Best Used Compact SUV?

impressmeagain

Hi all! I've been looking at purchasing a compact SUV type vehicle. I was hoping you could share your experiences or recommendations regarding this type of car.

I'm looking at the CRV, Rav4, and Rogue currently, but would like to see more options. Chevy's are crossed off my list (my family has owned 3 and been nothing but trouble) and I am also not a huge fan of Fords but might consider. My budget is 10-15k, with a little wiggle room if I can get a good deal on financing. I'm trying to stay under 60k miles, the lower the better. My major must-haves are AWD or 4WD and reliability. I'm a young traveling nurse and also attending school part time to further my degree, so my normal commute per day would be around 60-70 miles give or take. I need to be able to get to my clients homes when it snows or we have bad weather (eastern pennsylvannia!).

I've researched the details and ratings of the cars and they all seem great, but I've also been reading consumer reviews, which are scaring me because there seems to be something wrong or negative about every car. I really am not taking into consideration the comfort of the seats or how big the storage is- what matters most to me is if the car is going to last a decent amount of time and be something I can depend on.

So if you have any input I'd love to hear, thank you so much in advance!!

stever

People who don't have car problems usually don't take time to post that their cars are running fine, so you have to figure that the problem posts likely represent a small percentage of owners. Like you noticed, any car can give you headaches.

You might want to add the CX-5 to your list to look at.

With all the deer strikes back in your area, I'd want excellent front crash ratings too.

suydam

Any of those 3 should be reliable cars. It is important to focus on comfort if you have a long commute so that will help you decide which make. And it's important to get any used car checked out by a mechanic of your choice before you buy.

impressmeagain

stever said:

People who don't have car problems usually don't take time to post that their cars are running fine, so you have to figure that the problem posts likely represent a small percentage of owners. Like you noticed, any car can give you headaches.

You might want to add the CX-5 to your list to look at.

With all the deer strikes back in your area, I'd want excellent front crash ratings too.

Oh man the deer are terrible, I got hit in October- it jumped a guardrail next to my car and I didn't even see it. But that makes a very good point, I never thought of it like that. I will definitely check out the CX-5, thank you so much!

impressmeagain

suydam said:

Any of those 3 should be reliable cars. It is important to focus on comfort if you have a long commute so that will help you decide which make. And it's important to get any used car checked out by a mechanic of your choice before you buy.

I just feel too high maintenance saying I don't want this car because of the seat or cupholder. Its a different story if I dont feel comfortable the way the vehicle drives, but I'm incredibly low maintenance, so I figure I'll buy a seat cushion if it really bothers me. But thank you so much!

stever

I did the backroads drive between my sister's house near Winchester VA to State College years ago, and counted ~90 gut piles on the shoulders. Maybe you should reconsider and buy an old Hummer!

@suydam's point is good too - it can be a pain, but a pre-purchase inspection is cheap insurance and it gives you the opportunity to develop a relationship with a mechanic or dealer if you don't already have someone lined up.