[Htay7500]

2008 Honda CR-V vs. 2008 Nissan Rogue vs. 2008 Saturn VUE Green Line vs. 2009 Subaru Forester vs. 2008 Toyota RAV4


By Kim Reynolds
Photography by Brian Vance






"Cappuccinos?"Absolutely! The waiter at the Star Caf, just north of L.A. in Montrose, scribbles our order and hurries off to the espresso machine. Art St. Antoine, Ed Loh, Scott Mortara, Julia LaPalme, and I are going to need some seriously distillated java-juice to shake off our lunch-induced stupors and formulate some conclusions about these cars. Cars? Those would be the five compact SUVs we've parked nearby and are still occasionally popping and ticking to each other after pounding out evaluation loops, which have included swift climbs up Angeles Crest Highway, swifter descents, and several miles of choppy concrete freeway. Pull up a chair and listen in.

ratings:

1st Place Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium
Exorcized of cramped rear legroom and graceless styling, the Subie's charm becomes hard to resist.
2nd Place Nissan Rogue SL
The 'ute for the PlayStation generation. Fun and affordable-but bring a kidney belt.
3rd Place Honda CR-V EX
Quality construction and a handsome interior don't trump a busy ride and soupy handling.
4th Place Saturn VUE Green Line
Price premium isn't erased by its tax credit and better mileage, but it's fun to poke OPEC in the eye, isn't it?
5th Place Toyota RAV4
College-entrance committees are looking for more than solid SATs these days. You need a compelling story, too.


more @ link: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/112_0806_compact_crossover_comparison/index.html

 

[member12]

I think that I can buy that except that I'd place the Rogue last and bump the Saturn and Toyota up.

 

[PMC the 1st]

I think that I can buy that except that I'd place the Rogue last and bump the Saturn and Toyota up.

Well, Motor Trend mentioned nothing about a standard telepathic steering rack (or any other standard or optional 1-800-PSYCHIC related equipment) on the Honda CRV, so we may assume Car and Driver magazine erred in their assessment of the Honda's standard features list.
What's of interest to note is once again Toyota takes last place in a comparison test that, as a leading manufacturer of home appliances, should have come in first. This is becoming routine for Toyota. First, Mercedes Benz started taking last-place finishes in Comparo's a few years back, now it's Toyota's turn.
THe Saturn Vue comes in higher because, obviously, they no longer offer the clunky, ol' Honda J35 engine as an option anymore.

 

[PMC the 1st]

OH,

One more thing and it's this quote from the testers at Motor Trend:

"Another cappuccino?" the waiter asks. No thanks. St. Antoine pays the bill, and we head back to the cars, into the afternoon traffic, and for home...

Why is it that these automotive testers always drive to and from local coffee lounges during their automotive tests? They're either quoting a waiter asking them if they want another cappucino, or quoting the waitress if they want another cafe latte.
They're quoting the waitstaff of various coffee joints in just about every review of every car they test.
Is there a reason for this?