AWD/4x4 Crossovers

[403Gemini]

Hey guys

So last year I ended up switching positions at my company where I had a company vehicle (Nissan rogue) and moving back into the office and I had to give up the company car. At that time I just needed a cheap point A to B vehicle that was reasonable on gas. I ended up settling on an Elantra because it gave the most amount of options, decent gas mileage and was one of the most reasonably priced (the sentra and civic were missing things like heated seats, cruise control etc)

Well this year I had a few huge changes in my life , got married , switched careers all together (for a fairly substantial wage increase... ) and I got another work vehicle (F150, however no back seats since it's just a work truck).

After driving this last week I came to the realization that I really missed AWD in the winter. Before my Elantra I had a WRX but sold it to pay off debt a few years back to buy my house. Now since I'm married we're looking at probably having kids in the next two years or so, so I'm looking at swapping out the Elantra and moving towards an AWD or 4x4 vehicle and was looking for suggestions (yep... another one of "THOSE THREADS!)

This is what I'm between , and any suggestions are appreciated!

A.) Ford Edge
B.) Jeep Wrangler
C.) Nissan Xterra

I'm aiming between 40,000-50,000 , preferably with heated seats in the vehicle, and AWD/4x4 is a must

Does anybody have any recommendations or should i look out for anything with the vehicles I've listed? The thing that makes me worried about the jeep wrangler is my friend told me about their "Death wobble" yesterday and googling a few videos I'm a bit leary on them now... but I don't know if it's cause those people off road a bunch or what, which I certainly won't be.

Thanks guys !

[bourge73]

Not a whole lot of advice but I recently
Had a new explorer limited for a week
And loved it. Great power from the ecoboost.
I'd say check one out along with the edge. Oh and
We have a 2013 CRV with awd and heated seats been
Awesome so far especially with winter tires
Thing is a tank and still great on gas.

[prae]

Even with the 4-door Wrangler Unlimited, I'm not sure the Jeep really represents a practical DD. And the thought of a 40k Wrangler makes me queasy. They're pretty cool though, I'll admit, and the new pentastar V6 sounds like a solid powertrain.

Personally if I was in the market for a small crossover I'd be looking at CPO V6 RAV4s or a 1st gen RDX.

Wish we had diesel tiguans in NA. :banghead:

[prae]

Also- is your work truck not 4x4?

I don't want to turn this thread into a debate on the merits of "full time awd" versus a "part time 4x4" system- but with weather like we've had in the past week, I pretty much cruise around in 4hi all the time, until I'm on dry pavement the majority of time. Full-blown 4x4 isn't all that suited to mixed-condition city driving IMO- especially at freeway/highway speeds, I worry about wear on my drivetrain.

I'd lean towards a good quality full time AWD system over an offroad machine personally.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by prae
Even with the 4-door Wrangler Unlimited, I'm not sure the Jeep really represents a practical DD.

Have you been in a new one? The interiors are fantastic, and definitely DD'able.

[dirtsniffer]

Good quality being key. AWD systems are not created equal.

[prae]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


Have you been in a new one? The interiors are fantastic, and definitely DD'able.


I'll admit that I have not! I definitely have romanticized about owning one.

[prae]

great, now this thread has me building 2014 wranglers and cruising kijiji. lol

[A790]

We just picked up a 2014 Cherokee Trailhawk. Ours was fortunate enough to come without bumper problems lol.

We got the 271 hp V6 and fully loaded, came to just over 39k. I've been really enjoying it during the last few days. This thing chews through snow without issues, and I'm very surprised by the overall fit/finish as it's far better than what I was expecting from a Chrysler product.

Features I've discovered it has: heated seats/steering wheel, built in remote start, keyless start/entry, adaptive cruiser control, nav/backup camera/handsfree audio, sunroof, hill ascent/descent, off-road mode selection, and I'm sure a whole bunch more.

People don't like how they look, but in person I find it to be way more attractive than in photos.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[CanmoreOrLess]

AWD, a kid or two to the mix and affordable? It all sounds like someone is going to be thinking of a safer vehicle and if you're not personally firing those brain cells, rest assured your wife wants the safest vehicle available for her new bundled project. You could roll the dice and get a poorly crash rated vehicle like a Wrangler, I doubt there is a worse vehicle for the road. Off road is another topic and this is what the vehicle is designed for.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/jeep/wrangler-4-door

Search here for a 2013 TOP SAFETY PICK+:
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings

The mid-sized Ford Edge does well in these tests. IMO buy new, keep the vehicle for five years plus, the Subaru Forester has the highest possible small SUV safety rating from the IIHS., it was also the only one of 13 small SUVs to earn an overall rating of good in the overlap front crash tests. All the others rated poor or marginal.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/subaru/forester

Forester awards including the Motor Trend's
2014 Sport/Utility of the Year: http://www.subaru.com/why-subaru/reviews-awards.html

[Axe]

Maybe look at a Toyota highlander. If kids are in the picture; it has 3 rows if needed. I like the full time AWD 50/50 split.

Some of the other options default to FWD or RWD (Wrangler, Xterra) and the 4x4 or AWD mode has to be deliberately engaged from what I understand. There are fuel economy trade offs that come along with this; but if you miss the AWD WRX then you may be happier with a vehicle that has a full time AWD system. My two cents.

[frozenrice]

There's also the Honda Pilot, it has a third row like a Highlander.

[Ca_Silvia13]

Don't consider the Wrangler. Terrible all round performance (unless you run mudders and drive in the bush). And the deal breaker for me, V8 gas mileage and V6 performance.

For the money buy something else. I used to own one, they're terrible trucks for DD.


I am not a Toyota guy but last year i went on a ice fishing trip to Slave lake. The guy i rode with had fully loaded 4 Runner with some self leveling 4x4 system. Im not sure what the model level was called but that truck was un stoppable in fresh snow, ice, huge snow banks out on the lake. I was very impressed. Thats the only time i've ever said that about a Toyota. Its worth a look if you are shopping in the 40-50k range

[ercchry]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


Have you been in a new one? The interiors are fantastic, and definitely DD'able.

But have you ever owned one? ... they are still a solid 15 years behind any road going vehicle

[01RedDX]

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[FraserB]

Originally posted by Ca_Silvia13
Don't consider the Wrangler. And the deal breaker for me, V8 gas mileage and V6 performance.



Fixed this with the 2012+ Pentastars

[01RedDX]

.

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by prae
Also- is your work truck not 4x4?

I don't want to turn this thread into a debate on the merits of "full time awd" versus a "part time 4x4" system- but with weather like we've had in the past week, I pretty much cruise around in 4hi all the time, until I'm on dry pavement the majority of time. Full-blown 4x4 isn't all that suited to mixed-condition city driving IMO- especially at freeway/highway speeds, I worry about wear on my drivetrain.

I'd lean towards a good quality full time AWD system over an offroad machine personally.

Yeah work truck is 4x4 , however no back seats so no space for a car seat

Thanks for the input guys! Leaning towards the edge , now hope I can get one for a reasonable price for the elantra trade in which still has some money owing on it

[msommers]

That price you're definitely in 4runner territory, and I absolutely adore mine. I don't really like their latest frontend update that my much but the interior is a bit nicer.

Unless you need the cargo room, there are better options in terms of bells & whistles and fuel consumtion. I would look at Audi personally, either a Q5 or quattro wagon if I was buying.

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by A790
We just picked up a 2014 Cherokee Trailhawk. Ours was fortunate enough to come without bumper problems lol.

We got the 271 hp V6 and fully loaded, came to just over 39k. I've been really enjoying it during the last few days. This thing chews through snow without issues, and I'm very surprised by the overall fit/finish as it's far better than what I was expecting from a Chrysler product.

Features I've discovered it has: heated seats/steering wheel, built in remote start, keyless start/entry, adaptive cruiser control, nav/backup camera/handsfree audio, sunroof, hill ascent/descent, off-road mode selection, and I'm sure a whole bunch more.

People don't like how they look, but in person I find it to be way more attractive than in photos.

After seeing one of these in person, you nailed it - the photos make this vehicle look atrocious. They're pretty nice in person!

I did end up going with the Edge AWD (SEL model) , but was considering the Cherokee after seeing it in person. I ended up getting it fully loaded (AWD, Heated seats, sunroof, remote starter, dual climate control, reverse camera, GPS etc) - I'm loving this vehicle. Maybe it's cause I've been stuck with such bland cars since I sold my WRX to buy my house, but I actually enjoy getting in it and I haven't felt this excited to be driving a vehicle in awhile (even though there is nothing overly exciting about it other than it's loaded and it's comfortable)

Thanks for the input all :)

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
My 14' Q5 was quite a bit less than 50K out the door, and I even splurged on the progressiv pacakge with memory seats and bi-xenon lights. Heated seats were standard.

It has been rediculously good this past week, even plows over the big 3 foot berm of snow in front of my driveway with little effort.

the 2.0T is better on fuel than everything else you have on your list, plus it has a stupid amount of torque and an 8-speed transmission so it will go 0-60 in well under 7 seconds... the 14' is quicker than the 13' models so it might be closer to 6.5s.

I had a 2011 CR-V as my DD before, comparable platforms... but the Honda was boring while the fun factor on this Audi is through the roof.

+1 on the Q5, if you are willing to spend $40-50K, not much can touch it (if the size works for you). You can get a pretty well loaded 2.0T (the better of the two anyway IMO) for $50K.

That was #1 on our list as well when shopping, but the wait was too long for a new one and the used market only had 1 or 2 to choose from being so popular.

You're looking at some fairly different sized vehicles though so your options are fairly diverse.

EDIT: Just saw you already bought something haha.

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


+1 on the Q5, if you are willing to spend $40-50K, not much can touch it (if the size works for you). You can get a pretty well loaded 2.0T (the better of the two anyway IMO) for $50K.

That was #1 on our list as well when shopping, but the wait was too long for a new one and the used market only had 1 or 2 to choose from being so popular.

You're looking at some fairly different sized vehicles though so your options are fairly diverse.

EDIT: Just saw you already bought something haha.

Even still, appreciate the input, good for any future potential buyers

[freshprince1]

Here's my input...since you asked:

I drove the Edge for 3 weeks as a rental. Absolutely loved it. As a family man, this would have been sufficient for 2 kids and a little storage. Drives great. Very comfortable.

I also looked into the Xterra when we were at your stage. My findings were thus: It is a great 4x4 SUV, but very narrow. It would not likely be a good family vehicle. They are vary reliable, sturdy and tough 4x4's, but they're thirsty on the gas.

We ended up going with a GMC Envoy for the past 4 years. I was a bit reluctant buying a GM, but it turned out to be a great famiily vehicle. Big and safe. Great AWD & 4x4. Thirsty on Gas, but not too bad for it being a heavy full sized SUV. They're cheap to get into, and cheap to fix when needed. The 4.2 I6 is near bullet proof, but the electronics started to give us some trouble near the end. It was an '05, and we drive it from 2009-2013 and from 70K kms to 125K kms. My only complaint is that it's not a "driver's" vehicle. It comfortable and smooth, but handles like a refrigerator.

Your price range allows for a ton of options. I am also currently looking at a new SUV for me, and a back-up family car. I think the new Jeep Grand Cherokee's are fantastic. I also drove one for several weeks as a rental and was very impressed. At that price range though, my choice would be a Lexus RX350. Solid reliability, great resale, sporty performance, room for 2 kids and a great AWD.

I'd say the Edge is the best bet if you want something more affordable that is fun and nice to drive, with the potential to handle a couple kids in the future.

[clem24]

Originally posted by freshprince1
Big and safe.

Ugh.. And this is why North Americans love their SUVs. Big and safe perception with no actual basis in fact. :rolleyes:

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by clem24


Ugh.. And this is why North Americans love their SUVs. Big and safe perception with no actual basis in fact. :rolleyes:

Depends. Crash tests are against solid unyielding objects, which simulates impact with a vehicle of identical mass. Tests with large cars vs. their smaller counterparts showed far more damage being incurred by the small vehicle. There's really nothing you can do to design against sheer inertial disparity.

[01RedDX]

.

[clem24]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat


Depends. Crash tests are against solid unyielding objects, which simulates impact with a vehicle of identical mass. Tests with large cars vs. their smaller counterparts showed far more damage being incurred by the small vehicle. There's really nothing you can do to design against sheer inertial disparity.

Right. So SUV owners are perpetuating this by creating this problem in the first place.

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by 01RedDX
Just curious why you didn't want to wait 6 months for the new model as the current one is 7 years old.

Hmmm I thought they had a re-design...? Besides I really enjoy the current styling.

This is the 1st version
http://4jjo.com/data_images/gallery/ford-edge/ford-edge-01.jpg

This is what mine looks like:

http://onsurga.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2011-Ford-Edge-Sport-White.jpg

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by clem24


Right. So SUV owners are perpetuating this by creating this problem in the first place.

Following that logic, trucking companies are also creating the problem. Have you a solution? Keep in mind that "large" also includes work trucks, vans, full-sized cars, etc.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by 403Gemini


Hmmm I thought they had a re-design...? Besides I really enjoy the current styling.

This is the 1st version
[bimg]http://4jjo.com/data_images/gallery/ford-edge/ford-edge-01.jpg

This is what mine looks like:

[bimg]http://onsurga.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2011-Ford-Edge-Sport-White.jpg

and the one you missed out on:

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/wp-content/uploads//2013/11/2015-ford-edge-concept-01.jpg

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by ercchry


and the one you missed out on:

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/wp-content/uploads//2013/11/2015-ford-edge-concept-01.jpg

If that's what I missed out on, I'm happy with the one i got :D (personal preference)

[benyl]

The one you got is a mid cycle refresh of the 1 st one you posted. Enjoy it.

[clem24]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat


Following that logic, trucking companies are also creating the problem. Have you a solution? Keep in mind that "large" also includes work trucks, vans, full-sized cars, etc.

Fair enough... But small SUVs and trucks won't stand a chance either. Besides, smaller, lighter, lower to the ground and more agile cars also have active safety features (i.e. higher possibly of avoiding said collision in the first place).

[Sugarphreak]

...

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by clem24


Fair enough... But small SUVs and trucks won't stand a chance either.



Absolutely true! That goes to show that rather than "cars vs. SUVs" there's a wide scale of sizes on the the road. Your initial comment was that SUVs are only "Safer" in perception - and that's true when they're up against a semi truck. But against a small car, they are indeed usually safer. That doesn't make SUVs "the problem" any more than it makes semis "the problem", it just means that driving is an inherently risky venture and you may or may not come up against a vehicle your size.



Besides, smaller, lighter, lower to the ground and more agile cars also have active safety features (i.e. higher possibly of avoiding said collision in the first place).

Sure, smaller cars are more agile - but do you figure the average Calgary driver has the skills to take advantage of that? ;)

[clem24]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat
Sure, smaller cars are more agile - but do you figure the average Calgary driver has the skills to take advantage of that? ;)

Why not? Stupid drivers are really good at swerving. :D

[ddduke]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
My 14' Q5 was quite a bit less than 50K out the door, and I even splurged on the progressiv pacakge with memory seats and bi-xenon lights. Heated seats were standard.

It has been rediculously good this past week, even plows over the big 3 foot berm of snow in front of my driveway with little effort.

the 2.0T is better on fuel than everything else you have on your list, plus it has a stupid amount of torque and an 8-speed transmission so it will go 0-60 in well under 7 seconds... the 14' is quicker than the 13' models so it might be closer to 6.5s.

I had a 2011 CR-V as my DD before, comparable platforms... but the Honda was boring while the fun factor on this Audi is through the roof.

I'd go this route. Resale is was better then any of the domestics and most of the Japanese compact suvs are ridiculously boring.

I was recently in the market for a new vehicle and almost pulled the trigger on a mkx (basically an edge) and just couldn't do it strictly based on how cheap looking the interior was. Fit and finish in German cars is so much better then the domestics, especially when it comes to things like seats and for the record I've owned a new Lariat Ford, 2 full load avalanches and a Jeep GC.

[Mista Bob]

Driven a Ford Edge a fair amount, and I liked it quite a bit. Was one of the first gen models though.
Decent power, good fuel mileage, AWD worked great in winter, never once had an issue with traction even when it was real bad out.
Although I might not be the best person to ask about fuel mileage, everything seems great after owning a Crown Vic.

I thought the interior was quite nice too, was a fully optioned car. Leather, power everything, heated seats n so on. Fairly roomy in the back seats also. Still plenty of storage room in the very back with the seats up.
Had the towing package on it but fuel mileage was real bad when towing anything heavy. But that is to be expected, especially since they aren't really meant for that.

[freshprince1]

Originally posted by clem24


Right. So SUV owners are perpetuating this by creating this problem in the first place.

This thread is asking opinions about moving to a crossover or SUV because the OP may start a family soon. That's what we did, and that's why I'm sharing our opinion.

Our Envoy was "big and safe" because it held all of the crap you have to lug around when you have kids, and given that most other vehicles out there are cars, it is arguably safer to be in an SUV.

My wife drove it the most and liked it because: the higher stance allowed good visibility, clearance over the snow, and ease of loading kids/carseats/groceries; built tougher than a car; strong 4x4 & AWD options providing excellent winter driving compared to a FWD car, and peace of mind that you likely won't get stuck.

Good luck, OP.

[nzwasp]

+1 on the toyota highlander although only hybrids have AWD the others are all fulltime 4wd.

I had an xterra and traded it for a highlander. We have a little kid too, the xterra would of been a mega pain in the ass putting the carseat in and out, and also because of the high seats in the back.

[403Gemini]

"Big and safe" also doesn't have to mean physically larger - sitting higher up, having more weight and having AWD is a much better feeling than sliding around in a light elantra, even with winter tires on

[mrsingh]

+2 on the Highlander, we had a 2011 Sport model and traded ours in on a Lexus RX. It has been about 6 months and I will admit I still often miss it, it was great for us.

[brandon]

Nice! I love the edge's.. I had the same debate going at the beginning of 2013 and went with the sel model on the flex purely for the larger towing capacity!

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by brandon
Nice! I love the edge's.. I had the same debate going at the beginning of 2013 and went with the sel model on the flex purely for the larger towing capacity!

How you finding the FLEX? They're sexy as hell! :thumbsup:

[bigbadboss101]

I find the Edge quite sexy. Nothing sexy about the Flex.

[A790]

Originally posted by 403Gemini


After seeing one of these in person, you nailed it - the photos make this vehicle look atrocious. They're pretty nice in person!

I did end up going with the Edge AWD (SEL model) , but was considering the Cherokee after seeing it in person. I ended up getting it fully loaded (AWD, Heated seats, sunroof, remote starter, dual climate control, reverse camera, GPS etc) - I'm loving this vehicle. Maybe it's cause I've been stuck with such bland cars since I sold my WRX to buy my house, but I actually enjoy getting in it and I haven't felt this excited to be driving a vehicle in awhile (even though there is nothing overly exciting about it other than it's loaded and it's comfortable)

Thanks for the input all :)
Nice buy dude!

[clem24]

Originally posted by 403Gemini
"Big and safe" also doesn't have to mean physically larger - sitting higher up, having more weight and having AWD is a much better feeling than sliding around in a light elantra, even with winter tires on

None of what Freshprince1 and you have listed falls into the category of 'safer' and some are the opposite: having more weight is detrimental in *ALL* conditions.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[ercchry]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


Also, weight is not a detriment when it comes to being involved in collisions either… haha.

yup, think of a bowling ball hitting pins... which goes flying?

[duaner]

Originally posted by ercchry


yup, think of a bowling ball hitting pins... which goes flying?
Exactly. Physics wins every time.


In a small car, everything else is either the same size or bigger. In a larger vehicle one has the advantage over everything smaller. Anyways...


We were looking at Edge's earlier this year but couldn't see the front end, which was a little disconcerting. We ended up with a 2010 Flex Ltd. (AWD) and love it, although it has it's issues. As I posted in a tire thread, it's done way better in the last few weeks with all-seasons then my Altima with winters. The cargo space is crazy. It's amazing how handy it has been. Definitely glad for extra space over the Edge.

My wife drives it most of the time as the whole point was to get something with cargo space for her business, and it gets the same or better mileage then her 4-cyl, auto Accord did.

[clem24]

Originally posted by ercchry


yup, think of a bowling ball hitting pins... which goes flying?

Yes what I meant was in the handling department. The weight issue re. collisions was settled with BCS.

[r3ccOs]

on road a awd platform with good weight distribution and enough weight to maintain traction on the alloted size of tires with vehicle stability control/traction control is going to perform very very well.

I'd say the Subaru leads the segment, and provides some class leading ground clearance in certain vehicles.

Outside of that, I'd go for a SUV that uses a viscus center coupler that actually has a real transfer case and at least a solid rear differential.

Jeeps used to do this well (more especially when they had a solid front axle as well)

The 4runner with the AWD is also a solid performer, which has a very good IFS setup, a solid engine, with very strong differentials and transfer case.

Wranger Rubicon is also very good, with solid front/rear axels, but has no full time AWD option

I'd rock a G65 but am not Beyond baller to do so.