It’s the little things that count
After a full day behind the wheel of this foursome we all came to the same conclusion: the compact crossover segment is so competitive because the vehicles in it are so very similar. Amongst our foursome there really wasn’t that huge of a gap in amenities, features or even engine sizes.
What it came down to was the small things: driver comfort, button placements, throttle response, steering feel, little things that one might not consider important at first, but when compared back-to-back the importance is paramount.
As a group, we’d thought the 2014 Mazda CX-5 would rise to the top, if only because it was the happy medium of the bunch. However, in perhaps a comparison first, a vehicle that excelled in a particular area rose to the top as the winner of our compact crossover comparison drive.
*Prices exclude sales taxes, A/C tax as well as freight and delivery charges.
After a full day behind the wheel of this foursome we all came to the same conclusion: the compact crossover segment is so competitive because the vehicles in it are so very similar. Amongst our foursome there really wasn’t that huge of a gap in amenities, features or even engine sizes.
What it came down to was the small things: driver comfort, button placements, throttle response, steering feel, little things that one might not consider important at first, but when compared back-to-back the importance is paramount.
As a group, we’d thought the 2014 Mazda CX-5 would rise to the top, if only because it was the happy medium of the bunch. However, in perhaps a comparison first, a vehicle that excelled in a particular area rose to the top as the winner of our compact crossover comparison drive.
| 2014 Mazda CX-5 GT | 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited | 2013 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE | 2013 Volkswagen Tigan Highline | |
| Base price* | $33,250 | $33,295 | $23,790 | $37,440 |
| Price as tested* | $35,045 | $35,795 | $24,790 | $42,490 |
| 2014 Mazda CX-5 GT | 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited | 2013 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE | 2013 Volkswagen Tigan Highline | |
| Engine | L4 2.5L SKYACTIV | H4 2.5L | L4 2.5L | L4 2.0L turbo |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic | CVT | 6-speed automatic | 6-speed auto seq |
| Power (hp @ rpm) | 184 @ 5,700 | 170 @ 5,800 | 176 @ 6,000 | 200 @ 5,100 - 6,000 |
| Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) | 185 @ 4,000 | 174 @ 4,100 | 172 @ 4,100 | 207 @ 1,700 - 5,000 |
| Curb weight (lbs/kg) | 3,536 / 1,604 | 3,419 / 1,551 | 3,435 / 1,545 | 3,591 / 1,629 |
| Tire size | P225/55R19 | P225/60R17 | P225/65R17 | P255/40R19 |
2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited
2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited
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