Hi,
My family took delivery of a 2014.5 GT deep blue mica w/tan interior 3 weeks ago. We traded in an 04 RAV4, and our other is an 03 BMW 330xi 6sp MT. I thought Id share a few observations.
In many respects, this car combines the practicality of the Rav and the drivability of the BMW. For those of you in metropolitan NY, this car is a joy to drive on roads like the Hutchinson/Merritt Parkways at speed. I find myself wanting to drive this car as much as I can, and thats high praise for a crossover.
Other cars considered included the CR-V, Escape, and (briefly) the new RAV4. We ruled out the Forrester and Rogue due to the CVT which is a shame as the new Rogue looked very competitive. We found the RAV4 to be filled to a high degree with hard plastics, and it felt the least substantial of all the crossovers we tested. We liked the Ford Escape, but it was hard to get past the lawn-furniture quality of the rear seats. Isnt it odd the things that turn a buyer off? Even though Id probably never ride in the back, I couldnt stand the look of a thinly padded rear seat with the visable folding mechanism. The car also had dismal engine-related reliability ratings from CR and TruDelta. In addition, a loaded 2.0T Escape was approaching 36k, and thats just too rich.
This cut the contenders down to the CR-V and CX-5. I really liked the versatility of the Honda; the compartments, flat floor, and low cargo floor. And the 3-way rear camera cant be beat; straight rear, 360, and up-close parking. The gathered leather on the high-line model was very comfortable too. The deal breaker was the drive by wire steering; my wife was terribly uncomfortable driving it. The fit and finish left something to be desired, and I was surprised by this.
Things to change:
Clock: Add a second one to the right pod of the instrument panel. Its very distracting trying to locate it down by the HVAC. Vents: Move a few more higher up on the dash. Illuminate all window and door lock switches. How about a few grocery bag hooks in the back compartment? And why not an MT on the GT?
My family took delivery of a 2014.5 GT deep blue mica w/tan interior 3 weeks ago. We traded in an 04 RAV4, and our other is an 03 BMW 330xi 6sp MT. I thought Id share a few observations.
In many respects, this car combines the practicality of the Rav and the drivability of the BMW. For those of you in metropolitan NY, this car is a joy to drive on roads like the Hutchinson/Merritt Parkways at speed. I find myself wanting to drive this car as much as I can, and thats high praise for a crossover.
Other cars considered included the CR-V, Escape, and (briefly) the new RAV4. We ruled out the Forrester and Rogue due to the CVT which is a shame as the new Rogue looked very competitive. We found the RAV4 to be filled to a high degree with hard plastics, and it felt the least substantial of all the crossovers we tested. We liked the Ford Escape, but it was hard to get past the lawn-furniture quality of the rear seats. Isnt it odd the things that turn a buyer off? Even though Id probably never ride in the back, I couldnt stand the look of a thinly padded rear seat with the visable folding mechanism. The car also had dismal engine-related reliability ratings from CR and TruDelta. In addition, a loaded 2.0T Escape was approaching 36k, and thats just too rich.
This cut the contenders down to the CR-V and CX-5. I really liked the versatility of the Honda; the compartments, flat floor, and low cargo floor. And the 3-way rear camera cant be beat; straight rear, 360, and up-close parking. The gathered leather on the high-line model was very comfortable too. The deal breaker was the drive by wire steering; my wife was terribly uncomfortable driving it. The fit and finish left something to be desired, and I was surprised by this.
Things to change:
Clock: Add a second one to the right pod of the instrument panel. Its very distracting trying to locate it down by the HVAC. Vents: Move a few more higher up on the dash. Illuminate all window and door lock switches. How about a few grocery bag hooks in the back compartment? And why not an MT on the GT?
