Which Mid-size SUV?

The wife loves the bugeye wrx we just got but I'm not sure she is liking the 5 speed for everyday use. I have plans to rallyx the thing anyways so it's not a huge issue if she doesn't want to drive it, I'll take it to work a few days a week while I modify it.

Anyways, we have room in our budget for a third car, most likely a lease more than anything.

We have looked at a few cars so far, she's compiling a list, sorting by price, miles per gallon, etc.

Right now her list has: Ford Escape (I get x-plan so this is appealing to me), Subaru Crosstrek XV (AWD standard is a plus), Kia Sorrento (don't know much aboot these), Subaru Forester XT (bit out of my price range), Ford Explorer (same as Forester), Honda CR-V, Honda Fit Sport, and that's about it.

Anyone have an experience with any of these? Anyone recommend anything different? The fit is as the bottom of the list because she wants something a bit high up. She threw trucks out of the mix because they are too big, she said no to small cars.

Not a bad idea to look at 4Runner (well, up to 2010 or so). It's actually about the same size as most of the "mid-size" SUVs you listed, but with the capabilities of a truck-based vehicle. When we got it I measured and it was only like 4-6" longer than the Mazda3 it replaced (yeah, it mattered in my cluttered garage!) Inside it's about the size of a current RAV4, actually. Seating position is car-like and drives well. My wife DD's a 2008 sport edition (with the Xreas suspension) and hasn't had any complaints. It doesn't "drive big" in my opinion. Actually drives smaller than my XJ did, and the XJ is actually smaller.

MPG is the weak point, but not as bad as you'd think. She does all local/city stuff (pretty much ALL short trips) and still gets about 18mpg. On highway trips, fully loaded, we consistently get 26-27mpg even with the cargo box on the roof. V6 btw.

I have three neighbors and my in-laws all have recent-model RAV4s and all like them. I drove the V6 RAV4 and it's actually quite a little rocket ship.

Ford Edge? Mazda Cx5?

Pin down the size vehicle you need - the Escape is Focus-based and is absolutely dwarfed by the Explorer, for instance.

The smallest only seat 5, but get the best gas mileage in the segment. The medium size suv/crossovers have better leg room, more usable cargo space and usually have a seven seat option. The large suvs are often truck based and offer much better towing and off-road capabilities - but are expensive and very thirsty.

My wife and I drove and/or looked at pretty much every 7-seat suv on the market when we were shopping last fall, and our favorite was the Volvo XC-90. Price and ownership costs put the Volvo out of our reach though, so our final candidates were the Toyota Highlander and Kia Sorrento. My wife liked the Kia just as much as the Toyota and the dealer made us a sweet deal, so after a VW and six BMWs we now have gone Korean. So far it's been a terrific vehicle, and I recommend you check them out.

We test drove an Escape, and found it too small.

Just picked up a used 2012 Explorer, last weekend. Love it so far, but time will tell.

I think the larger ones are out of the question for me right now. As much as I'd love something I could tow a race car with, the fact I don't have one yet or a trailer, it makes no sense to buy one. She also threw trucks out of the equation (F-150 and Silverado) so I don't think a large SUV would work well into her equation.

irish - She hates Toyotas and won't even consider them lol. I threw the FJ and Rav4 out there and got a polite no...thanks for all that info though, I'll let her read through.

We checked out a Sorrento tonight, looks pretty nice, with lots of features. I'm just skeptical on Korean (my sister has had horribly bad luck with the Hamstermobile).

Edge and CX-5 are two others I can throw into her mix. Thank you all for your info! Luckily we are literally 2 minutes away from dealers of most all these vehicles.

DirtyBird222 wrote: irish - She hates Toyotas and won't even consider them lol. I threw the FJ and Rav4 out there and got a polite no...thanks for all that info though, I'll let her read through.

I've never in my life been a Toyota fan in general, but after owning the 4Runner for about 5 years now, it's really a great truck for most anything, unless you have 3+ kids. Also in 5 years we have had exactly ZERO problems with it. Nothing but oil and filter changes, period. Only downside is the stock stereo, which is mediocre at best. Plus it can tow 4500lbs without any issue (e21 on a heavy UHaul trailer).

FJ I'd be "meh" on too. I've spent a good bit of time in a friend's and wasn't impressed with it in very many areas (and he doesn't much like it either and is trying to get rid of it).

I'll also throw out there that my parents toured Europe for a month in a rented Hyundai Santa Fe (diesel) and loved it - they bought a Hyundai (Sonata) soon after getting home. Apparently it also got 40mpg for the whole month, lol.

irish44j wrote: I've never in my life been a Toyota fan in general, but after owning the 4Runner for about 5 years now, it's really a great truck for most anything, unless you have 3+ kids. Also in 5 years we have had exactly ZERO problems with it.

Strange, our 4runner tried to kill my wife and kid. Long story, not the place, but manufacturing defect on the rack and pinion.

I would also throw in the RAV4, X3, Tiguan, and GMC Terrain

But honestly I like the CR-V. I really like the picnic table in the back.

My wife wants a Forester - the 2014's are really nice but I have my reservations about the CVT reliability. We drove a CX-5, with the automatic, but it seemed to have too many blind spots for her to be comfortable. We never drove an Escape - it seemed like it was priced significantly higher than the Forester or CX-5.

irish i misread your first post and thought you said rav4. I'd be open to a 4runner, never even crossed my mind. I'll check it out.

We are both disgusted by GMs offering of mid-size SUVs they are too bubbly looking. Family members that we have love their Terrains but I'm just not impressed by it even with 32mpgs.

I like how the new forester looks as well. The space she wants too.

X-plan pricing on a 2013 escape with the SE model is right around 22k. Who knows once you get to the dealer but its a better starting point than 26.

Looking at some more today, keep everyone posted and thanks again for all the input.

irish44j wrote: On highway trips, fully loaded, we consistently get 26-27mpg even with the cargo box on the roof. V6 btw.

How?

The thing is rated for 21 highway?

Well she has cut the list down to Subaru XV Crosstrek, Subaru Forester (wishing I could afford XT model), CR-V, and the Escape. She wants to look at the CX-5 once more before she completely cuts that off the list.

She said "Fit is too low to the ground" which made me sad. $220/month lease offer they have now is $80 below my max budget for this and $0 is choice.

She said "NO" to Toyota. Hates how the new Chevy/GMCs look, Jeep Wrangler Ultimate gets horrible MPGs so she didn't even consider (I hear 5.3LSXs can be swapped into those nicely). She liked the Kia but not the sales douche turned her off from ever considering that brand. And she threw out my idea of getting rid of my Si and getting an SVT Raptor 4-door and I make the 02 WRX my DD :(

z31maniac wrote:

irish44j wrote: On highway trips, fully loaded, we consistently get 26-27mpg even with the cargo box on the roof. V6 btw.

How? The thing is rated for 21 highway?

No idea. I rarely drive it around town (I prefer my WRX), but when we go on a family trip I"m always driving. 70-75mph for hours on the highway. I will correct myself, looking at the fuel logs for it (yeah, we keep all that stuff in a book, I don't trust the in-car meter) that the 26-27mpg were on trips without the box. It knocks off about 2mpg when we have it up there (it's a very aerodynamic box, not a big square Sears one). At 70-75 the 4Runner rpms are ultra-low, so I don't see why it's all that surprising. And this is all on Dueller Revo2's, not the crappy stock "highway all-terrains"....YMMV.

That said, I've recorded dozens of long trips getting near 30mpg in a lightly tuned 09 wrx. Round trip from DC to Newport RI (all highway, a tiny bit of local driving) I averaged a shade over 28mpg (well over the EPA rating).

I think with both cars I"ve kind of found the speed range where mileage is very good but if you go 5mph faster it drops drastically. And I'm pretty good at sticking to those speeds (well.....ok not always, but with the kids in the car I don't speed too much!)

We're going to do about 400 miles round trip in the 4Runner this weekend, so I'll fill up when we leave and get a "real-world" measurement since I don't expect to do ANY city driving on this trip.....99% highway and rural highways (65mph or so).

DirtyBird222 wrote: irish i misread your first post and thought you said rav4. I'd be open to a 4runner, never even crossed my mind. I'll check it out.

I did also suggest the V6 Rav4, from "what I've heard" rather than any long-term personal experience.

I usually read these during my lunch break while still doing work so I don't always catch everything.

I do like older 4runners even though it hurts me to say that. Just don't know if there is any persuading my wife once she has her mind set.

And I beat the 31mpgs highway in my civic si on a daily basis. I net around 35 real world miles per gallon and 36 according to the meter for my daily commute. Longer trips net me around 31-32 but thats because my foot is making sure we get to where we are going in a timely manner.

I'd try a Rav4 V6. Ours is AWD, I get 23-24 MPG in mixed driving, and I've gotten in the high 20s on a highway trip with kids, luggage, and a Yakima box on the roof. Plenty of power (269 HP), good efficiency, and they're good in snow (I've never run anything but all-seasons here in CT).

The rear seat has a surprising amount of room for two adults, as the rear seat slides back. Because the spare is on the rear door, there's a surprising amount of storage underneath the rear floor. The biggest strike against it for us is that the center seatbelt in back is offset towards the driver's side and the seatbelts overlap, so you're not supposed to have three across in back. Other than that, I'd highly recommend it.

Things to check on a used version include the water pump, VVTI oil line (there was a TSB for this one, I replaced ours with the all-metal line from the Lexus version of the 2GR-FE), and intermediate steering shaft. Check the front/rear differentials for leaks, as well - there have been issues with both. In all honesty, I'd probably look at a CPO with an extended warranty due to the cost involved in any of the above repairs.

Lease? Try something you normally wouldnt, like a hybrid or EV.

How about a Miata with a lift kit?

You know the answer is always a Miata.

Land Rover Disco? Although that would have to be used.