| joker |
Hey
My wife wants to look at getting a small SUV, Im thinking CRV, RAV4, Xtrail type of thing.
Does anyone have any link to comparisons so I can see how they stack up?
Or if anyone has any experience with them and can share an opinion that would be great.
Thanks |
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| Prudz_lude |
| rav4 is fun to drive and looks the best imo out of all of those. xtrail is a dream when it comes to gas milage. rav4 sucks becasue its 280hp engine. Unless you get the 4 banger. |
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| Can't Stop Spin |
I know the rav4 was C&D small suv of the year. Have you checked out Canadiandriver.com yet? Lots of decent articles there.
Me and the wife are looking in the new future at buying a similar sized suv. We are leaning heavily towards the rav4. 269hp, and can tow 3500lbs. All the other suvs can only tow 1500, which to me, is a big deal, as I'm planning on towing my car to the track in the future. The mileage in the rav4 with the v6 is rated at 37mph on the highway, which is better then what my srt gets :lol:
We've only test driven the rav4 so far, and the only things I didn't really like about the sport, is that throttle tip in is a little abrupt, and the back window is small, and compounded by the spare tire taking up some of the view.
I can't see the xtrail getting decent mileage. I had that exact engine in my spec v, and mileage sucked in the spec, so I can't see how it can be anywhere close to that in the xtrail. |
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| FAMILY GUY |
| My boss got rid of his CR-V (05?) after one year, and got an Xtrail, which he very much prefers. |
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| joker |
I do like the RAV4 styling the best, I dont think my wife will really want to go for the V6 though. Shes really big on gas mileage and with nothing to really tow its tough for me to justify to her.
Ill def check that site out, I havent paid attention to this segment at all so I need to get informed |
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| Inzane |
quote:
Originally posted by joker
Hey
My wife wants to look at getting a small SUV, Im thinking CRV, RAV4, Xtrail type of thing.
Does anyone have any link to comparisons so I can see how they stack up?
Or if anyone has any experience with them and can share an opinion that would be great.
Thanks
Hi Jeff,
This may be going back a couple years now, but Fifth Gear (which is the other British car show as you know) did a big 10 car comparo of the sport cutes back then and the Nissan X-Trail suprisingly took the #1 spot. It had the best offroad ability, and was 1st or 2nd on the track tests. (even though its an suv, it says something about its handling and dynamics).
Definitely worth a look at.
I wish I had a link to their video and/or article, but unfortunately I don't.
Jason
PS - the only real downside of the Xtrail is the goofy --> center-mounted <-- instrument cluster.
PPS - you won't find any info on the Xtrail in American publications because it was only available in Europe and Canada. (and maybe Japan?). |
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| joker |
I am staring to lean towards the Xtrail as I start to delve into this alittle bit. Good cargo space, decent engine and pretty well equipped.
I just saw the pic of the interior and Im not a fan of the center cluster but I wont make that a deal breaker until I take one for a drive.
Plus after looking through the autotrader site they seem to be priced pretty well compared to the others.
Keep it coming though guys, thanks. |
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| Inzane |
The X-Trail also has lots of nifty cubby-holes including some ingenious beverage holders that incorporate hvac vents to keep your drinks cold or hot, depending on the situation.
On a hot summer day's drive, with the AC on, you can keep 4 cold beers... uhh.. I mean cokes!... in the center console compartment. :thumbup: |
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| WorkInProgress |
| Why not buy a JEEP? |
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| Inzane |
quote:
Originally posted by WorkInProgress
Why not buy a JEEP?
Isn't that like one of those.... domestics? :eek: |
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| accordt |
quote:
Originally posted by WorkInProgress
Why not buy a JEEP?
I just had a rental jeep 07 with about 10k on the clock and it was one of the worst auto's I have even been or driven in. Made all kinds of sounds leaking from the exhaust mani very uncomfortable and small in the drivers seat. I could go on and on about how shity that week was for me |
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| madmat3 |
| You should check out a Hyundai Tucson or better yet the Sante Fe. You can get a 3.3 L engine with 244 hp. It's also bigger, more comfortable, and has available 7 person seating. The 2007 models look sweet. Typical Hyundai...more bang for the buck, but the quality is there now.:cool: |
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| flatboy |
quote:
Originally posted by WorkInProgress
Why not buy a JEEP?
Jeeps suck. IMO
My wife has a 04 CRV and loves it, plus I don't mind driving it. Around town its the shit and can go through snow like nobody business. Good on gas also. But if you wana pull a trailer then no, unless its a light tent trailer or something. I'd buy another CRV in a heart beat, no question about that.
Shayne |
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| SilverZ24 |
I have driven my sister-in-laws X-Trail a bunch of times and it really is crap imo. Feels very cheap, the engine is harsh and the dash looks retarded (I can't stand any car with the dash in the center). I also drove it in the mountains a bit last year and it is absolutely gutless as well.
She also doesn't really like it except for heated/cooled cup holders and the plastic back compartment (she has a dog), but besides that she can't wait for the lease to end on it.
The new CRV is butt ugly imo so I would never consider it no matter how good it may be. Plus someone I know had one and said it was the worst awd vehicle he had ever driven in the winter. So my vote would be for the Rav4. Looks the best of the 3, has the most room (although the 3rd row is useless in it) and the optional V6 seems damn impressive for power and even fuel economy for an engine of that size.
Another one I would consider is the V6 Escape. But only the 2008 model. The 08 is quite a bit more refined feeling that the older ones and the interior is extensively redesigned and looks really good (Ford's new ice blue lighting they are putting in all their vehicles looks so much better than the old green lighting). The only part I don't really like is the new boxy front end. And the best part is it is a really good bang for the buck. |
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| Inzane |
quote:
Originally posted by SilverZ24
I have driven my sister-in-laws X-Trail a bunch of times and it really is crap imo. Feels very cheap, the engine is harsh and the dash looks retarded (I can't stand any car with the dash in the center). I also drove it in the mountains a bit last year and it is absolutely gutless as well.
Who knows... :dunno: the 5th Gear review I mentioned seemed pretty convincing at the time. (The RAV-4 took 2nd place in that one, btw). But I've admittedly never actually driven one myself.
I definitely agree with you on center mounted instruments though. :limpwrist |
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| SilverZ24 |
I never saw that review but I assume it was compared to the older Rav4. I newer one seems to be a big upgrade over the old.
I haven't driven a ton of small suvs to really know them all that well but to me is doesn't seem all that great. Better than ones like the old Escapes and the Jeep Liberty with the exception of power, but the new Ford Escape and the new Rav4 are much better vehicles imo.
And yeah, I could never own any vehicle with a center mounted IP. |
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| ChromeDragon |
| $45,000 buys you a new Hyundai Vera Cruz. It's built to take on the Acura MDX and Lexus RX-350 for substantially less $$. |
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| flatboy |
[ Plus someone I know had one and said it was the worst awd vehicle he had ever driven in the winter.]
wtf?
The Honda CRV is awesome! It'll go through dam near everything, good sense of security and great for a women. I've pulled out more stuff with her CRV than I can count. The really shity part was the Bridgstone tires it came with. Now it would be shity if you kept those tires on, plus they only lasted 20,000km.
Honda FTW:thumbup: |
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| joker |
Can anyone suggest some links to good reviews of these things, I looked at canadiandriver.com which was helpful but it only really gives you the breakdown of them.
Price will be a big factor, I dont want to spend more than 30,000. |
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| Can't Stop Spin |
| check out all the major magazines. C&D, MotorTrend, Road&Track etc. They'll all have some sort of comparision/review of the different suv's |
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| ae1969 |
Having had the pleasure of driving all three.... before 2006.
They all suck. :D |
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| BananaBoy |
My wife just bought a Mazda CX-7 a few months ago and it's easily the best small suv we've had over the years.
We had a 1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara and a 2003 CR-v. The Vitara was definably the most rugged with real 4x4, it can go anywhere. The cr-v was practical and good on gas but not fun, could never handle going ice fishing.
Pros:
- 2.4l turbo 4 goes freaking fast for an suv, it's really funny leaving some considered "sporty" cars in the dust.
- Handles great considering the size.
- very curvy un-suv style, something between the Murano and the Lexus suv's
- nice interior, nothing on the inside of that car seams cheap, flimsy or economy,
- Keyless entry and start very cool
- Super bright adjustable head lights
- Took it ice fishing, only got stuck once when it was really bad. Even the 4x4 Silverodo was having some trouble that day.
Cons:
- The curvy shape means less cargo room than the boxy suv's
- Turbo lag, still getting used to it.
- Very bad on gas if you hit turbo lots, like me, my wife is even worse
- Already have 2 recalls, (one major, one minor)
- Keyless entry system means you must use Mazda over priced, piece of crap remote starter
- Keyless entry is a bit finicly, like if the windows are open and you don't have the key and just reach in to open the door, the alarm sounds.
Conclusion: great mix for style, features and fun with a big pile of Mazda zoom zoom. But some aspects suffer like cargo, gas usage and price (more expesive than Rav4 or CR-v)
We have the fully loaded model without the nav system.
Just my 2 cents. |
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