Long story short, our dealership is buying back our 2011 Kia Sorento. We like the car for it’s size and features but have had multiple problems with it and no longer trust it. Therefore, we are in the market for a new mid-sized SUV. My wife and I have narrowed it down to three choices; another AWD Sorento, a FWD Chevy Equinox, and an AWD Honda CRV. All three have pluses and minuses based on size (we have 2 teenage boys), gas mileage, features, AWD versus FWD, and our previous poor experience with the Kia. Honestly I think we would be fine with any of the three and the cost for each is basically the same. Does anyone have any experience with the 2012 Equinox or CRV or have any opinions on what car to buy?
Since 1999, my husband and I have enjoyed owning and driving 7 Honda CRV’s (trading when new features/models offer upgrades our current models didn’t have). We are currently considering a 2012. Each has been maintained to Honda’s recommendation and performed flawlessly. The current 2008 EX-L Navi has 80K which is the most mileage we have had on one…again, flawless performance. As for creature comforts and build factor, Honda continues to know how to do it right with the CRV.
The CRV has a sterling reputation and I would go with it since your previous vehicle was so troublesome. My neighbor drove a CRV for 10 years without a single breakdown.
The CRV…Definitely. I see those all over town here in Northern Nevada. They do well in poor weather and they’re very reliable. 18 months ago, I was on the market for a new car because my old car died on me and I went online and looked at so many different cars in my price range and looked at so many different reviews my head was spinning. A lot of people recomended a Kia but I read the reviews on them and they weren’t good. Narrowed my choices down to a Ford, A Honda, A Nissan, and a Toyota.
Based on visibility alone I would opt for the CRV. The Equinox has poor visibility toward the blind spots, and I the higher beltline made me feel like I was sitting in a bit of a well. Cargo area seems kind of skimpy too. The CRV felt open and airy and has a larger cargo area. The Equinox is probably quieter; Hondas are known for loud road noise on the highway.
Thoroughly test drive each. Seriously. Make the salesmen shut up or stay back at the lot and give a good amount of time to driving them, testing seat comfort, driving position, noise levels.
The Equinox has the most cargo area if you push the rear seat forward (it moves). I don’t believe that the Sorrento or CRV have a movable rear seat. Since the Equinox rear seat moves, it also provides the most rear legroom for the teenagers when that is required. The Equinox also has the best highway mileage at 32 MPG with the 4-cyl (22/26/32 city/combined/highway). The other 2 will suffer gas mileage losses with AWD. Why not consider a 2WD CR-V or Sorrento?
CRV’s have a moveable back seat as well…it moves forward and backward to allow for additional cargo or leg space. The AWD is FWD unless the front wheels begin spinning and then it automatically and seamlessly becomes 4WD. Mileage on the 7 we have had is comparible if not slightly better that 22/26/32.
The mileage that counts is the EPA mileage because that can be easily compared when buying a car. Whatever differences you have from the EPA mileage would likely apply to any of the trucks mentioned, not just the CR-V.
Thanks for your input. Right now we are leaning towards the CRV. In the short drives I took the other day it seemed like the most refined and had the best ride. The rear seats in the 2012 do not slide like they did in the 2011 but there is still plenty of leg room and cargo space, especially with the seats folded down. The passenger space in the Equinox felt surprisingly cramped considering the vehicle’s size and the cargo space is strangely narrow. We are going back tomorrow for an extended test drive in both. The sales guy has been great, just giving me the keys and letting me go off on my own.
Chevy or Honda
Being a CR fan, the most important ratings may be the satisfaction ratings. CRV sores very well over more years then your other options. Secondly, IMO, most other factors are trumped if you plan on using a dealer you can’ t trust.
Taking your time with the decision is a wise move. You seem to have a clear preference for the CR-V. Gas mileage is just 1 MPG less than the Equinox on the highway (2WD) and 1 MPG more in the city. Average gas mileage is the same for both trucks (26 MPG).
Test a Mazda CX7 out. I’ve been happy with mine this past year and a half
Well we pulled a complete switch and ended up with a Kia Optima. We went back and took the Equinox, CRV and Sorento (as well as a CX7) out for extended drives. We had decided on another Sorento (the others just felt too small) but while we were waiting on the paperwork we wandered over to the Optima. After reconsidering if we needed to have an SUV at all we took the Optima out. It’s a lot more vehicle for the money, very comfortable with more passenger space and much better MPG than our other choices. After a bit a research (really couldn’t find many negative reviews) we pulled the trigger. With some KIA loyal customer incentives and dealer goodwill to make up for our previous poor experience it also ended up being the most afordable.
Interesting turn of events and probably a very smart move. Thanks for keeping us posted and let us know how the Optima turns out.