Outback, CR-V, Rav 4, Prius - Help me choose

[GalaxyBoy]

DW had a 2005 C-RV she ran the wheels off of but I ruled out the 2019 C-RV based on what I'd read about the engine oil issue. Didn't want to deal with that, and frankly a software patch to "fix" that problem seemed iffy at best to me.

We both still love DW's new Forester. I'm of average height but have size 14 feet and the Forester accommodates me very well. I still have some room to put the seat back even further if I were taller.

Around here the Forester seems to be quite popular with the silver-haired set for whatever reason.

YMMV (pun intended)

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

If I throw a stone it will hit a couple of Subies. Of course it's probably going to bounce off a Wrangler or two.

OP if you're really concerned about traction the Subaru beats the others on your list for that category. Most of the other SUVs are pretty limited in heavyweight traction delivery. I pulled out several last year, snowpacked roads and a little downhill, they sit and spin both axels.

That's a problem with the tires, not the vehicle itself. Many of the tires car factories put on mainstream cars and trucks are pretty weak in terms of general performance. They like to minimize rolling resistance to boost economy ratings -- but rolling resistance and traction go hand in hand.

 

[pb4uski]

We bought an Outback in 2017 and love it.

+1 We chose the Outback over the Forester because of the longer wheelbase. The Outback is a great road car and the seats are very comfortable. I rode with a friend on a ~2 1/2 hour trip in his Audi Q5 on Friday and the seats were very uncomfortable... not something that I would have expected from that class of car.

FWIW, we have ordered our last two vehicles... we have been able to get the car just as we wanted it. The cars on dealer's lots often have trim levels and/or options that are not good values for us.

Finally, I really like the paddle shifters on the Outback. Almost 50k miles and all we have done so far is oil changes, cabin and engine air filter changes, tire rotations and replaced the tires.

We get just a tad under 30 mpg in mixed driving with the 4 cylinder. I was apprehensive about the normally aspirated 4-cyl after having a 4-cyl turbo... it isn't any speed rocket but it does have enough acceleration to get out of its own way and has been fine in terms of driving.... rarely seems underpowered.

 

[Gumby]

One thing to keep in mind when comparing the various brands is that Subaru comes with AWD standard. It is optional for the Honda (+$1400) and the Toyota (+$1300).

 

[bobandsherry]

I don't own a CRV, but did have it on my list to consider. Let me just say do your homework. Seems there is a persistent issue with battery dieing on that vehicle after sitting for several days. Read user reviews, has been there and is still mentioned in recent reviews as an issue. I've crossed it off my list, too many other options to deal with this type of issue. I can't imagine going on a flight or cruise and worrying if my car would start when I got back.

 

[Chuckanut]

DW had a 2005 C-RV she ran the wheels off of but I ruled out the 2019 C-RV based on what I'd read about the engine oil issue. Didn't want to deal with that, and frankly a software patch to "fix" that problem seemed iffy at best to me.

(pun intended)

The CR-V oil/gas problem was only on the Turbo engine, IIRC. Correct?

If I purchased a CR-V it would be the regular four, not the Turbo. However, how Honda handled the problem concerns me. My gut impressions is that they were not up-front and tried to shmooze there way through it.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

The CR-V oil/gas problem was only on the Turbo engine, IIRC. Correct?

I believe so. Only the base model is non-turbo.

 

[Chuckanut]

The more I look into this the more I think my choice will be a RAV4 or the Outback. Maybe a Forester.

 

[W2R]

The more I look into this the more I think my choice will be a RAV4 or the Outback. Maybe a Forester.

Honestly I don't see how you could go wrong with any of these three! Maybe it's time to start going on test drives.

 

[Midpack]

Finally, I really like the paddle shifters on the Outback.

If you have a manual trans, no need to read further.

If you have an auto trans I have to ask, and I drive an Outback myself. Mine has a CVT transmission (that’s all they’ve used since 2008) so there are no gears and I dismissed the paddle shifters as a marketing gimmick. When I asked the dealer, he seemed to agree it was a gimmick. I’ve accidentally hit a paddle and “shifted” a couple times but I couldn’t tell anything different and it goes back to its own CVT routine shortly thereafter anyway. What am I missing?

 

[RE2Boys]

Just a note that if you have a towing requirement, most of these crossovers have low capabilities. The Outback (2019) is good for 2700 lbs, one specific model of the 2019 RAV4 is good for 3500lbs (Adventure), otherwise they are limited to 1500 lbs max towing, a small utility trailer.

 

[DektolMan]

Subaru has 0% financing now on 2019 models. I have a 2011 Outback and wife has a 2013 Impreza. They have been great cars for us. Will trade in Outback and the end of 2020.

 

[karen1972]

I have a Honda CRV, it drives really well and I selected it over the Rav 4 for comfort as I liked the captains seat feel for my back. 125,000 miles in and I havent had any major issues with it. I also like the fact the back flips up, I"ve used it as a rain shield at numerous tailgates waiting for the storms to pass.

The road noise is definitely an issue (ironically its the reason we chose the 2014 Camry vs 2015 Camry for our second car as there was a clear difference in road noise).

I considered the Rav4 when I bought the CRV but was constantly ignored by the sales people there so for me it was a no go.

 

[Bamaman]

I've had a couple of Honda Civic SI's and currently have a Lexus IS250. I've had problems keeping tires on them all. The factories are building cars and setting up the suspensions for handling. My cars ate the insides of the rear tires, despite setting the wheel alignment as far as they'd go to avoid premature wearing. I even went as far as to put adjustable upper control arms on the rear, and they still ate up the tires. Unfortunately, all Honda models may have the same problem--including the Accord.

And high performance tires for these vehicles aren't cheap.

My Camry Hybrid went 38K miles on the tires. My Explorer went 65K miles. And my F250 diesel is getting 60K miles out of Michelins. I can live with that better than 25K miles on the other cars.

I only want cars in the future that have more substantial side walls and get decent tire wear.

 

[Chuckanut]

I have a Honda CRV, it drives really well and I selected it over the Rav 4 for comfort as I liked the captains seat feel for my back. 125,000 miles in and I havent had any major issues with it. I also like the fact the back flips up, I"ve used it as a rain shield at numerous tailgates waiting for the storms to pass.

Which engine does your CRV have?

 

[LimaPop]

I'm partial to Nissan's and have a Frontier, Rogue and a Murano.... all over 120k miles and no maintenance issues whatsoever (just tires, brakes and a battery)

 

[LOL!]

I’ve accidentally hit a paddle and “shifted” a couple times but I couldn’t tell anything different and it goes back to its own CVT routine shortly thereafter anyway. What am I missing?

Paddle shifters won't make an illegal shift. Look at the gear shift in the center console, there is a "M-D" which are slightly different when paddle shifting.

Best to read the manual, watch youtube videos, and try it out.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=outback+paddle+shifters

 

[pb4uski]

If you have a manual trans, no need to read further.

If you have an auto trans I have to ask, and I drive an Outback myself. Mine has a CVT transmission (that’s all they’ve used since 2008) so there are no gears and I dismissed the paddle shifters as a marketing gimmick. When I asked the dealer, he seemed to agree it was a gimmick. I’ve accidentally hit a paddle and “shifted” a couple times but I couldn’t tell anything different and it goes back to its own CVT routine shortly thereafter anyway. What am I missing?

Perhaps my Outback is progammed differently but the paddle shifters work just like an automatic transmission.... 6 speed if I recall correctly... hit the left paddle shiffter to downshift and the right to upshift.

Now, mine is a 2016 Outback Limited.... I have a faint recollection that some earlier CVT models the shifts were not very noticeable, so perhaps you have an earlier model.

I don't bother with manual mode... in drive all the time.

I use it mostly to downshift to save on the brakes.... however, I recall when we were crusing on Skyline Drive that it was handy and fun.

Subaru has programmed the CVT with artificial shift points, operable via the paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. While it doesn’t provide the sense of driver engagement that goes with a stick shift, it does diminish some of the annoying slipping clutch trait that’s been a longtime drawback of CVTs. Indeed, the Outback feels more like a car with a regular automatic than does the latest Honda CR-V, which has a CVT with much more of that slipping sensation.

 

[tulak]

Subaru has 0% financing now on 2019 models. I have a 2011 Outback and wife has a 2013 Impreza. They have been great cars for us. Will trade in Outback and the end of 2020.

Another reason I opted for Subarus. I did 0% financing on both the 2011 Outback and 2017 Forester. It seems like they offer this deal often.

 

[Helen]

We have had a Honda Civic and a Honda CR-V in the past and now use a 2014 Outback as our road trip car. We love the way it rides and it feels heavy which makes us feel safer.

The Outback has had some minor but annoying problems and we are thinking of trading it in for either another Honda CR-V or maybe a Toyota. We had such good luck with Honda's that we are disappointed with the Subaru, even though we like the way it drives.

 

[DrRoy]

The CR-V oil/gas problem was only on the Turbo engine, IIRC. Correct?

If I purchased a CR-V it would be the regular four, not the Turbo. However, how Honda handled the problem concerns me. My gut impressions is that they were not up-front and tried to shmooze there way through it.

This is the only engine on the better models, and it is what we have. Honda made a software change to reduce the issue, and increased the warranty. We are at almost two years and 33,000 miles. So far we have not had a problem. After a couple Ford minivans and an Equinox, we really like the CRV. We got 35 MPG on a trip from MI to SC.

I have a Honda CRV, it drives really well and I selected it over the Rav 4 for comfort as I liked the captains seat feel for my back. 125,000 miles in and I havent had any major issues with it. I also like the fact the back flips up, I"ve used it as a rain shield at numerous tailgates waiting for the storms to pass.

The road noise is definitely an issue (ironically its the reason we chose the 2014 Camry vs 2015 Camry for our second car as there was a clear difference in road noise).

The CRV has changed a lot over time. I had concern about road noise but we have a 2018 model and I find the road noise to be normal.

 

[wolf]

Which engine does your CRV have?

Be careful. Honda CRV, 1.5, turbocharged. HAVE Oil dilution problem.
Should be labeled "gasoline" diluting the oil. I think this affected 2017,2018.
Not sure if problem fixed yet. Just google it. Many posts.

Also, check out 2019, Subaru Forester. Redesign for 2019. Consumer Reports
ranks it very high. Subcompact SUV.

Just purchased the base version, for $24,999, out the door. Try one, Visibility is really hard to believe.

Test drove, Toyota RAV4. I liked it. Consumer Reports said mediocre. One thing I did not like was
Rear Seat. To low. Like sitting in confined "cave".

 

[Chuckanut]

Yes that Honda engine problem bothers me. And I am more bothered by the way Honda handled it.

 

[KB]

Chuckanut,
If you haven't driven any of the cars on your 'possible' list, you should do it before deciding. Before I bought my RAV4, I though I would buy a Subaru Forester. But during my test drive, the transmission was so stiff that I decided against it. The RAV4 drove like a Camry, which was the car I had before the RAV4.

I'm about to buy a 2019 RAV4 Hybrid to replace my 2012 RAV4. If Honda had a CRV Hybrid, I would have test driven it, but they delayed that car until 2020.

 

[Dtail]

You can also try the Mazda CX-5. We love it so far after 3 months. 29k all in.