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My wife and I are looking to buy a smaller SUV. Now that the kids are grown, we don't need anything as large as our 2004 Honda Pilot (216k; great SUV; won't die). I've had great luck with Toyotas and Hondas in the past, so it is down to the 2012-onward Honda CRV or the 2013-onward RAV4. They are similar in many ways. About the same price. Consumer Reports ranks them as very reliable.
Anything I should be aware of regarding these two vehicles? The CRV has a CVT which I have heard good and bad things about. The CRV also looks more like a minivan... We live in NH, so AWD is essential...
I owned CR-V. Test drove RAV4 before I bought V. Test drove 2014 CR-V not so long ago. In laws own 2014 RAv4.
So I drove her few times.
I'd buy neither. Noisy rather lousy engines. CVT is cried to be a toad to drive.
I don't really know what to tell you. I am so much happy with my Highlander that nothing else will come close.
But yes, V I had was a superbly reliable car. In 110 000 mile ownership all I had to do was to replace gas cap. In laws have no issues whatsoever with their Rav also. V's AWD took me safely through the most harsh winters, as I drove a lot those day all over the country. 1200 miles a week.
Great cars. Wouldn't buy them. Don't blame you on Pilot either. It's a cupboard.
Thanks ukrkoz. We had a Toyota Sienna van that we bought new in 2000 and drive it for 10 years and 265k+ miles before I sold it. Never had any trouble with it. Just the regular maintenance. The 2004 Pilot we got wit 68k and it has been great as well. I will look a the Highlander. The latest generation (2014 onward) looks a little bulky like my Pilot but the generation before that (2008 - 2013) is a good size for us. If I can find a used one with low mileage and lots of options, that may be the vehicle...
UW.
Of course, my Highlander is a hybrid, so I have superb gas mileage. I average 30-31mpg through a year driven. http://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/hig...0466/fuelchart
Reason I love it so much is trifold.
1. No transmission. no shifting. SMOOTH. No matter how great a car wife's RX350 is, I can still tell when gear shift. Hate that.
2. Very powerful power train. Infamous Toyota 3.5L V6 plus 2 electric motors.... Lots of torque and power.
3. Mine is Limited, so I have 3rd row. And AWD.
Ever since we moved last December, I practically used that car for towing and hauling. Just towed a stump grinder. Never a complaint from the car.
It's actually smaller than Pilot. It's somewhere between RAV4 and Pilot in size. But I had 6 adults and luggage in there.
So you know, you buy a smaller car - you can't stretch it, you have extra room - it CAN be used.
Well, we drove the RAV4 and the CRV and neither is a fit for us. Seem underpowered. We may have found a winner. The Acura RDX from 2013 onward. V6. Sized between the RAV4/CRV and the Highlander/Pilot. Going to drive one Saturday...
My son owns RDX. 2014. With V6. I shall not buy it either. Constantly searching for gears, lags when stepped on it. Honda simply does not have good transmissions. Very confusing infotainment system.
Very sorry to be a spoiler. RX is nothing more than very expensive CR-V. Not sure how you sized it between CR-V and Pilot.
My son owns RDX. 2014. With V6. I shall not buy it either. Constantly searching for gears, lags when stepped on it. Honda simply does not have good transmissions. Very confusing infotainment system.
Very sorry to be a spoiler. RX is nothing more than very expensive CR-V. Not sure how you sized it between CR-V and Pilot.
According to Cars.com, the RDX is 5" longer than the CRV, 2 inches wider, 2 inches taller, has 273 vs. 187 HP... and weighs 500 lbs more...
We just bought a 2013 RAV4 for my wife and we like it a lot. It's great for road trips and has a decent amount of room in the back seats and cargo bay. We didn't test a Honda CRV, but we drove a few other similar SUVs and we preferred the RAV4, but it's not an exciting car or a drivers car. We had a Saturn vue before and anything would be an upgrade from that piece of crap.
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