Although the Toyota RAV4 is one of the most popular small SUVs on the planet, not all reviews of the RAV4 spell out the exact reasons why. We’ll be perfectly clear about it … while the RAV4 isn’t the off-roader’s 4×4, it’s a king of the highways and parking lots, from the shopping mall to the soccer fields. This little SUV gets it done with plenty of pep, lots of cargo space, a flexible interior, and respectable gas mileage.
Our MPGomaticToyota RAV4 review shows why this popular sport utility does so well in a highly competitive market. With our standard week-long review time frame, we were able to put hundreds of miles on the RAV4 to get a solid reading on fuel efficiency and overall driveability. It’s easy to see why the RAV4 is such a success. When called upon, the V6 in our test unit delivered the rare combination of both excellent acceleration and good mileage (when driven conscientiously, of course).
The Suzuki Grand Vitara is truly a horse of a different color, but some reviews of the Grand Vitara just don’t get it. (We’ll avoid naming names, for the time being.) To be clear, this isn’t a poseur SUV … it’s an honest to goodness off-roadable 4×4 in a compact package. But it’s not just capabable off-road, it’s enjoyable to drive no matter where your adventures may take you.
Our Suzuki Grand Vitara review took place over a long weekend. While this was a good bit shorter than our typical review time frame, we were able to put more than two hundred miles on the Grand Vitara and still get in a bit of off-road adventure time.
Needless to say, with the clock ticking, this one drove off a tad muddy …
MPG-o-Matic Review Summary:The Suzuki Grand Vitara is a tough little SUV that’s well worth a look if you need an off-road worthy four wheel drive that can get you into and out of those tight spaces.
While the Suzuki Grand Vitara competes most closely with the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Jeep Patriot, the Grand Vitara’s available true four wheel drive (4WD) and low-range transfer case make Suzuki’s little SUV more Jeep-like then the CR-V or RAV4.
While Subaru designed their Forester Mountain Rescue concept for high altitudes, there’s no question this truck has attitude. Rare is the Subaru with this much ground clearance. The Ski Patrol rides to the rescue with an Air Lift custom driver-adjustable ride height suspension, 9500 pound Warn winch, DeeZee (grill guard and custom side steps) and Bushwacker (custom trail armor, fender flares, tail light guards, rear gate guard and lower door cladding) gear.
Contrary to popular belief, SUVs haven’t stopped selling. Although SUV market demand is but a fraction of what it was in its heyday, many of today’s SUV buyers are finding remarkable bargains. Dealers are slashing prices to stay afloat in these difficult times. When you take the evaporation of sticker price into account along with the recent plunge in prices at the pump, conventional wisdom can get turned on its head. The SUV can be a wise choice, in situations with certain needs. The trick is to find the best SUV for the circumstances.
There’s no question that some eschew the perceived excess and creature comforts. But once accustomed to the space and flexibility of a SUV, it can be difficult to downsize. When the lease on Amy’s older Acura MDX came due, she and her husband initially wanted to replace it with an ‘08 MDX. They shopped the new MDX along with the Nissan Murano, but ended up leasing a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, based on a significantly lower price.
While it took a bit of negotiation, Amy (the founder of LIParentSource.com) landed a great deal. “Although our pricing — both ours and the dealers — was very far apart at first, the dealer truly wanted to unload these trucks and eventually came down to our price,” Amy explained. “Chrysler itself was offering about $12,000 in rebates at the time so it really enabled us to get a great price on a car that normally would have been out of our price range.” The deal flowed with the factory incentives. “Once we decided on the Jeep, the purchase process was relatively smooth. No trying to sell us things we didn’t need, no trying to upgrade us with other features. It was just what it was and that was it.”
“Because we are a family of 4 with two small kids and a large dog, there was never any question that we were getting an SUV. We wound up leasing a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with not only a V8 engine but a HEMI,” remarked Amy, “It wasn’t what we initially wanted, but the price difference between this SUV and every other one we looked at was so great — the Jeep price was SO far below anything else we looked at — that it really made up for the difference in gas price, still letting us come out on top in the end.” Continue reading →
MPG-o-Matic Review Summary: The Suzuki Grand Vitara is a tough little SUV that’s well worth a look if you need an off-road worthy four wheel drive that can get you into and out of those tight spaces. 
