Vehicle Question - small SUV fans - please chime in

[Peaceful_Warrior]

I was in a similar situation back in 2001. I narrowed everything down to the Honda CRV and the Toyota Rav4 after comparing all the features I wanted.

What was important to me was to have a very compact car for the city and general driving, but also have the SUV power to go into the mountains when I go snowboarding.

After comparing more, the Rav4 (all wheel drive) won, hands down. It has been the absolute perfect car for us. Highlights:

- Smaller in width/length than most compact cars so I can park anywhere in the city
- Had all wheel drive for the mountains
- Back seats can be folded down, folded forward (for more room), or even removed. I've used this many times for moving or helping people move.
- Adjustable cup-holders. Seems trivial, but considering it holds everything from a soda can up to a giant Gatorade bottle, I've been impressed.
- Lots of little compartments to hold stuff in the trunk area. They really maximized the usefulness of 'empty' space in the body by making accessible inside.
- As far as SUVs go, it gets excellent gas mileage.
- Quality has been superb. Mine is 6 years old, 75k miles, and running like a champ. I really should not have bought the extended warranty, but since it was my first time purchasing a car over $3k I wanted the "insurance."

I also got the Limited edition and made sure to get a sunroof, which I thoroughly enjoy.

Just buy it 1-2 years old with low mileage, and you'll find it's quality is still solid (certified pre-owned from the dealer was what I did), but the cost will be notably lower. Make sure you've done your research on Kelly Bluebook and Edmonds before you go, so that you know exactly what you want and how much you should pay.

ALSO, a negotiating tip. Rav4's don't have very large profit margins on them for the dealers... it's a high volume car, and that's how they make most of the money. With that, ironically, gives you better negotiating power because they're usually trying to move them quickly due to volume.

When I went to one dealership, I walked in and they tried to jack up the prices (I look young, for starters). After about 30 minutes of talking back and forth, the dealer finally asked me what it would take for me to consider buying the car that night. I thought about it, and I said I would *consider* buying it for $500 over invoice. Within 10 minutes he came back after "talking to his manager" and said he could make that deal.

I'm pretty sure I could have gotten it for invoice since there's often a lot of dealer incentives (usually Edmonds has information on that), so that's why volume sales are even better for the dealers.

 

[mountaintosea]

In 2005 I bought a RAV4/4 wheel drive/stick. I tried the CRV. I wanted a 4wd with a stick. I've had it for two winters now and it's great. We don't get that much snow up here but when we do, it drove well. I bought it for $21,821 with taxes etc. It was in October just before the 2006s were going to come out. My Camry had been stolen and wrecked so there was no waiting. But I also didn't like the fact that Toyota said the 2006 would be bigger. Bigger I did not want.
Around town I get 25 to 26 mpg. On the road it's been 29/30 mpg. It seems to have more pep then the Camry ever had. Although my Camry was a bit old from 1993 with about 325,000 miles on it. But that's California for you. Anyway
I'm happy with my pick. It's my first 4wd. Just had front wheel and used snow chains for the prior 27 years, what a difference!

 

[LOL!]

We were driving out of the desert in our small SUV along a dirt/gravel road with deep washouts when we came upon family trying to turn around on the narrow road in their Volvo XC70. A boy was standing next to the station wagon as his parents looked flustered. I still remember his comment: "Dad, how come we don't have car like that?" Our vehicle: Lexus RX300. Get one.

OTOH, some of you may recall we were shopping for a car to replace our Camry. The choices were narrowed down to a CR-V, RAV4, Outback wagon and .... a Ford Freestyle. Pilots and Highlanders were too "soccer mom." The Ford was too cheap to pass up. But it's only getting paved roads for its lifetime.

 

[Caroline]

Here's another vote for the Element. I've had mine for two years and LOVE it.

I built a platform inside to sleep on when I'm camping. The back seats come out in a flash pre-trip, the platform goes in, and my camping gear (stored in ready-to-go plastic bins) slides in below the platform like drawers. Everything's neat and find-able, and I can pull into a campsite late at night and be in bed in 3 minutes flat. I was going to get a pickup for this purpose but the Element drives much more like a car and I can access the front seat for a quick getaway if I ever need to.

Three of us backpacked and car-camped out of it for three weeks in Utah -- no worries.

When not camping I've hauled people, bikes, furniture, plants, lumber, a washer and a dryer (not at the same time!), new kitchen cabinets, etc. etc. etc.

Its floor and seats are waterproof and while you CANNOT hose it out, as some people suggest, it's great if you have a partner who likes to spill his coffee on your seats or a niece who likes to leave bananas in the back seat every time you give her a lift!

Consumer Reports says the Element is "fraught with compromise" but that's exactly what I wanted -- something big enough to sleep in and haul furniture, something with AWD for desert trips down sandy dirt roads, and something that didn't cost an arm and a leg to gas up when tooling around town.

All of this said, the suicide doors make carrying passengers a little awkward. If the person in the back seat wants to get out the driver has to open his / her door first. If I had kids old enough to get out on their own I might have chosen something different, but as the lone occupant 99% of the time, it works great and is a breeze to load.

One last thing - the bikes fit INSIDE. You can get a special attachment to attach the bike's forks to the floor, and Bob's your uncle.

 

[JohnEyles]

I built a platform inside to sleep on when I'm camping.

Well, in the Outback, you simply fold the rear seats down and you have a platform
for sleeping.

But you won't find me saying anything bad about Hondas. I believe Honda is
THE gold standard of automotive reliablity.

 

[Caroline]

Well, in the Outback, you simply fold the rear seats down and you have a platform
for sleeping.

But you won't find me saying anything bad about Hondas. I believe Honda is
THE gold standard of automotive reliablity.

Right you are, Rusty -- you don't NEED a platform in your car or the Honda - you can just sleep on the seats, floor, etc.

What I wanted was a way to sleep without MOVING anything. I'm a backpacker by nature -- I like to keep everything organized and moving gear around the car every five minutes to make up a bed or to find something is NOT my idea of a vacation. (Unlike some people I could name who want to bring the kitchen sink along, but that's another story.

So the platform provides a ready-made bed (which I can sit up in, since the Element is so tall) AND an organized, accessible storage space underneath. No schlepping involved.

I did lust after an Outback too, however. If I wasn't doing SO much camping / packing / home repair, I would have bought one of those -- I have a friend who loves hers.

 

[JohnEyles]

So the platform provides a ready-made bed (which I can sit up in, since the Element is so tall) AND an organized, accessible storage space underneath. No schlepping involved.

Got it. Cool. I am a backpacker too. I just keep most of my stuff IN my pack,
and move it to the front seat when I sleep. Meanwhile, I have gigundo tupperware
bins BESIDE the bed for clothes, toiletries, and food. Of course, this grand scheme
crumbles like a wet Chips Ahoy when I have company; then, must setup tent or stay
in motel. Oh well. And, of course, Outback is not tall enough to do what you've done.
I suppose I could make the bed fill the entire rear width, and put the tupperware on top
of the bed, and move it all to the front seat at night-night. Or maybe get a big cargo
carrier on top ...

I did lust after an Outback too, however.

Well, like I said, the Honda will probably last longer. But I think Subaru has improved
to where it's only half-a-notch or so below Honda (in reliability/longevity/quality).