New mini-suv - Rav4, CR-V, or other?

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Z

zixxer

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2001
7,326
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It's time for a new car - trying to help the girlfriend decide between a Rav4, CR-V, or Element.

The Element is pretty much eliminated. She really likes the way it looks, but apparently the inside seems cheap and gimmicky - compared to the CR-V it's horrid. She likes the CR-V interior the best, and likes the Rav4 V-6 and 'ride quality'.


Opinions? I'd like to hear from 4 cyl owners - ever wish for the V6? ...or vice versa
 
K

KDKPSJ

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2002
3,288
58
91
I had 07 CR-V for a year. It was definately one of the best SUV I've ever driven. I also test drove RAV4 (I4, though) as well, but I really liked CR-V's I4 a lot better.

Obviously, RAV4's V6 would be much more powerful, but CR-V's I4 will keep up very well anyway. You won't have much trouble to keep up.
 
Z

zixxer

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2001
7,326
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I haven't driven the CR-V, but the Rav4 4 cylinder seems very.... stressed. The v-6 is outright quick...
 
IHateMyJob2004

IHateMyJob2004

Lifer
Sep 29, 2004
18,656
68
91
My mom (70+ years old) loves her Rav4. We are considering a Rav 4 (instead of a van) and besides a Rav4, I don't know what else I'd consider.

The V6 Rav4 has obvious benefits and I think the fuel economy is the same as the 4 cyl (inline I think). Is it worth the extra $1500 or so? I personally think not, but that is your call.
 
AnnonUSA

AnnonUSA

Senior member
Nov 18, 2007
468
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I have an 06 CRV. Underpowered is the key word. Could use a V6 but you can't buy it that way. The 4 wouldn't be as bad if the thing didn't have fuel economy of a small 8 cylinder. GAS HOG! Never had and Honda that had such poor fuel mileage.
 
K

KillerCharlie

Diamond Member
Aug 21, 2005
3,691
68
91
Originally posted by: vi edit
I'd hold off and see what the new Foresters end up being like.

They look very sharp in pre-production shots and reviews.
http://www.motortrend.com/road...ru_forester_first_look
Click to expand...

I drove the 09 Forester a couple times. It feels much more powerful than the CR-V for one thing. I liked the flexible interior - I can tell it'd be easier to fit a bike in the back than a CR-V. Plus, Subaru basically wrote the book on AWD - it'll handle great on gravel and crappy mountain roads. I would never take a CR-V on a gravel mountain road.

If you don't plan on leaving the pavement, then a Forester won't be as beneficial.
 
N

Nyati13

Senior member
Jan 2, 2003
785
1
76
Originally posted by: Horsepower
Some friends were looking at CRV and RAV and ended up with a Nissan Rogue <fwiw>
Click to expand...

The Rogue is nice, but it is just so cramped inside compared to the other small-utes....
 
Arkaign

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
I'm gonna throw an odd one into the mix.

Nissan Rogue. Tagged along with a friend to test drive one, and I pretty much loathe SUVs as a whole. Was really impressed. It's sort of like a mix of a Sentra and an Altima in SUV form. I didn't like that the CVT was the only trans available, but the whole package was quite decent. ~170hp 2.5L motor, close to 30mpg highway, low 20s city, looks like a baby Murano (for better or worse), roomy, drives like a car.

Best thing about them is that they're CHEAP. Look at them, seriously. I think they look miles better than Rav or CRaVe.
 
alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Arkaign
I'm gonna throw an odd one into the mix.

Nissan Rogue. Tagged along with a friend to test drive one, and I pretty much loathe SUVs as a whole. Was really impressed. It's sort of like a mix of a Sentra and an Altima in SUV form. I didn't like that the CVT was the only trans available, but the whole package was quite decent. ~170hp 2.5L motor, close to 30mpg highway, low 20s city, looks like a baby Murano (for better or worse), roomy, drives like a car.

Best thing about them is that they're CHEAP. Look at them, seriously. I think they look miles better than Rav or CRaVe.
Click to expand...

Your Nissan Fanboism is shining in your example.
 
evident

evident

Lifer
Apr 5, 2005
12,142
763
126
Originally posted by: everydae
I had 07 CR-V for a year. It was definately one of the best SUV I've ever driven. I also test drove RAV4 (I4, though) as well, but I really liked CR-V's I4 a lot better.

Obviously, RAV4's V6 would be much more powerful, but CR-V's I4 will keep up very well anyway. You won't have much trouble to keep up.
Click to expand...

crv is a great all around suv. my gf has a 98 which was pretty decent, but my old roomate had an 07 ex-l that had an awesome interior and looked great too. it does well on gas as well
 
Arkaign

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
Originally posted by: alkemyst
Originally posted by: Arkaign
I'm gonna throw an odd one into the mix.

Nissan Rogue. Tagged along with a friend to test drive one, and I pretty much loathe SUVs as a whole. Was really impressed. It's sort of like a mix of a Sentra and an Altima in SUV form. I didn't like that the CVT was the only trans available, but the whole package was quite decent. ~170hp 2.5L motor, close to 30mpg highway, low 20s city, looks like a baby Murano (for better or worse), roomy, drives like a car.

Best thing about them is that they're CHEAP. Look at them, seriously. I think they look miles better than Rav or CRaVe.
Click to expand...

Your Nissan Fanboism is shining in your example.
Click to expand...

Why? Because I don't like the looks of the Rav or CRaVe? I have a wide variety of perspectives, and if you think I'm a Nissan fanboy, you're a bit off target, sorry.

Go read some more of my posts, you'll find my opinions, which I'll sum up here, on Nissan's offerings :

Sentra. Ugly beyond belief, not a terrible car, but nothing I'd ever choose over a Civic or Corolla.

Altima. 2.5L is a terrible match for this car. Don't care for the CVT much. The new coupe looks pretty nice. 3.5L versions are where it's at, but unfortunately the price bloats nearly to G35 levels, and certainly I'd take a used G35 coupe (or even a used 3-series, Audi A4, etc) over it at the higher price points.

Maxima. Great car, but now overpriced and outclassed against the CTS. A bit dodgy on the looks.

350Z. Puke on wheels. Disgusts me how Nissan utterly destroyed the legacy of the 'Z' badge with this fat piece of sluggish crap. Sure it's not half bad compared to other generic sports car entries, but the whole point of the 'Z' historically has been to offer a top-tier performance car for a competitive price. Now instead of trading punches with Vettes, they struggle to compete against Mustang GTs. The price has dropped, sure, but the performance level has dipped unacceptably. Camry V6 w/manual gives it a hell of a run for it's money, inexcusable.

Titan. Nice truck. My brother has one. Have heard negative things about reliability in enough cases to exhibit caution in recommending this, though my Brother's has 100k+ miles and no unexpected issues.

Murano. One of the prettier SUVs out there, and the 3.5L motor probably makes it move pretty nicely. I hate SUVs though, and know very little about the competition, so I'll refrain from recommending anything much more than a lookover at this option.

Nissan Versa. I prefer the Fit in this class. The Versa is just too ugly looking IMHO to recommend.

Nissan GT-R. Ugly, and insanely good performance. So rare that it's pretty much irrelevant outside of internet conversations :)

Does that about cover it? Hardly a ringing endorsement of Nissan, or fanboyism in any way. In almost every case, I'd recommend the competition over the Nissan option, other than the used market, where I like Maximas for solid value after the huge depreciation.

EDITED for friendliness ;)
 
J

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: Arkaign
I'm gonna throw an odd one into the mix.

Nissan Rogue. Tagged along with a friend to test drive one, and I pretty much loathe SUVs as a whole. Was really impressed. It's sort of like a mix of a Sentra and an Altima in SUV form. I didn't like that the CVT was the only trans available, but the whole package was quite decent. ~170hp 2.5L motor, close to 30mpg highway, low 20s city, looks like a baby Murano (for better or worse), roomy, drives like a car.

Best thing about them is that they're CHEAP. Look at them, seriously. I think they look miles better than Rav or CRaVe.
Click to expand...

It doesn't make ANY sense to get a Rogue or Murano. Why buy an SUV whose shape is so awkward that it pretty much has no cargo room? Might as well get a car and not pay the fuel economy/handling/performance/uglyness hit you do with an SUV.

A friend has an '02 CRV. It's a pretty decent car. Good mileage, reliable, decent looking. Sure, you won't win any drag races, but it doesn't feel dangerously slow either.
 
Arkaign

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: Arkaign
I'm gonna throw an odd one into the mix.

Nissan Rogue. Tagged along with a friend to test drive one, and I pretty much loathe SUVs as a whole. Was really impressed. It's sort of like a mix of a Sentra and an Altima in SUV form. I didn't like that the CVT was the only trans available, but the whole package was quite decent. ~170hp 2.5L motor, close to 30mpg highway, low 20s city, looks like a baby Murano (for better or worse), roomy, drives like a car.

Best thing about them is that they're CHEAP. Look at them, seriously. I think they look miles better than Rav or CRaVe.
Click to expand...

It doesn't make ANY sense to get a Rogue or Murano. Why buy an SUV whose shape is so awkward that it pretty much has no cargo room? Might as well get a car and not pay the fuel economy/handling/performance/uglyness hit you do with an SUV.

A friend has an '02 CRV. It's a pretty decent car. Good mileage, reliable, decent looking. Sure, you won't win any drag races, but it doesn't feel dangerously slow either.
Click to expand...

Wasn't aware of the cargo problem. You're 100% right though, the CR-V and Rav4 have gotten a lot bigger over the years. Maybe that's why I don't like the looks of the new models as much. They are practical though, it you need lots of space!

Put in perspective : 2008 Cargo capacity comparison

1st place (tie) Honda CR-V / Toyota RAV4 @ 73 cu. ft.
2nd place Mazda CX-7 @ 59 cu. ft.
3rd place Nissan Rogue @ 58 cu. ft.
4th place Saturn Vue @ 56 cu. ft.

So, the Rogue is not bad in it's class when you look at the CX-7 and VUE, but not as cavernous as the new gen CR-V and RAV4.

Murano, however, has 82 (!!) cu. ft. Maximum cargo capacity. Not sure why you thought it was less. Murano is a lot bigger overall, though. And though it's 3.5L motor is awesome, the Murano costs a helluva lot more than anything else we're talking about here. The only reason I mentioned the Murano is because it's pretty cool looking for an SUV, and the Rogue looks similar. Not as consideration for the OP.

:)
 
J

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: Arkaign

Put in perspective : 2008 Cargo capacity comparison

1st place (tie) Honda CR-V / Toyota RAV4 @ 73 cu. ft.
2nd place Mazda CX-7 @ 59 cu. ft.
3rd place Nissan Rogue @ 58 cu. ft.
4th place Saturn Vue @ 56 cu. ft.

So, the Rogue is not bad in it's class when you look at the CX-7 and VUE, but not as cavernous as the new gen CR-V and RAV4.

Murano, however, has 82 (!!) cu. ft. Maximum cargo capacity. Not sure why you thought it was less. Murano is a lot bigger overall, though. And though it's 3.5L motor is awesome, the Murano costs a helluva lot more than anything else we're talking about here. The only reason I mentioned the Murano is because it's pretty cool looking for an SUV, and the Rogue looks similar. Not as consideration for the OP.

:)
Click to expand...

It's not just the size, it's the shape. Sure, you can fit plenty of styrofoam packing peanuts in a Murano or Rogue, but once you start stacking boxes or boards (real-life, solid items) you very quickly run into that sloped roof. I can tell you from piles of personal experience stuffing items into vehicles that there is NOTHING more annoying than artsy-fartsy loops and curves and bends that are always getting in the way and preventing you from fitting in as much stuff as the vehicle size would suggest.
 
Arkaign

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
That brings up an interesting point. Looking at the pics on the Nissan site, the Rogue doesn't look as rounded as the Murano, but the door does come back over the rear bumper a good bit before the window slopes forward.

I haven't personally tried to fit anything of substance into either the Murano or the Rogue, so IDK to be honest. Would be a good thing for the OP to look at.

The OP is talking about a GF car, so ultimate storage capacity might not be a concern at all. I rarely see anyone with one of the small SUVs moving anything other than themselves around. SUV = fashion statement for most people, unfortunately.
 
thecoolnessrune

thecoolnessrune

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2005
9,673
583
126
Of the Rav-4, CRV, and Pilot that I test drove, I honestly ended up liking the Ford Edge the most. I thought it was simply a well put together vehicle and I enjoyed the aesthetics over the other vehicles.
 
K

krunchykrome

Lifer
Dec 28, 2003
13,413
1
0
I have a 2008 CRV EX AWD and I love it. I was in the same market, shopping for a small SUV. I considered the RAV-4, the Xterra, Wrangler, and X3. I ended up going with the CRV because of the way I felt driving it. It drives like a car, has plenty of cargo space that you would expect from an SUV, AWD, great gas millage. And if you don't plan on driving it into the ground, the CRV holds it's value extremely well.

The Xterra and the wrangler both have that cool rugged appeal, but they get horrible gas millage. The Wrangler was not comfortable to drive at all, and doesn't have much cargo space. The Xterra was not comfortable inside either, in fact the CRV feels much roomier than the Xterra. The Xterra does have a powerful engine though, but again, gas millage sucks. The RAV-4 has the option of the powerful v-6 engine.

But what sold me with the CRV was the interior. It was the most comfortable to sit in. The driving position and the ergonomics of the interior were made for a daily driver.

Some people say the CRV is marketed towards young mothers, and although I won't disagree, I will say that the CRV was the best bang for my buck.
 
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