Budget Conscious but Reliable: Equinox, CX-5, Outlander, or CX-9?

[_19disnA]

Probably no one has owned all of the listed vehicles in your survey, so I would be more interested in the overall ratings of those vehicle in various evaluations you can find online like Consumers Report or other motor magazines. All SUV's are mechanical devices and any one person who happens to have some issue doesn't mean every one of that vehicle will experience the same failure.

Fuel economy is partly determined by where you drive (city vs. freeway), how you drive and the particular powertrain in that vehicle (some offer optional engines). An SUV with a small engine could end up giving you lower fuel economy since the engine has to work harder to get you from one place to the other. Many small turbocharged engines also are recommended to use premium fuel which will drive up the cost of ownership. Be sure to check that when specifying your vehicle. Having a smaller engine in a vehicle doesn't always mean you will get better fuel economy.

In the vehicles I have owned, the difference between AWD and 4WD is having the ability to turn that feature off in the summer when it isn't needed, giving slightly improved fuel economy. I am not aware of any performance differences between those two features on an individual vehicle. I don't believe you can specify which one you want when ordering a particular vehicle, typically they only offer one choice. Having the extra traction during snow or icy road conditions is great to have. Even in areas that don't get much bad weather, roads can be slippery during rainstorms, so the extra traction provides additional safety. Larger/heavier vehicles will tend to perform better in snow/ice then lighter cars/SUV's.

When considering an SUV, I would first decide on whether you need 2 or 3 rows of seats based on how you plan to use it. Then I would check to see which manufacturers make the type of vehicle in the price range you are considering. Many very high-end SUV's have added luxury/styling/content that adds to the price, but really doesn't change the overall characteristics of the vehicle. Manufacturers who make several models of SUV's typically share chassis/drivetrain and other major components to help spread out the development costs. Vehicles from a given company that have the same wheelbase are likely built off of the same platform.

 

[npatellye]

I am crossing the Outlander and CX-9 off the list. I don’t need a third row seat. I test drove the CX-5 and CX-30 today. They were fantastic. They handled well and the insides were just gorgeous. I also test drove the RAV4 Prime and decided it just wasn’t for me. I crossed the Escape PHEV off the list because I don’t like the look of it and I don’t want to buy a car I don’t love. The Hyundai PHEVs are also off the list since they’re backordered until next year at the three local dealers.

 

[elgerber]

I could wait but I’m not sure about another 2-3 years. I think I could wait another year or so until next summer. I did find a RAV4 Prime and a Santa Fe PHEV at dealers not too far away and, with PHEV rebate, they are looking like solid options. I will definitely put the Edge and the Escape hybrid on my test drive list. I’m hoping to get a little more fuel efficiency since my commute to work is a little over 30 miles each way (though that’s much better than my pre-Covid commute of 55 miles each way).

I have had 3 Edges. My favorite cars ever! The only reason I don't have one now, when we got our last car, we couldn't justify the cost for an Edge for me anymore, since I work at home and literally drive once a week for errands and groceries. Since DH already had an Escape with AWD, we got a smaller less expensive FWD car for me. I miss my Edge though.

 

[debster812]

I have a 2021 CX-30, that I’ve had just over a year, and I still LOVE IT. When we were shopping I drove the CX-5, and CX-30, and for the extra money, the CX-5 did not wow us over the CX-30.

 

[npatellye]

I don’t have an opinion on any of the vehicles you listed but if you truly need to get around in snow, I’d be looking at 4WD, which your Explorer is, not AWD.

Dh has had 4WD trucks since the early 1990’s and they are amazing in snow. Even I felt very confident driving it through 18” once with no slipping at all. Meanwhile, my first snow with my current AWD Lincoln MKC slid a lot just taking a slow turn on a flat, residential road in maybe 5” of snow. I thought AWD was better than that. When you need a vehicle with real traction in snow, only 4x4 will do.
BTW, we are in South Jersey and get far less snow than New England. If I were in your shoes, I would limit my focus to 4WD or you will sorely miss your Explorer. They are great vehicles. My parents had his & hers Explorers.
I don't know of anyone with a newer one though for more recent reviews.

Sadly, a new Explorer Limited is more than I am willing to spend on a car.

 

[npatellye]

I have a 2021 CX-30, that I’ve had just over a year, and I still LOVE IT. When we were shopping I drove the CX-5, and CX-30, and for the extra money, the CX-5 did not wow us over the CX-30.

How has it held up so far with maintenance? My only concern with the CX-30 is the potential smaller size since my kids are still in elementary school and will need to fit back there for a long time.

 

[Pastalady]

Almost 2 weeks ago, my 6 year old and I were t-boned by someone who didn’t obey a stop sign. Due to the sky high used car values, my 2017 Explorer Limited AWD with 130k miles was under the cutoff for being repaired and there was luckily no structural damage. AWD is a necessity in this area of New England (and with our wild and winding driveway); my Explorer was amazing at wintry conditions. However, I’m planning to trade the car in and am trying to decide find a vehicle that is budget friendly but reliable.

I’ve had a Highlander, a RAV4, and a CRV; those are all sold out with AWD at all local dealers so they’re out. I have a Nissan Rogue as my rental and I find it to be very loud and very sluggish with all of the hills here so that’s out.

I’m stuck trying to pick between the following (all new from the dealer and all with AWD); they are listed in order of cost right now:
-2021 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring (this is the cheapest option of them all)
-2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL S-AWC
-2022 Chevy Equinox Premier
-2022 Mazda CX-5 Turbo or Premium Plus
-2022 GMC Terrain Denali or SLT
-2022 Hyundai Tucson Limited
-2022 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring (this is my absolute last choice due to the much higher cost)
-2022 RAV4 Prime

Everything I’ve already taken for a test drive and rule out is crossed off. I’ll test drive them all in the next two weeks but I would really appreciate any and all input on any or all of these to help narrow down my choices. TIA!

I love my Tucson. I’m in Canada so the AWD was needed too. It does have an option to put it into 4WD as well if needed.

 

[badiggio]

Getting back to your original post,I think you were lucky you were in your Explorer instead of any of the cars you listed to replace it.

 

[npatellye]

Getting back to your original post,I think you were lucky you were in your Explorer instead of any of the cars you listed to replace it.

100% agree and that’s exactly what the officers who responded said. The vehicle that hit me was very large lifted pickup with chrome bumpers.

 

[Anthony1971]

Cars go in and out of stock quickly these days in most areas. I bought a new car in Feb. I let the dealer know what I was interested in and when they had one (yes one) they called me. With that cars can be personal choices but make sure what ever you buy it has a good resale as you are going to lose a lot more than under normal times. I did but cars from the dealer so they GM knows me as a customer. But I can tell you not only are all new cars above MSRP they mostly have top line models which is what I wanted anyway (minus the above MSRP) but my trade was always worth considerable more... So when you sit down expect not only a Market adjustment but a long list of other add on BS things. I did pay over MSRP not by a lot somewhere in the 1200-1500 range but that was after them coming down 7,500. I strongly suggest you run the numbers before you walk in (I knew what I wanted to pay and what I wanted for my trade which was more than they offerd to buy the cash from me a few month prior and that is the number they agreed to) make sure this is the car you want and expect to have a loss larger than normal when you sell it X years from now. With that I would suggest sticking with Toyota and Honda. I am just not a fan of Subaru but I think they hold their value well but at I can not tell how well for trade in. Most Toyota's and Honda's are easy sells for a dealer giving you more room to ask for more when you trade in. Most important don't be afraid to walk away from the deal..... If it Matter I bought a Toyota Venza which is a Hybrid and dealers are asking the most over MSRP these days for.

 

[cvjw]

What about a Honda Pilot AWD? I have one and love it. I had the Honda CRV as a rental car and hated it too. The Pilot is totally different.

 

[npatellye]

What about a Honda Pilot AWD? I have one and love it. I had the Honda CRV as a rental car and hated it too. The Pilot is totally different.

I thought about one but I want something smaller than my Explorer and (while it may not be true) I always think of the Pilot as comparable in size.

 

[debster812]

So far, no maintenance other than oil changes. Still running flawlessly. We went with the slightly upgraded version with heated seats & sunroof. The infotainment system works really well with my phone (Apple Car Play). The only thing I can't figure out is that in 2021 you could not get the CX-30 with heated side mirrors. Absolutely a 1st world problem, but I got very used to them in my Subaru Impreza, and missed them this winter. We could actually buy a set of "Canadian" side mirrors and have them installed, I just don't know if it's worth the bother.

 

[nene0182]

So far, no maintenance other than oil changes. Still running flawlessly. We went with the slightly upgraded version with heated seats & sunroof. The infotainment system works really well with my phone (Apple Car Play). The only thing I can't figure out is that in 2021 you could not get the CX-30 with heated side mirrors. Absolutely a 1st world problem, but I got very used to them in my Subaru Impreza, and missed them this winter. We could actually buy a set of "Canadian" side mirrors and have them installed, I just don't know if it's worth the bother.

Not the same thing, but I drove my 2021 CX5 almost a full year before I learned that in order to turn the heated side mirrors on, I had to turn on the rear defrost. Not sure if that is common or not this is my first car that has them so I was just surprised to learn that.

 

[npatellye]

Not the same thing, but I drove my 2021 CX5 almost a full year before I learned that in order to turn the heated side mirrors on, I had to turn on the rear defrost. Not sure if that is common or not this is my first car that has them so I was just surprised to learn that.

I think it’s common as it was like that in my Sienna and in my Explorer.

 

[npatellye]

Thanks for the input, everyone! I ended up getting a CX-5 Premium Plus in Eternal Blue Mica. It took forever to find one that was blue on black; I was open to either blue. Unfortunately, most dealers within 75 miles had either nothing but black and white or had blue on parchment. And parchment is not happening here. I got a call from a dealer today they had one that came in yesterday so I drove down, bought it, and drove it home 90 minutes later.

Edited to add: I paid MSRP but was happy with their $14,889 offer on my Explorer and they gave me the nav card and all weather mats I wanted for free since I told them I’d take it then and there if they could throw those in.

 

[npatellye]

Moderator, please feel free to close this thread

 

[debster812]

VERY nice. That's the same color combo I got my CX-30 in. It's so pretty in the sun. Enjoy it

 

[afan]

Moderator, please feel free to close this thread

There isn't a mod on the budget boards. Unless one happens to be following the thread, if you want it closed it's best to pm one of them or tag them in a post here.

 

[nycdisneygal]

I love my Ascent - it may be a teeny bit more than the mazda. hear the mazda is great.