New Mexico, New Car?

[morkus64]

So my wife and I just moved to northern New Mexico and are starting to think our Nissan Versa just isn't going to cut it. Driving to ABQ the other day, the car seemed to lack power for the ups and downs, and the A/C just wasn't powerful enough to make a difference in the dry heat. We visited a friend who lives down a dirt road, and the Versa seemed to be trying to say "Hey jerks, I wasn't built for this."

So, I'm trying to find an affordable, reasonably small, fuel-efficient, car / suv / crossover that will work well for both the weekend trips to Santa Fe and taking a short trip to Taos or Monument Valley.

The Jeep Renegade looks like a possibility, and there should be deals on the 2015s reasonably soon I suppose, though we probably won't do any off-roading. I used to drive a Beetle, and now we have a Versa, so obviously we like the smaller form factor. Most SUVs are just too big.

Any thoughts? Things I should look out for?

UPDATE: Got a CX-5 and I'm very happy with it! Thanks for the advice, all!

 

[Fenixgoon]

is your AC full? might just need a recharge. but either way, a versa isn't going to have much engine to tackle hills

 

[cabri]

I have run a 6 cyl Jeep GC all over northen NM and the CO Rockies with no issues.

 

[NutBucket]

Yeah, Japanese AC works hard in real heat. Need something domestic for proper cooling!

 

[Jumpem]

A Subaru with the CVT will have good fuel economy and capable AWD. The Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek XV will have good ground clearance as well. They also all score top of the charts in safety ratings.

 

[NutBucket]

Too bad the AC is barely adequate for real heat.

 

[SSSnail]

You know, I recently had to drive a rental Ford Escape with the Eco Boost, and I have to say it does have decent pick-up and cold A/C. Well, except for that torque steer and snap steering.

 

[morkus64]

UPDATE: I think I've got it down to the Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, and Jeep Renegade. Anyone have any thoughts on those three?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Pontiac Aztek... And a Fleetwood Bounder.

 

[mizzou]

test drive all 3

 

[Demo24]

For what it's worth my Mazda 3 has impressed me with its a/c, and worked quite well in 100f (which here is always humid). The cx5 shares some parts from the 3 and I'd expect it to work similarly. If you can opt for one with auto climate, you'd be surprised at how good it is at keeping a certain temp. Experience with Mazda aside, the cx5 tends to win or come around on top on a lot of reviews so it'd be my pick due to driving dynamics.

 

[Jumpem]

UPDATE: I think I've got it down to the Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, and Jeep Renegade. Anyone have any thoughts on those three?

The Forester will have the most capable AWD system, best fuel economy, and highest safety ratings. You will have to keep the A/C on recirculate if you want it to blow cold. The Mazda will have slightly lower fuel economy and safety ratings, less ground clearance, but probably a nicer interior.

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, the Renegade is a FIAT 500.

 

[Herr Kutz]

So my wife and I just moved to northern New Mexico and are starting to think our Nissan Versa just isn't going to cut it. Driving to ABQ the other day, the car seemed to lack power for the ups and downs, and the A/C just wasn't powerful enough to make a difference in the dry heat. We visited a friend who lives down a dirt road, and the Versa seemed to be trying to say "Hey jerks, I wasn't built for this."

So, I'm trying to find an affordable, reasonably small, fuel-efficient, car / suv / crossover that will work well for both the weekend trips to Santa Fe and taking a short trip to Taos or Monument Valley.

The Jeep Renegade looks like a possibility, and there should be deals on the 2015s reasonably soon I suppose, though we probably won't do any off-roading. I used to drive a Beetle, and now we have a Versa, so obviously we like the smaller form factor. Most SUVs are just too big.

Any thoughts? Things I should look out for?

Just came back from a trip to Utah (drove through New Mexico) a few weeks ago and you are right, my Versa was also struggling to maintain the speed limit on interstates with ups and downs at those elevations. I've never had issues with dirt roads though, unless there were serious pot holes or it was muddy. My AC worked fine too, but I always have it on recirculate. I will not make that drive again in my Versa

 

[Humpy]

I live in NM haven't had any problems with just a basic front wheel drive car. Drive a 2014 Mazda 3 now which has no problem with La Bajada or the SF Ski Basin or the occasional snow or summer heat. If you are on the washboard back roads a lot pretty much anything will rattle to pieces sooner or later. My wife has a Forester which is also a good choice I think.

A common strategy is to get the absolute biggest vehicle you can afford in hopes of protection from drunk drivers.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I have a 2008 forester non-turbo. It has the 2.5L which puts out around 170HP or so. I love it. The AC is decent, though it could be better (when its 90+ and humid out, it takes a while to cool the car down.)

It can handle the mountain driving I've done Driving all over Asheville and Smokey Mountains area (both in fall, once it was late fall, and snowy above about 3K feet, and once no snow), as well as going through Pennsylvania in the winter (they closed a tunnel and I tried to detour on some road that goes over the mountain, but had to turn around since there was a pileup at the bottom of a hill blocking both directions. So we stopped for a meal at a bar and had awesome crab!

Anyhow, on the interstate, at max grades, car had no problem maintaining speed, car can accelerate as needed uphill.

My 08 has a crappy 4 speed auto. Car winds up downshifting into 3rd when climbing steep parts and accelerating over 70mph, this causes the engine to push pretty hard / loud / high revs. So I tend to slow down and drive faster than the trucks, but around the speed of most of the local traffic rather than left lane the whole way through.

I believe new model years have cvt or manual, so this may not be a factor any more.

I have limited experience with the mountains, as I live in flatlandia (Illinois) where the biggest mountain is like 100 feet or something

 

[BurnItDwn]

One other mention, from Jalopnik, Andrew Collins is a huge Jeep nerd. He did a great video about the renegade. He gives it favorable ratings.

http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/lets-find-out-if-the-jeep-renegade-is-a-real-jeep-1718262365

The mazda is a bit of an unknown to me. It looks like it has a weaker engine, but gets fantastic fuel economy. I'd expect it to handle a bit better, but have a rougher ride.

 

[NutBucket]

No on the Renegade. You don't want a Fiat. Have you tried the Mazda and Suby on a seriously hot day? It's barely breaking 100 in Albuquerque now. I would wait until you get a heat wave to test/decide. On a seriously hot LA day I thought the AC in the Pilot and MDX were barely adequate. Food for thought.

 

[XavierMace]

There's been a total of 3 "Subaru's" in front of my house here in Phoenix over the last 5 years. I use the quotes because the last one was a BRZ which is half Toyota. Let me tell you, when summer came around, I was really glad Toyota did the AC in that rather than Subaru. The difference between it and the two actual Subaru's (Impreza and Forrester) was like night and day. The IS300 it replaced had the best A/C of any car I've ever owned. Currently driving a BMW 135i. Really wish it had a Toyota A/C system.

Also, in general, I spent some time in a new Forrester and two Outback's recently (dealer loaners). The base Forrester didn't impress me at all. The CVT made it seem like the engine was always struggling to move the vehicle. The base Outback was OK at best. The Outback 3.6R was actually pretty nice, but it starts at a solid $9k more than the base model.

 

[unokitty]

UPDATE: I think I've got it down to the Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, and Jeep Renegade. Anyone have any thoughts on those three?

My better half recently bought a CX-5. Seems nice. Drives much better than my Element.

If you're serious about a CX-5, make sure you are looking at the 16. If my memory is correct, the 2015's have a smaller electronic display.

CX-5 comes with a traditional automatic transmission. In contrast, Forester has a CVT. Renegade has a 9 speed transmission that has a problematic history.

I'd expect better driving characteristics with the automatic. Though, the CVT likely would get slightly better mileage. Your car. Your call. But I'd recommend that you drive both...

We didn't look at Foresters. Only had one dealer that close.

On paper, Renegade looks very competitive. Though, its so new that it involves more unknowns than the other choices. Depending on what you're looking for, it might work for you.

Don't know if you've considered the Honda HRV. If you're partial to small cars, you might want to consider it...

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[morkus64]

Wounds up borrowing a CX-5 for a few days from the dealer. So far I've driven it up and down hills, tried putting the a/c on max, and still found myself going 90 in a 75 because it's so smooth.

 

[cavemanmoron]

A Subaru with the CVT will have good fuel economy and capable AWD. The Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek XV will have good ground clearance as well. They also all score top of the charts in safety ratings.

Outback is what I would go for out there. Even with the 4 cyl.

I have a 2015 Legacy with the 4 cyl, no problem on any hills near here. Great on fuel too.
31+mpg average over 6,000 miles.

 

[morkus64]

I looked at the outback - it's just too station wagon-ey for me.

 

[jagec]

The Forester will have the most capable AWD system, best fuel economy, and highest safety ratings. You will have to keep the A/C on recirculate if you want it to blow cold. The Mazda will have slightly lower fuel economy and safety ratings, less ground clearance, but probably a nicer interior.

The Mazda and Subaru have essentially the same safety ratings and the Mazda gets better fuel economy. Which is no big surprise, since Subarus ALWAYS get slightly worse fuel economy than other Japanese brands due to the AWD.

The Fiat 500L failed the small overlap test. Dunno if they beefed up the Renegade enough to pass. Being a Jeep it will probably not get great fuel mileage or be all that reliable, but I would expect it to be the best off roader, with the Mazda being the worst.

Mazda has been hitting it out of the park with their newer cars, and so I'd probably pick them if I wasn't going to be off-road often. Dirt/forest service roads don't really count.

 

[Jumpem]

The Mazda and Subaru have essentially the same safety ratings and the Mazda gets better fuel economy. Which is no big surprise, since Subarus ALWAYS get slightly worse fuel economy than other Japanese brands due to the AWD.

The Fiat 500L failed the small overlap test. Dunno if they beefed up the Renegade enough to pass. Being a Jeep it will probably not get great fuel mileage or be all that reliable, but I would expect it to be the best off roader, with the Mazda being the worst.

Mazda has been hitting it out of the park with their newer cars, and so I'd probably pick them if I wasn't going to be off-road often. Dirt/forest service roads don't really count.

Subaru has a front crash prevention rating of Superior. The CX-5 ranks lower at Advanced.

The Forester is rated 24/32. The Outback is 25/33. The Crosstrek XV is 26/34. The AWD CX-5 is rated 24/30 which is less than all of the similar Subaru models.