Car advice

Elin

Well, within the next year my husband and I will be looking for a new car. His '98 Mazda is going to need replacing at some point and my Aveo isn't meeting some of our current needs. Basically we are looking for an AWD vehicle that isn't TOO terrible on gas. I want cargo space so that we can transport 2 dogs, 2 crates, 2 suitcases, and 2 adults without the car being so bogged down it no longer accelerates. We're also starting to head into the mountains more and are looking for a car that can do that and has the space for dogs, adults, and camping gear. In addition, there is a possibility of a commute between cities that could encounter snowy and/or icy conditions.

I've been looking at the so called crossover SUV's (I don't feel comfortable driving anything too huge) and I feel like I have it narrowed down to 3 vehicles. The Toyota RAV4, the Subaru Forester, and the Hyundai Tuscon. I've been doing the research on the 2010 models because I'm not planning on buying new. That is where I'm running into a wall. They pretty much all have the same reviews. Comparable in safety, MPG, handling, price, so on and so forth. I know that some of this may be sorted when I test drive but I'm looking here to see if any of you have any practical knowledge of these 3 cars. Or if you have a suggestion of something else that you think I should look at.

Dhalphir

My mother had a 2001 RAV4, and she loved it, but they have got a lot bigger since then I think.

The Subaru is also a great car, and Subarus are renowned for reliability (I don't know if this is a true reputation).

Honestly though, I'd go with the Forester if you say you don't want weight to bog the car down. The engine has some great punch and torque.

BlindZenDriver

Subaru - quality is second to none and they are fun to drive as well.

DekuStick

Out of those three I'll give the nod to the Subaru. But the RAV4 is pretty darn close to it so test drive them both.

Maybe take a peek at the Nissan X-Trail. I would specifically look at the diesel X-Trail but some people take issue with the noise and smell of diesel so maybe not for you.

Djeet

If you don't want the MPG hit get the non-turbo forester/legacy wagon, if you want pep (without the car being so bogged down it no longer accelerates) get the turbo but you cannot get the mileage without avoiding engaging the turbo, in which case get the non-turbo.

Cannot say from the RAV4, should have good reliability but don't think it can carry about as much stuff internally as you'd like.

What kind of mileage do you put on it? Cause you might be able to get some kind of Us-branded SUV relatively cheap, but you're going to take it at the gas station (up-front vs ongoing costs).

Elin

Right now we really don't drive all that much, much but come May when I graduate I will be looking for a job. My husband would not be served well leaving his job so I will need to find a job in this metro area. That could involve a commute of anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or so. And the commute would most likely be towards the mountains. So very variable weather year round. The 3 SUVs I've been looking at all get 25-30 mpg highway which was a factor in them being front runners, along with the AWD. I'd take a hit on cargo space before the safety rating and the mpg. They're also sitting in my comfort zone price range of ~15k. My current car could probably make the commute in the summer, summer but not the winter, and it certainly can't continuously make any fun runs up the mountains, the engine sounds like it's going to explode when we take it up some of those roads.

Irredeemably Indecisive

Ultimately, you really can't go wrong with any of the choices. Get the one that you like the best when you test drive them.

Djeet

Is it just the engine noise under load that bothers you? We're used to the 2-3k engine noise on sustained flat highway driving, but so long as it is not overheating the engine will happily run all day just below redline. If you do a lot of up down driving you should be used to that during downshifted descents since it is better to engine brake on descents then to heat soak your brakes.

Donovan Puppyfucker

Have you had a look at the VW Tiguan? There's a TDI model which has heaps of torque and sips fuel.

illig

some thoughts on those:
1) Take a look at the Honda CRV and Nissan Rogue - they're very similar to the Rav4, and you may like the layout/fit-finish/etc. of one vs. another more.
2) subaru has the only 'true all wheel drive' system out of the cars you listed (including the Honda i added) with power being sent to all wheels at all times. the competitors are basically FWD cars until a speed difference is felt between the front/back wheels, and only then do the back wheels actually get power. This is good for MPG on normal driving, but bad for traction if you really need it. This is something to consider if your snow/ice driving is actually a big part of what you do.
3) Take a look at wagons instead - they have the same amount of space as crossover SUVs, and typically have better MPG (b/c they're lighter). Subaru Impreza, Outback, and CrossTrek are some choices with the 'true AWD', and there are tons with FWD only.

Zenitram

Check out the Legacy as well as the Forester. They are much bigger than they used to be and should fit your needs just fine. And it will have better mileage and cheaper MSRP. Subaru really upped the gas mileage after the '08 or '09 years by making the auto transmission much more efficient.

jefe414

My sister and brother-in-law have had a RAV4 for a few years now. They love the thing. Perfect size for them and their two kids. It's been on plenty of long road trips (6+ hours) with plenty of comfort and reliability.

JohnnyCache

I really, really like my subaru legacy.

For a wagon, don't overlook their Tribeca or outback. The outback has almost the same clearance and cargo room as the forester and is more "car" like to drive and park. The tribeca is a "bubble car" kind of like the nissan rouge so only you know if the look is for you, but they have a really nice interior layout IMO for commuting with kids and critters.