Overwhelmed Picking a Small, Safe SUV

[Anonymous]

Kia sorento plug in hybrid- these arent the ones that are easy to steal. Love ours

[Anonymous]

I love my Subaru Foresters. One I’ve had for eight years and one is a year old. Prior to that I had Ford Escapes but I much prefer the Forester. I’ve never had problems, it’s safe, comfortable, plenty of space for hauling stuff - just a very good basic SUV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to car shop for a new or lightly used small SUV or crossover. This will be a commuter car for DH and me and also a car for our teens to drive. Ideally, we could sell or give it to our DD in 3 years when she graduates college. Not looking for luxury, but we do not want cloth seats and tend to like having a moonroof.

Based on IIHS safety ratings, we are probably considering a 2021, 2022, or 2023 from among the following Hyundai Tucson, Subaru Forester or Outback, Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, and Toyota Rav-4. We usually know exactly what make and model we want and then shop around, but we can't seem to narrow down this decision. I do not think we will get a hybrid. CPO or new with an extended warranty option would be good.

Any owners care to weigh in on why you picked your vehicle and if you are happy?

Those were nearly the exact cars I was deciding between in January. The thing that helped me most was test drives - I was able to eliminate the Kia because I was uncomfortable, the Outback because I didn't like the front windshield, and the RAV4 because my legs didn't fit right (long explanation, just trust me). I ended up doing a price-features-year comparison between the remaining and ended up with an older but top of line Hyundai Tucson for the same cost as a base model new Forester or CRV, and I am constantly thrilled with my choice.

I would highly recommend including features on your comparison linst. Things I define as safety feature that I didn't have before (my old car was 2007): 360 parking cameras. Heated steering wheel (keeps my hands on the wheel in the winter!). Lane assist. And adaptive cruise control.

[Anonymous]

Volvo xc40 recharge

[Anonymous]

I have had a Subaru Outback for 13 years - it was parked outside for 12 of those 13 years and is still going strong with, honestly, the bare minimum of maintenance. I love it. When I buy a new car, I will probably replace it with the exact same thing.

[Anonymous]

Nothing OP described points to SUV. Get a hatchback.

[Anonymous]

😍 my Outback!

[Anonymous]

We've had multiple Rav4s over the past 25 years and love it. At the larger size I prefer the Honda Pilot, but for a small SUV I don't think anything beats a Rav4.

[Anonymous]

Different poster here. Recently bought the Subaru Forester and love it though having problems with the headlights— there is a horizontal line midway up my field of vision with darker area above, the line adjusts when I go over bumps. Disappears on high beams.

Has anyone else with a Dorester had this problem? Our sales person ghosted us of course, but I’m taking it in for a service check.

[Anonymous]

Toyota , Honda or Subaru.

[Anonymous]

What features do you care about?
-gas mileage?
-cargo space?
-fun to drive?
-safety?
-tech?
-color?
-cost of ownership?

Figure out what matters to you, and that will help you narrow it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need to car shop for a new or lightly used small SUV or crossover. This will be a commuter car for DH and me and also a car for our teens to drive. Ideally, we could sell or give it to our DD in 3 years when she graduates college. Not looking for luxury, but we do not want cloth seats and tend to like having a moonroof.

Based on IIHS safety ratings, we are probably considering a 2021, 2022, or 2023 from among the following Hyundai Tucson, Subaru Forester or Outback, Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, and Toyota Rav-4. We usually know exactly what make and model we want and then shop around, but we can't seem to narrow down this decision. I do not think we will get a hybrid. CPO or new with an extended warranty option would be good.

Any owners care to weigh in on why you picked your vehicle and if you are happy?

Those were nearly the exact cars I was deciding between in January. The thing that helped me most was test drives - I was able to eliminate the Kia because I was uncomfortable, the Outback because I didn't like the front windshield, and the RAV4 because my legs didn't fit right (long explanation, just trust me). I ended up doing a price-features-year comparison between the remaining and ended up with an older but top of line Hyundai Tucson for the same cost as a base model new Forester or CRV, and I am constantly thrilled with my choice.

I would highly recommend including features on your comparison linst. Things I define as safety feature that I didn't have before (my old car was 2007): 360 parking cameras. Heated steering wheel (keeps my hands on the wheel in the winter!). Lane assist. And adaptive cruise control.

Thank you! That's super helpful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need to car shop for a new or lightly used small SUV or crossover. This will be a commuter car for DH and me and also a car for our teens to drive. Ideally, we could sell or give it to our DD in 3 years when she graduates college. Not looking for luxury, but we do not want cloth seats and tend to like having a moonroof.

Based on IIHS safety ratings, we are probably considering a 2021, 2022, or 2023 from among the following Hyundai Tucson, Subaru Forester or Outback, Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, and Toyota Rav-4. We usually know exactly what make and model we want and then shop around, but we can't seem to narrow down this decision. I do not think we will get a hybrid. CPO or new with an extended warranty option would be good.

Any owners care to weigh in on why you picked your vehicle and if you are happy?

Those were nearly the exact cars I was deciding between in January. The thing that helped me most was test drives - I was able to eliminate the Kia because I was uncomfortable, the Outback because I didn't like the front windshield, and the RAV4 because my legs didn't fit right (long explanation, just trust me). I ended up doing a price-features-year comparison between the remaining and ended up with an older but top of line Hyundai Tucson for the same cost as a base model new Forester or CRV, and I am constantly thrilled with my choice.

I would highly recommend including features on your comparison linst. Things I define as safety feature that I didn't have before (my old car was 2007): 360 parking cameras. Heated steering wheel (keeps my hands on the wheel in the winter!). Lane assist. And adaptive cruise control.

+1 but I ended up with a brand new Hyundai Tucson Limited, top of the line features, more cargo room, and good warranty. Paid $40k out the door. Was looking at the top RAV-4 by comparison and that was going to be $45k out the door, so saved some money for the same features.

[Anonymous]

I have a Forester and I sort of hate it. It’s always beeping at me and the alert sounds are so annoying. But I like how much headroom it has. It’s very loud on the highway, but I think they all are at the price point unfortunately.

Mostly it’s fine. Does the job.

[Anonymous]

We have a Subaru Outback and a Lexus UX250h. I would recommend both.

The Lexus comes with many more features just included and gets better gas mileage. I feel like it is a better ride/drive. The Subaru has more space