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Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota RAV4 vs Mazda CX-7 vs Ford Edge
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I still stand by my previous assertion that unless this conversion package is made (or at least endorsed) by Hyundai, I'd steer clear.
http://www.xenonrider.com/flyersale/faq.shtml
In any case, read all the way down to the bottom- any HID lighting that is not OEM (i.e., factory installed) is not street legal. Unless you think that laws are just for other people, aftermarket HID conversion isn't an option.
My suggestion is to test drive both. Also, have you considered any others in the class?
I all so like the outlander. I have been it them a few times and they are pretty nice. I will have a lot of test driving to now!!
Colleague here at work just got one of those Nuclear Orange Glow Metallic ones. :shades:
According to the latest Ford Edge commercials in the tri-state area, Derek Jeter has his in Blazing Copper as well.
That chart has some serious flaws, though.
They give credit for the paddle shifters twice.
RAV4 offers 18" rims and they list only 17"s. That's incorrect.
DRLs on a Toyota are just a matter of installing a jumper. The spare fuse included does the trick. 5 seconds do-it-yourself, and extremely easy. Not exactly "Optional, dealer installed" as they say.
They credit the Outlander for having a lower base price and then they credit it again for many options that are not included in the price. If Mitsu gets credit for options, then they should compare the prices including those options, naturally.
Just read the chart carefully, is my suggestion.
Nope. Once. Paddle shifters is a convenience feature: transmission control on steering wheel.
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>> RAV4 offers 18" rims and they list only 17"s. That's incorrect.
Nope. Top of the line RAV4 “Limited” comes only with 17” tires. You could get 18” tires on “Sport” version, but then you would loose a bunch of features, such as heated seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, leather seats, auto headlights off, dual zone AC, rear DVD system, and a bunch of other stuff. So RAV would be even in bigger disadvantage.
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>> DRLs on a Toyota are just a matter of installing a jumper. The spare fuse included does the trick. 5 seconds do-it-yourself, and extremely easy. Not exactly "Optional, dealer installed" as they say.
Sure, some can do-it-yourself 18” tires, navigation system and “jumpers”. But some don’t even know what the jumper/fuse is. When I pay this kind of money, I don’t what to learn about some jumpers. Besides, on RAV it’s extra $40.
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>> They credit the Outlander for having a lower base price and then they credit it again for many options that are not included in the price. If Mitsu gets credit for options, then they should compare the prices including those options, naturally.
The MSRP price is for the car with no packages, only with standard features. And there is a clear indication, which features are standard.
Outlander offers many more standard features at lower price.
Comparing them fully loaded, the Outlander still offers more features for less money. You can get loaded Outlander for $29K. Fully loaded (with outdated features) RAV4 True Market Value, according to Edmunds.com is $33.3K.
Either way, standard or loaded, Outlander offers many more features for less money. Just read the chart carefully, is my suggestion.
May be irrelevant but I found them very interesting.
(note. some of the cars in these review had diesel engine)
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/209318/chevrolet_captiva_v_hy- undai_santa_fe_v_honda_crv.html
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/203664/land_rover_freelander_- v_honda_crv_ex_v_hyundai_s_fe_v_nissan_xtrail.html
The transmission is mentioned twice. Look again.
You read the list and might think you can't get 18" rims at all. Plus, replacement tires cost more and you sacrfice ride and unsprung weight, so bigger is not automatically better. Look at the slalom and skidpad results to determine that. They give Mitsu double credit, because better tires are the reason it had better times in the figure 8 to begin with.
You can use a 15 amp fuse rather than a jumper. It's much simpler than you think.
Outlander does offer more features, but my point was the list was a bit misleading, and Edmunds still picked the RAV4 as the winner.
I don't own a RAV4, for me the gate that swings open the wrong way and blocks the curb was a deal killer.
I'll let each shopper look up TCO, but your actual cost depends on the depreciation, not on the MSRP. It's what you pay minus what you get for it when you sell it.
ALG rates the RAV4 with 5 stars for depreciation, best possible score, while the Outlander only gets 2 stars, pretty poor.
You may get more features, but in the end I bet it ends up costing you more in depreciation (plus a little more gas, too), so you will pay more for it down the road.
Look at your cost of ownership, not MSRP, which is meaningless nowadays.
https://www.alg.com/deprratings.aspx
A lot of people will cross shop the Edge & CX-9. I have owned both recently.
I purchased an AWD Mazda CX-9 GT on Memorial Day and hated it so much I traded it for an AWD Edge SEL+ on Labor Day weekend. I got a great deal on a demo Edge so I did not lose that much money on the trade. The seats in the CX-9 were the most uncomfortable that I have ever had. They are ok for short trips, but are very hard on long trips. The GT trim seats also have a very uncomfortable seam running down the side bolsters that can cut into your hips and rear end. If you are fairly thin and light this probably will not be a problem. However if you are large, I HIGHLY recomend that you spend a LOT of seat time the CX-9 before you buy one. It is quite expensive to have the upolstery/seat modified. It would have cost me more to have the seats modified ( so that they Matched ) than trading it for the Edge because of the two tone leather used in the seats.
I love the Edge... It is roomy comfortable and quite. I love the vista roof. It is the only sun roof that I have seen that you can open at 70mph and still have a normal conversation or hear the stereo. Both vehicles had the top of the line stereo. The Mazda Bose sounded a little better, but the controls on teh Edge are much better. For example you could not pause a CD/MP3 on the Mazda. There was no Mute Button on the Mazda either. I like the key pad entry. I like the trip computer. The nav system is better than the one in the CX-9. The voice command in the CX-9 is useless and the DVD map is badly out of date...
There were also a lot of little thing about the CX-9 that irritated me as well... Like the strange door locking/unlocking program. It had very little usable interior room for such a large vehicle. Ride was quite stiff with the 20" wheels... There was a lot of wind noise from the side mirrors... The sunroof was very noisy even at low speeds. It only got about 15mpg... It was also a little slower than the Edge due to the extra weight. It did handle a little better than the Edge.
Some people seem to love the cx-9, but I hated it....
I test drove the CX9 and what bothered me was the center console had a small portion that juts out and rubbed against my right knee. It annoyed me the same way the cup holder in the new Mazda Miata annoys my left knee!
Minor ergonomic issues like that can drive you crazy, though.
Here's a photo: it's the silver stripe that runs along the top/side of the console. There is no reason for it to stick out like that, but my knee ended up resting on that hard surface and I was not comfortable either.
Other issues I found on a test drive - the heated seats were only on/off rather than many levels, and the On position was burning hot (even with the A/C on, which is weird). Visibility to the back was poor but the backup camera addressed that.
I liked it otherwise. Didn't spend enough time in the seats to feel what you felt.
The thing to note in the picture is the very hard rolled edge seam where the dark leather meets the light leather in the side bolsters on the seat bottoms. If you rear/hips are wide enough to hit them, they will probably bother you....
Overall, the wide center console also makes the foot well seem a bit narrow, especially on the right side. Note there is more room on the left beyond the seat.
Both are very different vehicles, the Cx9 is bigger and lighter than the Edge, the engine gets tuned different than the Edge, the transmission is not the same.
"the heated seats were only on/off rather than many levels"
The heated seats will be the same temp. as your Heater, you set at 75 the seat will be at the same temp. it is not cooled, so will only be at high if you are running the A/C.
"... It was also a little slower than the Edge due to the extra weight. It did handle a little better than the Edge."
The Cx9 0-60 listed:7.7 sec. The Edge: 8.3 sec! It's the gear ratios that make you feel moving fast and the bouncy suspension. The CX9 will stop 22 feet shorter than the Edge from 70 mph.
The sunroof in the CX9 opens automatically all the way unless you stop it, unlike the Edge, so it will seem noisy.
Too bad your salesman did show you how you can activate the mute button(its in the owners manual) by cancelling the voice command. Same goes for:"Like the strange door locking/unlocking program"
The mpg forums seems to be equal for both cars.
Too bad you did not fit in the seats, everyone is built different. Enjoy your Edge, its a very sharp looking car.
That doesn't make sense to me.
If I want A/C, why would I want the seats burning hot? :confuse:
It was so hot is actually hurt. I had to turn it off. You could cook burgers on it!
If it's linked to the climate control temps then you still would never have it above a certain temperature.
For 2007 the engine was the same, for 2008 Mazda is now building the engine in Japan, and it is a 3.7L with 273hp and 270tq. The tranny's are also different, and I think that is where the Mazda has a distinct advantage, as well as Mazda's suspension setup. AWD system is also the same.
The Edge and CX-9 really drive nothing like one another. IMO
Why would you turn the heated seats on while you're sweating? :confuse:
Avi I agree, but when you drive both cars and rev the motor, they don't sound like the same motor! A few magazines commented on that.
You just want a little heat to take the edge off. It was still mid summer.
Any how, no matter what, under no circumstances should heated seats burn your backside. Mazda has to limit how hot it gets.
Back's better now.
We ended up getting a minivan. I test drove several crossovers but every one made major compromises in space compared to a minivan, and cost more, and used more fuel, and...the list goes on.
We all get caught up on image, and what other people thing about us, but the fact is a van is simply the best choice for most families.
Ours has power doors (WONDERFUL feature), a 12.1" movie screen, room for 8, and 30.6mpg on our last trip. With 266hp on tap. And I paid $25k for it.
No crossover can do all that.
Mazda's heated seats work in a pulsating way. As soon as they get hot, they turn off for a little while, then automatically turn back on....the heated seat switch stays lite the entire time, though.
My expectations are high for a Mazda because my Miata is 14 years old and still perfectly reliable. :shades:
"the heated seats were only on/off rather than many levels"
The heated seats will be the same temp. as your Heater, you set at 75 the seat will be at the same temp. it is not cooled, so will only be at high if you are running the A/C.
The heated seats in the CX-9 simply pulse on and off with a timer. They have absolutely NOTHING to do with the temp setting...
"... It was also a little slower than the Edge due to the extra weight. It did handle a little better than the Edge."
The Cx9 0-60 listed:7.7 sec. The Edge: 8.3 sec! It's the gear ratios that make you feel moving fast and the bouncy suspension. The CX9 will stop 22 feet shorter than the Edge from 70 mph.
I do not know where you got your numbers, but I can assure you that the Edge is quicker to 60mph than the CX-9 which is about 200-300lb heaver. I have owned and tested both my self and now this for a fact. The Edge also has a better acceleration in the 40-70mph range which is usefull for passing on the highway.
The brakes are better on the CX-9, but my test show that there is only about 10ft difference period... Again this is based on first hand test and not by magazine reviews done with different driver on different surfaces in different conditions.
The sunroof in the CX9 opens automatically all the way unless you stop it, unlike the Edge, so it will seem noisy.
Too bad your salesman did show you how you can activate the mute button(its in the owners manual) by cancelling the voice command. Same goes for:"Like the strange door locking/unlocking program"
It does not matter how much you open the sun roof in the CX-9 it is still VERY noisy. The amount of opening has nothing to do with it. The voice command could not be deactivated. I tried the procedure and it did NOT work...
The door locking cannot be altered in the cx-9. All you can do is have the dealer have the door automatically lock when you walk away. ( wich only works about 1/2 of the time by the way) I had this done and it still had the strangest way of locking/un-locking of any vehicle that I have ever owned. For example if the driver door is open you cannot unlock any of the doors with the fob or the buttons on the door handles.
Can't argue with you there!
Santa FE 6 cylinder 2.7 GLS with auto 2007:
When I went to two dealerships, noticed fit and trim problems with the Santa Fe as far as wiper blades that seem to already be rusting, deep scratches on the paint on new car, after market parts falling off. Twice on two different cars right in front of me. Really scares me that these issues are there though cosmetic they could lead me to believe there are mechanical issues that I should also be concerned with. Not sure I trust MPG that is stated on window, edmunds forum tends to agree. Two interior colors camel and light grey. Rather have darker interiors. Nice looking SUV on the outside. Large cargo and interior.
CRV: 4 cylinder 2008
Thought it was a bit smaller and noiser and slower then the other two. I seem to have issues with inline 4. Rather have the DOHC, Real time price was slightly higher then other two. Great colors for inside and out. Like it that it comes with a dark interior. But could always use more colors. MPG also goood, Honda MPG rating not as reliable as Toyotas.
RAV 4: 4 cylinder 2007
Not as noisey or slow as the CRV maybe due to DOHC. Limited interior colors but darker grey then the Santa FE. Gets pretty good MPG and I actually believe the window when it comes to that since I have had many toyotas with stated MPG being realistic. Prices tend to fluculate depending on what is available on the lot at the time.
Not sure there are any other SUV's I would be interested in. The Saturn hybrid VUE was interesting but I tend to think GM can't make decent engine/transmission/suspension/electrical. They even went as far as putting in a honda drivetrain at one point. The 2008 dont even have the plastic door panels which I think was a big mistake to get rid of.
Interior colors a big problem with me when they are too light. I want to keep these cars for many many years. If they get nasty looking it turns me off.
It is obvious that you do not have any first hand experiance with the Edge and are quite mis-informed on the CX-9. I have owned both and know exactly what they will and will not do.
As for posting here, I know that many people ( myself included ) will and do cross shop the Edge and the CX-9.
P.S. I have bashed the CX-9 on many other fourms, so I guess you need to do some more digging...
Um...huh? :confuse:
I think he meant to say that the "Honda MPG isn't as good as the Toyotas."
Honda does have DOHC inline 4. I am not sure what you think DOHC is, but it simply stands for Double OverHead Camshafts.
Good luck in your car search.
YMMV.
I can say that my Toyota Sienna far exceeds the EPA numbers, even pre-2008.
However, one of the reasons why it's ranking is so low is because they call the GMC triplets (Acadia, Enclave, Envoy) as MID-SIZED SUVs. Aren't these three vehicles large SUVs! Their dimensions are only an inch or two off the Tahoe or Yukon!