2nd car suggestions

J

jduck

New member
I am looking for a new car for my wife and thought i would get some input from folks here on the forum. (I respect the car knowledge of many here)
Wants: AWD, 4-6 cylinders (decent gas mileage), 4 doors, decent trunk space.

Basically: want a vehicle that can get decent gas mileage, have ability to handle snow(chicago suburbs), and hold our two kids and possibly be able to put dog in back.

I've considered Honda CRV, Mitsubishi Outlander sport, Toyota Venza.
if anyone has experience with the Outlander sport, please offer feedback.

Looking to buy used and spend about 24k.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Can't go wrong with Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 or Subaru Impreza types. Had several of the CR-V's and wife is currently driving a 2012 RAV4 Limited.
 
My mom has a '10 Rav4 V6 Limited 4WD. It has tons of space, is damn quick, and is pretty good on gas. She gets 27mpg regularly. It is a great CUV.
 
Though I don't own nor have ever driven one I really like the look of the Venza. If i were looking for a 2nd I'd have to have a serious look at it. Also the CR-V would be on my list as my ex has one and I really liked it, good wife and kids car. I drove a '10 Rav4 for a month last year while my Tacoma was being repaired after an accident. I absolutely hated it can't really say why it just sucked! IMO the CR-V outclassed in every aspect.

Good luck with which ever you choose :thumb3:
 
My wife and I went through this. We are expecting our first child so my wife needed a new car.

Her requirements were a small SUV that drove like a car that gave good fuel economy as. So it was either the RAV4 or the 2012 Honda CRV. Looked at the RAV4 and it is extremely dated. It is due for a major redesign so no way I was going to get a RAV4 after looking at that interior. Then we went to the Honda dealer to check out the CRV. It really impressed me, it is significantly improved over the previous generation. It is very quiet when driving unlike the previous generation that everyone complained about. The interior is very nice, and the exterior IMO looks better than the previous gen too.

3 weeks ago we purchased a 2012 Honda CRV EX. My wife loves it and I like it too. I drive it quite often too and I do not have any complaints at all. I really like the backup camera, Bluetooth, usb interface, voice calling, etc. All this comes STANDARD on all models. I'm getting 27mpg with 70% of that being in the city. Engine is still not broken in at 1100 miles.

I highly recommend the CRV if you want a economical reliable vehicle with lots of space.

The CRV is dominating the compact SUV market right now for a reason.
 
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I previously had a 2010 RAV4 Limited V6 4x4, loved it. Was great on gas, plenty of power, and was far better equipped for the price than the Venza. I would definitely recommend looking at them, especially the Limited models.

Another vehicle we have and would recommend is a 2010+ Matrix S AWD. It will do fine in the snow, plenty of space, superb gas mileage, and plenty of space with the hatchback. My wife has one and loves it. With our second child on the way we have no intentions of getting anything bigger, it will fit the bill just fine. I like the sportiness of it after driving my lifted body roll machine all the time LOL.
 
What does it sound like, look like, smell like, feel like, drive like, etc, etc? There's many, many variables including doing your own research.

Getting feedback from a forum is of very little help IMO. Only way to know what is right for you is to get out there and drive.
 
Mazda CX-7 - Great smaller SUV with plenty of room. You can get a used one pretty loaded out for 24k. Plus it's got Zoom Zoom! I may be a little biased because I work for a Mazda dealer, but everyone that owns one seems to love it!
 
jduck said:
I am looking for a new car for my wife and thought i would get some input from folks here on the forum. (I respect the car knowledge of many here)
Wants: AWD, 4-6 cylinders (decent gas mileage), 4 doors, decent trunk space.

Basically: want a vehicle that can get decent gas mileage, have ability to handle snow(chicago suburbs), and hold our two kids and possibly be able to put dog in back.

I've considered Honda CRV, Mitsubishi Outlander sport, Toyota Venza.
if anyone has experience with the Outlander sport, please offer feedback.

Looking to buy used and spend about 24k.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

What i have...Subaru Outback. The difference b/w Subaru and other CUVs is the AWD system. It is full-time AWD and has decent one wheel traction capability. My Outback is very roomy, big cargo, smooth & very quiet! And it gets 22/29 mpg. CRV may get 1 mpg better, but its AWD system is NOT full-time...and it can't really do one wheel traction like a true full-time system can. CRV is based on a Civic (Imprezas competitor) while Outback is based on Subaru's midsize sedan...so, its engineering are more luxury than econobox. You get fairly high quality materials inside and high end stereo (HK audio). Its closest competitors are the Toyota Venzas and Honda Crosstour.

For me, if i cruise at 65 mph, then i can get 32-33 mpg. It is really impressive for such a big car. As for the 4-cyl engine, it is pretty torquey (for a 4 cyl) down low: Torque Curve b/w 2.5 and 3.6 - Subaru Outback - Subaru Outback Forums

Here is my thread on the Subaru: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/all-o...w-car-2-2012-subaru-outback-2-5i-limited.html

Subaru AWD videos:

Subaru AWD Uphill Comparison Test - YouTube

Subaru All Wheel Drive Traction Testing - YouTube

Live demonstration of Subaru Forester and Outback's 4x4 symmetrical all wheel drive system - YouTube

Subaru Symmetrical AWD vs. Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen - YouTube

The 2013 Outback has some nice updates...so, i would wait for that if you're going to buy it.

Good luck.
 
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