[scooterct]

Don't misread this posting. I think the HRV is cool, and I very well might buy one. But I'm cross-shopping, and I'd like to hear if anybody else has been, and how they compare the alternatives.

Please, please, only responses from people who have actually driven the competition!

I've test-driven the Soul and Renegade so far, and I've sat in the HRV at the NYC show. I'm really undecided right now. A lot will depend on that HRV test drive. But I'm optimistic.

Jeep Renegade: Kind of a NASCAR styling vibe that puts me off a bit. Same external size as the HRV. Very, very high seating position that I like. Pathetic gas mileage. Peppy. Serious reliability questions. List price is high, but it's already discounted $3,000 if you look around. Choice of engines. Manual available in all trims. Wife liked it a lot. The Trailhawk is the real thing offroad - none of the others even comes close.

Kia Soul+: Polarizing styling. Holds resale value pretty well. Peppy engine. Get a lot of content for your money. Can't get a manual with the higher trims. OK gas mileage. Widely discounted by $3,000 off MSRP. Helps that I own one and like it a lot. Widely praised in multiple reviews as a "class above" vehicle. I don't like the new interior - the vertical dash makes me feel cramped. New redesign coming in September, with 1.5 turbo, better performance and styling. No AWD at this time, if that's your thing. Extremely reliable. As an owner, I've never liked how the seat height adjusts.

Honda HRV: Invisible styling - blends in. Probably holds resale value very well. Can get manual in 2WD and EX trim with some colors. Very good gas mileage. I think a nice content level. Storage is just as good as Soul and Renegade, but not better. I expect to get a $1,000 discount from my buyers club.

Mazda CX3: Not on my list. Too small inside. But pretty.

I'm really undecided. Anybody else on here actually drive a Renegade or a Soul or anything else as part of cross-shopping? I'd like to hear from you if you have. I'm not really interested in the opinion of somebody who's just bad-mouthing another brand if they've never actually bothered to test drive it - that's just being a Honda fan-boy. Although it's fair if you say "I hate the styling and I'd never test drive it for that reason".

 

[WannaHRV]

Hi, I have 12 Soul+, like you no issues whats so ever with it.The AWD and size of HRV is what interests me. I miss AWD of my prev CRV, but no AWD planned for 2016 for Soul

Jeep Renegade, love the look but would never buy a Chrysler product due to reliability.
Kia Sportage maybe, depending on gas mileage and I do like KIA.
Nissan Rogue maybe but Im not sure on reliability , but they are sure aggressive with becoming sales in Canada so deals to be had.

Acura or Lexus mini-ute priced to high for me

 

[scooterct]

Yea, I think AWD is a big decision factor for a lot of people. Personally I avoid it like the plague, but I understand the appeal. Certainly nice to have when you get out on the road in the middle of a snowstorm.

Apparently Kia will have AWD for 2016. The Trailster concept previewed it. But it is a very unusual system - 224 horsepower in an HRV-sized package, with a rear electric motor providing the AWD. Really not something I'd personally buy. I wouldn't know what to do with a 224 HP Soul.

 

[DexterHugo]

One missing from your list is the Juke. Personally love the styling of it and driving it is a blast. It just feels very sporty. However, to me it's a crossover between a 2 seater and a suv. The backseat just seems to be a complete wash. It's very small. Perhaps not as bad as a mustang, but not really a 4 adult vehicle to me - so I ultimately dropped it from my list. I do keep an eye open for a redesign on that back seat, but so far no-go.

+1 to the jeep for off-road but unless you are part of a club, probably not something you will miss. With Fiat in charge of Chrysler, I expect better quality but might take a while for the market to agree. But the company seems to have turned around a bit.

 

[scooterct]

Yes - I should have mentioned the Juke. We test drove it. The wife LOVED it. But it had the storage space of a glove box.

 

[dorcas]

Hi,
a lot of people here thinking about AWD as "a big decision factor".
But do you really know something about AWD ?
Japanese cars (except Subaru) have the worst AWD.
For example Honda CRV is AWD only on paper.
Try to find something about CRV test in Sweden (Teknikens Värld magazine) - Honda CR-V 2014 4WD failure
(www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Djkiv-bWbLIo&rct=j&frm=1&q=&esrc=s&sa=U&ei=T7QvVczUDaHPygOq24GYCA&ved=0CDMQtwIwBQ&usg=AFQjCNGlm7GsPPKpO1Lz9wbbGP1U4-w21w)
New test has been done also with Nissan X trail - also almost disaster.
So if HRV will use the same SW and electronic system of AWD as CRV, then AWD is not as useful as it seems, so why pay for it?

 

[scooterct]

Hey Dorcas, maybe you can start a separate thread on "AWD - yes or no?". I'm hoping to keep this one on "did you drive the HRV competition and what did you think?".

AWD would be a good thread, and I'd have a few things to add to it.

 

[Cindyh]

I've been eyeballing the Subarus (Forester and XV Crosstrek) along with Honda(Fit/HR-V/CR-V). My little Saturn is dying but I really want to be able to test drive all the contenders before making up my mind.

I have to admit that I eliminated all the GM vehicles just as a matter of course at this point and anything that doesn't purport to get at least 30mpg highway. That means I should also test drive a Soul now that I think about it. Also, my husband and I like to go car camping and we tend to fill up his little '09 Fit so I'm hoping for something with a little more room in the back, but at this point the Fit is my fallback if nothing seems right.

 

[scooterct]

It kills me to say it, but if I were seriously into car camping, and I wanted to venture beyond the parking lot or improved dirt road, and I wanted a car the same size as the HRV, I'd buy a Renegade Trailhawk - no contest.

I'd be a bit worried about reliability, but I'd be overjoyed that I could confidently go seriously off road anytime I want. And still get 30 MPG highway (theoretically).

My hiking-obsessed spouse loves the Renegade. I'm not so crazy about it myself.

 

[Cindyh]

I'm pretty ok with the improved dirt roads and a 2wd car (the fact that it's going to spend 95% of it's life as a daily driver helps). Honestly though, I hadn't thought about Jeep at all because somewhere in the back of my mind I just assumed all the offerings were lucky to get 24mpg in ideal conditions, etc. I should probably add this one to my list to at least check out though.