Suggestions on Decent Powered AWD Hatchback (SUV, truck, gas, FWD)
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The new Crosstrek would be a great choice, unless you are a boy racer. It has plenty of horsepower for most people's needs and gets great mileage. It will go anywhere in the mountains you want to go, including surprisingly rough trails. And it's cheap and reliable, with good tech. What more can you want?
How did the Crosstek went from lesbian fav to boy racer image.
If you need a true hatch with ground clearance and power, you're pretty much SOL. Everything suggested here is either a low-riding hot hatch (Golf R, WRX - used, since the new hatch is conspicuous in its absence, Focus RS), a wagon (Outback, Alltrack) - which actually may not be a problem depending on how loose you are with the term, or a crossover (which does have a hatch, but isn't a hatchback, as such). Since you're looking at the CX-5 (which actually isn't all that high-powered), it stands to reason you're more interested in the latter. With that in mind, the Escape with a 2-liter turbo isn't a bad shout, nor is the Forester XT. The new BMW X1 xDrive may also be worth a look, but if I were in your shoes, I'd get the VW Alltrack. The CX-3 might also be worth a glance.
CX-3 seems too small and under powered for what I want.
I used to drive a pretty basic Mazda 3 with a 2.0 (148hp) engine. It struggled driving through the Rockies, regardless of weather conditions. The 2.5 handles the uphill climbs a lot better. But they don’t put the 2.5 in the CX-3. The CX-5 does have the 2.5, but it’s a heavier car than the 3, so I imagine it won’t be as agile.
The Escape is interesting to me, especially the turbo powered engine. Same with the Forester XT, though gas mileage may be a concern with it. I’ve also heard some things about the VW Alltrack, but it might be more than I want to spend. Especially since it is fairly new. Also, HP and torque is relatively low. I’d rather just go with a CX-5 for the price.
Last edited by Left-handed; 10-03-2017 at 02:29 PM..
What do you mean by "mountain driving"? and "rugged paths"?
What is your price point?
It's really hard to do better than a 5 door Impreza at that price point. 0 to 60 mph is under 10 seconds which isn't awful. It wasn't that long ago that 10+ was pretty normal.
Some mountain roads in the Rockies are not paved, and can be rather difficult to navigate with a low clearance vehicle with FWD. We saw an Audi A4 that bottomed out and lost its oil pan this past weekend on a road to get to a trail head. Also, acceleration is tough as it is going up hill and at high elevation with a lack of oxygen.
The new Crosstrek would be a great choice, unless you are a boy racer. It has plenty of horsepower for most people's needs and gets great mileage. It will go anywhere in the mountains you want to go, including surprisingly rough trails. And it's cheap and reliable, with good tech. What more can you want?
I’m concerned with the HP. 148hp on an AWD vehicle seems low. I had a Mazda 3 FWD that had the same HP, and it always seemed to struggle with acceleration in the mountains. I can’t imagine it’d be much better with a heavier AWD drivetrain.
FWIW, the Mazda 3 GT would be a perfect car for me if it had a slightly higher clearance and AWD drivetrain. That’s why I’ve kinda leaned towards the CX-5. It’s a slightly larger, slightly lifted 3 with AWD.
The 2.0 EcoBoost has been around since 2010 so it has a proven history. There have been no repeating issues with it. The "new" for the YM 2017 is a different type of turbocharger. It now uses a dual scroll type turbo which have shown to be more reliable and provide more boost at lower rpms. The 6 speed automatic also has history of reliability. I'm not sure what coldjensen is referring to in his comments. The wifes Titanium is church mouse quiet, no road noise. Performance is blistering for what it is. Obviously it's no drag car but you'll leave most other cars at a stop light. The thing has tons of go power and great gas mileage to boot. The smaller engines in the cheaper models are anemic depending on the engine choice. The Titanium comes with the 2.0 EcoBoost. The lesser models it is an optional engine with the 2.5 NA being the standard engine. The 1.5 is great engine for town driving as it does get better fuel mileage but in the one we drove, it seemed rather anemic. The 2.5 NA wasn't any better. But the 2.0 EB is a screamer. From what we have witnessed over 11 months of ownership, there's a lot to like and so far the only thing we've had to take it back for is dealer oil changes. Otherwise, no warranty issues, no recalls, nothing. It's been flawless so far. It's a good enough ride that I'm considering trading the Supercrew in for one. It's certainly a lot easier to get around in the Escape vs the F150. And even though the Supercrew gets great gas mileage, it's not a contender for any awards vs the Escape. Like I say, drive one, you'll probably buy one. There's a lot to like and a lot of content for the money.
The 2.0 EcoBoost has been around since 2010 so it has a proven history. There have been no repeating issues with it. The "new" for the YM 2017 is a different type of turbocharger. It now uses a dual scroll type turbo which have shown to be more reliable and provide more boost at lower rpms. The 6 speed automatic also has history of reliability. I'm not sure what coldjensen is referring to in his comments. The wifes Titanium is church mouse quiet, no road noise. Performance is blistering for what it is. Obviously it's no drag car but you'll leave most other cars at a stop light. The thing has tons of go power and great gas mileage to boot. The smaller engines in the cheaper models are anemic depending on the engine choice. The Titanium comes with the 2.0 EcoBoost. The lesser models it is an optional engine with the 2.5 NA being the standard engine. The 1.5 is great engine for town driving as it does get better fuel mileage but in the one we drove, it seemed rather anemic. The 2.5 NA wasn't any better. But the 2.0 EB is a screamer. From what we have witnessed over 11 months of ownership, there's a lot to like and so far the only thing we've had to take it back for is dealer oil changes. Otherwise, no warranty issues, no recalls, nothing. It's been flawless so far. It's a good enough ride that I'm considering trading the Supercrew in for one. It's certainly a lot easier to get around in the Escape vs the F150. And even though the Supercrew gets great gas mileage, it's not a contender for any awards vs the Escape. Like I say, drive one, you'll probably buy one. There's a lot to like and a lot of content for the money.
I have actually driven my parents’, and I liked it. It felt very zippy. Not sure which engine it had, because it was not a high end model.
Confirmed with my dad, they have the 2.0L EcoBoost engine. That’s the 245hp model, right? I drove it before and really like it. I think I might be sold on it.
Don't forget the Nissan Juke, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Sportage and Chevrolet Equinox.
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