3rd Trimester
ASmallWonder
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Small SUV opinions please
ASmallWonder
member
DH and I are thinking of trading my car for a small SUV like the CR-V, Forester, etc. If you have a smaller SUV, can you tell me what you and do not like about it? I'm really curious to hear how each handles in the snow because I hate driving in winter weather 
I have a Civic right now and hate that it's so lightweight! A stiff wind will blow that thing across the highway if I'm not careful.
Formerly known as elmoali 
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Re: Small SUV opinions please
We have a Rav4 & love it. She's been a life safer this winter with all the snow we've been getting, too. Neither of us has anything bad to say about the Rav, we're extremely happy with our purchase!!
We did check out a CR-V but didn't even go for a test drive because I just felt like it was too uncomfortable sitting in it. It felt very small inside compared to the Rav. My preacher & his wife have a CR-V & they don't like it very much. After we bought our Rav, they kept saying they wished they had looked at more suv's before getting the CR-V.
Our BIL has a Forester & he likes that too. DH drove it once & still preferes the Rav but the Forester is nice. I think when we were looking last year, the Rav & Forester were the top rated small SUV's on Consumer Reports.
I have a Pontiac Torrent (sister car to Chevy Equinox) and I love how comfortable it is!!! I am also a nervous driver in bad weather and it makes me feel really safe and held up amazingly when a guy rear-ended me on 12-22!
If you want SUV space with car feel, my DH has a Pontiac Vibe AWD. It is also another fabulous vehicle with great gas mileage! With both cars I like how the trunk it pretty even to my body and I am not lifting too high or reaching really low to get items out (such as the stroller). Both have ample trunk space.
FWIW - Pontiac while may be going out in brand, is a GM Product = parts available. They are trying to liquidate the line so you are likely to get a good deal on a car, but you wont be able to special order.
I have a Nissan Murano and love it so much, I'll probably replace it with another when the lease is up without car shopping again.
The Murano is a crossover - which if you don't know (I learned when I was car shopping) is an SUV built onto a car chassy. The result is a small SUV that drives like a car. It is finished nicely & has great amenities (especially LOVE my rearview camera and the electric gate opener so I don't have to lift the rear gate up or push it closed).
If you're interested in spending even less or going even smaller, test drive the Rav 4. Very similar.
We're having twins and I'm confident we have plenty of room for the whole family, but I never feel like I'm driving a big truck. And it handles beautifully in the snow.
I've got a Kia Sportage, I love it!!!!! We've had it since November and it was wonderful in the snow. We drove it across the state after my husband assured me the roads were all fine (liar.) I couldn't even see the lines on the interstate, but we never even skidded.
Make sure whichever one you get that it had ETC, or a snow button. I had a terrible scare 2 years ago during a winter snowstorm and I'm no longer terrified of the white fluffy stuff.
The only thing I don't like about my Sportage is the headrest. We put in heated leather seats and it was soo worth it, it was the only thing we really splurged on. It paid for itself after the dog lost her stomach twice in the backseat, there was no way I could have handled cleaning that out of cloth. I feel all powerful driving it, I'm used to small cars, I like not having the annoying person who has decided to tailgate me when I'm already going 7mph over the speedlimit, be able to blind me in my rear view mirror.
It also has a 10 yr/100,000 warranty, which is great since we aren't close to my dad, and my husband is not car handy.
Have fun picking out your car, don't settle, because you'll be stuck with it for a while!
DH and I have a Hyundai Santa Fe and LOVE IT! It is really great in the snow. We even went out on Wednesday in the midst of the blizzard we were having and had no problems. It has a lot of trunk space, is very comfortable and handles quite nicely. The back seats fold down completely making it easy if you will be moving furniature or anything big. The price isn't too bad either. We did not get the top end model...I didn't really see the point in NEEDING leather seats...especially since the winters here in NY can be quite cold.
I honestly can't think of anything that I don't like about the Santa Fe.
DD february 2010 | DS october 2011
*please excuse my typos, bumping from my iphone*
I have a Chevy Equinox now - it's 3 years old and I still love it! It gets great gas milage for a SUV (and the new ones I hear do even better) and it got great safety ratings. It's a crossover so it handles similar to a car - lower center of gravity instead of being a bit top heavy.
Before this I had a Mazda Tribute and really loved that as well. I was in a bad accident where I was sandwiched in between two trucks and it was totalled, but the inside of the car was completely fine. I thought about getting another one but when I would sit in another one I would have flashbacks of my accident so I just couldn't do it.
BFP #1 11/28/09 ~ EDD 8/6/10 ~ DS Born 8/9/10
BFP #2 8/27/13 ~ EDD 5/8/14 ~ Natural MC 9/18/13 at 6 weeks, 6 days
BFP#3 3/28/14 ~ EDD 12/7/14 ~ DD Born 11/21/14
BFP#4 6/15/17 ~ EDD 2/20/18
I traded in my 04 toyota corolla for the exact same reasons (it was SO LIGHT it would slide all over the road and w/ a strong wind I felt like it was going out of control lol) we originally looked at foresters and santa fes but actually ended up w/ a Mitsubishi endeavor which I LOVE!
Its a little bigger than what I thought I would want (Ive always been a small car kinda girl) but it drives great, has awesome visibility, is AWD (which was the biggest thing for us we wanted something that would be good in the snow) and it gets really good gas mileage--plus with the backseat folded down there is SO MUCH cargo room and the backseat (when upright) has a ton of room ( I am 5'9" with long legs and my knees almost always touch the seat in front of me when I sit in the backseat of vehicles but in the endeavor there is TONS of room) I would highly recommend at least test-driving one, you might be surprised with how much you like it, I was!
I have a Saturn Vue Hybrid and I love it! It's considered a small SUV and very sporty. They have Vues that are not Hybrids as well. Also, I know your main concern is that the Saturn line is ending with GM but our dealership has been wonderful and still do regular oil changes and cover the warranty and everything for free.
It's perfect for our little family....2 dogs and our future LO. One of the features that I love is how safe I feel! They have a 5 star crash rating and I love how the doors auto lockwhen the car is in drive and they have air bags in the the front and back.
GL on car hunting!
We have the Nissan Rogue and love it! We looked at the Murano but it was too expensive, so the Rogue is great option.
We liked the way the CRV looked, but it was uncomfortable for us to sit in.
So I know you asked about small SUVs, but I have a Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon, and I LOVE it! It's AWD, and handles great in the snow! I live in NH and haven't had any problems. There is TONS of room in it too! Just another option
ETA: Oh and it's it only a 4 cylinder, so gas is way better too!!!
I have a Mazda CX-7. I got it in November and absolutely love it. It's a Mazda, so it definitely has the "zoom zoom" feeling even though it's an SUV...it's fun to drive! I also think it looks really nice. So far, it's been great in the snow, with it's traction control system. The CX-9 (the slightly bigger version) won SUV of the year in 2008.
we have a 2008 Ford Edge. Love it.
However I had a 2006 Murano (on lease) but had to give it back last year. NOw that was my FAVORITE! Ford Edge is very close as far as what i love about it, but the Murano was a little quieter and not sure what else...i just loved it a bit more than i love my Edge.
Otherwise its like driving the same car. Same amount of storage, leg room, gas mileage...etc.
Another happy Subaru driver here. We looked at both the Forester and the Outback, and ended up with the Outback (2010).
Both are really nice, but we liked that the Outback had a little more legroom to the backseat, and handles more smoothly (a little more "carlike"). Also, the new Outbacks with the CVT get 22 - 29 mpg - a little better than the Forester (which wasn't updated this year like the Outback was.)
We also like that it handles awesome in snow, has enough room for our two dogs and is very highly rated for safety. Also, our friends have Subarus that seem to work FOREVER, so we liked that, too. You couldn't go wrong with either one!