Compact SUVs

[tmm99]

I haven't read the whole thread so this may be an non-issue ..

Things may be better now but how do Prius fare in snow and rain? I don't see Prius here in Ontario, Canada -where I live.


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[nash031]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmm99 I haven't read the whole thread so this may be an non-issue .. Things may be better now but how do Prius fare in snow and rain? I don't see Prius here in Ontario, Canada -where I live.

We live in San Diego for now, so not much of an issue.

That said, it is a consideration. I prefer an AWD vehicle as there's a good chance we'll move after four years or so. That said, all of the options we're down to are either FWD or have AWD available, so I think they're going to be fine.

If we do move in a few years, it won't be to someplace that gets boatloads of snow. Most likely the farthest north will be someplace like Nashville, TN. And we'll be purchasing another vehicle to replace mine sometime in that time frame as well so could opt for larger/AWD then too.

[cyber888]

The Audi Q3 or the Mercedez GLA-250 are nice small compact SUVs. I think they are priced around $35K+.

[nash031]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyber888 The Audi Q3 or the Mercedez GLA-250 are nice small compact SUVs. I think they are priced around $35K+.

Those were both ruled out. Audi for style/expense (like the BMW better). Mercedes for size - too small. Mercedes was ruled out for same reason as the Mazda CX-3, Lexus CT200h, etc.

[RunningBum]

Is ground clearance important? The Subaru Crosstek is basically an Impreza that sits higher, and costs a bit more. It seems to me that Subaru has made big strides in the last few years. My son loves his 2013 Impreza and I love my 2014 Forester.

[aja8888]

I don't know if service cost means anything to you but a BMW could put you in the poorhouse. Of course, you are OK until the warranty runs out.

[nash031]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum Is ground clearance important? The Subaru Crosstek is basically an Impreza that sits higher, and costs a bit more. It seems to me that Subaru has made big strides in the last few years. My son loves his 2013 Impreza and I love my 2014 Forester.

Not really a concern. We like the CrossTrek (I'm a fan of Subaru and will immediately have the Outback in my finalists in a few years when it's my turn), but we like the HRV a bit better in that genre. I like the way the CrossTrek looks in part because it rides higher, but in this instance I'm only 49% of the vote!

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 I don't know if service cost means anything to you but a BMW could put you in the poorhouse. Of course, you are OK until the warranty runs out.

That is a concern. I'll do the bulk of the routine maintenance (in the case of the BMW after the four year maintenance inclusion runs out), but reliability is certainly a check in favor of either the Honda or the Prius, and repair costs would favor those two as well as the Hyundai and Kia should we delay long enough to see their hybrids come online.

Reliability is a chief reason why the Fiat 500X never got serious consideration... that and the fact that it's markedly smaller, though not quite as small as the CX-3 and GLA.

[target2019]

We went with 2016 Honda CR-V AWD EX. Spouse drives it each weekday a few miles to the train. Loves it.

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I know the CX-5 has been ruled by the OP but just to add to some of the comments in the thread on it for Silver...

We purchased a 2014 CX-5 GT AWD w/ 2.5L engine and quite like it overall. Love the handling and drivability of the car. We test drove the 2013 version with 2.0L engine and it was a bit too wimpy. The 2.5L engine makes all the difference. However, we find the fuel economy is just ok for an SUV and definitely lacking compared to its sticker specs. We've owned our CX-5 for 3 years (it was release spring of 2013) and have just done regular maintenance. It's held its condition well with nothing broken or really worn.

If we had to do it over again, the CX-5 wouldn't be a slam dunk but it would be near the top of the list.

We checked out the CX-3 at an autoshow and agree it's a bit too small and would have liked a bit more elevation.

[nash031]

I like the Mazda SUVs a lot. They'll get a look when it's my turn too.

[Rustic23]

We have a 2014 Murano. Not sure if you have looked at it. It is the most comfortable car I have ever had. We have the two wheel drive mode. We also live in the sticks, so mostly hwy miles. If I drive between 55 and 65, i average about 25 mpg. Normal driving, however, 23.5 is standard.

[nash031]

After about six months of keeping an eye on the market, research, test drives, and waiting out good deals, we made the leap yesterday.

It ultimately came down to two options:
2017 Kia Sportage EX (with popular and tech packages)
2016 BMW X1 (premium and cold weather)

We ruled out the Honda HRV after poor performance and disliking the interior fit/finish.
We ruled out the Fiat for reliability concerns as well as being too small for our childseat/stroller needs.

We drove the Audi Q3. While that ended up being my preferred option, it had less cargo space and didn't fit DW as well, and she's the primary driver.

As with a lot of these decisions, it came down to trying to justify spending more money on an essentially similar vehicle. The 2017 Kia is markedly larger now, with better reliability, better warranty, same cargo space but more spacious back seat, worse gas mileage and worse performance. We could get the one we wanted for around $30k.

The BMW with the options we wanted had MSRP around $40k depending on which bells and whistles were included. After a lot of digging and talking to dealers in LA and even New Hampshire, and looking at various dealer loaner sales options, we learned when BMW's fiscal quarter ended (June 30th) and learned that they were shutting down production on the 2016 X1s next month. Every dealer we talked to was trying to move their 2016 inventory, particularly by the end of June.

We found fully loaded 2016 X1s for $37,000 with 5000 miles and preferred exterior color but not the interior color we wanted about two weeks ago. This was a good deal...

We waited it out, leveraged dealer offers against one another, and ultimately yesterday were able to get a brand new X1 in preferred colors (both in and out) along with upgraded upholstery for $36,700 (MSRP of $41,695 for premium, luxury, and cold weather - almost 12% below MSRP, and 5% below supposed dealer invoice) which was actually less expensive than the used, 5000-mile loaner and the only other difference was that the used had Nav (which we didn't care about). It ended up even being under the MSRP for an X1 with only her "must haves".

That sealed the deal for us. So we made the trek north and drove past at least five other dealerships for the one that came in with exactly what DW wanted at the best price we'd found. (This required me to drive to LA, which I avoid at all costs. )

Ultimately, this wasn't the most financially responsible purchase possible, but it also doesn't stretch our budget or change our saving ability. The X1 is really nice, not too big for our smallish two-car garage, fits DW well and is very fun to drive. There's some value in that, and I feel like the decision was made based on actually enjoying the vehicle more (sportier, AWD (in the event we move east), better gas mileage, nice little touches) than it was made on buying a prestigious badge. That's really not DWs style (I'm a little more likely to want something like a BMW than she is)... and in any event, for what we ended up with, we got an "exceptional price" by TrueCar, Edmunds, and traditional pricing metric standards.

We said goodbye to the old faithful 2005 Acura RSX after 163,500 miles. Carmax gave us $2,000 (dealer offered $1,000 on trade).

So, we're happy. Thanks for all the feedback! I'll be replacing my car in a few years... after joking with DW that "now I need an X5, right?", I built one on Edmunds and damn near choked at the MSRP I had created... I think a nice, fully-loaded Scooby will be more up my alley.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YVRRocketSurgery I know the CX-5 has been ruled by the OP but just to add to some of the comments in the thread on it for Silver... We purchased a 2014 CX-5 GT AWD w/ 2.5L engine and quite like it overall. Love the handling and drivability of the car. We test drove the 2013 version with 2.0L engine and it was a bit too wimpy. The 2.5L engine makes all the difference. However, we find the fuel economy is just ok for an SUV and definitely lacking compared to its sticker specs. We've owned our CX-5 for 3 years (it was release spring of 2013) and have just done regular maintenance. It's held its condition well with nothing broken or really worn. If we had to do it over again, the CX-5 wouldn't be a slam dunk but it would be near the top of the list. We checked out the CX-3 at an autoshow and agree it's a bit too small and would have liked a bit more elevation.

I test drove both the CX-3 and the CX-5 and found the CX-3 to be too small and the CX-5 to "SUV-like" for my preferences. Then, I heard about the CX-4, which is only being released overseas this year, but may come to North America next year. The 2.5L engine is available:

[Big_Hitter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover I test drove both the CX-3 and the CX-5 and found the CX-3 to be too small and the CX-5 to "SUV-like" for my preferences. Then, I heard about the CX-4, which is only being released overseas this year, but may come to North America next year. The 2.5L engine is available:

geez can you even see out of those things? that looks like 95% blind spot

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big_Hitter geez can you even see out of those things? that looks like 95% blind spot

The driver is probably texting anyway...

[nash031]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover I test drove both the CX-3 and the CX-5 and found the CX-3 to be too small and the CX-5 to "SUV-like" for my preferences. Then, I heard about the CX-4, which is only being released overseas this year, but may come to North America next year. The 2.5L engine is available:

I hope my wife doesn't see this... she felt the same way about the CX-3 and CX-5, so the 4 would've been the sweet spot! Oh well, we had to move this summer anyway...

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big_Hitter geez can you even see out of those things? that looks like 95% blind spot

It's been mentioned before, but there is no blind spot if the mirrors are correctly aimed.

[Badger]

In mid 2012 when I was interested in buying my new retirement car after years of buying used I went to all the dealers that sold compact SUVs. Most did not want to discuss what I considered reasonable prices and many vehicles had something about them that didn't quite tickle my fancy. A few dealerships were even obnoxious but I go in expecting that. I actually like the boxy look and settled on the 2012 Ford Escape. The sales person was even pleasant and worked with me for a great deal. I've been pleased with my choice ever since. It serves it's purpose as a compact SUV, gets 25mpg in town and 32mpg on the highway, and the tires don't show hardly any wear after 38k miles. But then there are many nice cars in todays market.

Good luck on your search.

Cheers!