Favorite Small SUV

[vanguard96]

So how about you do you own or have you owned any vehicles in these categories? Or even driven one as a rental car so you can comment on them?

This is the category that has perhaps the biggest sellers these days for some time in N America - though price points are starting to creep up to $30K plus for new vehicles which is a concern meaning longer loan terms or bad lease deals to keep payments down - combined with more demand for used vehicles.

I deliberately did not include the smaller - 'subcompact' SUV like Honda HR-V and Chevy Trax - that is for a separate poll - nor did I include luxury brands like Audi's Q5, BMW X3, Lexus NX, and Acura RDX which would fit in this segment based on size but not typically on cost.

Likewise I don't follow the European market closely enough to deem which vehicles warrant inclusion on this list - at least some of them should be familiar enough from a segment category as many are also assembled in Europe too or sold there.

[#gravelgang #lessiglad]

Had a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which I would consider a small SUV (the sport is a 5 seater, bugger than the Tuscon but smaller than the "standard" Santa Fe) for about 3 months. It was great. Ton of cargo space and it drove wonderfully. Responsive handling and acceleration, reasonable gas mileage for the category and a pretty good base tech package. I really recommend it, but obviously can't speak to its reliability over such a short time span.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

The Subaru is probably better but I'm on my 4th straight Jeep

[Murica!]

Mazda has the best dynamics of anyone, short of actual sports cars(and other types of "sporty cars"), so while in general I absolutely cannot stand the segment, the actually quite brilliant CX-5 gets the win here.

[dead0man]

The wife's car is an 08 CX7 (which is the same as a top of the line CX5) w/ 125k miles on it and it's holding up amazingly well inside and out.  The only issue I have is that it sucks on mpg, but the newer Mazdas are much better what with their "Skyactive" engineering.


but none of these are "bad" vehicles.  Some are better at some things than others, but they will all get the job done for years.

[dead0man]

Mazda has the best dynamics of anyone, short of actual sports cars(and other types of "sporty cars"), so while in general I absolutely cannot stand the segment, the actually quite brilliant CX-5 gets the win here.

indeed.  Our 7 isn't as fun to drive as the Miata (is anything?), but for the segment it handles like it's on rails.  You'd have to move up to the BMW and Porsche SUVs before you find anything even close in the handling department.

[vanguard96]

Had a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which I would consider a small SUV (the sport is a 5 seater, bugger than the Tuscon but smaller than the "standard" Santa Fe) for about 3 months. It was great. Ton of cargo space and it drove wonderfully. Responsive handling and acceleration, reasonable gas mileage for the category and a pretty good base tech package. I really recommend it, but obviously can't speak to its reliability over such a short time span.

It wasn't on the Kelly Blue Book List in that category that I used to double check - I had only forgotten the Kia.

[vanguard96]

Mazda has the best dynamics of anyone, short of actual sports cars(and other types of "sporty cars"), so while in general I absolutely cannot stand the segment, the actually quite brilliant CX-5 gets the win here.

Do you have one? Or have driven one? I've not seen it too often as a rental.

I've never driven a CX-5 - and since they don't help our business as non-N.American assembled vehicles I never really considered buying this car and did not even go to their dealership a few years back when shopping in this segment.

[Mr. Smith]

Toyota is life!

@dead0man: Try a 1964 Triumph TR4!

[vanguard96]

The wife's car is an 08 CX7 (which is the same as a top of the line CX5) w/ 125k miles on it and it's holding up amazingly well inside and out.  The only issue I have is that it sucks on mpg, but the newer Mazdas are much better what with their "Skyactive" engineering.


but none of these are "bad" vehicles.  Some are better at some things than others, but they will all get the job done for years.

CX7 was the predecessor of the CX-5.

We had pretty good luck with our previous CR-V and the current one we have - a 2015 is very nice. Even the EX-L is well appointed for that but we got the touring version. I preferred it to the entry Audi Q5, entry Lexus NX, and the Acura RDX had superfluous driver thrills that my wife would not use at all - paddle shift to sport handling, etc. I am not enamoured of the CVT that the Honda has now - or many of the CVTs on the market.

I did not like the old, old early/mid 2000's Escape - at the time of when we had a 2000 Ford Taurus and an 2002 CR-V - the V-6 Escape was thirsty and the powertrain was terrible reminding me of my Taurus more than the CR-V's nimble feel. I've since driven newer Escape, Forester, Equinox, RAV4, Rogue, and the Hyundai either in test drives or as rentals. All fairly serviceable and have improved in reliability. I think for a family car this segment has replaced the mid-sized sedan for many people - more versatile for shopping, taking around 1-2 kids, going on trips, and heading down a dirt or snowy road they tend to handle them a bit better than the Malibu, Camry, Accord, Altima, or Fusion do.

[vanguard96]

Toyota is life!

@dead0man: Try a 1964 Triumph TR4!

Do you have a RAV4 - I think they definitely improved from the 2015 to 2016 models and having a reasonably priced hybrid was a big score for them after years of seemingly falling back and lacking key features.

[dead0man]

Toyota is life!

@dead0man: Try a 1964 Triumph TR4!

you got one I can borrow? 

The reason I love small sports cars is reading about the MGB (and Porsche and RX7) in car magazines when I was a kid.  I will, someday, restore one but with modern car parts on the inside.  TR4 are lovely too.  I spent some time around a TR7 in high school, would have been more time but it was always broke


(of course so is my "reliable" Miata as my wife keeps reminding me )

[Illiniwek]

I went with the Chevy/GMC option, but that could likely change after a test drive. I've got a Hyundai now, and I would vouch for them, but I think my next car I want to go GM or Ford.

[Murica!]

Mazda has the best dynamics of anyone, short of actual sports cars(and other types of "sporty cars"), so while in general I absolutely cannot stand the segment, the actually quite brilliant CX-5 gets the win here.

Do you have one? Or have driven one? I've not seen it too often as a rental.

I've never driven a CX-5 - and since they don't help our business as non-N.American assembled vehicles I never really considered buying this car and did not even go to their dealership a few years back when shopping in this segment.

I've driven one, it's certainly no sports car but it's very good for a crossover, and they even used to be available with a stick which would have made it my top choice if I was forced to choose a crossover.

[Lachi]

Other: Mitsubishi ASX

[Mr. Smith]

Toyota is life!

@dead0man: Try a 1964 Triumph TR4!

Do you have a RAV4 - I think they definitely improved from the 2015 to 2016 models and having a reasonably priced hybrid was a big score for them after years of seemingly falling back and lacking key features.

My folks are leasing one.

[muon2]

We were in the market for a small Crossover/SUV this year. We started by going to the Chicago Auto Show and sitting in 40 models (both regular and luxury). From that experience we narrowed the list to 13 and found dealers to test drive all of them. The final four were the Honda CR-V, Ford Edge, Volvo XC-60 and BMW X-3. We bought a 2016 X-3 that had been the loaner in the service dept. If you see a bright red one with muon2 on the back on any of my road trips, feel free to wave.

[vanguard96]

We were in the market for a small Crossover/SUV this year. We started by going to the Chicago Auto Show and sitting in 40 models (both regular and luxury). From that experience we narrowed the list to 13 and found dealers to test drive all of them. The final four were the Honda CR-V, Ford Edge, Volvo XC-60 and BMW X-3. We bought a 2016 X-3 that had been the loaner in the service dept. If you see a bright red one with muon2 on the back on any of my road trips, feel free to wave.

My wife wants an XC-60 as her next car - she said 'take the CR-V when your car needs to be replaced'. It's an '09 Camry. I deliberately did not test drive the Volvo since I knew it would be out of our price range at the time.

[Murica!]

Other: Mitsubishi ASX

lmao what? The last Mitsubishis worth buying were the Evo and the Ralliart Lancer and they killed them both off a few years back

[vanguard96]

Other: Mitsubishi ASX

It is the continuing version of Outlander Sport which was one of the choices. AKA RVR in Canada & Japan