SUV Buying Info - Part 1

Back in February I started tracking various car prices and among those I tracked were some of the more popular SUVs.  The only thing I could decide on for a Pilot replacement was that I didn’t really want a GM, Mitsubushi, or Nissan all for different reasons.  The local GM dealership just has too many different vehicles and the service center reminded me of an overfull hospital on my one and only visit.  Also I don’t find their website very user friendly or well laid out, juts my opinion.  I have never heard anything good about a Mitsubishi and my dad had a Nissan and didn’t like the service there so I am boycotting.

Anyway some general comments about 9 months of price watching…. Guess what they don’t change much.  Well the msrp never changes but the interest rates and promotions don’t change much.  Just a few examples of purchase rates in various months:

	Feb	Mar	Aug	Oct
Honda CRV EX	0.9%	0.9%	0.9%	0.9%
Toyota Rav 4 4WD	2.9%	1.9%	2.9%	2.9%
Hyundai Tucson	0%	0%	0.9%	0%
Ford Escape Ltd 4WD	0%	6.99%	4.49%	5.79%

These are just a few examples but most dealerships are consistent with the exception of when new models get released.  For the first while rates stay up to make sure they can move the previous year models out the door first.  As you can see Ford goes up and down but as the rates go up the discounts also go up to balance it all out.  So they appeal to low rate buyers for part of the year and to discount shoppers for part of the year…. Seems silly to me but the numbers don’t lie.

Purchase rates have been low all year on almost all popular SUVs, with the exception of whatever Ford has on the go.  So if you go to a dealership and they say they are not sure where rates are going next month….. unless they have a new model coming out they are not going anywhere more than likely. 

Kia and Hyundai have had gas card offers on and off over the year, even when that deal is not on you can probably get one thrown in.  Honda still has a few CRVs left and if you are thinking about leasing a small SUV the CRV is the way to go in you like the look of them…… I don’t but again that’s my opinion.  Due to high residuals and low rates you can lease a Honda CRV-EX for $445 a month tax included.  The CRV is actually bit more expensive than other similar sized and optioned SUVs but you can lease them for less in most cases.  One of the things I don’t like about the CRV is the engine power is noticeably low, and there is no 6 cyl or turbo option, just the one 4 cyl choice.  Also, fog lights are not standard on any trim, you have to get the dealer to install them as an extra, that’s kind of strange.  Most important to me, I like a peppy drive, this doesn’t have it.  If you want a nice calm family oriented SUV, especially if you are into leasing, you almost have to go with the CRV.  Honorable mention goes to the RAV-4.  If you like to have some power with your boring then the RAV-4 with the V6 is the way to go, it also has surprisingly good fuel economy.  You can also get a third row in the RAV-4…. It’s a small third row but you could potentially fit 2 small kids back there.

If you are looking to purchase something fun looking and well optioned, then forget the boring CRV and consider either a Tucson or Sportage.  They will have 0% or 0.9% financing for five years.  You will find that although these compact SUVs all look quite different the actual internal dimensions are very close, like within half an inch every way around.  So why not go for the one that looks the best to you?  If you want to lease the Kia and Hyundai are not really good deals as the residuals are low and rates are higher in most cases.

If you want something s bit bigger, the Santa Fe has 0% financing up to 7 years, you see these things everywhere now, again if you want nice family oriented transportation it is a decent choice. 

Tomorrow I will discuss cross-over type SUVs and SUV alternatives.