Parents want to buy a small new SUV. Recommendations?

[fleabag]

The roads feel quite similar if they've got a skim coat of snow or an inch...or several. Slippery.

Then again, you wouldn't know...

Actually I do know, now that I've actually driven on snow..

 

[Igz]

I'd agree on any AWD Subaru. My 96 Impreza AWD with good tires on it has driving through straight patches of ice and maintained good traction.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Actually I do know, now that I've actually driven on snow..

Oh, you're an expert now.

 

[jlee]

Actually I do know, now that I've actually driven on snow..

Retracting your original statement now?

 

[fleabag]

Retracting your original statement now?

No, in the time that I had said I had never driven on snow and now, I've driven on snow....with my tires inflated to sidewall and had great traction!

 

[casiotech wants a new accord]

I dunno if this was mentioned

but get the VW Tiguan

It's pretty nice and only like $24g.

 

[DVad3r]

My dad's in the market for this, what do you guys think? He is really considering buying it...

Oh and my dad's car history has involved station wagons and nothing else. His first car in Canada was a 1984 Oldsmobile station wagon which he drove to the ground, 2nd was the same except an 85 model, and now his current car is a 1992 Toyota Camry station wagon with I-4 engine that has 473,000 km on it...

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j..._year=2008&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&engine=6

 

[casiotech wants a new accord]

double post

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Man, now we're indecisive.

Took the Forester for an overnight extended demo. Handled great in the snow. Gas mileage was not good.

We're second guessing our requirements:

1. AWD : we probably don't even need this. Ohio is flat and gets heavy snow maybe 5 times a year. The other 360 days the AWD will be a waste unless there's also rain. But our Toyota Echo has been great in both snow and rain.

2. Lifestyle: parents will never find themselves offroad. Never. And when they retire to Florida or something they REALLY won't need AWD.

3. AWD in this case would only serve to waste gas.

4. Subaru interior sucks.

5. We can probably get $23K out the door on the base model with foglights installed.

6. It will cost us an extra $800 each year to operate the Forester due to gas over a car with high 30s mpg figures.

Honda CRV:

1. Slightly higher price than the Subaru, same gas mileage, but only FWD-based AWD, not Subaru's superior AWD.

Honda Insight:

$20K, maybe $21K out the door.

1. Sluggish acceleration and throttle response.
2. MPG isn't that high compared to a Prius.
3. Understeers quite a bit.

Honda Fit Sport:

$17,800, no negotiations, $19,250 out the door

1. Expensive for an econobox.
2. Amazing seat configurations.
3. Peppy and good handling like the Echo.
4. Cheaper material and thinner construction.

I don't know what to do.

 

[fleabag]

"sluggish acceleration and throttle response".. LOL these are OLD people, I don't even think they're aware of what throttle response even means. All they know is, accelerator =go and brake=stop. I'm sick of old people because they're just lazy children with lots of medical problems, some of which were brought upon themselves.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

"sluggish acceleration and throttle response".. LOL these are OLD people, I don't even think they're aware of what throttle response even means. All they know is, accelerator =go and brake=stop. I'm sick of old people because they're just lazy children with lots of medical problems, some of which were brought upon themselves.

My grandma is a better driver than you. No matter what anyone says she drives faster than I do, 90mph on the freeway when its clear open. She got pulled over more than once and she just gets warnings from CHP officers, its hilarious.

This just proves you're 15 btw

 

[fleabag]

My grandma is a better driver than you. No matter what anyone says she drives faster than I do, 90mph on the freeway when its clear open. She got pulled over more than once and she just gets warnings from CHP officers, its hilarious.

This just proves you're 15 btw

You say grandma... grandma doesn't actually specify any age group so if you can, please elaborate as to how old your "grandma" is..

 

[PhoKingGuy]

You say grandma... grandma doesn't actually specify any age group so if you can, please elaborate as to how old your "grandma" is..

85, she just finished the AAA driver safety course awhile back.

 

[fleabag]

85, she just finished the AAA driver safety course awhile back.

K, well I like how you say she is a better driver than me in the same sentence as when you say she drives 90mph. I know what you were getting at but doing 90mph on the freeway doesn't make you a good driver, it makes you a risk taker.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

K, well I like how you say she is a better driver than me in the same sentence as when you say she drives 90mph. I know what you were getting at but doing 90mph on the freeway doesn't make you a good driver, it makes you a risk taker.

You're a hypermiler, aka shit driver

 

[fleabag]

You're a hypermiler, aka shit driver

Right, because your grandma who is busy thinking about if she took her meds or not for that day at 90mph is a lot better driver...right. You do realize it's worse to crash at 90mph than at 40mph, right? Being a hypermiler doesn't make you "a shit driver" and certainly isn't worse than what other people do while driving and I'm sure they consider themselves "good drivers". A hypermiler is far more aware of their surroundings than you are.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Right, because your grandma who is busy thinking about if she took her meds or not for that day at 90mph is a lot better driver...right. You do realize it's worse to crash at 90mph than at 40mph, right? Being a hypermiler doesn't make you "a shit driver" and certainly isn't worse than what other people do while driving and I'm sure they consider themselves "good drivers". A hypermiler is far more aware of their surroundings than you are.

k.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

how about we keep this thread on topic?

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Look at the tiguan if you want a different opinion. Its quite nice for the price you pay.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Look at the tiguan if you want a different opinion. Its quite nice for the price you pay.

I've heard from a number of people including a guy who used to sell VWs that quality is very spotty. Nothing major, but little things here and there that constantly bring you back to the shop.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

I've heard from a number of people including a guy who used to sell VWs that quality is very spotty. Nothing major, but little things here and there that constantly bring you back to the shop.

The older MKIV platform was balls in that regard, plus the newer mexican factory wasnt really up to snuff with build quality, resulting in the shoddy build quality of earlier VWs and such. The MKV platform Tiguan is based on the golf/jetta chassis which is pretty solid at this point. Its being phased out for Mark6 next year so any of the nagging problems have been worked out at this point. My GTI has been rock solid since I got it and soon to arrive Jetta TDI should be exactly the same. The JD power ratings are relatively good for it as well.

If not, the only other things worth considering (to me anyway) are the Escape or Outback. The CR-V is hideous, ditto for the RAV-4 front end.

 

[cheesehead]

Once again, I'll recommend the CRV. On a good day, we can do 27MPG highway - not amazing, but not too bad either. I've driven it in snow, and it's really pretty good. And after six years, nothing has gone wrong with it aside from a door which didn't fit quite right for a while, though that was a result of the car saving my behind in a 40MPH collision. It's not perfect - the rear seats aren't terribly comfortable and it's obviously not great to drive - but if you can put up with boring, there's not much to complain about. Also, unlike the non-turbo 4cyl. Subaru wagons, it doesn't feel painfully slow.

Also consider the Pontiac Vibe - you'll have to buy it secondhand, but it's a Toyota Matrix in everything but name and radio.

If you'd like to buy a small car, consider the Ford Fiesta, which should be out in a few months. The sedan is excellent value for money - $14k gets you four wheels, an engine, air conditioning, and a 6-speed automatic gearbox good for an (estimated) 40MPG. Interior should be relatively un-ford-like in that they kept the European setup; while it's not a Jaguar, it should be a bit nicer than the Ameri-Focus.

 

[alfa147x]

Crv.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I checked out some videos of the Subaru, CRV, and RAV4 in simulated and non-simulated AWD conditions. The incline climb when the front wheels are on rollers. Their systems should be able to transfer power to the rear wheels and go up the incline. Subaru had no problem, but CRV and RAV4 just couldn't do it. It's like nothing was happening, and the incline wasn't that big... The CRV was torque steering at the same time as well.

It's like the full time AWD on these things are just completely gimmicky. Sure, we don't NEED true AWD, but if we're going to pay extra for it, it'd better work, otherwise we might as well just go for their FWD versions.

 

[alfa147x]

Acura's SH-AWD is out of the question? Im sure you could pick up a RDX (crv) for around $20,000