Tag Archives: SUV

28Jan/13

Best winter deals on used SUVs

An SUV can be the perfect vehicle for traveling in challenging winter conditions. With all-wheel-drive and good tires, a modern SUV provides needed traction to negotiate slippery roads, and most have the ground clearance to traverse accumulated snow. They are also great for families or for carrying skis or other winter gear. A used SUV allows you to reap these benefits for less money than buying new. To make it easier to find what you’re looking for, we have identified some of the best used deals on small and midsized SUVs on the market.

Land Rover Range Rover Evoqueque

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Typically the winter months are a slow time for car buying, which is why now might be a perfect time to get a good deal on a used car. Plus, buying a used car has other benefits. Most important is that the original owner takes the initial depreciation hit; new cars lose much more value in the first and second years than those that follow. Also, most recent used SUV have the latest safety equipment (such as curtain air bags and stability control) and are still affordable.

When shopping, look for cars that scored well in Consumer Reports’ tests when new, have proven reliability, and perform well in government and insurance industry crash tests. All models listed meet these criteria. And before handing over the cash, have the vehicle inspected by a trained and trusted mechanic to make sure there are no hidden problems.

Check out our top deals for recommended used SUVs from the 2008-2010 model years. We placed the vehicles in order of the average cheapest price you might be able to get when buying from the dealer and all are under $25,000. The models listed below are between 23- and 49-percent less than the retail price when the vehicle was new. Plus, all of the models have at least average reliability according to our latest subscriber survey.

Full used car pricing information is available to Cars Best Deals Plus subscribers on the model overview pages. Consumer Reports also offers individual Used Car Price Reports on vehicles from the 2003 – 2012 model years. Pricing information can be adjusted for vehicle condition, mileage and optional equipment. For advice on buying a used car, see our guide and video.

28Jan/13

2014 Subaru Forester, all over the map: Motoramic Drives

Because of how I pay my rent, I get a lot of people asking me what kind of car they should buy. I’ve driven a lot of really nice machines, but I rarely find myself recommending a Lexus GS hybrid, or a Range Rover Sport, or a Mercedes CLS. Very few of my acquaintances can afford luxury. To those who seem concerned about gas mileage and nothing else, I usually end up saying, “Just get a Prius.” But others want to drive something more than a fuel-efficient toaster oven. Inevitably, the conversation turns to Subaru.

Subaru Forester

Subaru Forester

A Subaru was once considered a novelty item in the industry, a vehicle with little more prestige than a jet ski, but the company has slowly and competently climbed into the top five in several major U.S. markets by making safe, unpretentious, reasonably priced cars that are relatively fuel efficient, easy to take camping, and pretty fun to drive. It seems like a logical formula, but it’s also one that’s remarkably hard to pin down.

The 2014 Subaru Forester fits the company’s profile perfectly. When the Forester debuted, it was little more than a quirky station wagon with a bulbous roof, a community-college math professor’s nerd-car, but in the last few years it’s evolved into a more standard looking compact SUV. This year’s edition has the same unfussy attitude as the 2013 model.

We drove the new Forester in southern Arizona for seven hours on a recent weekday afternoon. The people who buy the Forester are going to mostly use it to make Trader Joe’s runs, but Subaru gave us a more catholic look. First, we took a Turbo edition, jacked with speed from its 250-hp boxer four engine, and buttressed with a tight suspension. There were straight-up highway runs, windy desert side roads, and many miles of rutted dirt, which the Turbo Forester handled zippily. I’d recommend the Turbo wholeheartedly, except that it gets 20 percent worse fuel economy, and the base model runs seven grand more, than the non-Turbo edition and its 170-hp unit.

The interior was comfortable though hardly lush, the dashboard display pretty low-tech, and the steering and handling excellent. As Subaru showed us earlier, there was plenty of storage space. With the seats folded down, the Forester can handle 238 yoga mats glued together, or 241 spools of hemp twine, if you ever have use for such a thing.