Best small car crossover poll?

[Thales of Miletus]

What are the opinions on the new cars available?

I am looking for something for a smaller woman in her 60s.

See attached poll, and you can vote for more than one.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

Honestly a japanese or korean with rear visibility she can live with. Most older women dont even care what it looks like, they dont want to be terrified during lane changes or parking.

That takes the juke off right away. It's not a good car anyway.

I'd put my vote for Fit or Yaris 5 door. More space in a tiny car.

[Thales of Miletus]

Originally posted by AE92_TreunoSC
Honestly a japanese or korean with rear visibility she can live with. Most older women dont even care what it looks like, they dont want to be terrified during lane changes or parking.

That takes the juke off right away. It's not a good car anyway.

I'd put my vote for Fit or Yaris 5 door. More space in a tiny car.

Thanks for the input. I have been leaning toward the Fit. It seems to have a very nice interior with lots of gadgets.

The new Trackster concept car from Kia looks interesting, but it isn't really a ladies car.

[VTEXTC]

Don't forget the new Honda HRV coming soon....

[CanmoreOrLess]

As people get older, these lower seated cars are a pain in the ass to get in and out of. So for that reason, the CR-V would be my choice, the better vehicle would be a Subaru Forester as Subaru actually addresses the needs of those in this age bracket. Subaru has higher seats and built in hand guides on the doors, simple electronic controls, AWD and good ground clearance is always a bonus. A lower vehicle like a Fit can be a bit too low on secondary Calgary streets.

http://www.cars101.com/forester.html

[Darkane]

New crv. Drivetrain updated. Good power and wicked fuel economy.

[Thales of Miletus]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
As people get older, these lower seated cars are a pain in the ass to get in and out of. So for that reason, the CR-V would be my choice, the better vehicle would be a Subaru Forester as Subaru actually addresses the needs of those in this age bracket. Subaru has higher seats and built in hand guides on the doors, simple electronic controls, etc. AWD and good ground clearance is always a bonus for seniors, as well, a lower vehicle like a Fit can be a snow plow on secondary Calgary streets.

http://www.cars101.com/forester.html

I really liked the Forester as well. But I thought it was out of her budget.

I have looked at just about everything. I think the Honda is the best brand name and Mini is the worst.

[Xtrema]

Scion xB

CRV utility, FWD simplicity, starts under $19K.

I have seen a lot senior citizens driving these.

[A2VR6]

I'd say CR-V. Good seating position, great utility, holds value well, available "AWD".

[msommers]

CRV or Fit.

My Mom isn't even old and loves to "see everything" hence the CRV purchase. I have to admit the seating position is really nice. It's reliable vehicle, great in the winter and decent enough on gas. Just really boring to drive but that factor seems irrelevant in this case.

[jwslam]

My mom falls into the category. The CR-V is too big for her maneuverability so we went with a Soul. She got it decked out @ $28k with the glowing/music pulsing speakers, a sunroof she never opens, Sirius we don't subscribe to, bluetooth she barely knows how to use, and a back-up cam she clearly doesn't use when she hit someone last year. :banghead:

Anyways, I voted Soul and you seem to agree

Originally posted by Thales of Miletus
I think Kia's are the best buy at this time. Good Warranty, reasonably priced.

[blownz]

German>Korean/Japanese

/thread

:drama:

[Thales of Miletus]

Originally posted by blownz
German>Korean/Japanese

/thread

:drama:

I don't know about that. The BMW Mini Cooper is awful.

Based on the Poll I am going to take her to look at some CR-v's

Thanks for the input.

[IggyB]

I heard that Honda Fit sold in Canada are made in China. Something to check out.

[blownz]

Originally posted by Thales of Miletus


I don't know about that. The BMW Mini Cooper is awful.

Based on the Poll I am going to take her to look at some CR-v's

Thanks for the input.

In this particular poll the German car was the best IMO by far over the cars, and I am not a fan of small SUV's so...

[tehwegz]

Scion XB for lulz

Target demographic for those things were "youth" but many 50+ year olds bought them instead because they were comfortable/accessible, etc.

-Subaru XV Crosstrek
-Subaru Forester
-Toyota RAV4
-Corolla (new ones are nice)
-Jeep Renegade (highly anticipated, should be hitting Canada anytime now)

Juke/Soul are good quirky looking options.

[revelations]

Originally posted by IggyB
I heard that Honda Fit sold in Canada are made in China. Something to check out.

Many vehicle parts come from China. :dunno:



You CANNOT go wrong with a Yaris either way. Its the quintessential appliance vehicle designed for longevity,

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by IggyB
I heard that Honda Fit sold in Canada are made in China. Something to check out.

I believe this was from 2012- 2014. The redesigned 2015's are made in Mexico.

We have a 2013 Fit Sport (made in China) and compared to the 2009 that my parents had (made in Japan, there hasnt been any real difference between the two in terms of build quality or reliability.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by tehwegz
Juke/Soul are good quirky looking options.
Just learned that the Cube was axed while the Soul still stands strong :dunno:

[heavyD]

GTI w/DSG because she's old not dead.:)

[r3ccOs]

oh the bunch, the FIT is honestly a perfect fit for so many's use case...

its incredibly reliable, it is roomy enough, economic and drives reasonably well

whereas the VW, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai you listed will not be nearly as reliable or above the price point or provide the utlity

FIT is a stupid good replacement for what a utility Civic should be, and its resale is quite good

[Ca_Silvia13]

That ugly Subaru?? Crosstrek or something, it's pretty small, AWD

[gogreen]

I currently own both a 2014 Fit Sport (yes, it is made in China) and a 2012 Juke.


Originally posted by AE92_TreunoSC
Honestly a japanese or korean with rear visibility she can live with. Most older women dont even care what it looks like, they dont want to be terrified during lane changes or parking.

That takes the juke off right away. It's not a good car anyway.

I'd put my vote for Fit or Yaris 5 door. More space in a tiny car.

I actually don't have any visibility issues in the Juke. The seating position is fairly high and the side mirrors are quite large, which is nice for lane changes. For a short person the sloping rear window may cut down on the rear visibility, so that's a fair point.

However, my mother-in-law also owns a Juke and doesn't have any issues parking it, whereas she used to lack a bit of confidence in that area with other vehicles she's owned. The turn radius is nice and tight and it's fairly short in terms of overall length. It is quite wide though.

Between the two, the Juke has the advantage in terms of power, ground clearance, and AWD. The Fit has the advantage in interior space, fuel economy, and low maintenance (factory oil fill is synthetic and it has a maintenance minder that tells you when to bring it in for service).

Also, the Fit crushes in terms of cupholders. So... many... cupholders. ;)

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by gogreen
I currently own both a 2014 Fit Sport (yes, it is made in China) and a 2012 Juke.



I actually don't have any visibility issues in the Juke. The seating position is fairly high and the side mirrors are quite large, which is nice for lane changes. For a short person the sloping rear window may cut down on the rear visibility, so that's a fair point.

However, my mother-in-law also owns a Juke and doesn't have any issues parking it, whereas she used to lack a bit of confidence in that area with other vehicles she's owned. The turn radius is nice and tight and it's fairly short in terms of overall length. It is quite wide though.

Between the two, the Juke has the advantage in terms of power, ground clearance, and AWD. The Fit has the advantage in interior space, fuel economy, and low maintenance (factory oil fill is synthetic and it has a maintenance minder that tells you when to bring it in for service).

Also, the Fit crushes in terms of cupholders. So... many... cupholders. ;)

I'd take a basic FIT over a non-AWD Juke anyday, and those AWD Jukes are pushing the price point of an extened cab half ton... Why the hell would I do that?

[FixedGear]

the unfortunate thing about the fit is it's probably the ugliest, most boring hatchback on the market.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by FixedGear
the unfortunate thing about the fit is it's probably the ugliest, most boring hatchback on the market.

Have you driven one? I think they're quite fun to drive. Ugly as sin but that's what you get for utility.

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by blownz
German>Korean/Japanese

/thread

:drama:

not for what she wants...:rolleyes:

I'd also get her to test out the XB, its a great car for what it is. Surprisingly good tq from that 2.4L, very stable on the highway. I drove one across the US and i was very impressed. It's not the greatest on gas tho compares to a Fit or something smaller. The fit is also too expensive for a sub compact car. The CRV's AWD system is retarded, for the money id rather have a Nissan Rouge.

[blownz]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren


not for what she wants...:rolleyes:



Originally posted by Thales of Miletus
I am looking for something for a smaller woman in her 60s.

Of those cars listed there, it is the best choice IMO. Lots of space, easy to get into and out of.

My parents which who are a similar age used to have a Golf and sold it for a Kia Forte recently because the price for features was better and they thought they wanted a change. Turns out they hate it. Engine is horribly buzzy, car rattles already and feels really cheap. They will go back to a VW again.

Again, of the cars in the list, the German is a far better built car than the others.

[msommers]

Are German cars still fairly notorious for electronic gremlins or has that been pretty much sorted out on anything covering the last 5-10 years?

[tehwegz]

Originally posted by jwslam

Just learned that the Cube was axed while the Soul still stands strong :dunno:

The Cube was just plain ugly and uninspiring. Nissan makes the biggest junk econobox cars right now along with Mitsubishi - but mitsu's main problem is being outdated. But for real, the Mirage is absolutely TERRIBLE. 80's cars feel more put together, safe, and easier to get out of their own way.

The Soul is a hit. The interior is pretty cool, has some very uniquely shaped and placed speakers, lots of speakers and tweeters throughout, for that matter. Which is great for audiophiles who love their music. Good comfortable seating position. Its a hatch/wagon and passable as a CUV (its all the things!). It does a far better job at being what a Scion is intended to be, than any current Scion. Speaking of axe-ing things, peace out @ Scion iQ. Which in itself is 100x better than those POS smart cars.

[Thales of Miletus]

Originally posted by tehwegz


The Soul is a hit. The interior is pretty cool, has some very uniquely shaped and placed speakers, lots of speakers and tweeters throughout, for that matter. .

I liked the soul but it doesn't seem to popular with people here.

How is it in the winter? Good clearance, block heater...?

[Thales of Miletus]

Thanks for all the input fellas, it is proving very helpful.

I research all the vehicles, and the one thing that really stands out is KIA's warranty.

The industry standard is 5 years/ 100,000 kms

KIA has 10 years / 160,000 kms.

That fact suddenly made me lean toward the SOUL.

Plus it is cheap so you can install a good stereo and NAV.

However the CR-V is still one hell of a good vehicle.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by Thales of Miletus
I liked the soul but it doesn't seem to popular with people here.

How is it in the winter? Good clearance, block heater...?
I think block heaters are standard on all cars sold here?
Clearance is decent. Definitely low.
Stock tires are shit, so make sure you get winters.
FWD only AFAIK

I had a Viper installed by AutoDream. They told me they could relay it into the heated seats :(

[Moonracer]

Originally posted by Thales of Miletus

How is it in the winter? Good clearance, block heater...?

I bought a 2014 Kia soul sx last spring and have been loving it ever since. The stock tires on it are just OK for the winter but as mentioned, get winter tires anyway. Clearance is good and I think I had to add the block heater in when I bought it. And it works really good too. When we had that cold spell when it was -20 to -30 I had it plugged in and when I would jump in and leave I would be getting heat pretty much right away. It's great bang for the buck, so many features for 26k and change. :D

[jwslam]

Originally posted by Moonracer
It's great bang for the buck, so many features for 26k and change. :D
So you went a little crazy too huh? I thought my mom was whack for jumping from the 22k trim to 28k and still not getting navi
Definitely expected it to come in under 25

[blownz]

Originally posted by msommers
Are German cars still fairly notorious for electronic gremlins or has that been pretty much sorted out on anything covering the last 5-10 years?

I don't think they are as bad as they used to be, but you are still more likely to have an electrical issue than a mechanical one. They seem to be really good mechanically.

My F10 had two electrical glitches where there were lighting malfunction warnings that came up on the nav screen. Both times it was a harness somewhere that was replaced. Quickly fixed though and neither was more than a few hundred bucks if I wouldn't have had warranty (I asked out of curiosity). The E90 and E46's I had before each had 1 or two "glitches" like that and nothing else.

My sister has a 2011 Q7 that hasn't been in once for anything other than scheduled maintenance. And my brother drives a 2009 135 pushing 400hp and he drives the shit out of it and never a single issue.

It is hard for people to forget the past. Just like most American cars are as good as ones from Japan, but people can't let go of the fact there used to be a significant difference.

[Moonracer]

Originally posted by jwslam

So you went a little crazy too huh? I thought my mom was whack for jumping from the 22k trim to 28k and still not getting navi
Definitely expected it to come in under 25

Well you do get quite a few extras for 4k and I didn't care about getting nav the few times I need it I just use my phone.

edit: I also got it with a hitch installed so I can carry my bikes around with ease. :love:

[gogreen]

Originally posted by r3ccOs


I'd take a basic FIT over a non-AWD Juke anyday, and those AWD Jukes are pushing the price point of an extened cab half ton... Why the hell would I do that?

Well, from my perspective we didn't need a truck at the time. At least not a full-size. We also went with the lower-optioned AWD Juke (the SL) which retails closer to $24k. It's clearly not for everyone, but I've been pleased with it.

Incidentally I also found the driving experience of the FWD Juke somewhat lacking in comparison to the AWD version. So I would agree that if AWD isn't a requirement then one would get much better value from one of the other FWD options.

[Thales of Miletus]

Originally posted by blownz


In this particular poll the German car was the best IMO by far over the cars, and I am not a fan of small SUV's so...

I agree, the Golf is a great car.

But BMW is playing games with customers, much in the same way GM did. Calculating losses to customers again the bottom line.

For example the Mini has a timing chain defect. BMW warned it's techs but not it's customers. They also came up with a temporary fix that lasted until the car was off warranty. Pretty sleazy imo.

[gpomp]

Originally posted by A2VR6


Have you driven one? I think they're quite fun to drive. Ugly as sin but that's what you get for utility. :werd: Fit is fun to drive, even in auto. But I don't think a 60+ year old grandma cares about that so I'd go with a CR-V.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by gpomp
:werd: Fit is fun to drive, even in auto. But I don't think a 60+ year old grandma cares about that so I'd go with a CR-V.

We all have Japanese Fit in the back of our minds which were great for what they are. But how are these new Mexican Fit? Or is it too early to tell?

[Aleks]

Originally posted by Thales of Miletus
Thanks for all the input fellas, it is proving very helpful.

I research all the vehicles, and the one thing that really stands out is KIA's warranty.

The industry standard is 5 years/ 100,000 kms

KIA has 10 years / 160,000 kms.




Not in Canada. USA only. Kia has the same standard 5/100k warranty in Canada.

http://www.kia.ca/kia-warranty

[ShermanEF9]

Fit all the way. Girlfriend has a full load 15. it has a shit ton of features you would expect only in the accord, but for a nice price.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by Xtrema


We all have Japanese Fit in the back of our minds which were great for what they are. But how are these new Mexican Fit? Or is it too early to tell?

I'd say too early to tell (remember, they delayed release of the 2015's due to issues at the Mexico plant). Granted, the Chinese ones seem to be ok so I would expect the same for the Mexican ones.

[Thales of Miletus]

Originally posted by Aleks


Not in Canada. USA only. Kia has the same standard 5/100k warranty in Canada.

http://www.kia.ca/kia-warranty

Dam. Well that takes the Soul off the list on puts the CR-V and the Fit back on top.

[rp_guy]

Originally posted by Thales of Miletus


Dam. Well that takes the Soul off the list on puts the CR-V and the Fit back on top.

the standard warranty in canada is 3yr/60,000 km. kia still has the longest comprehensive warranty in canada at 5yr/100,000km.

the honda warranty is a 5yr powertrain (same as kia), but only a 3yr comprehensive. same with nissan, mazda, etc. took me a while to figure out the wording on their website, but honda's 'distributor' warranty is the comprehensive vehicle warranty (the number you should be comparing to). vw (and other germans like BMW) have 4yr warranties in Canada.

[Thales of Miletus]

Originally posted by gpomp
:werd: Fit is fun to drive, even in auto. But I don't think a 60+ year old grandma cares about that so I'd go with a CR-V.

Both the CR-V and Fit are nice. I checked out both at a Honda dealership today. The CR-V even keep you from drifting out of your lane. Which is good if you are looking for a CD, but bad if you are swerving to miss a pedestrian.

Does anyone know how long the dealers will extend the warranty on a pre-owned?