Daily Archives: April 6, 2014
2015 Mazda CX-5: Versatile Yet Affordable
Looking forward to buy a versatile yet affordable small sized SUV along with features like excellent fuel economy, well built luxury interiors, improved functionality stellar safety numbers and impeccable driving experience? Then fret not finally Mazda has listened to all your wishes and has come up with its relatively affordable 2015 Mazda CX-5, which has become for many of the reviewers a favorite in this section. Undoubtedly, Mazda CX-5 meets the exact definition and expectation of a small sized futuristic SUV and it must make entry to your short list for worth buying small SUVs in 2015.
If we take a deep look at the 2015 CX-5, surely you will find many reasons to fall in love with it as it is meant to make your life simpler. The car offers maximum comfort for daily driving and roaming around with kids, followed by complete ease to take out or fit in while parking. Mazda has maintained its standard 2.5 liter engine on all the available trim levels that offers strong acceleration along with its best in class fuel economy. For adventure people who look forward to weekend for fun filled adventure rides, Mazda CX-5 is a pleasure to drive with its quiet cabin, smooth ride and comfortable seating space, thus making it an excellent vehicle for long road trips.
If you compare this version of Mazda CX-5 with other small crossovers you will find that it is actually a fun to drive car with its precise steering and amazingly sporty handling, which are all a must for such a futuristic SUV. Although, Mazda has kept its CX-5 almost unchanged except two key features, which are keyless entry and ignition, which have always remained a standard in their all Touring and Grand Touring trim levels.
Live every other SUV hitting the market for 2015 Mazda CX-5 also has its share of lows and for us the main flaw in this brand new futuristic SUV is its subpar electronics interface. If we compare the infotainment systems of other Mazda rivals, it becomes clear that company has failed to come over its mediocre graphics, poor navigation and disorganized placement of menus, lack of scrolling feature on map screen and lot more. Sound quality is not that good to even talk about although they are offering Bose Audio System. On performance level as well, if you are planning for a car that you can take out with full passenger load and cargo then we recommend you to buy 2.5 liter engine version.
Because small crossover has evolved a lot in past few years and there are several options to check out before making any final decision. Some of the worthwhile competitors for Mazda CX-5 are Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Jeep Cherokee and Subaru Forester. As they all have something or the other that can challenge your decision of buying Mazda CX-5 before even having a look at them.
But, we still believe no matter how good the rivals are, Mazda CX-5 still scores high among others and it actually deserves strong consideration.
2014 Kia Sportage: A Complete Head Turner
These days, every prominent car maker makes his best effort to keep at least one small size crossover available in their showroom, so that they can meet the requirements of the small SUV market. To keep pace with the ongoing trend Kia has also introduced its 2014 Kia Sportage, but the question that remains here is that whether it is worth a look? Well, lets’ have a close look at it, so the first thing that caught our attention is its head turning looks, followed by plethora of desirable features and impeccably strong performance.
To make it a newest and freshest edition in its small SUV segment, Kia has included an updated 2.4 liter engine with direct injection feature which make it powerful than before with improved efficiency. Other prominent features that have made addition to 2014 Kia Sportage include refurbished interior styling , high performance suspension tuning is common across all trim levels, xenon headlights, touchscreen system, improved navigation system, high tech and new sound system, ventilated front seats and air vents for rear seats as well and upgraded UVO telematics services for enhanced driver experience. To make 2014 Kia Sportage more up-market, this time the car manufacturer has dropped its previous base trim level along with manual transmission from its lineup.
Sharply tuned front ends and muscular fenders makes Kia Sportage stand out from the rest of small crossovers. And surprisingly, we found out that the amazing looks OF 2014 Kia Sportage from outside and beautiful complimented from the inside when we took a sneak peek under the hood. The new base with 182 horsepower and 2.4 liter four cylinder engine is powerful enough for a crossover of this size. However, the SX trim level turbocharged 2.0 liter four cylinder engine has the ability to take things to a higher level. The turbocharged engine will generate 260hp and has the power to scoot from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds. The biggest factor that makes Kia Sportage 2014 the best bet in the small crossover market is its prize, which company has kept very minimal keeping its top end features like navigation and ventilated seats in mind if compared to other fully loaded small SUVs’ ready to hit the market.
If we look into the downside of the 2014 Kia Sportage, there are hardly any to figure out but these few drawbacks can make a big difference for many buyers. The first negative for this small SUV is its interior space, which is quite small if compared to others and falls reasonably short on passenger and cargo space. Thus, making it a not so ideal car for those looking forward to hop around with kids and cargo. On the other hand, some might find Kia Sportage a fun to drive option, but for some it might be too firm for their liking which might be because of its engine and fuel economy.
Some of the top competitors for 2014 Kia Sportage are 2014 Honda CR-V, 2014 Subaru Forester and 2014 Toyota RAV4 as they offer much better cabin and cargo space. Those looking for sprightly driving dynamics 2014 Ford Escape and 2014 Mazda CX-5 can also be a good option.
Redesigned 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
To make its way in the 2015 SUV market, Chevrolet has started making its efforts and has come up with its redesigned version of 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe with major highlights quite visible in its design, standard and availability of optional equipments. To make it a tough competitor in the thriving SUV market, Chevrolet has integrated some changes like fold flat third row seat, quieter and high quality material cabin, improved fuel economy and updated exterior styling.
Some of the reviewers might find the all new 2015 Chevy Tahoe minimally evolved, but once you take a deep look into it you will realize there is nothing old fashioned about this latest version of Chevrolets’ full size SUV and its actually top notch in terms of technology and versatility. For the very first time in Tahoe, Chevrolet has introduced the feature of folding third row seats on the floor instead of removing them, although the other SUV manufacturers have adopted this years ago, but this time Chevrolet has also made considerable changes in this segment to offer maximum convenience to its buyers. And addition to this is the power actuated folding feature for both second and third row seats, this has made the small statures easily manageable which earlier used to be a little cumbersome while handling. 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe has made remarkable improvements in its fuel economy, which earlier used to be a point of concern for Chevrolet buyers. Apart from that, this year you will find value additions like a brand new touchscreen interface with added integration of connecting smartphones, latest and high on tech electronic safety feature is a must to look out for as it will keep on providing vigilance even if the driver fails to pay attention to safety details. Some of the major features of 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe safety equipment are land departure warning system, front collision warning, blind spot monitoring and advanced mitigation system.
Like every SUV, 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe also has its own share of negatives and it comes with its space efficiency which is quite better in other crossovers, however its towing capabilities are unbeatable and can give tough competition to others. However, if you compare other large crossovers with Tahoe you will find out that Chevys’ Tahoe is not only heavy duty but also offers considerable space for passengers along with its comparatively equal cargo hauling abilities. The best thing about 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe is that despite being heavy duty it doesn’t give you truck like driving dynamics and still feels like a luxury SUV while driving.
The toughest competition for Chevrolet Tahoe is standing tall in Chevys’ own showroom with the name Chevrolet Traverse as it offers substantially bigger cabin and cargo space. Other options which a buyer can consider while buying full size traditional SUVs giving tough competition to Tahoe include Toyota sequoia, which has almost same driving dynamics and blend of functionality, refinement as well as performance. But if you are looking for a full size SUV with the ability to offer do all utility and no compromise in comfort then 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe is your best bet.
2014 Ford Explorer: A Popular SUV
Long back in the year 1991, when Ford introduced its Ford Explorer a number one sport utility vehicle of that time, which eventually cemented the popularity of SUVs offered a rather rugged alternative to awkward station wagons and at that time it was considered a perfect vehicle. Ever since, the SUV landscape has gone through the tremendous change, but in 2014 as well Ford has kept its basics right and has introduced the all new 2014 Ford Explorer with that same old nostalgic feel. The excellent combination of power, refined interiors, fuel economy and much more has made it even more desirable than before.
To keep pace with the modern SUV market, Ford has adopted the carlike unibody structure to construct Ford, thus taking break from their truck like underpinnings, which is common in all their older models. The biggest advantage for Ford with this new body construction is that it offers more cabin space, improved fuel economy and comfortable ride, all these features come as a basic expectation from any family vehicle and Ford Explorer has managed to meet them all. From inside as well, this time Ford has kept its interiors upscale, adding seven passenger seat option along with a comprehensive list of safety and convenience features. There are also some advanced and unique options available like heated back seats, which are not very common in SUVs of the same price band. Second row seat belt airbags along with lane departure and lane warning systems are all newly added features for traditional 2014 Ford Explorer.
Ford has kept its engine standard V6 offering 290 horsepower, which is perfect to meet the needs of buyers, but to make it more interesting Ford has included 2.0 liter four cylinder engine as an added advantage. However, the buyer has to pay additionally for this engine but trust us it’s completely worthwhile because its power and fuel economy are best in this class. If you are still looking for the performance oriented Ford Explorer, than the company has also introduced its Explorer Sport Model with 3.5 liter turbocharged V6 engine with the power of generating 365 horsepower. Along with this, the sport version also offers firm suspension tuning and refurbished interior/exterior trim details.
Talking about the drawbacks of 2014 Ford Explorer, we got the conclusion that they mainly depend on the priority of the buyer. For example, if all member of your family are tall, than you might not find the second and third row seats comfortable as they are less roomier if compared to other crossovers. Same goes for its cargo space and its MyFord touch interface which has frequent glitches while operating. Also, the 2014 Ford Explorer feels bigger than it actually is while behind the wheel and is not at all an easy vehicle to maneuver while driving in tight spaces.
Possible alternative for 2014 Ford explorer are 2014 Chevrolet Traverse, 2014 Dodge Durango, 2014 Mazda CX-9 and Fords’ Sibling Ford Flex as they all are roomier, versatile and upscale with many comforts which are not available in 2014 Ford Explorer.
