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Just test drove 3 small SUVs'....

K

KDOG

Diamond Member
Honda CRV AWD - VERY nice. LOADS of features. The picnic table in the trunk area knocked my socks off. Very roomy inside. Engine was smooth and had a really good amount of power for a 4 cyl. (161hp) Looks are ok, but kinda suburbanite. Doesn't seem like it was meant for any type of off-roading. Still, I was very impressed.

Toyota Rav4 AWD - Also very nice. Had a peppier engine than the CRV even though theyre about the same power (160hp), but not much more. Interior was roomy as well. Ride felt tight and solid. Had a little more body roll in the turns than the CRV. Looks are good, but seems like the same class as the CRV. Suburbanite, non real off roading. I still liked it though.

Jeep Liberty 4x4 - Suprisingly nice. Domestic cars (at least Jeep) have definetly improved. The 3.7L V6 of course had more get-up-and-go than the other two. (210hp/235 ft. lbs torque). Would haul azz when you stomped the gas. Interior was a mix. Up front wasn't as roomy as the others, but the back seaters seem about the same. Looks, well, you gotta admit the Jeep DOES look more rugged than the other two. The ride was good as well, just BARElY not as smooth as the other 2, just enough to notice. I think that maybe because it had a tougher suspension since the Jeep seems like it could handle some off roading.

I test drove these 3 because theyre in the same price range and size. Any comments to add?
 
The Jeep was the only one that had any offroad capability worth mentioning. The other ones are a Civic and a Tercel hatchback.
 
Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
The Jeep was the only one that had any offroad capability worth mentioning. The other ones are a Civic and a Tercel hatchback.
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How about Civic and Corolla?
 
Will look at the Subaru Forester tomorrow. As for the Ford Escape and the Hyundai Santa Fe - I'll just say no. I've heard nothing but bad things about the Escape, essentially that its a piece of sh!t. And while the Hyundai Santa Fe seems like it would be ok, Hyundais are cheap inside and are worthless resale wise.
 
Originally posted by: KDOG
Will look at the Subaru Forester tomorrow. As for the Ford Escape and the Hyundai Santa Fe - I'll just say no. I've heard nothing but bad things about the Escape, essentially that its a piece of sh!t. And while the Hyundai Santa Fe seems like it would be ok, Hyundais are cheap inside and are worthless resale wise.
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The Forester is nice, for a station wagon. The Escape has improved a lot, most the recalls were for the first year model, and seem to be very popular. I think the Santa Fe is worth a look too. You should test drive them all.
 
How was the road noise in the Honda CR-V?
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Road noise in the CRV was basically non-existant. Back seat room in the CRV was TREMENDOUS. Plenty of room back there, spacious.
 
I got rid of my CR-V last year after owning it for 16 months. I had one MAJOR gripe with it: I could not, for the life of me, find a comfortable cruising position to drive long distances in it. I jigged and finagled the damn seat every which way to Sunday, to no avail.On trips around town, no problemo. Get it out on the road for more than an hour and I started to have problems. I dont know, the drivers seat, while nice and snug, may be doing its job a bit too well. It felt like it was digging into my back and no matter which angle I chose for the rake, it just wasnt good enough. I am of average size(5'11, around 185) so its not like I am overly large for it. I tried to drive that vehicle for almost a year and a half and I finally told my wife that it had to go. Traded it in on a '04 Odyssey. Sweet ride and Louie is SOOOOO much more comfortable now.

Other than that, I liked the thing a whole lot. Lots of room, and decent pickup. Though not like the Forrester XT, but above average, at least. Got very good mileage too,around 25-28 mpg if Im not mistaken. I did find the noise from the road a bit louder than what I expected,but that may be from the choice of tires that Honda equips with their cars. Hope this helps!


Peace

Lounatik
 
Maybe it's just because I'm a big guy (six two-ish) but I would definitely NOT consider the CRV or the Rav4 roomy in the least. I haven't yet been in a Jeep Liberty.
Lounatik - I had the exact same problem with the seat in my old Corolla. My new Chrysler just proved it's mettle as a road-trip car, great ride the whole way.
 
Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
The Jeep was the only one that had any offroad capability worth mentioning. The other ones are a Civic and a Tercel hatchback.
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Yep. They may handle pretty similarly on the road, but get offroad and the Jeep will go places the other two won't.
 
Get the turbo forester. 0-60 in under 6 seconds. I know you're not buying a sports car, but hell that's some speed that anybody can appreciate, plus it's a very capable vehicle.

From your three choices I'd drive the liberty off a cliff. You probably can't go wrong with the other two.
 
You forgot to test drive the best one: 2005 Ford Escape 🙂

(Must be 2005. There are still many 2004s left on the lots)
 
Well, I am leaning toward the CR-V as far as pure value goes. If money wasn't an object, I'd be leaning toward the Jeep Liberty Renegade for the performance.
 
Originally posted by: KDOG
Well, I am leaning toward the CR-V as far as pure value goes. If money wasn't an object, I'd be leaning toward the Jeep Liberty Renegade for the performance.
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Don't forget resale value and proven reliability.
 
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