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I am going to have to buy a new car and really want a small SUV type car. I know the Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4 are similar to what I want but I really don't want to pay $25,000.
Any suggestions of something similar with easy maintenance?
I am going to test drive a few options this weekend but just don't know where to start. I have thought about the Kia Soul and Hyundai Tucson but not sure if these are good options.
Buy a used one. People who pay a lot for their cars when new take good care of them. Those are the ones you want to buy used after the front end depreciation has been expensed through the original buyer.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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While the sticker was $28k+, we bought our 2014 Escape SE 4WD 1.6 Turbo for under $23k. At our dealer now, the 2015 2WD SE is advertised as low as $16,995, sticker is $26k. Ford is willing to deal and offer good sales, unlike Toyota and Honda.
While the sticker was $28k+, we bought our 2014 Escape SE 4WD 1.6 Turbo for under $23k. At our dealer now, the 2015 2WD SE is advertised as low as $16,995, sticker is $26k. Ford is willing to deal and offer good sales, unlike Toyota and Honda.
I will check that out Hemlock - Thanks!
I looked online and like the look of the Escape.
These are not the Honda/Toyota name, but they're all solidly reliable and you should be able to find good deals on all of them. I would avoid Hyundai/KIA they look nice new, but don't hold up too well over time.
Any suggestions of something similar with easy maintenance?
I am going to test drive a few options this weekend but just don't know where to start. I have thought about the Kia Soul and Hyundai Tucson but not sure if these are good options.
Any advice would be very much welcome!
I've had my 2013 Tucson for more than 2 years now with over 33k miles. Only work are oil, oil filter and air filter changes. Oh yeah, windshield wipers but the rear wiper is the original. It's the GLS trim.
We liked it so much that we got the Kia equivalent, the Sportage but a higher trim package with navigation and heated/cooled seats while my Tucson has heated seats only.
Very similar, the Kia is my wife's and it's a 2014 model.
Brand new they both come with 10 year/100,000 mile power train warranties.
The Tucson does seem to have less road noise, though. We're in our late 30's and insurance is about $90/month for each vehicle with $250 deductibles. Having priced tires, they're not expensive, about $90 for all season tires. Her Kia also has a sunroof and back up camera while my Tucson does not. Both have XM.
They each average about 27 mpg with mixed driving. We just got her vehicle on the first of this year.
My Tucson was around the $24k range, don't remember what the Sportage was.
I was in your situation looking for a small SUV. Technically, I believe these are considered crossover vehicles. Another is the Mazda CX5 (I think it's the 5).
In the end, I came to the Tucson because of the features that I would get for the money spent. Seemed that the Rav4 and CRV were equally as nice, maybe even nicer but at a higher price point. Seemed like I got more for my dollar.
Do Toyota and Honda still make great vehicles? Yes they do. Have the Koreans closed the gap? I don't think they have but the gap is shrinking. You might find that used prices aren't that far from new pricing. I was looking at used but when I saw <$2k difference, I thought it would be worth it. I put a significant amount of money down and got a low interest rate, I think it's 1.9% so buying new was worth it to me. Also got 1.9% on the wife's, Kia and Hyundai always seem to have pretty good rates.
The CR-V hasn't been fully redesigned since 2012. They updated it in 2015 but the 2012-2014 models are still very good and thoroughly modern. Prices have probably come down on them since the 2015 freshening. Those would probably be your best bet.
Look at a recent used model with reasonable mileage. The CRV and RAV4, along with Subaru forester, are the leaders in that class.
Yep, and perhaps consider factory certified used versions of those 3 as well. One may pay a bit more, but the extended factory warranty coverage can be good for piece of mind.
I would avoid the Ford Escape at any cost..... it is the most recalled car in recent memory!!!!!
For Ford, the latest recall throws a harsh spotlight on its Ford Escape crossover. The vehicle has been recalled 12 times over the past two years for a variety of issues ranging from carpet padding that may depress the accelerator pedal to coolant system leaks that may cause the engine to overheat.
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