FINDING THE RIGHT AWD
Couple wants good fuel economy, too
Despite the recent departure of summer, a Canadian fall can turn into winter faster than you can say, “A cold front with a mix of snow and freezing rain is moving in from the northwest.” Such gloomy forecasts have this month’s Dear John letter writers looking for an affordable new vehicle with traction at all four wheels.
Scott and Heather Watson from Kelowna, B. C., have been retired for more than four years and take full advantage of their local Okanagan Valley provincial parks, wineries and ski hills. The couple is looking to replace their frontwheeldrive 2008 Honda Civic four- door, a purchase made based on commuting two hours a day in suburban Toronto.
As much as the Watsons enjoyed the compact sedan’s reliability and decent fuel economy, their more active retirement life in B. C. has them looking for something with the practicality of the cargo room in a hatchback or wagon, and all- wheel drive ( AWD) to get them around with confidence during all seasons.
While most of the Watsons’ daily driving involves running errands, taking day trips and getaways in the Valley can take them several hours away from home. They figure they drive about 22,000 kilometres annually. Good fuel economy — at least close to the 8.5 L/ 100 km they average in their 2008 Civic — is a large consideration for their next new vehicle.
In addition to looking for a new AWD vehicle with overall low operating costs, the only other “must haves” on the wish list are air conditioning and an automatic transmission. They’ve set a limit of $ 25,000 ( taxes not included), based on buying their new car with cash and keeping it for at least seven years.
Luckily, the Watsons are in a sweet spot in the current new- car market. Automakers have recently been marrying AWD with smaller vehicles, realizing the benefits of offering year- round traction in smaller vehicles that can also get compact car- like fuel economy. I’ve found four examples that could be Scott and Heather’s next new car.
Let’s start with the new- thisyear 2016 Honda HR- V crossover. Based on the Honda Fit subcompact hatchback, the taller- riding, four- door HR- V sits under the existing Honda CR- V compact crossover in size and price. Available with either front- or all- wheeldrive, the five- passenger HR- V is powered by a 141- horsepower, 1.8- litre four- cylinder engine, mated to a continuously variable transmission ( CVT). The result is a combined city/ highway fuel economy estimate of 8.1 L/ 100 km.
Also new this year is my next recommendation: the 2016 Mazda CX- 3. Like the Honda, the small Mazda crossover is all new for 2016. The four- door is based on the foreign- market Mazda2 subcompact ( sold in Canada as the Toyota Yaris Sedan). The five- passenger CX- 3 is available in FWD or AWD forms. Despite its practical package, the Mazda’s 2.0- L four- cylinder and a six- speed automatic sip little fuel, scoring a combined 7.3 L/ 100 km estimate.
Next up is the 2015 Nissan Juke. A subcompact, four- door crossover that’s been on the market since 2011, the Nissan can also be had with power to its front or all four wheels. Under its hood is a powerful, 188- h. p. turbocharged 1.6- L four- cylinder engine. Matched to a CVT, the Nissan is also frugal, scoring a combined rating of 8.2 L/ 100 km.
My final recommendation is the 2016 Subaru Impreza 5- Door. Unlike my first three choices, the Subaru is not a crossover ( although the Impreza- based Subaru XV Crosstrek is also available, its over-$ 27,000 sticker puts it out of the running).
But the four- door Impreza’s practical hatchback body style, standard AWD and miserly 148h. p. 2.0- L four- cylinder engine/ CVT powertrain ( for a combined 7.6 L/ 100 km estimate) makes it a serious contender.
Thanks to a very competitive market, all four of these vehicles would make a great AWD replacement for the Watsons’ older Civic. But there are some subtle differences, which allows me to pick a winner.
The first vehicle to be shown the garage door is the 2016 Honda HRV. Although it leads the group in rear cargo space — with a capacity of 657 L — and comes with an automatic transmission and AWD ( in LX AWD trim), its $ 26,104 price tag ( including freight and predelivery inspection fees) makes it the most expensive choice here, and puts it over the Watsons’ $ 25K budget.
The 2015 Nissan Juke gets the boot next for similar reasons. To get what they want, the Watsons would have to pop for the $ 25,678 Juke SV AWD. Plus, the small Nissan’s coupe- like styling has left it with the smallest cargo space here, a mere 297 L behind its rear seats.
Just under budget at $ 24,625, the 2016 Mazda CX- 3 GX meets all the Watsons’ requirements, but its relatively small 452- L rear cargo space means there’s one vehicle that is the best all- around choice to replace the Watsons’ old Honda sedan: the 2016 Subaru Impreza 5- door.
With AWD standard and a CVT added, the $ 23,790 Subaru Impreza 5- Door 2.0i is the least expensive AWD car here. And although it doesn’t have the jacked- up body styling of the Honda, Mazda and Nissan small crossovers, its roomy rear cargo area can hold up to 637 L of Okanagan Valley activity gear.
For new- car buyers, like the Watsons, looking for four- wheel traction in a roomy, economical and affordable package, the Subaru hatchback would be my first recommendation.