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Mazda CX-7 v Toyota RAV4 v Honda CR-V

47 messages,  Last post on Oct 06, 2009 at 8:23 AM

You are in the Mazda CX-7 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mazda CX-7, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Car Comparisons, Car Buying, SUV

Messages Page 3 of 5

#18 of 47 Not even in the same league by jesster

Aug 09, 2006 (12:40 am)

The RAV and CX were my two top picks on paper with a few other straggerlers. Just sitting in the RAV almost nocked it off the list and the drive didn't help its cause. Couldn't get the seat/steering anything approaching comfortable and the overall fit an finish seemed a little cheap and clunky.
As soon as I sat in the CX, I knew my search was over. Had my electric blue GT AWD for a week and a half and put over 1000 miles on it. I am a person who believes driving should be fun and this car delivers! The turbo has such great kick and I am amazed at the versatility of the six speed tranny. This car has done everything I have asked of it and not even broken a sweat. Inside is spacious, comfortable and well positioned. Feels like European Luxary at a distinctly none Euro price.

#20 of 47 Toyota Rav4 V6, Mazda CX-7, Honda CR-V comparison by dash5

Nov 25, 2007 (8:28 am)

Replying to: jesster (Aug 09, 2006 12:40 am)
I'm torn between the Rav, a CR-V and a Mazda CX-7. Anyone else go through this exercise? Anyway here's how I see it, hopefully it's a help to someone out there and people can add to it:
 
Toyota Rav4 V6 Limited:
 
My impressions after test drive:
 
Pro: Good look to it, more of a rugged look than the Mazda. Pretty good interior if you get the leather and Limited version. Great performance. The V6 really has some oomph to it for this class of vehicle and it's smooth and refined. Good handling to it as well as solid braking. I like the one touch rear seat folding, nice utility inside in general. Bluetooth, heated seats, power seats etc are all available.
 
Cons: It's a bit noisy in the cabin, you dont get the smooth feel that you find in the larger SUV/CUVs. I find the noise level to be closer to the Infiniti G35 we own as opposed to a Mazda CX-9 or Volvo XC-90 which we test drove. Understanding that the bigger CUV will be more apt to be quiet and smooth, still this vehicle isnt the smoothest in the smaller class but it's certainly not harsh. That said, performance is closer to the G-35 as well so it's a trade off. Dont love the hinge rear door but it's not that bad to deal with for me. Interior is not great even with all the upgrades, could definitely be improved.
 
What the experts say:
 
Edmunds: Editors give it an 8.0 rating for 2008. They rate it a "top pick for a small SUV" and laud it's V6 engine and 3rd row seat availability. They dont like the "budget" interior and note the driver seat may be a problem for tall drivers.
 
Consumer Reports: They love this SUV. It got an 83 rating for the V6, which is the highest in the class by far. Recommended status. 80% in owner satisfaction and excellent in reliability. Going solely by CR, this SUV the clear top pick of the three based on score.
 
Mazda CX-7:
 
My impressions after test drive:
 
Pro: Sexy look, nice interior. Good performance i.e. acceleration, braking, handling. Drives like a car which is good. Coming from an Infiniti G-35 it's not as drastic a performance and feel difference as I'd expected, I dont feel like I'm driving a huge ungainly vehicle. I like the one touch rear seat folding mechanism. Ample space. I like that it has DVD Nav available. Cool features like Bluetooth and smartkey available.
 
Cons: Kind of noisy in cabin, a bit too much of a sports car ride. Driving the CX-9 compared to this is a much smoother, quiet ride, which we preferred so it makes you notice the noise more in the 7. Again I realize the larger CUV will be smoother in general, but it's a consideration.
 
What the experts say:
 
Edmunds: Ranks this car as Honorable Mention for 2007 SUV under 35k They note it is fun to drive and sporty. Call it "sylish" say it is "eye-catching" and "solid built quality" Editor rating is 7.9 overall and they call the ride "on the firm side" but not "overly harsh", wind and road noise they term average. On the down side they note the mediocre fuel mileage and premium fuel requirement. The premium is now only "recommended" according to the dealer for 2008 models.
 
Consumer Reports: They give it a score of 62. Feel it is "much worse than average" in terms of reliability, and show it in the low to mid 50's in terms of owner satisfaction percentage. So CR is not particularly fond of this vehicle although they do say its handling is 'agile and secure', the midrange power is 'ample' and interior is 'well put together'.
 
Honda CR-V
 
My impressions after seeing one. No test drive yet:
 
Pro: The CR-V had the "nicest" interior. While I'd say the CX-7 is the coolest of the 3 and most sporty looking inside, the CR-V is the most "luxurious" of the 3. Which is not to say it's a luxury car, but it's nice inside. I like the rear door that swings up instead of out. Has all the amenities like DVD NAV, bluetooth, heated seats, power everything etc.
 
Con: Styling looks closer to a mini-van than any of the others to my eye, but if you really trick it out it's pretty nice looking. Dont like how the rear seats fold up, Honda should take a queue from Mazda or Toyota on this.
 
Edmunds: Loves the CR-V, calling it "A winner" and an "extremely well-rounded runabout that should be high on your test-drive list". Editor rating in 2007 was a 9.0 which is high by virtue of Comfort, Function and Design/Build Quality and only average in terms of Dynamics. This matches my impression as well.
 
Consumer Reports: They rate it a 74 and rank it "near the top of the small-SUV category". CR echos Edmunds in the nice interior, smooth ride commentary. They give it much better than average reliability and it scored 76% in owner satisfaction.
 
Conclusions so far:
 
Mazda CX-7 is the sports car of the 3, sexy and stylish. Fun to drive and nice to look at. It has a nice interior and good amenities with plenty of power and good cargo room. On the down side it needs premium gas to get the most zoom-zoom, consumer reports rates it very low comparatively and shows poor reliability predictions. Not to mention MPG is the worst of the 3. Sacrificing practicality for performance. Right now CR reports are making me skittish of choosing this one.
 
Honda CR-V is the small family SUV. It's nice inside, should be a smooth ride, has plenty of space and things like cup holders and storage bins. It's not a mini-van but it's not a sport vehicle either. Both Edmunds and Consumer Reports rate it at the top of the pack and it's the best selling small SUV in the US. Resale will undoubtedly be high. On the down side it's sort of "meh" looking to me unless fully blown out, and even then I like the Rav or CX-7 styling better. Again, dont like the rear seat folding mechanism much, but not a biggie.
 
Toyota Rav4 V6 seems to be the

#21 of 47 Procedure for getting a new car by jchuah83

Jul 30, 2008 (11:37 pm)

Hi,
 
I'm currently thinking between the 3 cars listed in this thread. As this is my first new car, I am not too sure how to go about the process.
 
Do I test drive the car, decide which one to get, then get quotes online? Or should I get the quotes online first then go down to do a test drive and then decide which to buy?
 
Do you usually get the online quotes through sites like Edmunds.com, CarsDirect.com or through Honda.com or through the dealers themselves? Will it matter much?
 
Thanks in advance! =)

#22 of 47 Re: Modificatoins [istadclark] by wwest

Jul 31, 2008 (9:05 am)

Replying to: istadclark (Apr 16, 2006 9:00 am)
Yes, absolutely...
 
Just "wire" the wastegate fully open, and then mill the heads to get a compression ratio on the order of the 12:1 range appropreate to DFI, Direct Fuel Injection.
 
You will likely see an FE improvement for hwy use in the range of 30-50%

#23 of 47 Re: Toyota Rav4 V6, Mazda CX-7, Honda CR-V comparison [dash5] by ppdalal

Dec 20, 2008 (5:28 pm)

Replying to: dash5 (Nov 25, 2007 8:28 am)
Hi Jesster.
Thank you so much for the informative post.
I am considering the CRV bit i just feel it has too much of a minivan feel too it and also I am not too happy with the steering..i think its a little big for my taste.
But the Rav 4 is a slightly above the budget with all the bells and whistles.
I will go with the CRv:-)
Thank you once again.

#24 of 47 Re: Toyota Rav4 V6, Mazda CX-7, Honda CR-V comparison [ppdalal] by fonefixer

Dec 22, 2008 (11:30 am)

Replying to: ppdalal (Dec 20, 2008 5:28 pm)
Bought '07 Cx-7 in October---2006....currently 37000 miles. No real problems since new, averaging about 20 mpg in town. Not unhappy with vehicle, would buy again. Does use premium fuel, could have less plastic in the interior.

#25 of 47 Re: Toyota Rav4 V6, Mazda CX-7, Honda CR-V comparison [fonefixer] by aviboy97

Dec 23, 2008 (8:25 am)

Replying to: fonefixer (Dec 22, 2008 11:30 am)
For 2010 we will see some changes for the CX-7. There will be 2 engine choices. The exact specs are not known, however, it is presumed that one will be the 2.5L and the 2.3L DISI Turbo might become a 2.5L DISI Turbo. I would expect some interior enhancements as well. Hopefully better quality plastic more on par with the Forester or CR-V.

#26 of 47 Re: Toyota Rav4 V6, Mazda CX-7, Honda CR-V comparison [dash5] by dmele426

Jan 08, 2009 (12:47 am)

Replying to: dash5 (Nov 25, 2007 8:28 am)
I own a 2007 CRV LX-AWD/ great car. Extremely reliable however boring to drive. I dare to say that the CRV is a Chick car and not a manly ride. The engine on the CRV is great on gas, I drive long island to nyc and I get about 21.5 on highway/ 19 on city driving. Inside the CRV, is great if you need room for a baby seat and groceries. The CRV engine hardly has any humf, afterall it is only 165HP.
 
I also own a 2008 CX-7 GT-AWD / awesome engine response, great braking system (better than Honda) This car aims to be a BMW from the inside and a wanna be Lexus rx330 from the outisde. Yes it is a bit noisey and perhaps not ergonomically well put as the CRV, trust me it is for sure a fun car to drive.
I drive a lot so highway I get about 19 MPG/ 15 MPG for city driving.
What can I say it is a hungry engine, love the turbo when it kicks in specially at highway speeeds.
 
Overall both cars are great on snow /rain, space and ergonomics thumbs up for HONDA
Engine, brake system and awesome sports looks thunbs up for MAZDA

#27 of 47 Re: Toyota Rav4 V6, Mazda CX-7, Honda CR-V comparison [dmele426] by blueiedgod

Jan 08, 2009 (10:37 am)

Replying to: dmele426 (Jan 08, 2009 12:47 am)
Looks like both cars are chick cars: Niether has a clutch!

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