Best small to mid size suv

[Gumbo4x4]

LOL, its funny how differently people see things. We felt the Equinox was too small for us, my dh who isn't as tall as yours felt cramped in it.

I remember when the Expedition first came out, everyone raved about the interior & I hated it! I'm only 5'8" but I banged my knee every time I got in or out - actually started to bleed. I much preferred the more "truck like" interior in the Tahoe that all the car mags hated LOL

 

[Princesca]

I have a 4Runner, which I think is bigger than you are wanting, but I am really brand loyal to Hondas and Toyotas. Lots of longevity. I only get about 21 MPG with it though.

 

[tvguy]

Stay away from Nissan (the CVT transmission is a disaster)
Stay away from Dodge-Jeep-Chrysler (too many issues to list)
Think long and hard before you buy a Subaru. (owners love them, until the head gaskets blow)

KIA, Hyundai. Toyota, all good options. Ford Escape too, we have those as company cars, but avoid the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine if buying used. I think everything is Ecoboost now, those FLY.

 

[nkereina]

LOL, its funny how differently people see things. We felt the Equinox was too small for us, my dh who isn't as tall as yours felt cramped in it.

We find it to be spacious but I will say that the design of the front seats of the Equinox may make some people feel cramped. The center console is a whole piece going down the middle and makes each of the front bucket seats feel enclosed. We really noticed this when we looked at the Honda CRV that has an open center and small arm rests attached to each seat.

 

[nene0182]

We just purchased our 3rd Kia Sorento. We had a 2008, 2014, and now a 2016. This last time we test drove a Sportage because I thought I wanted something smaller. To put it simply, I hated it and the difference in price between the Sportage and Sorento was minimal at the time. I can't say much about it since we've only had it 3 months and it still has less than 800 miles but so far it's great.

 

[tvguy]

We just purchased our 3rd Kia Sorento. We had a 2008, 2014, and now a 2016. This last time we test drove a Sportage because I thought I wanted something smaller. To put it simply, I hated it and the difference in price between the Sportage and Sorento was minimal at the time. I can't say much about it since we've only had it 3 months and it still has less than 800 miles but so far it's great.

LOL. Sounds like you've never kept one long enough to know if they are good cars. (My "new" car I've had 13 years, my wife's we've had 16 years, our family car is 29 years old, and our toy car is 51 years old."

 

[ChipnDale79]

We just got rid of Chevy Equinox a few months ago, we had nothing but problems with it. I know of multiple people that have them and had nothing but problems with theirs as well.

We replaced it with a Nissan Pathfinder, its bigger, and believe it or not, gets better gas mileage.

We never got close to the advertised fuel range on the Equinox. Total flop IMO.

 

[Lynne G]

RAV4. Small enough, but a nice size. If you're are looking at 2016's, the end of this month would be a good time to look.

 

[leebee]

I love my new Kia Soul (2015). I downsized from a Grand Caravan and while I occasionally miss my van, I really love driving the Soul. I am not as crazy about DH's 2014 Equinox (leased). It feels tight and awkward, and is very jumpy on the road (as in, if I touch the steering wheel at all, it seems to 'jump" in that direction). The other 2 drivers in the family feel the same way.

The 2015 Soul replaced a 2005 Grand Caravan that succumbed to rust, and needed a new transmission. The 2014 Equinox replaced DH's 2005 PT Cruiser, which is now DD's car. In 2011, the Cruiser replaced the 1984 Volvo 740, which we bought used in 1994; it was just done! We usually keep our cars for a fairly long time, but it's hard to stay ahead of the rust up here; the liquid salt and crystal salt they use on the roads in the winter really take a toll on a vehicle.

 

[Klayfish]

LOL. Sounds like you've never kept one long enough to know if they are good cars. (My "new" car I've had 13 years, my wife's we've had 16 years, our family car is 29 years old, and our toy car is 51 years old."

Not keeping a car long...sounds familiar. Being as obsessed with cars as I am, I've always had true automotive ADD. In the past 20 years, I've honestly had over 70 different cars. I've usually had several at the same time...my wife is such an understanding woman. Truth be told, she likes cars too, so she enjoyed a lot of the stuff we've had. Right now, I've just got one, and it's a commuter appliance car. It's perfect for what I need, but the lack of having a fun toy is killing me. We just bought new family room furniture, so I agreed with my wife that I'd wait until spring. Time can't go by fast enough...

It is really fun to read different peoples perspectives on different cars. Not saying anyone is right or wrong, as cars can be a very subjective thing, but it's quite interesting. Manufacturers go bananas over trying to make the cars' image just right, or to "feel" a certain way. That's one of the reasons pretty much all small SUVs are basically just cars on stilts. Being built on a car platform helps them drive like a car instead of a truck. But even then, perception is everything. Someone mentioned they have a Rogue, but the Honda CR-V felt big and boxy in comparison. Reality is they're the same size, and the Rogue is actually a few inches larger.

By nature, SUVs (and minivans) don't get tremendous fuel mileage. They're usually fairly heavy. It's getting better with newer engines getting smaller and using turbochargers, but that also leads to more complexity.

 

[leebee]

...By nature, SUVs (and minivans) don't get tremendous fuel mileage. They're usually fairly heavy. It's getting better with newer engines getting smaller and using turbochargers, but that also leads to more complexity.

One of the reasons I love my Soul... 33mpg as opposed to the minivan's 17 mpg!

 

[pryncess527]

Stay away from Nissan (the CVT transmission is a disaster)
Stay away from Dodge-Jeep-Chrysler (too many issues to list)
Think long and hard before you buy a Subaru. (owners love them, until the head gaskets blow)

KIA, Hyundai. Toyota, all good options. Ford Escape too, we have those as company cars, but avoid the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine if buying used. I think everything is Ecoboost now, those FLY.

Ditto this. I think Hyundai is worth looking at. We got rid of our Nissan Murano when it had CVT troubles. We were VERY lucky that we were able to afford to hold on to a non-working car for 6 months, because eventually Nissan increased the warranty on those and we were able to sell ours for some actual value, but before they did that it was total junk. And they gave us no indication that they cared at all, so it was really sheer luck we held on to it out of anger/frustration/not sure what to do. If we hadn't done that, we would have been out at least 8,000 in lost value.
It worked out for us, that time, but I'll never trust Nissan again after they fought us over that stupid CVT.

Love the Hyundai Santa Fe we replaced it with, and the 10 year warranty was a huge selling point for us.

 

[crjack]

One of our cars is a 2010 Honda CRV. DS uses it for work & school but I love driving it. Still rides like it's brand new. I have a Honda Pilot but find we no longer need the extra seating so may trade it in for a CRV.

DH drives a Mazda 3 but I wish he got the CX-5. Would like to try that one.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Not keeping a car long...sounds familiar. Being as obsessed with cars as I am, I've always had true automotive ADD. In the past 20 years, I've honestly had over 70 different cars. I've usually had several at the same time...my wife is such an understanding woman. Truth be told, she likes cars too, so she enjoyed a lot of the stuff we've had. Right now, I've just got one, and it's a commuter appliance car. It's perfect for what I need, but the lack of having a fun toy is killing me. We just bought new family room furniture, so I agreed with my wife that I'd wait until spring. Time can't go by fast enough...

It is really fun to read different peoples perspectives on different cars. Not saying anyone is right or wrong, as cars can be a very subjective thing, but it's quite interesting. Manufacturers go bananas over trying to make the cars' image just right, or to "feel" a certain way. That's one of the reasons pretty much all small SUVs are basically just cars on stilts. Being built on a car platform helps them drive like a car instead of a truck. But even then, perception is everything. Someone mentioned they have a Rogue, but the Honda CR-V felt big and boxy in comparison. Reality is they're the same size, and the Rogue is actually a few inches larger.

By nature, SUVs (and minivans) don't get tremendous fuel mileage. They're usually fairly heavy. It's getting better with newer engines getting smaller and using turbochargers, but that also leads to more complexity.

There really aren't many true minivans left. Most are as large & heavy as the full size vans of the 70's. My wife's crossover (GMC Acadia) weighs as much as my full-size 1978 GMC Jimmy did LOL

 

[Diznotyzed]

I know next to nothing about cars. We've just given our 17 yr old Caravan which we loved to our daughter and son-in-law. We wanted something smaller, with easy to use cargo space in the back. We got a Mazda CX-5 a year ago, and so far really like it. Need the high clearance in our steep driveway.

 

[tvguy]

Not keeping a car long...sounds familiar. Being as obsessed with cars as I am, I've always had true automotive ADD. In the past 20 years, I've honestly had over 70 different cars. .

I suspect (and hope) you are a good wheeler and dealer on buying low and selling high, so you minimize your loss on a sale, but if you live in a state with sales tax, and your auto purchases averaged $10,000, at 8% sales tax, at 70 cars, that's $56,000 you volunteered to give to the state over the last 20 years. If your purchase price averaged $20,000 you gave the state $112,000, and if they averaged $30,000 you donated $168,000.

 

[bellebud]

DH just researched the heck out of this, for a car for our dd16. We ended up with a Subaru Forester. Safety, gas mileage, price, etc. We love it.

 

[Domo]

I'm a big fan of the Volvo or perhaps the Renault?

 

[Cinderella94]

I love my Rav4! Would absolutely buy it again. My boyfriend loves his Mazda 3 and is looking to trade it in for a CX-5.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I suspect (and hope) you are a good wheeler and dealer on buying low and selling high, so you minimize your loss on a sale, but if you live in a state with sales tax, and your auto purchases averaged $10,000, at 8% sales tax, at 70 cars, that's $56,000 you volunteered to give to the state over the last 20 years. If your purchase price averaged $20,000 you gave the state $112,000, and if they averaged $30,000 you donated $168,000.

In Missouri, we only pay tax on the difference - if I buy a $10,000 car & sell one for $9,500, I would pay tax on $500.