Opinion on best performing small SUV for Winter (Dakota: live, price)

[SoDak11]

My wife and I are finally in the market for a new vehicle, eagerly awaiting the moment when we can get rid of our Ford Focus which has just been a nightmare during the winters with no traction on side streets or freeway on and off ramps, and no room for our cross country skis! We definitely will be getting a small SUV with either 4WD or AWD.

I'm wondering what opinions or personal experiences anyone has with the various models or manufacturers out there. I can't think that all 4WD or AWD is created equal..surely some manufacturers design for winter conditions better than others. When I moved here, I definitely noticed way more Subarus than I had ever seen before...perhaps they do a better job. Jeep, of course, is known for theirs. Any others??

Oh, and budget is 20-32ish, preferably no older than 2009 - used or new, doesn't matter. Domestic or import, doesn't matter.

Thoughts??

[audadvnc]

You might consider a new Scion xB. My partner just bought one, it's much roomier than I expected from the photos & reviews. It gets mileage like a small car, but doesn't seem all that small inside.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Anyone have any feedback on the Nissan Murano? My wife is obsessed with them and I'm curious to know if anyone has one and how they handle in the winter.

Meanwhile I'll continue to rock my Cavalier. It's actually really good in the snow compared to other vehicles I've had. You really can't go wrong with any front wheel drive vehicle that has good tires.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by SoDak11

We definitely will be getting a small SUV with either 4WD or AWD.

Originally Posted by audadvnc

You might consider a new Scion xB. My partner just bought one, it's much roomier than I expected from the photos & reviews. It gets mileage like a small car, but doesn't seem all that small inside.

The Scion xB is not available in 4WD or AWD in the United States.

[Thegonagle]

Slig, just try to say "Murano" without saying "moron." You can't do it. That alone is the biggest problem I've ever seen with the Murano. It's a marketing issue more than a technical one.

OP: Given a modern full-time automatic AWD system, they're all going to be pretty much the same. The rubber they wear is going to be much more important than the vehicle itself.

With appropriate tires (snow tires or top-tier all seasons), even your small FWD Focus should be fine in most of the MSP metro area all winter long, but if you've made the mistake of choosing cheap tires, (or if the tire salesman was a dud who couldn't help you choose wisely), you can expect pretty much exactly what you have.

If you're torn about spending the money on an entire new vehicle when your Focus may still be clean and perfectly reliable, I suggest getting a good set of 4 new tires, and seeing it goes on the new treads. Snow tires would be best, but new all-seasons that rate well for winter performance will also make a huge difference.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Slig

Anyone have any feedback on the Nissan Murano? My wife is obsessed with them and I'm curious to know if anyone has one and how they handle in the winter.

Meanwhile I'll continue to rock my Cavalier. It's actually really good in the snow compared to other vehicles I've had. You really can't go wrong with any front wheel drive vehicle that has good tires.

We looked into a Murano and for the size of car it gets horrible gas mileage so we passed. They are a nice looking car though.

SoDak11-an SUV isn't necessary-front wheel drive and good tires like Slig said are just as good 99% of the time but if you want one for the size/hauling stuff I know a few people that have a Rav4 and really like it. It gets pretty good gas mileage too. The Honda Pilot is nice too, also with good gas mileage, but maybe larger then you want.

[audadvnc]

Originally Posted by golfgal

SoDak11-an SUV isn't necessary-front wheel drive and good tires like Slig said are just as good 99% of the time ...

Agreed. I've lived in the Twin Cities since 1975 and can probably count on one hand the number of days I truly needed 4WD in town. Not enough to warrant the significant extra expense of the feature. But I do carry a shovel and some sand or kitty litter, just in case... And if I spent time driving county roads in the winter, I'd have more reason to want 4WD.

What matters more is road clearance - if your car is too low, you can ride up on packed snow and get stuck. I'd suspect a Focus rides pretty low.

If it's too bad to go out - stay home!

[SoDak11]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. However, I am definitely not considering a car. We do put good snow tires on in the winter, and it is really only a marginal improvement, and plus we need the additional cargo space. I think the Focus is just particularly bad in winter conditions, as I was much more comfortable in my old rear wheel caprice back in the day than I am in the Focus. And when you can't get the traction to drive up the slight incline in our alley to our garage with a little snow and ice, its time to go. And don't even get me started on cars (especially the Focus!) when we head back to the gravel roads of rural South Dakota over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Plowing through the 2 foot drifts in the middle of nowhere in a Focus is nothing I wish on my worst enemy.

I hadn't thought of the Murano yet...I'll have to see how that compares. The new 2011 Rav4 is a real contender I think as you can get it without that stupid rear tire on the back. I also like the look of the VW Tiguan...It is probably all the years of clever marketing that has tricked me, but I've always felt like the German makers do a better job with building winter capable vehicles (granted I've never, ever driven one before so what do I know!) but for the most part, they bust the budget for new or only slightly used. Subaru Forester and Ford Escape I think are the other top contenders...I don't particularly like the look of Jeeps, other than the Grand Cherokee, which is too big and expensive.

Any more thoughts or personal experiences??--Or winter driving horror stories, because those are always good to hear too! Last year, I was stuck in a parallel parking spot for an hour because I couldn't get the traction to back up the necessary inches due to having my rear passenger tire parked on a sheet of ice. Very frustrating waiting for the car in front of me to leave so I could get out.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

Slig, just try to say "Murano" without saying "moron." You can't do it. That alone is the biggest problem I've ever seen with the Murano. It's a marketing issue more than a technical one.

We haven't really had that issue because the Spanish pronunciation sounds more like MOO-rano, I guess I can see how that would create an issue though.

Originally Posted by golfgal

We looked into a Murano and for the size of car it gets horrible gas mileage so we passed. They are a nice looking car though.

Hmm, yeah according to fueleconomy.gov the 2010 model gets 18 city and 23 Hwy. I don't know what comparable sized vehicles get, but for me that is pretty bad considering it isn't that large of a vehicle.

[Globe199]

Not that I'm advocating an American car, but have you looked into the GMC Terrain? It looks like a decent value and the mileage is very good.