Family SUV

N

nadeem_k

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Messages
802
Reaction score
13
Location
Sandton
Hi Guys,

I need some advice and ideally first-hand experience.

I am trying to decide on a family SUV. Hoping to keep the car for a long time ~10 years so I need something that will go the distance.

I have narrowed it down to the following, which are all a couple of years old and lowish mileage:

  • Subaru Forester- Worried that the car isn't that common so getting parts over the long term may be an issue
  • Nissan X-trail- Read that reliability isn't as good as before with the CVT gearbox susceptible to failure
  • Honda CR-V
  • Toyota RAV 4
  • VW Tiguan

Reading the Kinsey report, it seems the X-trail is the cheapest to service with the RAV and CR-V being more on the high side.

Any advice?
 
nadeem_k said:
Hi Guys,

I need some advice and ideally first-hand experience.

I am trying to decide on a family SUV. Hoping to keep the car for a long time ~10 years so I need something that will go the distance.

I have narrowed it down to the following, which are all a couple of years old and lowish mileage:

  • Subaru Forester- Worried that the car isn't that common so getting parts over the long term may be an issue
  • Nissan X-trail- Read that reliability isn't as good as before with the CVT gearbox susceptible to failure
  • Honda CR-V
  • Toyota RAV 4
  • VW Tiguan

Reading the Kinsey report, it seems the X-trail is the cheapest to service with the RAV and CR-V being more on the high side.

Any advice?
Click to expand...
No chance of test driving a double cab bakkie?
 
VW Tiguan would be my first choice but I am somewhat biased and have a good network of parts suppliers and friends that can work on all manner of VW's and Audi's. The Subaru is a great car but maintenance costs can be high, even when using an independent workshop, I do have a good friend that works on them though. I have never driven any of the Japanese options but they come highly recommended in terms of reliability and running costs although I have been told they drive like appliances.
 
Go for the model that doesn't have a CVT transmission.
 
If you just need an appliance with some space and good fuel economy check out the Renault duster diesel, auto. Proven engine and epic economy.
 
Try the Hyundai Tucson 2.0l diesel automatic. Bought one 2 years ago and very happy with it. Loads of torque and it flies like the wind when travelling long distance. Lots of space.
 
I'm driving a 2018 CR-V. Coming from a 4tuner at the time, my only requirement was to be able to fit 3-4 golf bags in the back, without removing clubs or letting the seats down. Vehicle passed that test with flying colours. The CVT took some getting used to, firstly because it was my 1st automatic and secondly it seemed to have a mind of its own sometimes :) 3 years later 'm still very happy

Added a Thule roofrack at the time... still hanging unused in my garage :)
 
Last edited:
Personally I'd go Forester, parts aren't as bad as one would think and luckily they don't need parts often (unless you get in an accident). CR-V is absolutely mega in terms of space and practicality but just feels so meh to drive. Stay away from Nissan CVTs, still looks like they haven't resolved that. RAV4 is a great but oh so expensive for what you get. Tiguan feels the most premium but I know too many people that have had major issues on the longer term.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X