Small SUV recommendations

[Moemg]

As I mentioned in another thread my Honda SUV is having air conditioning problems( the evaporator went ) plus the paint is coming off in weird spots . The car is seven years old but only has 36,000 miles . I have read that when they start having air conditioning problems they just continue so I hesitate having it fixed and then facing the same problem or the compressor going in a few months . I need recommendations on a small reliable SUV.

 

[coveredbridge]

I have been very impressed with the Subaru. I own two Impreza wagons, and I like the Forrester also

 

[travelover]

Consumer's rates the Toyota RAV4, the Subaru and the Honda CRV tops in this class, though with only 36,000 miles I'd just drive it and have the AC fixed occasionally.

 

[skipro33]

I've owned 3 Subaru Foresters and have loved every one of them. If you get a Subaru, be sure to get the EyeSight option. It's an enhanced speed control thingy. Car practically drives itself!

 

[eytonxav]

I think part of the problem that when AC troubles occur is getting it fixed correctly the first time. I am not sure that many dealers do a good job on AC repairs, and it usually results in a partial fix, but continuing problems are not uncommon.

 

[twolfy]

Have a 2017 Ford Escape right now. Have put about 5000 miles on so far. It is a great vehicle. Comfortable with pretty good room. The new Sync/ My Ford Touch system works great. The previous system that we have in our Flex was pretty frustrating. Drive a few a see what fits you best. The dealer we went with let us keep the car overbite to make sure it worked for us.
good luck in your search
Tom

 

[Moemg]

Consumer's rates the Toyota RAV4, the Subaru and the Honda CRV tops in this class, though with only 36,000 miles I'd just drive it and have the AC fixed occasionally.

I normally would also except in affected vehicles the whole system has to be replaced often to the tune of $4 to 5 thousand .One fix does not do it plus the paint issue is another problem and honestly I am not in love or even strong like with this car.

 

[powerplay]

I recently purchased a Forester and am hoping for a long happy life with it. There's a learning curve with all the new technology compared to my 1999 Camry. I am loving the heated seats and steering wheel during the cold weather.

 

[Midpack]

I had a Honda Element, same drive train as the CRV, for 9 years and about 110,000 miles - and never had any issues whatsoever. I've never had a significant issue with any of the 4 Honda or 3 Toyota cars we've owned. I'm sorry to hear about your AC issue, I'd be more than a little disappointed myself. Best of luck.

I've been interested and looked at the Subaru Forester and Outback, and their reported reliability is very good, but we never bought one because their mpg numbers were pretty awful in their respective classes. I assume due to 4WD weight & friction and/or the boxer engine configurations. Newer models have better mpg, but still not standouts in their classes.

 

[target2019]

We purchased a new Honda CR-V last year. I don't drive it every day, but have ridden in it maybe 40 hours total. It's fine.

My old 2011 Sonata with 30K miles is starting to piss me off. I would probably go with a RAV-4 if the decision had to be made right now. We had very good life and low maintenance with Camry, Camry Wagon, Highlander.

 

[W2R]

Moemg, I know you like Toyotas like I do. I could see you being very happy in a RAV4, maybe? I have never had one or seen one up close, but it looks like a nice car and as travelover said, it has good reviews.

Maybe take it for a test drive this weekend, and see what you think?

For what it's worth, I agree with you about getting a different SUV now. Life is too short to drive an SUV that you don't like, and you can afford to replace it if you want to. I think you should just go ahead and do that, unless you are saving to move to a new house (something that I think you mentioned as a possibility a while back, but maybe you are going to stay put, I don't know). It doesn't matter what anybody thinks about your CRV but you. I hope you can find an SUV that you love!

 

[braumeister]

Honda CR-V fan here, and I know you don't want to hear about that.

But DW drives the smaller HR-V and loves it.

If I were looking for an alternative like you are, it would most likely be between the RAV4 and the Forester.

 

[Moemg]

Honda CR-V fan here, and I know you don't want to hear about that.

But DW drives the smaller HR-V and loves it.

If I were looking for an alternative like you are, it would most likely be between the RAV4 and the Forester.

I was a Honda CRV fan until this problem and it may have been a problem with the 2010's since my SO's ex wife had the same problem with a 2010 at a low mileage .I am going to Toyota this week since I absolutely adored my Solara .

 

[W2R]

I was a Honda CRV fan until this problem and it may have been a problem with the 2010's since my SO's ex wife had the same problem with a 2010 at a low mileage .I am going to Toyota this week since I absolutely adored my Solara .

Oh good! I am looking forward to reading what you think about the RAV4 or other Toyotas.

I have thought about getting something to replace my Venza. But, I don't really have an actual reason to sell it and I haven't seen any other SUV that is more appealing to me than it is. My only gripe with it is too many electronics making it too much of a "nanny car" and doing too much for me that I'd rather do myself. Unfortunately I think most new cars are like that these days.

The Venza isn't being made any more, and also it is a big SUV instead of a small one, or I'd recommend it.

 

[Samething]

I'm driving my second RAV4. My first one got rear ended and totaled last summer. I had 65K miles on it and not a hint of any trouble. I absolutely love my new RAV with all the new electronic do dads. I'm not too fond of the neck pain after the accident but the car is great.

 

[Dawg52]

I own a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 6 cyl. Drives great and gets good gas mileage. The Sport model is a 4 cyl if you want something a little smaller. I got the bigger one for hauling around my 90+ lb lab. He seems to like it.

 

[KB]

I also have a RAV4 and when it is time to replace it, I will get another RAV4. It replaced a Camry but has much better visibility due to sitting higher than a sedan. The gas mileage is not as good as a Camry, but I get 22 - 27 mpg depending on in town vs highway driving. I love the room to haul things when the back seats are down.

I felt like it drove like a sedan when I test drove it. When I test drove a Subaru Forester, the transmission was very stiff and I didn't like the feel of the car. Haven't driven an Outback in decades, so I can't speak to it. But the Outback is very highly recommended, especially if you need 4WD.

 

[freedomatlast]

My wife bought a Subaru Crosstrek new in 2014 and loves it. It's the SUV version of the Impreza that has equivalent ground clearance to a Jeep Cherokee and consistently gets 30 to 33 MPG combined and up to 38 MPG on the highway. No problems so far.

 

[Ronstar]

We rented a Jeep Compass for our west coast trip and a Toyota RAV4 for our key west trip. I really liked the RAV4. Great comfort, handling, gas mileage. I'd like to buy one in the future.

 

[Texas Proud]

Have you asked the dealership to see what they can get from Honda on the paint job Even at 7 years, paint should not be falling off a car...


As others have mentioned, I would just fix the AC and go with that... a new car is much more expensive then what you have... but, if you really want a new car then go for it....


Honda is one of the best by CR.... I just looked and everything is above average except the climate system... a big black dot.... for 2008 to 2010... seems to have been fixed for 2011... or they have not started to fail yet...


BTW, the RAV4 for the same year has a number of avg ratings... and it is avg overall, so the Honda is rated higher than the RAV4 overall...

If you want to go upscale a bit, the Highlander is very highly rated...

 

[Moemg]

Have you asked the dealership to see what they can get from Honda on the paint job Even at 7 years, paint should not be falling off a car...


.

I called the dealership and I called Honda corporate costumer service about both the problems . Answer Tough Luck . That is another reason why I am trading the car in . Honda should stand beside their product when there is a design problem.

 

[rodi]

I had an early RAV4 (97) and loved it. The issues I had with it were:

1) Not enough cup holders... They fixed that in their next version. But it was annoying only having 1 cup holder for the front seat... Not a deal breaker - but definitely made me grumble periodically when I had passengers and we both wanted a place to put our cups.

2) Not great for super tall people. I'm 5'8" and fit fine. My husband is 6'4" - and I had the car when we met... I sold it because he couldn't drive it. I had a manual transmission and his knees hit the steering wheel when he was shifting. Perhaps I should have married a shorter man. (Obviously kidding). We were planning a major cross country drive trip and no way we were taking his truck with a bench seat, and no way I was doing 100% of the driving... so I got rid of it.

I really liked the RAV4. Small enough to make maneuvering and parking a snap. High enough (SUV) to see the other cars better. Mine was 4WD and handled well in the snow. But my info is a few decades old - so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Koogie]

Another very happy Rav4 owner (2012/Sport/V6) Feels solid, handles well for an SUV, good room.

I would buy one again. I hope to get 10 years out of this one (it only has 40K miles) and my fervent hope is by 2022 that they offer an all electric Rav4 that gets about 6 or 8 hundred miles or more per charge. A guy can dream..

 

[aja8888]

Take a look at the VW Tiguan for 2017. The S model has technology, 4 Motion (like Mercedes and Audi) and all the other goodies. Starts at $26,970:

2017 VW Tiguan Mid-Size Sporty SUV | Volkswagen

 

[travelover]

I think part of the problem that when AC troubles occur is getting it fixed correctly the first time. I am not sure that many dealers do a good job on AC repairs, and it usually results in a partial fix, but continuing problems are not uncommon.

Not anything that the OP should do, but frequently after a compressor failure, there is debris in the evaporator and condenser that needs to be thoroughly flushed. I believe that they can even add an additional filter to protect the new compressor.

Auto Air Conditioning - Replacing your auto A/C compressor