Topic: Comparison Test: 2017 Compact SUVs Part 1 – $35,000

[TheHire]

Something I learned about the CX-5... it has double-pane glass on the front windows. Only vehicle in its segment to have that. We currently have a GT on test and it drives beautifully.

[sacrat]

Wow, you gave VW only 7 in seating but Subaru  7.7!
I found the seats so uncomfortable I would not even take a Forester out for a drive ( I thought the Outback seats were a lot better) , I found the Tiguan seat to be very good

I'd agree. The seats in the Forester were the deal breaker (along with overall interior quality and road noise) when my daughter was shopping.

For a 2017??  The difference from last year even is remarkable in both categories.

I sat in a Forester at the auto show in March and was very impressed by the rear visibility. Seat comfort seemed good based admittedly on a short test. It also offers many more safety features at a lower price point than my traditional Hyundai choice. The one I sat in was the same as the test vehicle (2.5 Touring with tech).

[rrocket]

the headgasket issue was for early 2000s non-turbo models - since been fixed

Nope.  2009's that are hitting 200K are now having HG failures.

Yep.

And the ones with turbos, blow turbos.

Subaru and "reliable" shouldn't be used in the same sentence, generally.

But his benchmark for comparison are Italian cars.  So in that regards, I suppose Subarus are reliable.

[Noto]

Hmm, I wonder if the XT version will be showing in the over 35 group?  I guess I will wait and see 

All I'll say is that none of these four exact cars are in next week's article. 

Something I learned about the CX-5... it has double-pane glass on the front windows. Only vehicle in its segment to have that.

... Perhaps true, but it's not the quietest in the segment.  Quiet, yes, but not the quietest.

[ChaosphereIX]

the headgasket issue was for early 2000s non-turbo models - since been fixed

Nope.  2009's that are hitting 200K are now having HG failures.

Yep.

And the ones with turbos, blow turbos.

Subaru and "reliable" shouldn't be used in the same sentence, generally.

But his benchmark for comparison are Italian cars.  So in that regards, I suppose Subarus are reliable.

well I never heard of those issues - only heard good things from owners I know

you learn something every day

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I had three Subarus. The only unscheduled issue was a bad battery in the 2008, which was replaced in 2009.

Some people have issues, but, using the Forester as an example, you have to go back to 2011 models before engine issues show up on Consumer Reports surveys, everything else is pretty solid.

[evil_twin]

You never know. MY 2010 WRX blew its tranny like 6 months into ownership.

Keep in mind, Vmango wore a flat-brimmed hat and white shades at this point in his life though....

[TheHire]

Something I learned about the CX-5... it has double-pane glass on the front windows. Only vehicle in its segment to have that.

... Perhaps the, but it's not the quietest I'm the segment.  Quiet, yes, but not the quietest.

Yes, I know this. However, it's a solid effort considering the outgoing CX-5 was one of the loudest in its segment.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

You never know. MY 2010 WRX blew its tranny like 6 months into ownership.

Keep in mind, Vmango wore a flat-brimmed hat and white shades at this point in his life though....

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Can't forget this either:

The gold chain image of the Corvette driver should have faded away long ago. 

I think you're right. I was just poking fun. 

I think that image is still in a lot of people's minds. It's just that it no longer has much basis in truth.

I dunno man...this picture of this guy driving a Vette is pretty recent...   (Sorry..couldn't resist)

Sorry man. I blame Ron. 

[whaddaiknow]

Yes, I know this. However, it's a solid effort considering the outgoing CX-5 was one of the loudest in its segment.

Last October, I had a CX-5 for a whole day as a rental while daily driving the Forester (exactly as tested in the article). I had high expectations for the Mazda but I was happy to be back in the Forester.
1) I never thought that visibility could play such an important role and now I actually consider it a safety feature. I just feel at ease in the Subie because I can easily see around me. Not so much in the Mazda.
2) The Mazda interior, both ergonomically and visually, underwhelmed me.

2017 Forester, once warmed up, is very quiet.

The driver seat comfort in the Forester, OTOH, could be much better as I find the seat bottom too short and seat height too high for my liking, even though I have learned to live with it eventually. Guess, it is an inevitable compromise in a compact CUV with decent cargo space.

Almost 19,000km on the Forester in 9 months.

[wing]

Something I learned about the CX-5... it has double-pane glass on the front windows. Only vehicle in its segment to have that. We currently have a GT on test and it drives beautifully.

Escape has Ford's Sound safe or whatever you want to call it.  Very quiet.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Oh, now it's on!

 

[Noto]

Which is the quietest?

stay turned!

[Sir Osis of Liver]

No. It's opinion. I didn't see enough of a difference in overall quality to make up for the god awful HMI setup in Mazdas.

[EV-Light]

Yes, I know this. However, it's a solid effort considering the outgoing CX-5 was one of the loudest in its segment.

Last October, I had a CX-5 for a whole day as a rental while daily driving the Forester (exactly as tested in the article). I had high expectations for the Mazda but I was happy to be back in the Forester.
1) I never thought that visibility could play such an important role and now I actually consider it a safety feature. I just feel at ease in the Subie because I can easily see around me. Not so much in the Mazda.
2) The Mazda interior, both ergonomically and visually, underwhelmed me.

2017 Forester, once warmed up, is very quiet.

The driver seat comfort in the Forester, OTOH, could be much better as I find the seat bottom too short and seat height too high for my liking, even though I have learned to live with it eventually. Guess, it is an inevitable compromise in a compact CUV with decent cargo space.

Almost 19,000km on the Forester in 9 months.

The Mazda interior underwhelmed you?  In comparison to the Subaru, the Mazda feels and looks like 2 classes above.  This isn't even a matter of opinion.  It's fact.

I would probably go for the Subaru just for the AWD system but lets not sugar coat the fit, finish, and quality of the interior.

Perhaps he tried a 2016.5? The 2017 is absolutely best in class.


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[johngenx]

Subaru's are still odd.  The products are much more mainstream than ever, but they are still a gamble.  There's lots of Subaru owners out there with great ownership experiences, but I find they usually have some "well, except for that one thing" section to their story.  Like Trainman - "it was great except for the HG failure at 190K."

I suspect for new buyer keeping their cars for 4-5 years, the Forester is a more than safe bet.  It's the long term owner that might get caught up by the Subaru quirkiness.  Even the newer models have packaging issues that make service and repairs challenging at times and there's still design weirdness that can be head-scratching at best and downright frustrating at worst.

I suspect I would be far less critical of Subaru had I not started buying Toyotas.  The difference in thought pertaining to longevity and ease of service and repairs is startling.  A couple of years ago I did basically the same job at the same time on the Corolla and Forester - and it involved changing the serpentine belt.  The difference in terms of fastener quality and the system to tension the belt was amazing.  The Corolla's bits all felt over-engineered and robust and the Forester's parts felt flimsy and cheap.

I know most people want to know how soft the dash is, but it's when you get behind panels or get a wrench on things under the hood that you begin to see where manufacturers spend their money.

[NormT]

I will take this one


Or this one


Modern ones are nothing more than jacked up hatchbacks with cladding. Interesting about the Subaru, seems they at least still know how to build vehicles that can do more than go to Walmart...

You are assuming of course it makes it to

Subaru is one of the most reliable brands out there.

And I don't like salad.

Good video of the Subaru AWD failing on the stopped on a snow cover hill test. 

https://youtu.be/PUXCKaR9ZUo

Subaru has been dropping in reliability scores the last year or two.

[NormT]

[/quote]

All that sounds to me is time to turn the wifes Outback into a fire breathing, forged piston, turbo machine....but your views may vary.
[/quote]

No, it'll puff blue smoke and have sever piston slap on cold start and your neighbors will look at your rattle trap like our 2012, that did all of the above, like it is on it's  last legs.

[NormT]

RE transmission:
Nope, you're totally wrong. The DCT is a much better box, and as mentioned, better for performance too.

The DCT in the 1.6T  Tucson we test drove last year was awful,  and the main reason we bought an Escape instead. I understand Hyundai has done some software updates which improves things somewhat...

We rented and ended up with a 2017 Escape  SE with 3,000 miles on it.  Super low end torque and transmission shift was spot on and so seamless I'd say it is one of the best with a torque converter.  The seats had my bum sore on our the 6 hour drive.  But the AWD SE was getting 32.3 mpg at 65 mph.