I’m taking a serious look at small SUVs to replace my Passat, which is getting rusty and leaky. This is about practical car shopping, not fun car shopping, and I want your help.
Our requirements are pretty simple:
- A flat, simple rear bench that seats 3 comfortably and as equally as possible
- All-wheel drive that really works
- Shorter than the Passat wagon (188") and with a better turning circle (35.8')
- 2016 or newer
- Under $20k (Canadian dollars, please)
If parking wasn’t such an issue here, we’d just go buy the nicest Toyota Sienna we could afford and be done with it. The kids want a minivan, and I agree that they’re supremely practical. Unfortunately, that would be too much trouble on a daily basis. I’d also like to import a Mitsubishi Delica or other JDM minivan in RHD but they’re not street-legal here.
So, I’m looking at the following:
- Toyota RAV4
- Honda CR-V
- Mazda CX-5
- Subaru Crosstrek
- Added: Nissan Rogue
- Added: Kia Sportage
- Added: Acura RDX
Ideally, I’d splurge on a proper SUV like an LR4 HSE with the third row and the fancy sound system and the reliability... but I don’t want to end up poor, and I’m too tired to fake it ‘til I make it.
What else should I be looking at? Maybe I’m doing something wrong, and you can enlighten me?