New car shopping, some advice please

[oly884]

So, it's time for the soon to be Mrs and myself to start looking into a new vehicle. As most of you know my '04 Tacoma is gone now in favor of a Chevy 2500HD, but we each also have our own vehicles. Me a 1999 Subaru Forester S (awesome car) and her a 2000 Honda Civic DX (not so awesome car).

It doesn't really make much sense for us to own 3 vehicles when it comes right down to it, partly because she works (mostly) from home, and I usually take the bus. So with her car needing replacement, and in the grand scheme of things, wanting something newer, we're looking at 3 vehicles.

New/newer (2011+):
-Toyota Rav4 Sport/limited with the V-6
-Subaru Forester XT Touring
-Nissan Rogue SL with the SV package

Out of them all, I like the Forester, I feel it has the most 'utilitarian' feel to it, I love the turbo, and overall I like the styling the best. The Rav comes in a close second, I know the Rav with the V-6 hauls but I am not a big fan of the tailgate on those. I foresee too many situations where it would be a PITA. The Rogue is Nicole's favorite, but to me while it may look 'nice' (which is subjective) the design features make the rear view horrid, and I'm not a massive fan of the CVT transmissions.

We test drove the new Ford Escape, and that little thing can move too, but the dash seems forever long, and it's WAY to gadgety for me. Too many buttons, colors, etc to the point that it was almost distracting. Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice vehicle, but neither of us personally liked the interior.

So, for those of you that have pondered, owned, or researched any of these vehicles, I welcome any personal opinions!

[CJM]

Ford Edge?
Hyundai Tuscon or Santa Fe?

my mom has the mazda tribute (ford escape) but its 10yrs old now, great car, very little went wrong. New ones meh your right way to gadgety. Shes now going to buy the hyundai santa fe, dad has has 2 sonatas be problem free so far.

Nissan-I dont like the CVT at all, it feels horrid to drive imho. Rav is good, friend has a 2010 and likes it alot-gate does kinda suck tho. Forester feels cheap inside to me but it is a subaru and they are pretty dang good. Friend has a ford edge, its VERY nice inside and out and handles super well-they havent had an issue with it.

[Seanz0rz]

my dad, and I, love his '12 KIA sportage. I think it's worth a look, is available with AWD too. just stay away from the turbo, i hear lots of issues pop up with them.

the honda crv is pretty awesome as well, and that was our second choice when looking for a CUV. We LOVE our 97, and that is my current DD. i wouldn't hesitate to buy any of those vehicles, except the nissan...

[YotaFun]

I'll give you a point of view from a Techs standpoint.

Just about your three choices alone,
Forester: Awesome, I love that motor and drive line, I would love to have a WRX someday, only thing I don't like is doing a tune up on one of those things, other then that you change the oil and do normal maint it will be good to you.

Rav4: You would only want it in the V6, a good reliable motor, at least by 2010 all the kinks are worked out of it, same as trans, also has the option to lock the vehicle into locked 4wd, I don't like the tailgate either, but at least the spare tire cover is easier to handle on the limited edition.

Rouge: Ewww ::Chills:: I am not a fan of Nissan or any of there products, the motor is ok, but the CVT trans just ruins it. Thats all I have to say about that.

Food for thought, love the looks of the Kia And Hyundai but I see at least 5+ a day come in on the hook, just something to think about...

[4x4mike]

We have an 2005 FXT with the manual and we like it a lot. Its been a great car and has given us but one problem. Something happened with the sunroof track and the dealer we took it to was a PITA. So in the end maybe it was more of the dealer than the car. Its got plenty of power and is a clean vehicle inside, out and under the hood. The new Foresters are larger inside but feel much cheaper. Even the doors feel light and not all that solid. We know 3 people with the newer body style and the turbo and they have had no problems and like the vehicle.

We have another friend with a new v6 Rav and they like it. Lots of power and room. With 2 adults and 1 kid its maxed out for room. It was rear ended on the freeway a few weeks ago and it looks like it might have gotten totaled. It protected everyone but had a ton of damage.

As for the CVT it seems cool but not something I want to own for a long time or put a lot of miles on. Just my opinion, no experience.

[paddlenbike]

Add the new Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0 turbo to your list; a friend bought one and it's really nice.

We drove the new Escape with the ecoboost engine and liked it a lot too. I know what you mean about the too many button thing, but let me give you a different perspective. We drove the 2013 Fusion and it has almost no buttons, which means you have to rely on the touchscreen for everything. Several cars we have driven are this way and we can't stand it. Cycling between Nav, climate, phone and hvac is super annoying and especially when there is no button to feel engage. We are shying away from all of the touchscreen cars and are really appreciating the Honda/Acura products with dedicated buttons. Once you know where they are, there's no fussing around with multi-touch screens.

[oly884]

well, we went and looked around yesterday, test drove a few of them. I personally would love to get the Forester XT Touring, but apparently it is to "grandpaish", whatever the hell that means...

But I hate the Rogue, just too many things about it I don't like in any way, shape, or form.

So that put the Rav at the top of our list. We checked it out, drove it around, and I think that's what we'll end up getting.

[DHC6twinotter]

Can't go wrong with a Rav. I believe Toyota is redesigning the Rav4 for 2014, so if you can wait a bit, you might be able to get a better deal on a 2013 model.

[Crinale]

Can't go wrong with a Rav. I believe Toyota is redesigning the Rav4 for 2014, so if you can wait a bit, you might be able to get a better deal on a 2013 model.


x2 - the Rav4 v6 is a very nice vehicle

[jrallan26]

Buy my 85 VW GTI?

[kafene]

Not that I've driven any of them, but my list would be:
1.) Subaru - very dependable, well built. You're already happy with one.
2.) RAV4 - also well built, and I would put that a close second also.
3.) Nissan Rogue - where did that come from? Hahaha. You've already got two very good choices, why even put the Rogue on the list?! I get she likes it NOW, but will she like it years down the road?

[paddlenbike]

If you get the Subaru, keep in mind the 4 cylinder has a CVT transmission which has drawn a lot of complaints. It's really slow, noisy and the shifting is just really odd. One review we read summed it up pretty good:

"Stop-and-go traffic felt like a chore for the Outback's CVT and four-cylinder engine. It was pokey from a stop and was slow to spool out more power at highway speeds; passing required some planning and a deep stab of the pedal. It sounded just as unhappy about it as I was. The CVT droned intrusively during around-town driving, emitting a near-constant crabby groan. The noise faded to tolerable levels on the highway, though."

and Cars.com's (http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2012/03/road-test-report-2012-subaru-outback.html) conclusion:
"Overall, the Outback capably managed to get us and all our stuff over the river and through the woods without much fuss, unless, of course, you count the CVT?s complaints. An annoying drivetrain and less-than-comfortable front seat were offset by commendable fuel economy, a reasonable base price and an accommodating second row. Maybe I should relegate myself to the backseat during my next Outback outing."

We didn't drive the 6 cylinder Outback with the regular non-CVT auto, so maybe try that one. Meanwhile, a friend has a newer V6 Rav4 and not only do they really like it, I have ridden in it a few times and like it a lot. It was on our list of cars, but we ended up buying an Acura TSX wagon last Sunday. It was about $3k more than other cars we looked at, but has everything we wanted.

[oly884]

Well, a brand new, 2012 Rav4 Limited V-6 is sitting in our driveway. I'm incredibly impressed with it, plus you couldn't beat the 0% financing toyota was offering to get the 2012's off the lot before the redesigned 2013's come in.

I loved the Subaru, but it wasn't Nicole's favorite in terms of looks, and there was no way I'd be caught dead in a Rogue... I know I would have been just as happy with the forester as I am with the Rav, but at the end of the day, it was a vehicle that we both liked, and had some features over the Forester, plus 0% financing, that sold me on it.

[paddlenbike]

Good choice, congrats!

[Crinale]

:thumbup: Congrats Oly!

[YotaFun]

Congrats, you will be happy with the Rav!

[Crinale]

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