Toyota RAV4
Good points: interior appearance, highway ride, quiet interior
Needs improvement: rear mounted spare tire, engine output, soft suspension
This is a much more improved RAV over the smallish first version. Nevertheless, it is the softest of the bunch meaning it is fine for computing, but does not like curves, reacts quite differently when fully loaded, and has an engine that needs more power lower in the rpm range. The rear mounted spare tire is always a bother. Clearly the RAV4 design is functional, but not the best despite the high price. Regardless, it has the nicest interior of the bunch and it is very quiet on the road. Easy to love for those who enjoy the Lexus type ride, it holds its value fairly well and does not offend anyone.
Ford Escape and its Mazda Tribute
Good points: usable interior room, highway ride, usable cargo room
Needs improvement: quality control, roll over ratings, ride, interior appearance, control layout, interior noise level, weak standard engine
We like the Tribute more than the Escape for its ride and extended warranty that covers you for an additional year even though both vehicles are priced within a few hundred of one another and have the same basic guts and suspensions. You do need to test both of these vehicles because they are different in their treatment of the driver. Recently we tested the more expensive Hybrid Escape and found it wonderful because of the gas mileage and the responsive nature of the electric motor and four-cylinder engine. Unfortunately, the base four cylinder engine is simply not powerful enough to move a family loaded Escape in areas of hills or mountains without considerable strain. We highly recommend the optional V6 engine even though you are going to pay a premium price at the gas pump. As it now stands the Escape/Tribute stands in the middle of the compact SUV class with its standard engine. With the V6 it would be in the top four.
Mitsubishi Outlander
Good points: crisp ride, 22 mpg, nicely done interior, warranty, responsive engine. A good driving SUV.
Needs improvement: limited cargo room, high lift over, can be darty to drive, not inexpensive with all wheel drive and most options, resale lags.
This new offering from Mitsubishi has good safety scores, handles well, but does not offer a lot of cargo capacity or rear legroom. It would be good for a young couple with young children who enjoy a brisk ride. It is easy to get in and out of and still has a nice seating position, although we did not like the seats. You get plenty of standard features such as power windows, locks and mirrors, a CD stereo, air conditioning, tilt steering, cruise control, and 16-inch rims as well as advanced airbags and four-wheel disc brakes. This is a real handler with a solid feel and BMW like ride. If Mitsubishi would only put that turbomotor in this chassis they would have more showroom traffic.
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| Toyota RAV4 |
Needs improvement: rear mounted spare tire, engine output, soft suspension
This is a much more improved RAV over the smallish first version. Nevertheless, it is the softest of the bunch meaning it is fine for computing, but does not like curves, reacts quite differently when fully loaded, and has an engine that needs more power lower in the rpm range. The rear mounted spare tire is always a bother. Clearly the RAV4 design is functional, but not the best despite the high price. Regardless, it has the nicest interior of the bunch and it is very quiet on the road. Easy to love for those who enjoy the Lexus type ride, it holds its value fairly well and does not offend anyone.
Ford Escape and its Mazda Tribute
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| Ford Escape |
Needs improvement: quality control, roll over ratings, ride, interior appearance, control layout, interior noise level, weak standard engine
We like the Tribute more than the Escape for its ride and extended warranty that covers you for an additional year even though both vehicles are priced within a few hundred of one another and have the same basic guts and suspensions. You do need to test both of these vehicles because they are different in their treatment of the driver. Recently we tested the more expensive Hybrid Escape and found it wonderful because of the gas mileage and the responsive nature of the electric motor and four-cylinder engine. Unfortunately, the base four cylinder engine is simply not powerful enough to move a family loaded Escape in areas of hills or mountains without considerable strain. We highly recommend the optional V6 engine even though you are going to pay a premium price at the gas pump. As it now stands the Escape/Tribute stands in the middle of the compact SUV class with its standard engine. With the V6 it would be in the top four.
Mitsubishi Outlander
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| Mitsubishi Outlander |
Needs improvement: limited cargo room, high lift over, can be darty to drive, not inexpensive with all wheel drive and most options, resale lags.
This new offering from Mitsubishi has good safety scores, handles well, but does not offer a lot of cargo capacity or rear legroom. It would be good for a young couple with young children who enjoy a brisk ride. It is easy to get in and out of and still has a nice seating position, although we did not like the seats. You get plenty of standard features such as power windows, locks and mirrors, a CD stereo, air conditioning, tilt steering, cruise control, and 16-inch rims as well as advanced airbags and four-wheel disc brakes. This is a real handler with a solid feel and BMW like ride. If Mitsubishi would only put that turbomotor in this chassis they would have more showroom traffic.