Parents looking for new small SUV...help

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The only suv type vehicle I've driven recently was an 18 Nissan Rogue. Drove like a dream,rock solid,a ton of power,and got excellent gas mileage. I loved the feel of the cvt transmission.
 
His parents are not going to be able to rate driving dynamics one way or the other.

They are coming out of a mini van.

Stand by and reliable-Nissan Rogue. CVT and unreliable does not go hand in hand anymore (except on BITOG). My son has one (Nissan Rogue) with 75,000 miles. It's been rock solid.

ON BITOG CVT issues have been made bigger than life-just as a Crown Vic has been made the IDEAL MODE of transportation.......... the pinnacle of automotive excellence.
 
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Get a Hyundai Tucson with the 2.0L and save $3k. In the odd event of an engine failure, they've got $3k extra in the bank to cover it.

Being afraid of a Hyundai is pretty ridiculous if you ask me, would be like saying you shouldn't hve bought that Accord because they have bad automatic transmissions. Well, they don't.

My Sonata was $6k less than a comparable Accord. Which means I could have the engine and transmission replaced and still have money left over.
 
Originally Posted by gregk24
My parents have asked me to help them find a good small SUV. They currently have a 2005 mini van with around 175K miles that may need to be replaced soon, so they are looking. I recommended the Toyota RAV4 as a top pick for reliability, which is high on their (and my) list. They would not be looking at the new 2019 model, but most likely a 2015-2018. Are there any problems to look out for with this model? I don't know a whole lot about the Toyota line up, but I know the RAV4 of that era has the 2.5 and 6 speed auto, which I presume is as reliable as they come now-a-days.

I am not really interested in the Honda CRV as from 2015-2016 (can't remember) they are equipped with the CVT. Again, we are looking for something rock solid reliable so the CVT is out.

Another possibility is the Mazda CX-5. I know about these as well, only that they have a standard stepped automatic and 2.5 N/A engine.

Hyundai / Kia is out of the mix as well due to 2.4 engine problems. Yes, I understand Hyundai "fixed" the issue back in 2015 or so, but problems keep happening though not as common.

So, what say the BITOG crowd?

A 2017 cx5 is what Id recommend. 2018 got cylinder deactivation. Not a fan. Otherwisez the 2.5 and 6A skyactiv powertrain is very reliable, its sporty for its segment, and much more refined than your other choices listed.
 
Originally Posted by AZjeff
We have a 2014 RAV4, daughter has a 2015 CX-5. Same trim level, both have 2.5s. NVH is the same, driving dynamics the same. Blindfolded you couldn't tell them apart by any parameter. The whole CX-5 is fun to drive thing is marketing. Maybe the CX-5 is better at extremely spirited driving, couldn't tell you, but who does that in a cute ute? I like them both, the 15 CX-5 has more tech than our '14 but same year examples 16-18 probably have the same gizmos. The ride was softened and more sound damping added to the RAV4 in 2015, ours has pretty loud road noise on certain kinds of pavement. We liked the interior of the RAV a bit better than the CX-5 at the time or we'd be driving a Mazda. We can do 8 hour trips in the RAV no problem.

rav4world.com is a pretty active owner site, lurk there and see what they're saying.
the cx5 has a much better awd system for those years, and is notably faster. NVH of a 2015 sucks though. I owned an2015 touring cx5 and found it loud and cheap feeling and sounding. My 2019, and the 2017 and 2018 likewise, are a whole market segment ahead of the gen 1 cx5s.
 
bought a 2019 hyundai tucson SEL for my daughter 2 months ago for 22k. first hyundai. has a standard auto and not CVT or DCT. its been a pretty good vehicle so far. the SEL trim has everything most people want and non of the extras. has the 2,4 engine. gas mileage could be better though. its quiet and feels solid.

5/60 and 10/10 powertrain means dad does not have to worry too much about car issues for now
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Chevy Trax.


Second this. 56000 trouble free miles on my wife's Trax. Has enough engine to go over the Eisenhower and Vail Pass at 70, gets a pretty consistent 30 mpg no matter what you do, and is a great car in the snow if you face that kind of weather.
 
My thoughts in order of recommendations :
1. RAV4 - Port injected engine, likely to be most reliable
2. MX5 - looks amazing
3. Rogue Sport (Qashqai in Canada) - dark horse.
 
Originally Posted by Danno
My thoughts in order of recommendations :
1. RAV4 - Port injected engine, likely to be most reliable
2. MX5 - looks amazing
3. Rogue Sport (Qashqai in Canada) - dark horse.

RAV should be a dated but reliable appliance as stated.
CX5 has proven very good. My last one went 106K miles before I traded it, and ran like new except that the HPFP and FP regulator BOTH went out (10 minutes after fuelling, I suspect bad fuel). I traded vs repairing.
Rogue just sucks.
 
How small of an SUV are they looking for?
Subcompact SUV such as the HR-V, CX3, Trax etc? I think this whole sub compact category is sub standard for the money.

Or are they looking in for the Compact SUV such as the RAV, CRV, CX5? A waaaaay better category for the dollar spent.

I agree that you can't go wrong with the RAV4 due to Toyota's reputation for reliability. Although the RAV isn't exciting, I wouldn't think that your folks are looking for too much excitement coming from a minivan and the RAV may just fit the bill, Bill...I mean, Greg! The RAV4 does everything reasonable.

And living in FL, if they don't need AWD...better yet! They'd be getting essentially a Camry drivetrain.
 
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Lolvoguy
The big deal with the 1.5 Ford Ecoboost 4 cylinder engine is it is very problematic. There are well noted cases where engines are being replaced because of head or block issues. Engine misfire codes are being caused by coolant getting into the cylinders. FoMoCo is discontinuing production of the 1.5 Ecoboost 4 cylinder and replacing it with a 1.5 Ecoboost 3 cylinder engine. Does that answer your question? Go to the Ford Escape forums and their is plenty of documentation.
 
My vote is for Ford Escape

2.5 duratec (Fusion, Transit Connect, etc.) Non DI
Trans- Non CVT
Timing Chain

Escape also used as Taxis
 
My ex-in-laws (I'm still close with them) have a 2018 Mazda CX-5 and love it.

I would own one too if it were suitable for my purposes.
 
My son bought a Mitsubishi eclipse cross a month ago. Nice little SUV , transparent CVT, very good all wheel drive system , and the best warranty on the market as far as I know. peppy little 1.5 and not too bad on fuel ... good to see something.different on the road
 
Toyota's and Honda's are costlier to buy than many other brands. May be worth the extra relative cash up front. VW Tiguan's are actually pretty nice rides with good warranty and lower priced but probably won't have the same life expectancy as the Toy/Hon. If I had a minivan that has 175k on it and it proved its value and wanted another one except now in AWD, I would check into the Sienna.
 
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