Input on newer vehicle

My 2010 Honda CRV is no longer....the rear axle rusted off! Engine still runs great, but I am shopping for a used vehicle and your input appreciated. I have narrowed my brands down to:
Subaru, Toyota and Buick,
Do/did you drive something you love/hate? I have time to find deals as we have my husband's truck to share for now.
Thanks!!

 

What's your budget?
We had a Toyota Rav4 as a rental recently, I liked it a lot.

 

We have a newer rav4 AWD and like it for the most part. It has a lot of wind noise in the cabin while driving. That would be the number one thing I do not like about it. We will probably look at the Subaru real close when is time to buy again.

 

I'm on my 3rd Subaru (1993 Sub legacy wagon, 2000 subaru legacy wagon, 2017 subaru outback). I've had the current Subaru since Dec 2016 and it's ....fine. I have no real complaints (except the battery which I just had to replace - OEM sucks!) But I don't LOVE this car the way I loved my last car (2006 lexus IS). I buy cars & keep them a long time - 100,000 miles for each usually, 10 years on that Lexus. Because I ADORED that Lexus. And that's my problem. Can't live up to it. (and yes, I know that Lexus is "just" an expensive Toyota - but those inclusions were important to me, so.....) I require AWD but don't want an SUV. Of course, the new Subaru Outback is HUGE, so I do basically have an SUV, which is probably one reason I don't love it. I just want the old estate wagon.....

ETA - these 4 cars (3 Subaru, 1 Lexus) are the only cars I've ever owned - I am pretty loyal ;-) My in-laws go through cars like I go through hand lotions ;-)

 

Only thing about the rav4, at least here in Canada, there's only 2 seatbelts in the back seat. My sister didn't even realize it until 5 of us were going for dinner in her rav4. Had to take my car instead.

 

Kia Telluride is da bomb or if you want fun get the Kia Stinger GT2

 

2011 Subaru Legacy 175K, (totaled 3 times, finally declared a loss at the 3rd wreck), 2012 Subaru Legacy 101K, 2014 Subaru Outback 137k Miles, 2018 Subaru Forester 22K miles (we bought for my mother)
We drive the heck out of our Subaru's, live where they work really well in the winter. All except the first one are still running great and have no desire to replace...
We love our Subaru's we almost always buy a certified used that is a year or two (no more) old
I am sure our next will be a Subaru again, but I really want a Rivan, if given the chance

 

Why not another Honda? They are still reliable IMHO.

My brother has a Hyundai Tuscon, he likes the car.

You didn't say what your budget was but the new Lexus UX looks good.


But I'm more of a Toyota/Lexus person so would look at the Rav4.

 

We can give recommendations, but a lot also depends on your budget. I've owned Chevys, Toyotas, Ford, Lexus, and currently Acura. The most reliable one was my 2004 Lexus RX330 which I bought new, followed by my 1994 Toyota 4Runner. I had the Lexus for +14 yrs before I traded it in for my current 2019 Acura RDX which has been running well (so far). I had the most mechanical problems with Chevy, but that was back in their 1970-80s model years.

If I were looking for a non-luxury model, I would look at the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV. Although, I'm spoiled after owning a Lexus for so long which is why I now have an Acura. LOL A fully loaded Acura is also less expensive than an equivalent model Lexus which is why I decided to give Acura a try.

 

Am considering a new hyundai tucson but reports of it being under powered have me concerned....any inputs ?

 

@oldcrabtom The upper trims have 20 more HP than the lower ones. Might be relevant to your decision.

@kkinwi Suggest looking at various Mazdas. Great cars that generally punch way above their weight.

 

Thanks for the reply.......

 

I have a Buick Enclave and love it but am looking to downsize. The new Buick Envision looks really nice, inside and out. Big improvement over the previous generation. The Buick Encore GX is a tad too small for me. I’m probably going to go with the Envision later this year although I’m also considering a Cadillac XT4. I also like the additional year of warranty Buick and Cadillac offers. It matches my driving and purchasing habits perfectly. Never had any issues, knock on wood.

 

My budget is about 14k. Subarus are pretty scarce in this area and I am looking at them as several people I know love them.
"Why not another Honda?". The research I have done show that Honda coats the underside lighter than other vehicles, and rust is a known problem. As I drive 5-6 months on winterish roads it's tough to keep the sand/salt cleaned out.
Thanks for everyone's input.....I am amazed at how much response I am getting selling the Honda for parts!

 

I am also on my 3rd Subaru and highly recommend it. It has gotten me home through more snowstorms, here in NY, than I can count.

 

My wife and I are on our 2nd and 3rd Outbacks and really do like them. She got 13 years on her first one and now has a 2015. I used to buy and hold them, but now I'm spending my retirement money, so I traded in my 2018 for 2020 Outback Touring. Biggest complaints...lack of dealerships in WI and as mentioned, terrible original batteries. Other than that, very reliable, low maintenance vehicles.

I did have an Accord for 250k and also liked that car but I wanted all wheel drive and more storage space, so the Outback fit the bill.

 

DH has been driving Toyotas since the 80's and will probably never buy anything else. I had a little Toyota pickup that I adored until we made kids, and then a couple of Toyota minivans that were exceptional cars. The only time any of them were in the shop was for routine maintenance. My husband drove each of his for at least 10 years.

I know I am in the minority, but I bought a Subaru Forester in 2014 and could not wait to get rid of it. It was the worst driving vehicle I ever had. I kept it less than a year. I then got a 2015 Ford Edge and I am still in love with it.

 

It's all relative - I actually did my first test drive for the 2017 subaru when I was visiting my sister in Wisconsin - at the dealer where my father (who lives in central IL) bought his Subaru ;-) I bought mine in NC (via Costco) but the dealer is 60 miles away. I only go there for covered repairs or recall fixes - only twice since I bought, I think. When you live far away from everything, having the perfect dealer nearby is less a priority - we have to travel for pretty much everything ;-)

I really love audis - their design has been one of my faves since the 80s, and I've read the engineering has improved. But I've still held off on test driving one (and potentially falling more in love) because my mechanic shop of 23 years only works on japanese cars.....I don't wanna have to find a new mechanic! Even though I drive 45 miles for this one....

 

I was between a Honda and Hyundai. Went with Hyundai because Honda has no warranty like hyundai does. I say toyota out of your choices

 

With a budget of $14k, you would be looking at an 7-8 year old Rav 4 with 90k miles. That will get you a 6 year old Subaru Outback with high miles as well.

Not on your list, but the Mazda CX-5 is pretty well reviewed, we almost bought one but decided on the Jeep Cherokee 4 years ago. The Hyundai Tucson might also be in your price range, a certified Pre Owned model comes with the balance of the original warranty and CPO vehicles are 2017 models and newer right now.

We have close to 50k miles on our 2017 Cherokee with the 3.2 V6. But at 38k miles, the AC evaporator quit. It took the third visit to the dealer to accurately diagnose the problem. Thankfully, I bought an extended Mopar warranty through the dealer. The part was probably $200 or less, but the geniuses at Jeep decided to locate it in a spot that required removing the dashboard. And the front seats. And the doors. Probably 10-12 hours of labor. When I picked it up, the leather on one seat was cut, the door panel had grease on it, and the paint was chipped on the edge of the door as if the cretin who removed said door just laid it on its end on the concrete. This is probably the largest Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler dealer in 30 miles. Other than that, the car has been flawless and is really good in the snow and rain.

For what it’s worth, my 1998 Volvo S70 had the same issue with the evaporator, it required dashboard removal and it was a more common repair than not.