Actually, let's start over....

[vegasidol]

[quote=""ChargerX3""]Why are all of these brand new? I thought you wanted your payments to be lower.[/quote]

And not be upside down in a car payment?

[DCIV]

I thought the Mazda was the samish as the Ford?


Coop

[Duck Vader]

[quote=""ChargerX3""]Why are all of these brand new? I thought you wanted your payments to be lower.[/quote]

Because I can get great deals on the 2018 right now and some good ones on the 2019 as well. Close to $10k off msrp on some of them. Payments would be close to what I pay now on the Volt (within $50 at most more).

[quote=""vegasidol""]And not be upside down in a car payment?[/quote]

That is still a concern. Depending on what deals I can get will determine what I would do. This is just a list of things I want to go test drive and take a look at. The older equinox and older VW is a no for me. Subaru I might be able to look at older stuff? I just know I fit well in the new forester. Same with Toyota and Mazda - might look at older stuff.

[quote=""DCIV""]I thought the Mazda was the samish as the Ford?


Coop[/quote]

? I know next to nothing about this segment.

This is just my list I want to go take a look at this weekend.

[ChargerX3]

Man, I feel like this thread is all over the board. Just when we start to narrow down on a direction, it gets shaken back up again.

[aaronatstate]

[quote=""DCIV""]I thought the Mazda was the samish as the Ford?


Coop[/quote]

The original CX9 was built on the Ford CD3 platform (Fusion/Edge). The new CX9 and CX5 are Mazda specific. So the only thing they have in common with Ford is they are both crossover SUVs that are Front Engine and FWD/AWD.

[alienviking]

[quote=""ChargerX3""]Man, I feel like this thread is all over the board. Just when we start to narrow down on a direction, it gets shaken back up again.[/quote]

It is circular. Wait another week or so and you'll see

[ChargerX3]

[quote=""alienviking""]It is circular. Wait another week or so and you'll see [/quote]

Yea, I clearly dont work well with moving targets. Can you tell? Lol

[DCIV]

[quote=""aaronatstate""]The original CX9 was built on the Ford CD3 platform (Fusion/Edge). The new CX9 and CX5 are Mazda specific. So the only thing they have in common with Ford is they are both crossover SUVs that are Front Engine and FWD/AWD.[/quote]

Gotcha.


Coop

[Duck Vader]

Thinking if I have time, might try and go to one carmax Friday night, and the other Saturday. Neither one has all the ones I want to see though. But will help narrow down the list. Neither has a CX-5 or CX-9 for me to look at. I know I sat in a Mazda a couple years ago and was not comfortable, but I don't remember what one it was.

From my list above this is my updated one of ones I want to at least go sit in/test drive, and my thoughts about them. Once I sit in them it will probably narrow the list dramatically more and knowing me none of them will work and I will need to start looking at mid to full size SUVs that greatly sacrifice MPG.



2019+ Forester - maybe outback? Older ones too? - Seem to be more expensive for what you get and not as reliable as others in the segment. AWD is also not all it is said to be.

Kia Sorrento - not great mpg - Sportage might be better but ugh, the looks. Poor thing has too many chromosomes.

2018+ Chevy Equinox / GMC Terrain - performance and looks are good, probably my 2nd favorite, good reliability it seems as well, on paper sits at #1 or #2 overall.

Toyota RAV4 / Highlander - reliability is best, but that is about it.

2018+ VW Tiguan - has decent reliability lately and performance seems just ok, but for the money, you can get something nicer

Mazda CX-5 / CX-9 - best looks and nicest interiors, but lacking power and ability to adjust for different terrains. Great handling reviews though. 2017+ ones sit about 1" lower than previous years, but offer better handling.


Others worth at least sitting in/looking at.


Older equinox - but wife hated them.

Buick Encore - but god damn ugly as sin - almost embarrassingly ugly, like wouldn't want to be seen driving it ugly

VW Touareg - reliability concerns and cost of maintenance

Hyundai Santa Fe / Tuscon - not a fan of high and dies in general, but seem to get good reviews and are reliable

Acura MDX / RDX - reliable but basically a honda which I know I don't fit in any, might be different for an Acura though?

[alienviking]

Just get one of these and be done with it:
https://www.automobilemag.com/news/clas ... 3B5D755BEF

[happygeek]

I can't imagine that 'car people' would like the Mazda CX-9. We got one based on cost of replacement tires, cost of maintenance, insurance, 3rd row, the fact that one was for sale used and below KBB, etc. However I prefer driving a 2003 GMC Envoy or the 99 VW Jetta I recently sold dirt cheap to a co-worker. Both of the older vehicles had far better visibility. I have no idea what the Mazda designers were thinking. They took a station wagon, lifted it slightly, called it a "cross over", and made the body of the thing in a manner that ruined visibility.

In the Envoy or that Jetta I could give the side mirror a quick look, glance back over my shoulder at my blind spot, and change lanes. Easy. Looking back over my shoulder in that Mazda gives me a nice view of the door jam

[Chris GTO TT]

Who says the Subaru AWD isn't all it is supposed to be? It's still a far better AWD system than the average transverse engine setup. I had an AWD Nissan Murano as a rental when the Explorer was totaled and got it stuck in a driveway on a clear dry day because it lifted the right rear tire. Never had that problem with the Outback.

[Duck Vader]

Various reviews I have seen online. It is a good system, but compared to a lot of new modern ones by other companies it is not all that much better that is claims itself to be.

[Duck Vader]

Based on my research, if I had to put them in order that I am interested in (top being most), it would probably be:

2018+ Equinox with AWD and 2.0
2019 Forester, but need to look at older ones too.
2016 CX-5, don't see enough of a difference to go with newer other than andriod auto. Not sure worth the extra $ for it.
2018+ Tiguan, just nervous about reliability, but apparently it is pretty good and does come with best factory bumper to bumper warranty.
Sorrento/Sportage simply because the Soul has bee very good to us so far and should be crazy reliable.
RAV4 only because reliability. Don't like much else about it.

[ChargerX3]

Equinox? Not anywhere on my top list. lol.

[Chris GTO TT]

The biggest thing Subaru has is their drive train layout is a fairly good advantage. Longitudinal flat engine allows them to put the engine lower and further back than the typical layout. While they aren't the best handling vehicles out there I feel they offer a lot more confidence on back roads than other CUVs I've driven. They have their short comings in power, some of their interior design and materials, and their infotainment software isn't great at all. Yet here we still have owned 3 of them and are seriously considering a 2020 Outback XT to replace our 2016

[Duck Vader]

[quote=""ChargerX3""]Equinox? Not anywhere on my top list. lol.[/quote]

The newly redesigned one is apparently pretty good and so far, Chevy is the one manufacturer I have owned that I was comfortable in every one and was the most reliable. Even more reliable than my Toyotas. That is the main reason they are on the top.

[quote=""Chris GTO TT""]The biggest thing Subaru has is their drive train layout is a fairly good advantage. Longitudinal flat engine allows them to put the engine lower and further back than the typical layout. While they aren't the best handling vehicles out there I feel they offer a lot more confidence on back roads than other CUVs I've driven. They have their short comings in power, some of their interior design and materials, and their infotainment software isn't great at all. Yet here we still have owned 3 of them and are seriously considering a 2020 Outback XT to replace our 2016 [/quote]

Biggest concern seems to be reliability. Compared to the others I am interested in they don't seem to score as well. :d ontknow:

Wish they still offered the Forester Turbo. Would it be worth looking at a used turbo if super low miles on it?

[DCIV]

There are ton of YouTube videos and I would take a subi was system over almost anything. There was one with rollers up a slope. Only the subi could make it up it.


Coop

[mjannusch]

My dad has had 3 Equinoxes, and just bought a new one with AWD. I haven't driven it, but riding in it felt comfortable, pretty roomy. Seems nice enough.

[Duck Vader]

Another major plus for the Equinox is the hp and tq of the 2.0T. Close to 250 for both. Way above the competition. That is important when hauling my fat ass around, especially for passing and stuff like that.