Ask the Car People.SM


2007 Rondo vs 2007 CR-V

25 messages,  Last post on Nov 19, 2010 at 10:00 AM

You are in the Kia Rondo Forum.

What is this discussion about? Kia Rondo, Honda CR-V, Car Buying, Wagon

Messages Page 3 of 3

#16 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [bgw] by gimmestdtranny

Nov 11, 2010 (9:21 am)

Replying to: bgw (Nov 09, 2010 3:00 pm)
I quite enjoyed your review and account of your Rondo also
 
I live on hill that whenever we have a mild spell in the winter or get home after a 10 or 12" snow-fall thru the day, truly is a 4 WD hill. But I do wish I could enjoy the economy of a car that is only 2 WD. At least modern day AWD systems don't penalize the fuel mileage too much. My AWD CRV gets just a bit less than the FWD models and that seems to hold true with many models where AWD is an option.
 
I am a bit disappointed the Rondo doesn't come in AWD. It might in Cda though. The CRV is quite a good car in so many ways, but I long to have a change. Seat comfort (I'm a bit too big for the CRV seat and leg space) is high on my priority list when I decide to change. I find many new cars don't have a long enough seat flat portion to support under your legs behind your knees. It is fine for most women or small statured men.

#17 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [gimmestdtranny] by bgw

Nov 11, 2010 (3:42 pm)

Replying to: gimmestdtranny (Nov 11, 2010 9:21 am)
Gimmestdtranny,
I'm in Canada (the very far East of Canada, actually). All Rondos in Canada too are FWD. As for seat comfort, the leather front seats are a bit firm when you first sit down, but soften a little after a couple minutes. They are quite supportive and are good for long highway drives, which I do often. Our EX Luxury has an 8-way power driver's seat, which adjusts to suit me perfectly (5' 11", 230 lbs). Though I find the bottom cushion to be a bit short, the seat is so supportive overall that the shortness is not an issue. Middle row seat space is amazing, with huge legroom (the seats slide fore-aft about 10-12 inches or so. Headroom in both rows is great, even with our sunroof, which is nice if you need to wear a winter cap! The 3rd row is tight, but it is designed for occasional kid use. We find it handy for the kids when we have adults in the middle row.
I also wish the Rondo came with AWD, and a stickshift too. Our Legacy was AWD, and could tackle any snowfall. The Rondo has traction control, stability control, electronic brake proportioning and all sort of other electronic aids, which do help the FWD. I find that the traction control cuts in too easily if moving away in a slippery intersection (ie. from a stop), and power is cut (to stop the spinning wheel). However, momentarily easing off the throttle will reset the traction control and power is restored right away. Just a little trick to driving a FWD car in the snow!

#18 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [bgw] by gimmestdtranny

Nov 17, 2010 (10:19 am)

Replying to: bgw (Nov 11, 2010 3:42 pm)
I was looking back over some old fuel mileage books ( i keep them every year, as it is a great source of info for seeing eng and tranny choices etc among all the vehicles if looking for a used car later. You can really track the mileage improvements the mfr make over the years and even when some engines are not as efficient as others even if they are larger. I recall that 2.7 being in the first Santa Fe and it was quite a thirsty engine. In 07 it is a bit better and in your Rondo better still. I would still like to see that new 2.4 DGI engine they use in the new Sonata, in the Rondo, with 5 or 6 sp manual. It'll never happen tho I don't think. The new Rondo (if they bring it back) will likely get that engine but in auto only.
 
Your mpg isn't too bad considering the weight of your car and average family loads.
 
I would love to have the leather seats as they are usually (almost always) a better seat in support and comfort. But they also are usually part of a sunroof pkg which I will be happy if I never own another sunroof again. My experiences have been terrible anytime I have ever had one. They're hot, they leaked, they malfunctioned and they even raise your insurance premium. But lately you see them ebven on the many of the lower mid-line trim cars. I'm losing the battle I guess, haha

#19 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [gimmestdtranny] by bgw

Nov 17, 2010 (5:47 pm)

Replying to: gimmestdtranny (Nov 17, 2010 10:19 am)
Gimmestdtranny,
I can live without a sunroof too. They usually take up too much headroom, though there is still plenty in a Rondo. No troubles yet with leaking, but I have to say that we use the sunroof very little (too darn noisy for me) and so I guess the seal is still working properly. If it were a separate option, I would never buy it.
As for my mileage, I calculate it myself and don't rely on the trip computer, which is optimistic (aren't they all?). As I said earlier, my typical highway mpg is 33 per Canadian gallon, averaged over dozens of trips in any season (my usual highway trip with the family aboard is 235 km one way, over varying terrain). In other words, real-world mpg, not the silly testing done by the manufacturers or the EPA (ie. all accessories turned off, steady-state cruise at 100 km/h or so, etc). I do try to keep a steady speed, usually 115 km/h and use cruise when I can. That said, I don't mind passing slower cars and don't lag behind slowpokes, ever.
Interestingly, our prior car (a 1998 Legacy wagon AWD) averaged 32 mpg for the same trip, many dozens of times (over 9 years, actually). It was a 5 speed 2.2 litre 4 cyl with 137 hp. The Rondo has a 2.7 litre V6, 182 hp, and a 5 speed auto, yet it averages 1 mpg more....
A win-win situation, for sure.

#20 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [gimmestdtranny] by bgw

Nov 17, 2010 (5:48 pm)

Replying to: gimmestdtranny (Nov 17, 2010 10:19 am)
Gimmestdtranny,
I can live without a sunroof too. They usually take up too much headroom, though there is still plenty in a Rondo. No troubles yet with leaking, but I have to say that we use the sunroof very little (too darn noisy for me) and so I guess the seal is still working properly. If it were a separate option, I would never buy it.
As for my mileage, I calculate it myself and don't rely on the trip computer, which is optimistic (aren't they all?). As I said earlier, my typical highway mpg is 33 per Canadian gallon, averaged over dozens of trips in any season (my usual highway trip with the family aboard is 235 km one way, over varying terrain). In other words, real-world mpg, not the silly testing done by the manufacturers or the EPA (ie. all accessories turned off, steady-state cruise at 100 km/h or so, etc). I do try to keep a steady speed, usually 115 km/h and use cruise when I can. That said, I don't mind passing slower cars and don't lag behind slowpokes, ever.
Interestingly, our prior car (a 1998 Legacy wagon AWD) averaged 32 mpg for the same trip, many dozens of times (over 9 years, actually). It was a 5 speed 2.2 litre 4 cyl with 137 hp. The Rondo has a 2.7 litre V6, 182 hp, and a 5 speed auto, yet it averages 1 mpg more....
A win-win situation, for sure.

#21 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [gimmestdtranny] by bgw

Nov 17, 2010 (5:48 pm)

Replying to: gimmestdtranny (Nov 17, 2010 10:19 am)
Gimmestdtranny,
I can live without a sunroof too. They usually take up too much headroom, though there is still plenty in a Rondo. No troubles yet with leaking, but I have to say that we use the sunroof very little (too darn noisy for me) and so I guess the seal is still working properly. If it were a separate option, I would never buy it.
As for my mileage, I calculate it myself and don't rely on the trip computer, which is optimistic (aren't they all?). As I said earlier, my typical highway mpg is 33 per Canadian gallon, averaged over dozens of trips in any season (my usual highway trip with the family aboard is 235 km one way, over varying terrain). In other words, real-world mpg, not the silly testing done by the manufacturers or the EPA (ie. all accessories turned off, steady-state cruise at 100 km/h or so, etc). I do try to keep a steady speed, usually 115 km/h and use cruise when I can. That said, I don't mind passing slower cars and don't lag behind slowpokes, ever.
Interestingly, our prior car (a 1998 Legacy wagon AWD) averaged 32 mpg for the same trip, many dozens of times (over 9 years, actually). It was a 5 speed 2.2 litre 4 cyl with 137 hp. The Rondo has a 2.7 litre V6, 182 hp, and a 5 speed auto, yet it averages 1 mpg more....
A win-win situation, for sure.

#22 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [bgw] by bgw

Nov 17, 2010 (7:36 pm)

Replying to: bgw (Nov 17, 2010 5:48 pm)
Why in the world did my post appear 3 times?

#23 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [bgw] by gimmestdtranny

Nov 18, 2010 (10:06 am)

Replying to: bgw (Nov 17, 2010 7:36 pm)
Not sure, but others are saying the same. They think it is if it is slow to post, and you hit it more than once?
 
Boxer engines were never known to be mileage champs. They have nice torque tho and i guess there is rarely a free ride.
 
Also, in 9 years the technology keeps allowing more efficiency so that will be another reason the Rondo is doing better. And another, is that they seem to put lower final drive ratios (higher revs at same speed) in std trannys than they do in autos. The consensus among some is that they do this to fend off wty claims by dead foot drivers lugging the engine rather than downshifting. And of course the auto does it automatically.
 
How many miles on the Legacy? Any troubles with it beyond wear and tear?

#24 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [gimmestdtranny] by bgw

Nov 18, 2010 (6:29 pm)

Replying to: gimmestdtranny (Nov 18, 2010 10:06 am)
The Legacy had 179,000 kms when we traded it on the Rondo in Aug 07. A very reliable car, rarely at the dealer. At about 1yr old it needed a front coil/shock, at about 2 yrs old it needed both rear wheel bearings. Other than that, just the usual maintenance items.
However, at 179,000, one of the cylinder banks began to seep oil, ever so slowly, so we knew that work was ahead. So we began to shop around.
Our short list included a Caravan reg wheelbase, a Mazda 5, and a Rondo. The Caravan was, by far, the least expensive, but it was also the most basic and really just a bit too big for our needs. The M5 was fun, especially with a stick, but it was not rated to tow at all, according to the owner's manual. Since we wanted to pull a small trailer, the M5 was out. So it was down to the cheap Caravan and the more expensive Rondo. In the end, the Rondo won due to it's fabulous safety features and intensive content (leather, 3 rows, climate control, etc, etc), its smooth V6/ride/handling combo, and also Rondos were 0% financing at the time! Out the door, the Rondo was thousands more than the basic Caravan, but cheaper than a Grand Caravan SXT (which was just way too big for us). To this day, we do not regret having chosen the Rondo.

#25 of 25 Re: so what did you buy? [bgw] by gimmestdtranny

Nov 19, 2010 (10:00 am)

Replying to: bgw (Nov 18, 2010 6:29 pm)
I was going to ask you about cyl head leakage but didn't because I thought you still had the car and didn't want to worry you. I had considered a Subaru about 10 years ago, but found out they have certain issues, and some things just cost more than other things, like exhaust etc.
 
Ironically I too have contemplated the Caravan, off and on, mainly because I like the room etc, but I have never pulled the trigger due to questionable build quality. That, and they haven't had an AWD model since around 98 or so? And the AWD were quite thirsty back then.
 
It's moot now cuz you have the Rondo, but often a mfgr will put that clause that Mazda did to save themselves potential wty. Sometimes it is actually due to the rear design of the car and mting a hitch can be complicated, but most cars will tow 1000 lb without any issues at all. Especially if when you do tow, you don't have all the family aboard at same time, so those trips to the dump or lumber store are still very doable. I got turned off from Mazda when I started to see the number of relatively new cars rusting badly. I have a friend with a Protege 5 wgn, about an 03 and it was rusting terribly even in 2007. In 2008 there were holes going thru the fender lips. I also saw an 06 Mazda 3 last summer and asked her what yr her car was. It too was rusting and this was years after customers with 02's and 03's had complained to them about rust. There is no excuse in this day and age and use of hot galvanizing, to produce a car that is that prone to corrosion.

Messages Page 3 of 3

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement