking lot because the car has NO PICKUP whatsoever! They have the newer engines that have the CVT technology, which is supposed to be less noticeable shifting. After that experience, Crosstrek was off the list for good! I went home and read reviews and the slow acceleration was an issue is 90% of them.

I then went to a dealership to check out the escape. This dealership also sold Mazda. I loved the escape, but to get the options I wanted, it was expensive. Also, I am a less is more kinda girl and all the technology in the car drove me bonkers...there must have been about 20 buttons on the steering wheel alone! It drove really nice though and it was a great size. I saw a CX5 in the showroom. We took the Touring model for a test drive. More pleasing interior. Smooth ride, loved the look of the car. We sat down and squashed numbers and because I wanted a moonroof, it was only about 1k difference to the Grand Touring (after incentives). I went home and thought about it, and went back the next day and bought the showroom model. I decided to go with the Grand Touring which has a TON of features that the Touring does not have.

If you are in the US, you must have heard how battered the east has gotten with snow. We are at about 50" for the season, and i haven't seen the ground since january. Constant icy, snowy conditions multiple times a week. My civic could not function in an inch of snow... in the CX5 i couldn't even tell there was snow on the ground! The AWD is fantastic! I am not sure if this is a concern for you(snow), but my husband drives an Infiniti, and he has driven Acuras in the past and he said my car is the best awe snow experience he has ever had!

Good luck with whatever you choose and don't forget to post a pic!

 

[fiona00004]

for what it's worth, the CX5 wasn't even on my radar when I went car shopping. I had never bought a new car, and it was a pretty big deal for me. The car I thought I wanted was the Subaru Crosstrek (In orange!!!) or a Ford Escape. We went to the Subaru dealership, which is on a very very busy 2 lane highway. The car was cute, the backup cam/navi screen was really tiny but it was pretty small inside - much like a hatchback and less like an SUV (which is how i envisioned it!). When taking it for a test drive, we nearly got smacked leaving the parking lot because the car has NO PICKUP whatsoever! They have the newer engines that have the CVT technology, which is supposed to be less noticeable shifting. After that experience, Crosstrek was off the list for good! I went home and read reviews and the slow acceleration was an issue is 90% of them.

I then went to a dealership to check out the escape. This dealership also sold Mazda. I loved the escape, but to get the options I wanted, it was expensive. Also, I am a less is more kinda girl and all the technology in the car drove me bonkers...there must have been about 20 buttons on the steering wheel alone! It drove really nice though and it was a great size. I saw a CX5 in the showroom. We took the Touring model for a test drive. More pleasing interior. Smooth ride, loved the look of the car. We sat down and squashed numbers and because I wanted a moonroof, it was only about 1k difference to the Grand Touring (after incentives). I went home and thought about it, and went back the next day and bought the showroom model. I decided to go with the Grand Touring which has a TON of features that the Touring does not have.

If you are in the US, you must have heard how battered the east has gotten with snow. We are at about 50" for the season, and i haven't seen the ground since january. Constant icy, snowy conditions multiple times a week. My civic could not function in an inch of snow... in the CX5 i couldn't even tell there was snow on the ground! The AWD is fantastic! I am not sure if this is a concern for you(snow), but my husband drives an Infiniti, and he has driven Acuras in the past and he said my car is the best awe snow experience he has ever had!

Good luck with whatever you choose and don't forget to post a pic!

Ouch! I will totally remember your feedback about the crosstrek!

Honestly seems like the CX5 is gaining popularity. I also wanta moonroof...leather is not a must for me...

Being from the north NORTH east...like Quebec, Canada, we also get lots of snow and this winter was/is brutal with all the cold and therefore ICE! I currently drive a 2001 Mazda protégé and it is slowly dying on me...I think Mazda has probably improved their technology...so that's good1 I can't wait to start going for road tests once DH comes back from his business trip in 2 weeks!!!

 

[blackprophet]

I am waiting for the ford escape hybrid to come back. I'll be all over it.

cool! I never considerd the ford escape... I will look into it!

Unfortunately the Ford Escape Hybrid is not coming back.

My Vote is for Subaru, Subaru, Subaru! (Did I saw Subaru? )

The Crosstek is literally an Impreza on a jacked up suspension. So it is not really an SUV it is a hatchback, cleverly marketed as a CUV. So I would go with a Forester if looking for an SUV, the new ones are pretty nice. Or an imprezza if you are ok with going with a car. Do you drive manual? Because manual+symetrical AWD+ Snow tires = Canadian winter mastery (I live in Toronto).

The Mazdas are pretty nice. If you are already driving a protege, why not just transition to the mazda3. You can get the skyactiv enging and save on even more gas. The engines are really good too.

 

[maccers]

I love my Volvo XC60 but that might be bigger than what you're considering.

 

[luv2sparkle]

We have both a Subaru impreza hatchback and a 2015 Outback. We are very happy with both of them, but I really love my Outback. The design changes they made for the 2015 are great and all the tech stuff is awesome. It has such a smooth ride and is very enjoyable to drive. I would buy it again in a heartbeat. I think the impreza is not really a small suv but my husband likes it because it is a little lower and he can easily lift a bike on the top rack. The Outback has a good amount of room in the back, more than say the Crosstrek. Either is a great choice though. Both the Outback and the Forrester have had excellent reviews.

 

[telephone89]

I am! I'm looking at a used model though, maybe 2012 ish. I have to drive alot for work, so I want a cross between AWD, good fuel economy, low maint costs and nice interior features (in that order). So far my leaders are Ford escape, jeep compass and nissan rogue/murano. I've looked at a few of the others but they aren't great on gas, which is high on my list. I also want a true SUV, not a crossover. I'm picky haha.