I have a car. It is German, impractical for me, and WAY too expensive. I am in the last year of an endless 3 year lease ad can't wait for it to be over. When I got the car (by the way it is a BMW 335xi Sedan with all of the bells and whistles), it was a present for my wife. Ok, ok, yes I shouldn't be getting my wife presents that cost almost as much as my apartment, but I love her very much and she had said it was always her dream to have a BMW. It was worth it to see her face when I surprised her with it, but 2 years later she is also ready to move on.
A little about my life. I live in NY so I prefer AWD. I need more space than the BMW sedan could deliver. Two of my many hobbies are golf and shotgun shooting sporting clays (more on this another time, but it's like skeet shooting). Both require either an SUV, pick-up truck or a car with a large trunk. The BMW's trunk is small. I mean really small. I could fit 2 golf bags and 2 golf pull carts in my father's Civic and I could barely fit one and one in my BMW. Really embarrassing.
So I've been researching small, inexpensive SUVs. Nothing German this time as I am sick of visiting the service department at BMW. Nothing too expensive. I have leased at least 7 Japanese vehicles in the past and I have never (honestly) taken one in for anything other than a scheduled service. It's Japanese this time all the way! Up until a few weeks ago, I had my search narrowed down to 3 small SUVs: Toyota RAV4 V6, Subaru Forrester XT, and the Honda CRV.
I recently took a look at the new Forester and the design changes are really sharp. The engine on the XT is powerful, and it costs around $30k optioned out. Subaru lost me again though on the cargo space. The wheel wells really stick in a lot in the trunk area on this model as they did in the last generation. For me, this was a deal breaker. I need space in the trunk for my stuff, not the car's stuff.
The RAV4 WAS the perfect choice for me. Great reviews, lots of space, cost around $30K, powerful V6 engine, etc. But...Toyotas are off of my list for a while. This recall is really scary and I have heard a few of those recordings where drivers have lost control and sometimes died. I just read that there are 24 confirmed fatalities due to bad brakes. God knows I don't need anything else to worry about.
So... that leaves me with the Honda CRV. The EX-L is around $30k with all options. Honda is good this way. Don't charge a lot of extra money for option packages and such. I get really upset when I like a car and it seems like it costs one price, but costs another $10K just to get it street legal. It seems a little underpowered with its 4 cylinder engine, but I rarely drive my BMW over the speed limit or accelerate faster than Hyundai. 0-60 in 4.9 seconds hasn't kept me out of the service center either. I've owned Hondas before and they were never flashy or glamorous, but they were reliable and well-made. I never felt like I was in a "plastic" car even though everything is plastic...if you know what I mean. In about 10 months, we'll see what the final decision is, but for now the verdict is in:
- Subaru Forester (good)
- Toyota RAV4 (better)
- Honda CRV (The BEST)
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We've been thinking about the Forester as well once we either trade-in or junk our pick-up with 4WD that doesn't work! Did you learn anything about the safety profiles of those 3 cars? Safety is really important to us. Our Toyota Siena minivan has lots of great safety features and is also roomy and fun to drive. Wondering what the Forester has to offer in that regard. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYes, these suvs all have great safety records. Obviously, I would recommend staying away from the Toyota RAV4 now. The Forester definitely is the least roomy of the 3, but the Forester XT is really fun to drive (like an SUV sports car).
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