Lets Talk Cars (crossovers)

DH and I are moving to the burbs soon and need to buy our first car together. We are keeping safety in mind for and we want a SUV-Crossover. Price is an issue as well so we are most likely going pre-owned. Here are the cars we looked at:

CR-V
Rogue
Murano
Chevy Equinox
Rav4

We loved the CR-V MINUS the interior. It's so basic even in the upgraded models and the seats are so uncomfortable. So far Murano is our front contender (with backup camera only). What car will you be using for baby and does anyone have the murano? We are VERY open to suggestions.

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i LOVVVEEEEED my Rav 4 but wound up getting a Honda Accord and miss my Rav so much. When my lease is up I will go back to the Rav 4. It drives like a dream and it has so much room in the inside. I never had one problem with it.

I looked at the Rogue and CRV both are smaller then the Rav 4 and in my opinion don't drive as well.

I love the look and size of Murano but it's definitely a lot higher in price then your other choices.

I don't know anything about the Chevy Equinox.

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I had a Rav4 forever. First I had a 98 then an 02. I started to have problems with my 02 last summer while I was pregnant. The seats in the back had come loose from putting them up and down too often (I had moved a year earlier and used the car to move) and actually broke off the clasp so when the seat was in use, it didn't lock in completely. My dad refused to let me bring a baby home into that car because the seat could fly forward (thanks, dad) and contributed towards a new car --

We went with the Mazda 5. I ADORE IT. When the third row is folded down, it's pretty much the same size trunk as most smaller SUVs. When the third row is in use, there's still a small trunk space (enough for the snap & go). You can also fold just one seat down and keep the other up for a little more trunk space if you need the extra seat.

Last summer we had DH, me, SIL, BIL, and their two children (5 & 3) in the Mazda 5 all at once and we were all comfortable! The two kids were in the third row in their car seats (they are easily LATCH compatible), the adults in the back, and us in the front.

I honestly love it. It's like the perfect "fake" minivan.

Good luck with your choice!

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my DH has the Equinox and we both really like it. it's a very smooth ride and has a ton of space in the back seat and trunk. no complaints from him.

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For the ones you listed I woudl go with the Murano or Equinox, IMO the others are going to be too small. While 1 child woudl fit fine, there isnt much room for 2. My friend has the CRV and its really not much bigger than a car.

We bought the Hyundai Santa Fe last year after looking at
the 2010 models of, mazda cx7 & 9 , Equinox, Ford Edge, Nissian Murano and another one I can't remember right now. Loved the Santa Fe, still love it and got a pretty good deal for a new car.

GL!

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I have a 2005 Murano that I bought one year old with 18k miles. It's in the shop right now with over $4k of repairs that's needed and not because of an accident either. Honestly I don't know if I got a lemon but this car has sucked us dry every year. We live in the city and don't drive a lot. We did one trip to Florida a few trips to Pennsylvania and the ocaasional trip to long island on Thr weekends so we are not hard drivers by any stretch of the imagination. In the 5 years we have owned it we have replaced brakes 3 times and now we need to again, replaced tires almost 3 years ago brand new now need to be replaced again. Tie rods replaced, engine mounts needs replacing, oil pan rusted out, drivers seat broken, etc the list goes on. Last week DH was driving and the car refused to go over 20mph. Apparently the Muranos have bad CVT issues and Nissan just a knowledged it recently by extending the CVT warranty to 120k miles. Before this Murano owners shelled out $5k to fix it and in alot of cases the transfer case needs repairing at a cost of thousands but Nissan refuses to admit that is part of the CVT. Long story short this is the first car DH and I bought (we were leasers before) and it was the worst mistake we made. We bought this car thinking we would get alot of use put of it since Nissan is supposed to be reliable but I guess not. At 78k miles I can't wait to repair it and sell it. I know it's not a new car but I never heard of a 6 year old car that is well taken care of to give so many issues. There is am entire 58 page thread on Edmunds of Murano owners with the same issues If you want to check it out. I don't know if the issues have been fixed in newer models but my faith in the Nissan Muranos reliability is gone.

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Since I can't edit on my phone I do think it's a shame because the Murano is a perfect size and when it does drive it's a nice ride.

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We pick up our new Ford Edge on friday, it's really nice inside!!

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I have a 2008 Murano and love it. Ive had no problems with it as a pp stated. Other than oil changes and routine maintenance the only thing we did was change breaks once. It's rides really nice and is roomy. It's been driven all over long island, to Boston, nj, pa, Kentucky etc. I highly recommend this car!

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Just wanted to add that my murano is a 2009 that I leased in 2008....it's going back as soon as I get a new car so I have no idea what would happen to this car past the 3rd mark!

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If its in your budget, I have heard great things about the Mazda CX-9.

I am 90% sure we will be purchasing an Acura MDX before baby but if price does become an issue, the CX-9 is my runner up.

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we just got a new Traverse, and LOVE it. Think about if your going to need room for two (and two rear facing car seats) in the future, that may help you make your decision

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had a CRV....loved it!!!

Now I have a Ford Escape and love it even more!!!!
You cant go wrong with either one!!

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DH and I bought a new car in October. We went with a luxury sports sedan since we weren't pregnant yet...but our runner up was the 2011 Ford Edge.

CHECK IT OUT! It is a spectacular car, TONS of room, seriously Ford outdid itself.

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We just went through this ourselves, last month. We tried out the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and a few others. Really fell in love with the Subaru Forester. I see it wasn't on your list, but it's so practical, fun to drive, more cargo room than a lot of other crossovers, and the price is great for the options and safety features you get. We got a 2011 Forester about a month ago and so far we love it.

Message edited 5/18/2011 4:14:00 PM.

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Well I work for a Car Dealership, (Very High end brand and could have gotten a decent deal) and Still went with the Murano. I LOVE IT! Haven't had an issue with it at all its a 09 and I love driving it!

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We have a Murano - LOVE IT!!

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We have a Hyundai Veracruz, which is 7-passenger. The Santa Fe is what my BIL just bought (they are due with the first soon). All of my in-laws have Hyundai's. You really can't beat their warranty. I don't know if anyone else offers a 5 year, 60,000 mile warranty anymore.

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We just got a 08 Honda Pilot, pre-owned, and I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEE it!
Went from a sentra to this, so it's a big change but much safer for our little !

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I have a 2010 Murano and love it. I just leased the LE, and it fits everything for DD wonderfully. There is alot of room, and it rides so nice. The CVT transmission is so smooth, it is designed to never feel the vehicle change gears. We are very happy with it.

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Ive been researching cars for months and I'm going with the Chevy Equinox as soon as I find a good deal.