Topic: Need Advise: 2008 Toyota RAV4, 2008 Honda CRV or 2009 Subaru Forester

[safristi]

 Car&Doofus Feb '08 edition compared 9 cute Utes(ALL 4 WHEEL DRIVES) in Michigans Upper Peninsula in the mud and rain...............

  Results 9th Jeep Liberty

             8th Hyundai Tucson

             7th Ford Escape (Mazda Tribute TWIN)

             6th  Saturn Vue AWD

             5th Suzuki Grand Vitara

             4th  Mitsubishi Outlander

             3rd Nissan Rogue !!!!! comments  Go get'em handling steering and acceleration,grim rear visibility nervous off road..a stunning example of extracting the MOST from the LEAST.


             2nd Honda CRV    comments  Amazing Fit!! & Finish..ODD LOOKING NOSE,could use a manual lock for rear axle..Dynamically a TKO,a tsunami of quality verve and value...

            1st (by 2 points..they said a TIE could be argued)
                 The Toyota Rav AWD 4 Cylinder...

               Spacious back seat,Toyota ergonomics and resale value.....Noisy @ WOT(wide open throttle) came with steel wheels....  Chassis ,drivetrain and body ALL speaking the same language....

  More fuel for the FIRE...........No SUBIES guess they are not "CUTE" enuf to be a CUV....

[DoubleClutch]

I was in the same situation as you about a year ago. I ended up with a Passat wagon. We now have the Passat and a 99 Altima. The Altima is a big PITA whenever I need to put our Graco stroller in the trunk. The Trunk opening is small and it always takes several minutes to get the stroller in. You should buy your car seat and stroller first then get your new car (or keep you old one if everything fits).

Another issue is the rear facing car seats are very big these days. Try to put the car seat behind the driver seat first and see if it fits. If it doesn't then try the middle and then the passenger side. It will most likely fit on the passenger side but you may have to move the front passenger seat forward. If you're the one most often driving then see if your wife is comfy with her seat moved forward. In most cars it's not a problem but Civics are fairly short and it may pose a problem. Again, get your car seat and stroller first then try it out in the civic and/or any new car you're considering.

BTW, I think the Rav4/CRV/Forests are poor choices because the cargo area is usually very short. And if you get a large stroller like the Graco that I have then whatever shopping you do will have to end up on top of the stroller. A longer trunk area is better. Try out the new Accord. It's trunk is long with a wide opening. I think it's a better choice than any of the ones your considering now.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Of the compact utes, I would go Hyundai Santa Fe, then Forester, then CR-V. I'm not a big RAV4 fan, except admitting the V6 is killer.

I'm a HUGE Mazda5 fan. Kia Rondos offer even more room. Tho the Mazda's price has gone up a bit both still offer great value.

And on the value front, Hyundai Sonata's cash purchase price is superb - better than even domestics like Malibu and Fusion. Sure, the Accord is fantastic and the Camry Hybrid very plush and economical, but Sonata's no slouch.

Passat Wagon would offer tonnes of cargo and is car-comfy. If you're just into basic reliable transportation then maybe not worthwhile.

You sound like the perfect candidate for Toyota's new Venza. It's essentially a taller Camry/Avalon 'crossover sedan'. Looking now and don't think it'll be on sale before fall though. May be out of your price range, but never know as they are offering a 4-cylinder in it too.

[Careener]

If looking at the Forester here is pricing from the US including automatic transmission.

19,293 $20,195 $19,293
Option Totals: $1,090 $1,200 $1,090
Destination Charge: $670 $670 $670
Total Vehicle Cost: $21,053 $22,065 $21,053
   * This is the price before any manufacturers incentives, sales tax and fees. Make sure you check out the Current Incentives on our website and subtract them from the Van Bortel price after sales tax. Remember, manufacturers incentives change on a daily basis.

   Standard Features
Symmetrical All Wheel Drive, 5 spd Transmission with Incline Start Assist
2.5L SOHC 4 cyl. 173 HP Engine, Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV)
VDC - Vehicle Dynamics Control
Electronic Control and Active Valve Lift System, Electronic Throttle Control
Four Wheel Disc Brakes with 4 Channel/4 Sensor ABS
EBD - Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brak Assist
4 Wheel Independent Heavy Duty Raised Suspension, Double Wishbone Rear Susp
Rack and Pinion Engine-Speed-Sensitive Variable Power Assist Steering
215/65 R16 Tires with Wheel Covers, Tire Pressure Monitor System
Dual Air Bags, Side Impact Door Beams and Impact Absorbing Steering Column
Front Seat Head/Chest Side Impact Air Bags (SRS), Side Curtain Airbags w/Rollover Sensor
Active Front Head Restraints, Collapsible Pedal System, LATCH System
Air Conditioning, Outside Temperature Gauge, Air Filtration System
Power Windows, Power Locks, Power Mirrors and Tilt Steering Wheel
Cruise Control, Variable Intermittent Wipers, Remote Keyless Entry w/ Security System
AM/FM 80 Watt 4 Speaker Stereo with Single CD, Auxilliary Input Jack
Driver's Seat Height Adjustment, Off Delay Dome Light
Info Center w/Digital Clock, Outside Temperature Gauge and Avg Fuel Economy
Multi Function Center Console with Dual Cup Holders and 12 Volt Outlet
60/40 Split Folding Rear Seat w/ Armrest
Rear Cargo Area: Tie Down Hooks, Light, 12 volt Outlet and Dual Cup Holders
Carpeted Floor Mats, Rear Wiper abd Washer
Daytime Running Lights, Headlights Auto-Off with Ignition Switch
3 Year/36,000 Mile Bumper to Bumper Warranty w/ Roadside Assistance
5 Year/60,000 Mile Powertrain Warranty

[Uncledan]

I went to subaru, mazda and toyota dealer.  Forester 2009 will be arrive to Ottawa area at the end of April and the sale person has no idea the new price but it will be cheaper than the current price (he confirmed it).

I have test drive mazda 5, well, for $21k car, it is pretty good for the value.  However, my wife does not like th back seat, she feels it is worse than our current car, Honda civic.  We both feel it is not the car we are looking for. 

I also test drive toyota Camry, the back seat is great!! As others said, the back seats are larger than RAV4 for at least 20%.   The driving experience is pretty good, since I had a 94 Camry before, it has a "Camry character".  However, the engine noise is louder than I am expected.

I will take a look at Accord sometime next week.  Well, seems like there are no much car I can choose for $35k in the market.  By the way, how do i get the best price for the new car with trade-in my 2006 Honda Civic LX (65k).  I am wondering how much does my Civic worth? The Mazda dealer gives me $11k credit for trade-in.

thx

[UmroAyyar]

The Camry would work fine for your needs, yes the 4-cyl engine noise is audible. Very comfortable and gives you almost every basic equipment you need from safety to aux-input for ipods or music players.

The new Accord is larger than the Camry, infact classified as a large car.

Financially, trading in your Civic doesn't get you ahead, its all about what you want now. Personally, I would spend some time with the Civic and the baby to see if its worthwhile, you are not missing any safety features in that car, its very nicely equipped. I did the same with the 2002 Corolla I had, it lacked the standard safety equipment and room.

[johngenx]

If you really want AWD, the Subaru is the clear winner thanks to its superior AWD system.  However, I suspect that the price drop that the Scoob dealers are touting will be about $1K, maybe.  It'll be better value than now, but still no category killer.

[airbalancer]

They have drop the price on the Hybrid Camry, to about $30gs
Trading in a two year old car, get the lube out
Like Umro writes, try to do with the Civic for a while, probably be cheaper to get a 5g minivan when you need to carrier a lot of people

[Thinking Out Loud]

I went to subaru, mazda and toyota dealer.  Forester 2009 will be arrive to Ottawa area at the end of April and the sale person has no idea the new price but it will be cheaper than the current price (he confirmed it).

I have test drive mazda 5, well, for $21k car, it is pretty good for the value.  However, my wife does not like th back seat, she feels it is worse than our current car, Honda civic.  We both feel it is not the car we are looking for. 

I'm surprised your wife felt the back seat was small on the 5 - was she talking the 3rd row or mid position.  Just that I find the headroom in mine HUGEIMONGIOUS and with the two captains chairs my 6 and 3 year old havent any fights on space.

Did you know that the mid-row slides for and aft, too?  Make a huge difference in legroom.

PS, we noted that the 5 was (in comparison to the Rondo in 2007) the only one that had teather straps in the third row.  The kids aren't normally back there, but when you are rearranging passengers for inserting odd shaped packages, you know you won't have to leave somebody behind...especially if other kids come along!

[MKII]

Spending $35,000 there are lots of choices.
Mazda6 wagon
Ford Taurus X (very under rated people carrier)
Ford Edge
Mazda CX-7
Ford Escape Hybrid
Saturn Vue
Subaru Outback

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Yes, you indeed are who Toyota will be targetting with Venza.

[Uncledan]

Venza looks very interesting to me.  Do you have any idea when does it release?

[Ice]

Venza looks very interesting to me.  Do you have any idea when does it release?

Was talking to a Toyota rep at the Toronto Auto Show back in Feb about that.  In the US the V6 model will release in September/Octoberish of this year.  In Canada both I4 and V6 models are due in January 09.

V6 apparently will have a towing package and 20in tires while the I4 has no towing and has 19in tires.  Probably some other trim differences.  Looks like its going to be very nicely equipped.

[drumix]

thanks for the post..very useful

[Trainman]

thanks for the post..very useful

As the info is now 2 years old, I am not sure how useful it is now?

And to the OP's question, I would get the 2009 Forester.  Oh right, I did