Midsize SUV's or Crossover Vehicles: opinions wanted

[brewerjamie15]

Mary and I are starting to look for a new vehicle. We'd like something larger than a car, but not as large as a full sized SUV. We looked at the Chevy Equinox and liked it quite a bit, but we know it's best to explore other options. There are frequently good conversations here about topics like this on Brewerfan an I'd like your thoughts. Do any of you own a vehicle I'm looking for or have you looked at them yourself?

[colbyjack]

Just curious, is this an attempt to not buy a mini-van or an SUV? I may be in the same boat in the next few years, as our CRV is growing smaller and my wife and I have sworn never to own a mini-van, as convenient as they may be.

 

Jamie, you had a Honda CRV, right? If you're not totally turned away from Hondas, get a Pilot. I have several friends that have one and they love it.

 

I have also heard very positive things about the Subaru Tribeca. I'm a huge Subaru fan, as everyone I know that owns one loves it and plans to own one the rest of their lives. Don't buy a new Tribeca though, as I was recently told that they didn't have many, if any, changes to the new model year, so the way to go is to buy a newer used one. You can save a lot of $$$ in doing so.

[Houlie24x]

I like the Equinox a lot. My dad is a used car dealer, so I buy a lot of cars through him. I've owned just about every type of vehicle and out of the smaller SUVs I like the Escape and Equinox the most. Pontiac Vibes are pretty decent as well.

 

The Chrysler/Dodge suvs are terrible on gas. I'm not a fan of the Honda CRV either. They seem underpowered and they are expensive used.

 

You will get 100 different opinions on here so I would just suggest doing some research online and take anything that interests you on a test drive.

[lodiness]

My dad also own's a car dealership mainly deals in newer used stuff, he loves the Equinox which is a good value for the price. I guess the first thing that I would ask you is how much you want to spend, and how new of a vehicle you would want? The Equinox's are nice, my brother has a Toyota highlander, and his wife loves it. I'll agree that Chrysler products are horibble on gas, and to me the ford escape is just to small, and rides really rough. Rav 4's are pretty nice if you're looking for something a little smaller. I'd think about it and test drive different ones, that's the only way you'll figure out what's right for you. If you're in the Madison area looking PM me, and I'll shoot you the website for our dealership if you're interested.

[Gobias Industries]

If you're gonna go with a crossover, I'd recommend a Nissan Murano or Ford Edge. Both are very impressive. Little bit pricey, but it'll pay in the long run. Just really solid vehicles.

 

For the money, an Equinox isn't too bad. Several things I have noticed: chew up brakes very fast, wheel bearings are a problem (pretty normal for GM), and like a lot of other domestic SUV's (Liberty's, Escapes, Grand Cherokees) the interior quality is poor. Water stains, and they're damn near impossible to keep clean. Solid enough powertrain though.

If your looking for something in that price range that is reliable, I would go with an Escape (2005+). Make sure to go with the 3.0L 6cyl over the 4cyl. They're a bit noisy, but they handle awesome in the snow.

[Hammer]

I own an 07 Edge and will buy Edge's as long as they are made. It has been the best vehicle I have ever owned by far and the list is pretty long for me to judge from. The gas mileage is a little lower than some of the Honda's or Toyota's (19 city and 24 highway) but the ride is smooth and it has withstood a pretty good front-end impact without being noticable in the long run. We drove all of the small crossover's and just kept coming back to the Edge.

[wallus]

Get the '10 Equinox no question. 32 hwy mpg and a beautiful interior. If not that, I would suggest the Ford Edge which has a nice exterior.

[GoudaBrew]

I'd also recommend checking out a Subaru. All-wheel drive is very nice in winter time and I get decent mileage in mine. I have an Impreza wagon which is probably a little smaller than what your looking for, but an Outback or Forester might be big enough for you.

[Teatoe993]

Subaru Forester

[beno78]

I like our Santa Fe. Nice mid-sized vehicle. Rides higher than a car but not like a big SUV. Never intended to get this but stumbled into it. I fell in love with CarMax which is where we got it. A great selection (all makes/models), no haggle and nationwide inventory. This way you don't have to go to many different dealers.

[jrodbrewcrew]

I've looked at Subaru's and most likely, that's the next vehicle we'll be getting. Try checking out something like Motor Trend's website, I'm sure they would have a side-by-side comparison of 4 or 5 different crossovers. If all else fails, take a few for a spin...that's the best way to find what you're looking for.

[FVBrewerFan]

Ford Edge. American, not partially owner by the government, and a very good vehicle. I know a couple people who have had one for a couple years, and they love it.

[Teatoe993]

The Ford Flex is another very interesting vehicle. The name sucks but I've read a ton of great reviews for the Flex. It's too new to really get any reviews on reliability, but Ford has been making great cars for the last few years now.

[Gobias Industries]

I agree with you Teatoe. If you don't want to spend a ton, Ford is the way to go. The Flex is amazing. I finally sat in one a few weeks back and it blew me away. It shares the same powertrain as the Taurus X so I'm thinking reliability-wise they should be fine.

[temke]

not sure on your idea of mid-size, but i have a couple suggestions.

 

we have a honda pilot and love it. plenty of room for the little ones and their stuff. drives more like a car than a truck.

 

i occasionally drive a ford escape at work (hybrid). i love it. not as much cargo space as the pilot, but the thing averages 30 MPG. it also has all kinds of fun stuff like microsoft sync, bluetooth capability, etc. drives even more like a car than the pilot

[bjkrautk]

I own a Ford Escape myself, and my only real gripe is that I bought it before they started to add all the gagdgety features (no Snyc....not even an auxilliary jack for my mp3 player). 4 cylinder w/ "4 wheel drive" (works like AWD, from my very limited understanding), gets 21 / 24 (hwy) mpg, and has enough cargo space to meet my needs.

[yount19.u]

My last two cars have been Subaru's ('02 WRX Wagon and now '04 Forester XT) and both have been bulletproof and awesome in the snow. The 09's also seem to be a bit larger across the board. Resale is great and you can always get a turbo if you don't want to be too domesticated.

[bigredrobbo]

I have a Honda Element, and I love it. I have a DJ business so need something with a lot of cargo room - which it has in spades. I get about mid 20s gas mileage unless I have a week where I never leave the city, and it's a couple lower. It has real time AWD so it's in 2 wheel drive mode until it feels a loss of traction then the 4WD kicks in, so last Winter was a breeze for it. Plus it's a Honda, so really reliable, and the styling is a lot of fun - big orange ice cream van comments, notwithstanding! Add on the iPod dock, XM Radio, rubber floors for easy cleaning and I'm a happy boy!