Used compact/mid-sized SUV's
- Thread starter K Douglas
- Start date
If you want something more reliable, check out similar sized Toyota SUVs. Toyota makes extremely reliable vehicles. Just my 2 cents worth.
Both the Acura and Lexus are excellent choices. Stay away from used Nissan's, they have a reputation for bad CVT transmissions.
Other options if you could explore are, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav4, and Mazda CX5.
He mentioned a Lexus as once of his choices. Same company. Almost every Lexus shares a platform with a Toyota model.
That's correct, just giving him options.
While premium gas is "recommended" on many vehicles, it's not always "required."My parents have a 2015 Acura MDX and it has been nothing but reliable. The only thing that suck is having to put premium gas. It has been so reliable that they don’t know if it’s worth it to upgrade to the 2024 model as it’s more of want than a need
Some cars that need premium need at least 91 octane, and others may require at least 93 octane. If the owner's manual recommends premium gas instead of requiring it, you can typically operate the vehicle safely on regular gas.
That's because modern cars have knock sensors that detects pre-ignition and simply retards the ignition to prevent damaging the pistons. Many people needlessly put way more expensive premium gas in their cars when it's not really required.
Published vehicle torque and HP values are based on using a specific octane. If you want your car to achieve those numbers, you want to use the fuel the manufacturer used during testing. For the most part, people aren't going to notice the difference between fuels, so you can often use regular fuel without any problem.
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Second the comment about the Nissan, the CVTs are junk. Buddy has a CX-5 and its pretty nice but the infotainment system is a nightmare compared to the others, seems a little more upscale compared to the Rav and CRVs I’ve been in but maybe the others were lower optioned models.
I like Mazdas. It really comes down to if you like the rotary dial interface system (I do), though the newer ones also support touch. Android Auto or Apple CarPlay pretty much makes that moot. If you want to use the included tech you can usually buy a $50 navigation card from Amazon (or wherever) instead of spending hundreds on a dealership one. I bought a $50 navigation card just in case I have issues with my phone. I find the 2023 and newer infotainment system looks nice and to be much better than older versions. YMMV.
If the OP doesn't mind smaller they may be able to get a new CX-30 for a price that is pretty competitive with a used bigger SUV. The CX-30 is nice because it's basically a lifted Mazda 3. You can get it with a good automatic transmission, and AWD, though you may want better winter tires. The turbo has a reputation for being thirsty and burning some oil, but the non-turbo version is still peppy, and has good range. Fun, but efficient and reliable, though it has a small backseat and trunk.
Bro…. Get a Subaru. Great in the snow and you automatically become attractive to Lesbians and granola-eating dog lovers.
My dad owned a 2005 MDX it was a great SUV up until about 140K then there were some issues that required $$$. So if your folks are close to that mileage they may want to look at trading in for a newer model. The car I have right now requires premium gas so I'm used to $100 fill ups.My parents have a 2015 Acura MDX and it has been nothing but reliable. The only thing that suck is having to put premium gas. It has been so reliable that they don’t know if it’s worth it to upgrade to the 2024 model as it’s more of want than a need
You don't even need that nav card. Depending on the firmware, you can just pop a usb into your console. Mzd aio 2.8.6 has wifi support now so it was pretty simple to setup.
After choosing what you want, save thr files to your usb and pop it in your car. It took about 10mins to setup. It's not perfect but it does the job.
Neat. Still no big regrets on the Nav card-- Yes, free is better than $50, which is better than hundreds, but at least I have that bit of redundancy (because I'm often in the middle of nowhere).
I've had both phone updates and Android Auto updates (edit: before it was baked into Android, AFAIR) "break" Android Auto in different vehicles in the past. Add vehicle firmware updates into the mix, and Maps updates... As terrible as built in navigation usually is I do like to have it in a vehicle.
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f you man
I have a Subaru and LOVE it !!!
and I hate granola
I was a devoted Infiniti guy, made the change last year and I'm never going back
I would stay away from any turbo engines
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Next you're going to tell us than not all Miata drivers are gay hairdressers, and not all BMW drivers are assholes on (and often off) the road.
Subi's are nice, drove a friend's WRX and BRZ a few times, both manual and both equally insanely fun. The only problem with them for me is, I'd get speeding tickets with them.f you man
I have a Subaru and LOVE it !!!
and I hate granola
I was a devoted Infiniti guy, made the change last year and I'm never going back
I would stay away from any turbo engines
I ended up test driving a 2018 CX-50I didn't love it. It seemed underpowered to me. The seats were awesome though and I like its size. I scratched the Rogue from my list I read up on those CVT transmissions.
So its down to the RDX and the NX200t.
So its down to the RDX and the NX200t.
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Bottom trim by any chance? Mazda does have some unfortunately un-Mazda like engines on lower trim models (especially in previous years). A 2018 156hp CX-5 would feel like a dog. Typically the next engine up will feel like a more fun CRV of the same era.
The CX-5, CX-50, CX-3, and CX-30 all look remarkably similar on the exterior because of Mazda's unified styling. The 5 and 50 are Mazda's answer to the CRV (but typically more fun to drive and with a mechanical transmission). The 3 and 30 are basically lifted Mazda 3s and are subcompact SUVs, and are fun in the way a Mazda 3 is, but with a couple inches more ground clearance and headroom.
No it wasn't bottom trim. IIRC the engine was 2.5L 4 cyl approx 180 hp. Perhaps seems underpowered because I"m used to driving a 6 cylinder
