Daily driver choices (3 options)
 

So, with changes with my work status, I'm going to need a daily driver lest I'll be forced to use the Camaro to commute. Not something I want to do.

That being said, we have narrowed down our options to these 3 choices. There were other small SUV's considered, but these made the cut. No fords. That was my demand going in. She said no Jeeps and I was OK with that, as I don't know ANYONE personally that hasn't had issues with one other than the Wrangler. We had some other suggestions, but ruled them out for one reason or another. We might reconsider used, but for what we are seeing (especially for the Honda & Toyota) new isn't much more expensive than a 1-2 year old model. Here are the 3 we are considering:

Honda CR-V: Her pick going in. She's had 2 and loved each one. One of our friends has an older one with close to 160k on it that has literally needed nothing. What concerns me is you can only get a turbo 4 and a CVT. The base model has a non-turbo motor, but if we are buying a new car, we aren't getting a stripper. We have decided leather & heated seats are MANDATORY for whatever we choose. I'd like a sunroof, but it's not a deal breaker on my end.

Toyota Rav4: My initial pick going in. I've always had success with Toyota products and you can still get a non-turbo and a real transmission. Prices are close to the Honda as is the Consumer Reports scores & ratings.

Chevrolet Equinox: It's one we want to drive. Looks WAY better with the 2018 redesign than the 2017 does. Especially the rear. Bigger, or at least seems it. I like the two tone interior, but she doesn't. I'm concerned with reliability and again, it's a turbo 4. I've also not had very many positive dealer experiences with GM in the past 10 years or so. They really need massive customer service training corporate wide.

Feel free to make your own suggestions, but she is pretty settled into at least the first 2 choices. She's considering the Chevy, especially with the lower price and 0% financing.

No disrespect but I would ride a moped as my daily driver before being seen in them first two.

Depending on the commute, look into a Volt....Regular, boring, heavy traffic commutes are what they are made for....Good luck.

With the snow, AWD is a must as there will be times my daughter will be taking it to work as her Malibu isn’t the greatest. The older Equinox’s were ugly as hell and have terrible reliability ratings. The 2018 is much better looking and I’m willing to test drive one. Chevy could only dream they’d ever have the reliability and re-sale value a Honda or Toyota has.

I’m not going back to a German car as again, reliability and cost are important. :)

I have to agree.

OP... look at either the Subaru Outback or Forester. Just as nice as any of your choices but a million times better in the snow.

I’ve had good luck with Subaru in the past, but the wife doesn’t like them. The 2.5L H-4 is thirsty, underpowered, and coarse. I’m still not convinced they fixed all the issues with it after they got caught covering up problems and had to do a huge recall. The Outback has the very nice 3.6L H-6 but it’s not much for fuel economy.

Last trip in our 2016 Outback (H-4) we averaged 30+ MPG over 2,600 miles... hand calculated.

Top safety ratings, reliability issues have long since been resolved, excellent resale value, and AMAZING in the snow. I'm a huge fan.

But if the wife isn't happy.....

Exactly. My Legacy wagon went 260k with minimal upkeep. I owned 4 in total and still like them, but she wants a SUV and hates the way the Forester looks.

Sounds like her mind is made up. Happy wife = Happy life. Honda for the win!

I’m trying to steer her towards the Toyota and she agreed to drive the Chevy. Should I be afraid of the small turbo 4’s and a cvt these days?

CVT's drive me crazy..you hit the gas to pass someone and the car revs to 6000 RPM, speedometer barely moves..lol. However, I am no expert on their longevity - I cannot say if you should worry.

I would not worry about the I4 Turbo's..some would argue my supercharger is harder my engine than a turbo is on your I4. To those people I say "blow me". ;)

My nephew has had a Subaru Crosstrek for about 6 mos. The rest of their family liked it so well they bought 2 more. The Mazda CX-5 is inexpensive. Don't know anything about them. Might be worth subscribing to Consumer Reports https://www.consumerreports.org/all-...ive-cars-suvs/

Thank you for the reply. The Mazda was one of the last ones eliminated.

I picked up the Consumer Reports 2018 new car guide at CVS last week. Only the Honda and Toyota are highly rated (80+). The Chevy & Mazda are at 65 with the Chevy rated as “worse than average reliability”.

I’m still not sold on a small turbo 4 as a daily driver. It’s just more to break down the road. I don’t see these engines lasting 200k miles like the 2.0-2.5L normally aspirated ones before them.

Get her a set of steelies and blizzaks. I DD my Camaro through the snow, my Monte Carlo was awesome in the snow, our family car is an Impala and does great in the snow.

AWD won't fix her issues if she can't control a FWD Malibu in the snow. The Equinox is pretty much FWD with an on-demand AWD system, so it will be FWD until the tires are slipping and then it will cut some power down and send about 20-30% to the rear.

The new Equinox is a nice car, and it has my vote. But I also recommend a proper set of tires for this car too. Dedicated summer and winter sets are 100% the way to go on every car, regardless of the drivetrain.