Article Comments - 2007- '08 Compact Crossovers Comparison Test

47 messages, Last post on Oct 09, 2007 at 5:06 AM

You are in the SUVs Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester

What is this discussion about? Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Car Comparisons, SUV

2007-'08 Compact Crossovers Comparison Test - These small crossovers are evolving into niches just as distinct as you'll find in the car market. There are practical ones, sporting ones, tough ones and comfortable ones. We've brought together the 2007 Honda CR-V, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2008 Nissan Rogue and 2007 Toyota RAV4. All share a gestalt of efficiency and social responsibility, yet each has a unique set of qualities and options. (more)

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#14 of 47 Re: Where Are The Americans? [jackdev73] by tidester HOST Sep 12, 2007 (7:32 pm)
Replying to: jackdev73 (Sep 12, 2007 1:25 pm) It's interesting how the new Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner or Saturn Vue were not included in this comparison. Read about them here: Article Comments: 2008 Ford Escape Limited AWD Full Test Article Comments - 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid Full Test Article Comments - Full Test: 2008 Saturn Vue XR Could it be because one of them might just have made number one? That's silly. It was a ranking of a set of four vehicles out of collection of four vehicles. Nothing more, nothing less. tidester, host SUVs and Smart Shopper Replies to this message: rf600r (Sep 13, 2007 2:56 pm) tidester (Sep 13, 2007 3:27 pm) rf600r (Sep 13, 2007 4:42 pm)
#15 of 47 Choices Choices... by mirde98 Sep 12, 2007 (9:20 pm)
Of course the comparasion should include more vehicles, then again Toyota and Honda coulda won the comparo as always been for years and years, im never surprised in comparison tests. Its always a Honda or Toyota. No matter how bland and boring the are. Anyway, thats why theres choices for different tastes. I personally prefer the Mitsubishi Outlander. Its very sporty and fun. The Rockford Fosgate stereo is a blast. Rear gate is cool. And the exterior style is masculine and sharp. But then again thats my humble opinion. All the suv's tested are very good and they appeal to different tastes. So theres alot of choices out there in the market. Replies to this message: steve_ (Sep 12, 2007 9:56 pm)
#16 of 47 Re: Choices Choices... [mirde98] by steve_ HOST Sep 12, 2007 (9:56 pm)
Replying to: mirde98 (Sep 12, 2007 9:20 pm) The CX-7 won the small SUV comparison last year. Comparison Test: Small All-Wheel-Drive SUVs A few years before that, the Escape won the 2001 Mini SUV Comparison Test Like you say, lots of choices.
#17 of 47 WHINERS by toyota4life Sep 13, 2007 (5:05 am)
Man ,What a bounch of whiners,If toyota had lost you would here ,see toyota aint all that now the rav4 won, See edmunds is bias,look at all the other comparo toyota didnot win ,Toyota boring? for as long as i have been driving every body i see stop at a light wait until it turns green ,Drive to the next,if it is red,stop wait till it turns green ,or not,I have never seen a mazda driver smiling or busting out laughing because it is fun to drive,As all the toyota haters claim,I have never seen a nun toyota driver gets out of their car hopping and skipping ,They all do what the toyota driver does gets out close the door and walk away,is this some kind of inner joy you get? And you are not permited to show imotion?i have drove allmost every make but owne a 4runner,please tell me that there is a suv that will make me hop skip and jump ,And is better than my 4runner.
#18 of 47 Re: Article Comments - 2007--"08 Compact Crossovers Comparison Test [blufz1 by colloquor Sep 13, 2007 (6:12 am)
Replying to: blufz1 (Sep 10, 2007 7:17 pm) I would strong consider the Toyota RAV4 - as soon as they get rid of the spare on the rear-end - not until. This really dates the visual design, and also negates it as a "crossover." Replies to this message: blufz1 (Sep 13, 2007 8:34 am) actualsize (Sep 13, 2007 3:43 pm) chelentano (Sep 13, 2007 6:20 pm)
#19 of 47 Re: Article Comments - 2007--"08 Compact Crossovers Comparison Test [blufz1 [colloquor] by blufz1 Sep 13, 2007 (8:34 am)
Replying to: colloquor (Sep 13, 2007 6:12 am) Right! If toy would get rid of the impractical swinging gate w/ a 40 lb spare on it rear door. Also, those stupid mpg robbing,wind noise inducing, roof racks the dealers install on every unit. Then I would consider a RAV. I ain't buyin' old tech/low tech. Replies to this message: actualsize (Sep 13, 2007 3:43 pm) chelentano (Sep 13, 2007 6:20 pm)
#20 of 47 who cares... by klas Sep 13, 2007 (8:57 am)
Despite reading some negative reviews about Outlander I still bought one, and this particular unfair and incorrect review doesn't change anything either. It's good for us who bought one because that might mean that we'll less of them on the road, while RAV4 owners will stare at their ugly butt in every intersection. You pay a lot more for RAV4 and get a lot less, so what makes them so popular, ah yes, solid Toyota brand and of course Toyota takes advantage of that by building less equipped cars (in comparison to others) and asking a premium for them.
#21 of 47 Nice comparison by porschecarrera Sep 13, 2007 (2:06 pm)
"By our count, there are already 17 compact vehicles in the class of crossover vehicles" It's obvious that it's logistically impossible to compare all 17 vehicles, so you might have titled this article "Comparison Test: 4 Compact Crossovers from Japan" to appease all the haters. I did the same comparison about 7 months ago, looking also at the Saturn Vue, Ford Edge and Mazda 6, and came to the same conclustion. I bought a RAV4. Thanks for validating my shopping impressions.
#22 of 47 Good Observations/Comments, Disagree with Rankings by donnaaries Sep 13, 2007 (2:38 pm)
I think Edmunds was right on with the commentary in this review, but I disagree with the rankings (even basing them just on the observations on the vehicles in this article). For a $30k vehicle, I agree that the RAV-4 obviously came out on top for this comparison. However, 2-4 should have been Outlander, Rogue, & CRV. Here's the thing, people buy CUVs for convenience. It's not a sports car, it's not an off roading monster, it's suppose to be a vehicle that delivers a little of both these worlds while maintening fair fuel economy at an affordable price. If gas was free, we'd all be out there buying massive SUV's and. If passenger and cargo space were not concerns, we'd be buying Corvettes and such. The fact that the Honda CRV cannot even pass the tiny dirt ability test in this comparison puts it at the bottom of this list. Why buy the CUV? Why not just buy a large sedan? A little bit (even just a tiny bit) of off roading capability draws the buyer to the versatility of a CUV. I'm not going mudding off of a steep mountain but it'd be nice to take this thing on a ski trip. Lack of cargo room, in my opinion, is another huge no no for a CUV. Again, if it wasn't for the cargo room, why not buy a nice sedan? Why buy a CUV? Lack of cargo room would put the Rogue in 3rd place. The Outlander offers both these things that the CRV and the Rogue lacks, but not in as good of a package as the RAV-4 (though you do get the Nav system in this case). So Outlander would come out 2nd place, then RAV-4. I own an Outlander. For 30k I would've considered a RAV-4 (except I do think the rear is ugly). But with a 23k budget, I got a Mitsubishi Outlander XLS with the SMARTkey system, Bluetooth, 18" wheels, etc. etc. These are things you can't get with a Honda or Toyota at 23k. This test doesn't take into account the fact that people pretty much pay sticker price for Hondas and Toyotas since they're in such high demand. However, with Mitsus you can get a vehicle for much less than sticker (sometimes even lower than invoice price), which makes them a heck of a lot more affordable (and it'll come with more features). One thing you forget to rank in this article is warranty. It is something that's important in a consumer's purchasing decision. Mitsu offers the best warranty of the bunch. That shows a manufacturer who stands behind their product and offers the consumer some peace of mind. Just my two cents. Can't understand why Outlander was 4th despite the fact that all the Editors seemed to have loved it. Replies to this message: chelentano (Sep 13, 2007 6:01 pm) donnaaries (Sep 13, 2007 7:45 pm) chelentano (Sep 14, 2007 7:08 pm) and 1 more...
#23 of 47 Re: Where Are The Americans? [tidester] by rf600r Sep 13, 2007 (2:56 pm)
Replying to: tidester (Sep 12, 2007 7:32 pm) That's silly. It was a ranking of a set of four vehicles out of collection of four vehicles. Nothing more, nothing less. That's an absurd justification, really. Given the overall cheerleader tone of the article for all four of the Japanese entries, and the conspicuous absense of any domestic competition, I think the implication is clear that these are the best models to consider. Which is just what you'd expect from Edmunds, really. Replies to this message: tidester (Sep 13, 2007 3:27 pm) rf600r (Sep 13, 2007 4:42 pm)