C&D Small SUV Comparo

[Hokiefyd]

While I was browsing for mid-size car comparos, I happened upon this small SUV test from Car & Driver. Here's the article:

Car & Driver's small SUV comparo

Results:

1) Mazda CX-5
2) Honda CR-V
3) Ford Escape
4) Toyota RAV4
5) Kia Sportage
6) Hyundai Tucson

 

[01rangerxl]

Blah, I'd rather have a Grand Vitara or Jeep Liberty where you can at least get a low range.

 

[Spazdog]

Motor Trend ranked them:
1)Ford Escape
2)Mazda CX-5
3)Honda CR-V
4)Kia Sportage
5)Volkswagen Tiguan

The top 3 swapped places but are still the top 3

 

[SwampSurvivor]

The CX-5 is the best of the bunch AFAIC. The older Ford Escape wasn't bad ... the new focus-based escape ... not so much.

 

[kkreit01]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
The CX-5 is the best of the bunch AFAIC. The older Ford Escape wasn't bad ... the new focus-based escape ... not so much.


Maybe if it had another 50 (at least) HP. I once had a 153 HP, leightweight SUV. It couldn't get out of its own way.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
Originally Posted By: Miller88
The CX-5 is the best of the bunch AFAIC. The older Ford Escape wasn't bad ... the new focus-based escape ... not so much.


Maybe if it had another 50 (at least) HP. I once had a 153 HP, leightweight SUV. It couldn't get out of its own way.


That's typical for Mazda. Lower output and or smaller engines, better chassis design and tuning.

Saw it with the 626. The F-Engines were hardly firebreathers. Even turbocharged 12-valve F's barely matched the output of an 8-valve Chrysler Turbo1. (they are both good engines....I'm not picking on one or the other.) Then when virtually everybody else went 2.2/2.3/2.4, Mazda went back down to 2.0. But the 626 was always the "sporty handling" sedan of the bunch.

Or the FD RX-7. The 300ZX, 3000GT, and Supra all went right around or above 300hp. The RX-7 came in 25-70hp short. But when it came to the race track in a comparison, the RX-7 was usually the driver's choice. The Mitsubishi had AWD and AWS, Nissan is no slouch in chassis tuning, and the Supra had the horsepower but the balance and feel of the Mazda was there when the course got twisty.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
While I was browsing for mid-size car comparos, I happened upon this small SUV test from Car & Driver. Here's the article:

Car & Driver's small SUV comparo

Results:

1) Mazda CX-5
2) Honda CR-V
3) Ford Escape
4) Toyota RAV4
5) Kia Sportage
6) Hyundai Tucson



I would expect the heavily enthusiast oriented C&D staff to pick the best driver first. Mazda tunes chassis really well.

Hyundai needs to take notes!

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
Originally Posted By: Miller88
The CX-5 is the best of the bunch AFAIC. The older Ford Escape wasn't bad ... the new focus-based escape ... not so much.


Maybe if it had another 50 (at least) HP. I once had a 153 HP, leightweight SUV. It couldn't get out of its own way.


The new Escape with the 1.6 makes the same power as the old 2.5 and you can get the 2.0 which has better power than the outgoing 3.0 V6.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
... Mazda tunes chassis really well.

Hyundai needs to take notes!


That's a fact right there.

My 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe was a pleasure to drive and rode smooth, solid and quiet, but was freakish under panic maneuvers or taking on bumps while on a curve.

Joel

 

[kkreit01]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
Originally Posted By: kkreit01
Originally Posted By: Miller88
The CX-5 is the best of the bunch AFAIC. The older Ford Escape wasn't bad ... the new focus-based escape ... not so much.


Maybe if it had another 50 (at least) HP. I once had a 153 HP, leightweight SUV. It couldn't get out of its own way.


The new Escape with the 1.6 makes the same power as the old 2.5 and you can get the 2.0 which has better power than the outgoing 3.0 V6.


Yes, the new Escape's outputs are quite nice. I was referring the the CX-5. It has the chassis and OK looks, but needs the "go".

 

[SLCraig]

Top 3 are no surprise to me at all and pretty much what you'd expect.

I think the company that should take notes the most is Toyota. Any good reviews on any of their vehicles lately?

Hyundai still has a lot to learn, Toyota, the veteran, caught pants down yet again.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Blah, I'd rather have a Grand Vitara or Jeep Liberty where you can at least get a low range.

It is kind of funny that they didn't even mention the AWD systems let alone test them... I guess 99% of them never go off road anyways.

 

[kkreit01]

Grand Vitara and Liberty would be the last pics by every magazine, and nearly every consumer. The Liberty will be extinct soon. Suzuki maybe sells a few thousand Grand Vitaras in the US/year (I'd be surprised if it were in the 10s of thousands). If anyone wants to go off road, they'll buy a Wrangler, FJ, etc. That's not what your typically mini-ute is used for. The Grand Vitara is so rare, that spell check doesn't even recognize it

.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
Grand Vitara and Liberty would be the last pics by every magazine, and nearly every consumer. The Liberty will be extinct soon. Suzuki maybe sells a few thousand Grand Vitaras in the US/year (I'd be surprised if it were in the 10s of thousands). If anyone wants to go off road, they'll buy a Wrangler, FJ, etc. That's not what your typically mini-ute is used for. The Grand Vitara is so rare, that spell check doesn't even recognize it

.


Suzuki is very common in the caribbean, where the terrain is far more severe than what we encounter here.

 

[01rangerxl]

There's a bunch of them around here too because of the proximity of the Suzuki / used car "superstore."

I know the SUVs in the comparison are far more refined, but they are also just bloated cars. They will sell well, but if I'm going to buy an SUV I want it to have a low range.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
Toyota, the veteran, caught pants down yet again.


Really?
This comparo was limited to 4-cylinder cars only. V6 RAV4 won the previous 2 C&D small SUV comparos thanks to being a pocket rocket.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2010-toyota-rav4-limited-4x4-page-9

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah but the v6 rav has always been a silly vehicle to me, and the 2.4L engines from toyota and honda are so good that I dont see a compelling reason to have a v6 in a vehicle that doesnt have the toughness or offroad capability of a real truck, nor the size of a bigger SUV.

I think you got it right, it might have scored well because its quick. Maybe this one had more even tables and was scord more holistically?

 

[friendly_jacek]

Re: V6 RAV4 being "silly".

The reason I got one was it can seat 7 and tow 3500 lbs. Yet it's small and fuel efficient (relatively speaking, gulps gas 3x faster in city driving compared to my prius).

 

[dwcopple]

where is the equinox/terrain? LOL

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
There's a bunch of them around here too because of the proximity of the Suzuki / used car "superstore."

I know the SUVs in the comparison are far more refined, but they are also just bloated cars. They will sell well, but if I'm going to buy an SUV I want it to have a low range.


For me, it depends on how I'm going to use it. If I bought one of these SUVs, it would 100% be the front drive version. It would be my daily driver. I have never had a problem in the snow with FWD and snow tires.

If I need to off road or do anything serious, I have my Cherokee with solid axles, 5000 pound towing capacity and 4LO.