Suggestions on Decent Powered AWD Hatchback (F150, vehicle, 2010, fuel)
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Thanks, TrapperL. I’ll take a closer look at the Escape. Any concerns with quality and longevity? I know that’s always a sore spot for American auto manufacturers.
There is no way to know that because they are not the same as older versions. We have had no issues with our fleet and as we replace them, we are replacing them with new Escapes. (however we use Chevy/GM for pick ups, mostly Canyon but some full sized. Our field guys seem to prefer the Canyon).
The Sore spot for American mfgs with quality was from the 1990s and it was not that dramatic a difference. It just became a cool thing to joke about around the water cooler in the office and so grew to legendary proportions. Realistically, a car with a 2% better quality record is not going to make much difference to you personally. Even when some of them were found to have a 10 - 15% difference, that is really not that significant. Now, the testing companies say there is no real quality difference between manufacturers. Not surprising since many of them use the same parts or part makers.
Given my experience with recent Dodge's though, I think they must only test primary components. For Dodge it is the little things that break a lot, not the primary functions. Engine, transmission and doors are fine. Cigarette lighter socket, seat heat switch, maybe not so much.
If that type of car i what I wanted, I wold definitely closely consider an Escape. BTW my daughter recently bought a Chevy Sonic (Sport I think it is called, used to be LTZ). It has a small 4 with a turbo. power is ok. It is a decent car. Escape is much nicer, but it is in a different price class. Sedans, including hatchback sedans are not selling, so you can negotiate some amazing deals right now.
Murano with V6 and CVT scoots along very well. AWD and 260 HP. We love the transmission with its infinite variable speeds.
It's a cross over, so maybe not high enough for you.
Both look nice, but it doesn’t look like AWD is an option on these. Am I mistaken?
You are not.
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.
It is not clear whether Ford has bested Subaru in this regard. They claim they have.
They (we) have not, nor have I seen any announcements to that effect. Literally, nowhere has anyone from Ford said that our AWD is better than Subaru's.
Subaru Impreza and Crosstrek seem like obvious choices, but they seem under powered for mountain drivingat under 160hp. I currently drive a Mazda 3 GT, and at 185hp, it seems to have ample power. However, it is FWD and lies lower to the ground, which isn’t ideal for some of the more rugged paths. Currently considering the Mazda CX-5 but that’s about it.
Suggestions?
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.
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Originally Posted by Left-handed
Subaru Impreza and Crosstrek seem like obvious choices, but they seem under powered for mountain drivingat under 160hp. I currently drive a Mazda 3 GT, and at 185hp, it seems to have ample power. However, it is FWD and lies lower to the ground, which isn’t ideal for some of the more rugged paths. Currently considering the Mazda CX-5 but that’s about it.
Suggestions?
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?
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Nooooooooo!
