Used crossover suv under 20k?

May 28, 2010 5:41 PM

Please help me pick a used car.

I've been leasing cars for a variety of reasons, but it's time to buy. It's about time to turn in my car (a Saturn Aura); my husband has an older subaru legacy wagon. We've got a one year old in a car seat and hopefully another one some day. And a dog. I'd like something with AWD/4WD, something safe and reliable, and I'd like to spend between 15-20K. Would like an SUV/crossover (and not a minivan). I really don't care about much besides safety and reliability, and I'm overwhelmed by the choices. How do I best spend my money? (if you can recommend something new in that price range that I should consider, that's okay, too, but we're looking for some more room).

posted by dpx.mfx to Shopping (19 answers total)

AWD/4WD means reduced mileage and pretty much means reduced reliability, just because there's more stuff that can go wrong. Do you do any driving on rough or unpaved roads? If you could get by with front wheel drive, it would broaden your options.
posted by box at 5:46 PM on May 28, 2010

Response by poster: We spend a lot of time driving in the winter in really hilly areas with crappy weather. Having one car with and one without the 4wd leaves no question for us that we'd like to have it in both. It isn't totally the end of the world, I guess, but it isn't for no reason either.
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:48 PM on May 28, 2010

Response by poster: Are there some options where you switch to awd when necessary but turn it off when there's no need for the better mileage or am I making that up?
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:49 PM on May 28, 2010

Where do you live? I ask because I wonder if AWD/4WD is necessary or is just a feel good option.

Love Subaru and Mazda.
posted by zombieApoc at 5:50 PM on May 28, 2010

You'll probably get a lot of Subaru recommendations.

Rav4s and CRVs are probably worth looking at as well--everyone I know who has owned one has loved it.
posted by box at 5:58 PM on May 28, 2010

You're kind of making it up. AWD generally refers to a drive train that always makes use of all 4 wheels, while a 4X4 would give the option of engaging 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive. 4X4 is generally seen on trucks and larger 4 wheel drive models, while AWD is generally seen on smaller SUVs like the Honda CRV and, to my knowledge, all Subarus. AWD does not give the option of only using two drive wheels.
posted by 517 at 6:13 PM on May 28, 2010

My family's car buying experience breaks down into two periods: when we bought Dodge's and Chevy's and in general were not pleased with the products' reliability or longevity, and the second period where we discovered Subaru and Honda. Our Subaru Legacy lasted a long time but toward the end had weird engine and exhaust system problems (our neighbors could hear my wife coming home before they saw her car). Our Honda Accords, Civics and CR-Vs have been very reliable and all but one are still being driven by our family after many, many thousands of miles.

Your experience may, of course, differ. And buying a used car always requires extra caution (take a long a very knowledgeable friend).
posted by forthright at 6:17 PM on May 28, 2010

Just because of the added weight of the 4wd components, you'll get worse mileage, compared to a 2wd vehicle, even when you're in 2wd mode.
posted by box at 6:17 PM on May 28, 2010

Audi wagon A4 or Toyota RAV4. Notes on those recommendations: the Audi maintenance will be expensive, and the Toyota V6, while powerful (much more so than the 4 cyl. CRV and Nissan Rogue but with similar gas mileage) has the controversial 'digital' gas pedal (which can cause abrupt acceleration) and electric steering (a little numb vs hydraulic steering).
posted by HLD at 6:19 PM on May 28, 2010

You might consider an 08 or 09 Honda CR-V. New ones MSRP at around $21,500, which isn't too far outside your price range, and I bet you could find last year's model (or the last couple years, anyway) right around what you're looking to spend.
posted by andrewcilento at 6:31 PM on May 28, 2010

The latest crop of Subarus do 25+ mpg. Certainly not the most efficient. But with a stick shift, even the cheapest Subaru is a freakin' blast to drive.

My wife's automatic '08 WRX actually consistently does about 26mpg. My manual '07 Impreza Outback Sport does about 24mpg when I'm driving conservatively.

For $20k you can afford a brand new Impreza (or Outback Sport, which adds about 1.5 inches of clearance under the car, and includes heavy-duty suspension). The base and Outback Sport trims of the 2010 Impreza are both listed at 27mpg highway.
posted by Netzapper at 6:35 PM on May 28, 2010

I've looked at a few different small SUVs with AWD including the RAV4, CR-V, Forester, and BMW X3. Of them all, I preferred the X3 because of the comfort, power on demand, features, and build quality. Unfortunately, it is probably the least reliable, especially when considering you'll have to buy one that's a few years old in order to stay within budget.
The second best one, in my opinion, was the CR-V. To be fair, I didn't actually drive the Forester since I didn't care much for the comfort factor and layout of the interior.
Another great car, if you can find one for a good price, and it's not too old, is the BMW 3-series xi sportwagon. More reliable than their SUVs and get decent mileage (mid-high 20s).
posted by nickthetourist at 6:44 PM on May 28, 2010

I have an Acura RDX with one baby and 3 dogs. It may be out of the price range although I haven't checked used car values lately. I really like it.
posted by murrey at 7:13 PM on May 28, 2010

Might be too small for your needs, but the Suzuki SX4 has AWD; you could buy new within your budget, depending on the options you choose. It's been pretty well-received by the automotive press, FWIW.
posted by willpie at 7:53 PM on May 28, 2010

AWD does not give the option of only using two drive wheels.

My 2000 Isuzu Trooper could be switched between three modes: rear-wheel 2WD, "Torque on Demand" AWD and true low-gear 4WD. Not common, but it is possible.

I ultimately ran it in AWD most of the time -- the gas savings in 2WD mode was negligible, and turning off AWD took the Trooper from being surprisingly nimble and surefooted to being a scary, hydroplaning deathtrap.
posted by eschatfische at 8:46 PM on May 28, 2010

You should also be able to find a toyota 4runner in that price range. It'll only be a V6 though in that price range as they had stopped making 4 cylinder models for a few years.
posted by iNfo.Pump at 8:49 PM on May 28, 2010

Subaru. My old ('93) L wagon has 276k miles on it. My new one ('05) has had no issues since I bought it. It only has 69k miles. Foresters were basically Imprezas until last year when the whole line except for the new Legacys started using the series 4 ('05-'09) Legacy platform.

I use the AWD every day, to get up my half-mile gravel driveway.

Even in the Bay Area of California, you can find '08 Foresters within your price range. If you can drive a manual transmission so much the better - the automatics in Subarus are never a feature.
posted by jet_silver at 9:34 PM on May 28, 2010

My 2000 Subaru Forester has 238K miles on it--and has had minimal repairs needed in 10 years. Mine's an automatic and I never had any problems. In the winter I drive on dicey, snowy rural roads; I keep very good tires on it and have had no problems (but keep in mind that even AWD and good tires aren't a panacea for black ice). The 7" underbody clearance is helpful too in navigating my normally unplowed long uphill driveway.

I don't know exactly what a new Forester is going for these days but I'm glad I bought mine new and know that all the necessary maintenance has been done on the car over the years. And a new one shouldn't be too much over your price range.
posted by apartment dweller at 4:42 AM on May 29, 2010

I love my 2008 CRV, bought new. It has 4WD, I think, which I'm not sure we needed in Boston. Size is perfect for teens and dog. Reliability = 100% so far. I test drove the Forester extensively and liked it, but when I consulted my mechanic he said the repairs run about 30% higher in cost than Hondas.

One drawback is the mileage, which is about 20MPG (city driving only, pretty much)
posted by mozhet at 11:55 AM on May 29, 2010