Best new-ish crossover/ compact SUV

[ghowell6]

Currently doing some car shopping for my mom and I’m looking for some opinions. My mom currently has a 2004 Honda Odyssey, but she’s looking for something else since a) the transmission has a limited life in it and b) since her kids are going off to college , she needs/ wants a smaller car. Sedans are (stupidly) out of the question for her, because they are “too low”. I’ve tried to get her to drive my Accord, because it has a lot better visibility than my Dad’s Pontiac Grand Prix, but she’s stuck on having a SUV/CUV. So, any ideas? I’d prefer a Honda (namely, a CR-V) but she’s not entirely sold on them.

[mcdizzle]

nissan murano or infinity fx35

[mtnbikaah]

Mazda CX-5

[deevergote]

The Odyssey transmissions aren't bad if properly maintained... Honda transmissions are very sensitive to proper maintenance.

Anyway, I don't care for the CR-V either. It's undoubtedly a good vehicle, but I find it terribly boring. Though most cars in the CUV class are pretty lame. Too wussy to be "trucks", and too blocky to be "cars". It's like a pair of workboots made entirely out of canvas!

So let's see... what are the options on the market?
CR-V
Rav4
Rogue
EX35
Lexus RX
RDX
Outlander (is that still around?)
Outback
CX5
Equinox
Various Jeeps... Liberty, Compass
Dodge Journey (Dodge specified because nobody actually buys them, so nobody knows what they are!)
Escape
Sportage
Santa Fe
X3
Q5
GLK


Have I missed anything?

[mtnbikaah]

you could put the Forester in that category as well.

Oh, and the Tiguan.

[ghowell6]

The Cadillac SRX, and the GMC version of the Equinox, the Terrain too. I think she should get a CX-5, but she’s not a huge fan.
I agree with you Deev, I don’t like the “in-between” that CUV’s are composed of. When I do major work that requires a big vehicle, I borrow my Dad’s GMC diesel
The Odyssey has been an decent car for our family, but the truth is, she never really needed a minivan. When our old Winstar developed a rod knock @ 70k, she still wanted a mini-van... I really wish she would just have gotten an Accord.
The Odyssey has a pretty significant whine in 4th gear, when accelerating on to the freeway and crusing at near highway speeds (about 45 mph). We’ve had the transmission serviced at regular intervals, but when we take it to the Honda dealer, they’ve just shrugged their shoulders. It’s got just over 100k on it, but it’s only 8 years old...

[ghowell6]

I’ve thought about the Sportage/ Tuscon too. Decent gas mileage, not terrible looking either.
My uncle has a 2007 CR-V that’s pretty nice, but it is pretty boring. Then again, she’s not looking for an exciting car. She really wants an X5, but I think that luxury cars in general are too much money for the intended purpose. I also tried to sell her on an RDX, but she’s not a fan of the first gens, and the second gen is probably too expensive for them to rationalize buying at this point.

[Ralphie]

We have a 2009 crv. I wouldn't call it boring, but then again my expectations are realistic. It's a crossover,not an Nsx.

Hasn't given us any issues, rides smooth, and I think the int layout makes perfect sense.

Plenty of storage space and we average about 22-23 mpg.

[ghowell6]

22-23 is better than the Odyssey. She manages about 17-18 but she mainly does city driving. Considering the fact that my parent’s office is >2mi from our house, they should seriously be walking or biking in the decent weather. It’s a 10 minute bike ride from our house when I’ve left my car at home.
I think it would be legit if they got a Volt and didn’t use any gas commuting, but the Volt is expensive. I don’t think Oregon has too many tax credits on EV’s to offset the price.
The Venza and Crosstour are off the list too, mainly because the Crosstour doesn’t have a SUV’s ride height and the Venza looks like an appliance, in her opinion.

[crazymikey]

Only going to give you options on vehicles I've personally had experience with. I work at a dealership, so I drive and work on all sorts of vehicles.

Mitsubishi Outlander XLS w/Premium Pkg. Don't knock Mitsu til you try it. I would honestly buy myself one of these. I cannot find a fault with them. One of my personal top choices if I was in the market. Oh, and Deev, the current Outlander ends for 2012 and an all new, sinfully ugly Outlander replaces it for 2013.

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (RVR in Canada). Yes, these things are incredibly slow with the 2.0. Why Mitsu offered only this and not the 2.4 does not make sense. However, while the engine is a huge let down, the rest of the vehicle makes up for it's short comings. They have been a very good seller at our dealership. If you're going to get one, you have to get the GT trim with the 18" wheels and panoramic roof. The SE model just lacks the excitement and options the GT has.

Nissan Rogue. A very solid choice. One of the best CVT transmissions I've driven. Super comfortable seats and driving position. Very roomy and practical. Little 4 banger really has some get up and go. I'm a big fan of these.

Chevrolet Equinox/Saturn Vue/Pontiac Torrent. These are great choices. Solid and peppy V6s in these. Wonderful to drive, roomy, practical, good looking, well priced. Every time we get these on the lot they sell as fast as they come in.

Hyundai Santa Fe. Cheapo interior, but absolutely wonderful road manners. A nice, smooth cushy ride. I really do like the Santa Fe, but the interior looks/feels like it was made in the Rubbermaid factory.


Her budget will help us determine what to look at, because everything from Kias to Mercedes have been mentioned in here.

[ghowell6]

Ideally, she’d be looking for something decent in the low 20s, maybe a couple years old. So we’d either be looking for a pre-owned, lower-mileage, higher trim model or a lower end new model. The Odyssey is a top of the line EX-L with the navigation, and KBB prices it out at about 8k for a trade in value. Mom probably wouldn’t want to pay more than 12-14k on top of that.
I personally really like the CX-5 (so does my Dad), but it’s her car. I’m also a little leery of the Skyactiv engine’s longevity with such high compression.
We rented an Outback once, and it was a decent car. It was a 2005 I think, drove decent (bit low on power, but I bet the V6 in the new one fixes that). The thing that vividly stuck out to me was that the A/C on it sucked. We were baking in the California sun with the A/C on the max setting. At least it was a light color.

[C91BLX7]

Acura RDX

[RedFalcoln]

The new Nissan Pathfinder looks like it's headed that way as well.



The Ford Edge is really nice, the interior is great and a smooth ride as well. You have to understand most women and mothers like trucks, suv, cuv, vans, mini vans. Don't know why but they do.

[ghowell6]

Wow, that Pathfinder looks really nice! I haven’t been a fan of much of Nissan’s design, with the exception of the Altima sedan, and the 350Z. The split headlamps on the Maxima and 370Z look weird, in my opinion. Unfortunately, the Pathfinder is still too big and expensive.
We’re pretty much looking at the CX-5, Rogue, GMC/ Chevy twins, and the CR-V. She’s not a fan of either Mitsu (which is a bummer, because I like the looks of the Outlander Sport especially). Kinda kicking out the lux brands (including the RDX) simply because they are a little out of our price range.

[deevergote]

Ideally, she’d be looking for something decent in the low 20s, maybe a couple years old. So we’d either be looking for a pre-owned, lower-mileage, higher trim model or a lower end new model. The Odyssey is a top of the line EX-L with the navigation, and KBB prices it out at about 8k for a trade in value. Mom probably wouldn’t want to pay more than 12-14k on top of that.
I personally really like the CX-5 (so does my Dad), but it’s her car. I’m also a little leery of the Skyactiv engine’s longevity with such high compression.
We rented an Outback once, and it was a decent car. It was a 2005 I think, drove decent (bit low on power, but I bet the V6 in the new one fixes that). The thing that vividly stuck out to me was that the A/C on it sucked. We were baking in the California sun with the A/C on the max setting. At least it was a light color.

My mom has an 05 or 06 Outback... it can't get out of its own way! The interior is rather boring as well, though functionality is high.

The lux brands are indeed a good thing to avoid if price is an issue, especially if she's shopping used. Fixing a used luxury vehicle can be pretty awful, especially if it's an import. Domestic luxury models aren't quite as pricey, as they are usually related to other cheaper models that are very inexpensive to fix normally.

That in mind... Cadillac SRX or Lincoln Aviator?