Considering a small SUV

L

Looger

Joined
Aug 30, 2021
Messages
89
Thinking about ditching my 19 Accord.
Great car I many ways: insanely good mileage, reasonably quick, drives great, pretty reliable, surprisingly roomy.
The driver assist stuff is VERY well executed (lane keep/assist and adaptive cruise).

But... uncomfortable seats, limited capabilities in winter (does fine with CC2 tires, but I get nervous as the snow increases in SE Michigan), LOW ground clearance, too much road noise.
And I'm a little concerned about the 1.5T longevity.

I don't want a hybrid.

So:
Honda CRV.
Tons of posivies, but:
Expensive, not particularly quiet (apparently the 25 models are quieter), questionable engine longevity (1.5T).

Subaru Forester.
Mechanically looks like a winner.
25 model is quieter and improved in several ways.
But: Sluggish engine, NANNY crap that nags you to watch the road or decides to slam the brakes for no reason, has a giant stupid slow touch screen.
Amazing that what is otherwise a well designed vehicle may be ruined by garbage electronics.

Hyundai Tucson.
Lots of good stuff.
But: really slow basic engine with low mileage. A lot of electronics makes me a little wary. There were a lot of early electronics issues early on. Questionable reliability.
Was quiet on a brief test drive.

Kia Sportage
Similar to Tucson, didn't test drive thought.

Nissan Rogue.
Decent on paper, but read that it has a too much cabin noise.

Mazda CX5.
Test drove several times briefly.
Drove well and was quiet. Decent acceleration. I like the drivetrain's mechanical simplicity.

But: small, narrow, firm seats. Very firm ride (the Accord is firm, yet absorbs bumps well), but I need to do more test drives and bring a pressure gauge, because maybe they were at 45psi...
Also, it is a little smaller than I would prefer, and outward visibility isn't great.

Subaru Outback.
Similar to Forester.

Chevrolet Equinox.
Ugh. Decent on paper...kinda.
Might do a test drive, but it doesn't seem to have any real standout features (poor mileage, not quiet?)

So many choices...

Ultimately it will probably be a coin toss, but any advice is appreciated...!
 
I have had many CRV's and my daughter still has one...when our CRV touring was totaled by an errant stop sign runner we ended up with a CX5 as a loaner until we got the payment settlement..I liked it so much better and even tho it had 80,000 miles on it it was more solid interior wise than our low milage CRV...we test drove a new touring CRV back to back with the CX5 and a Forester and the CX5 easily won out...we bought a new CX5 turbo and have since put over 40000 miles on it in the last two years and not a squeak or rattle and puts a smile on my face every time I put it in sport mode and kick in the turbo...the transmission is so much nicer than the CV transmissions from a driving stand point..one and only negative compared to the CRV is CX-5 will not hold value quite as well.. not an issue if you keep vehicles for several years..\
we have always gotten better mpg than the sticker says and that is hand calculated ie miles driven by gallons taken...never once has it been back to the dealership for anything.

we are normal size ie 5'10" 200lb and wife 5'2" 140 and seats are comfortable for up to a 1000 mile day...the ventilated/cooled seats are a game changer....
 
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You said no hybrid but I'd say check out a Rav4 Prime plug in hybrid. 0-60 in 5.4 seconds and if you charge it daily and drive in EV mode you won't use a drop of gas. Add some fuel stabilizer if that's the case.
 
GenSan said:
You said no hybrid but I'd say check out a Rav4 Prime plug in hybrid. 0-60 in 5.4 seconds and if you charge it daily and drive in EV mode you won't use a drop of gas. Add some fuel stabilizer if that's the case.
Click to expand...
my younger brother has one and he said he wished he saved his money and skipped the hybrid..he does not drive a ton and said it will never pencil out for him..he did drive it from Texas to Montana when he first bought it but other than that it is just back and forth to work for him. I did not think it's interior was as nice as the Mazda. I only sat in it tho.
 
In that category, probably a BMW X3 would be your best bet. Great in the snow (once you get rid of the garbage OEM tires, I run Michelin CC2s on it), loads of power, fun to drive, comfortable, quiet, incredible MPG (30 MPG average for city/highway mixed) and reliable. Have three of the G01s in my family, no issues with any of them. B48 engine and ZF 8 speed are proven. Much more refined and fun of a vehicle compared to anything else on the list (and I've driven most of them). second would be a CX5, but extremely slow without the turbo, seats were not comfortable for me, and its still wrong wheel drive.
 
Check Enterprise/Hertz/Avis. Many busier areas have most of those and you could rent for a weekend and drive it longer. Many cars have seats with shorter bottom cushion, not as comfortable. You can also help ride by opting for smaller rims from lower trim normally. Smaller rims = more sidewall to help absorb impacts. Downside possibly less style or high speed handling, not an issue in most peoples 99% of driving.

Many of the smaller SUV's don't have much more ground clearance than the Accord, just different presentation/bumper area angles.

If winter is a concern, there is no substitute for true winter tires. All weather like CC2 are better than all season, but not as good as true winter. This is especially true for stopping and turning. I have 16 winter tires mounted on spare rims. I swap in my driveway. Brings overall cost way down. Accord on Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra. My Sonata and Corolla did the same.

IMG_6002.webp


7" snow, on an uphill. Spun just a little bit but then rolled right on.
IMG_6016.webp

IMG_6022.webp
 
We have a 2016 Outback and Forester with the 2.5. Have you actually driven one? I know it depends on what you compare it to, but never once have I thought "&^%$#@! this thing is slow!". Plenty of pep and power for normal driving around town and on the interstate. But, if you want a sports car or something with noticeably good acceleration, then you should probably get something else.
 
slacktide_bitog said:
still Honda's good CVT
Click to expand...
miden851

Thread 'a '17 Accord CVT's issue'

I ran into an issue with my CVT; Yesterday after the work, when I hit a road and within 2mnts I got an alert on my dashboard, the very first time

IMG_3066.webp


I pulled to the side, shut it off and stepped out of the car; I popped the hood, went under the car and nothing out of ordinary, no burning smell, no leaks; I got to say maybe in past 20 days i've noticed a somewhat change in CVT mode/shiffting; I could sense it being my daily but not an average Joe I'd say. I managed to replicate the problem and here is the image from this morning. I scanned the car with my basic OBD and no codes...
  • Wow
 
I heard the Eqinox is doing a parity of the VW Diesel Gate. Its in the begining stages. I did not even know it is available as a Diesel. If true, they will be giving them away.
 
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