Mazda CX-7, Nissan Murano, Subaru Tribeca

[Zulu]

Hi All gurus expertise bros, Bro in Law is looking for a SUV, need expert advise on these 3 SUV models. Personnally I have a biased heart towards Mazda CX-7, love the shape and spirit of a sports car and having the utility of a SUV.

But I think to have a fairer comparison, its wise to seek expert advise here as I think the other 2 models have its charm too.

[Law_ong]

the wiser choice will be going down to test drive all 3....

[Woolff]

Subaru Tribeca front look like a pussy hole!!!!

[Azarael]

Mazda Cx - 7 looks good, fair price, very value for money at 102 K. probably the best handler in its class

 

Subaru Tribeca -- the front looks disgusting like as if retarded castrated monkeys were allowed to design it.

 

Nissan murano - the 3.5 4WD is the best to drive but the road tax is killer. looks nice from side and front but has a really fat butt...interior plastics and handling not as good as mazda Cx 7

 

personally i think the mazda is the best bet so far, furthermore it can really go. it looks like a touraeg with jap price

[Yeshe]

OK let me just list through a few SUVs available with their pros/cons. i for one am also looking for a SUV.

 

1) Subaru tribeca - $138k

Pro - Boxer engine, no horse run

- 7 Seater SUV

- AWD

 

Cons - Poor FC

- More costly

- Funny looking facelift

- High road tax and insurance

- lousy agent ( see other thread on MI )

 

2) Mazda CX7 - $102K

Pro - Turbo charged

- Sleek design

- 4WD

- BOSE sound system

 

Cons - Backseat spaces not too big

- 7 seater coming out next year

 

3) Nissan Murano 3.5L - $120K

Pro - Sleek design

- Spacious

- 4WD ( 2WD for the 2.5L )

 

Cons - poor FC

- High road tax and insurance

- Not one of the cheapest around

 

4) Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4G - $97k

Pro - Spacious

- Selective 4WD

- Rockford sound system

- attractive pricing

 

Cons - Back looks alittle strange

- 7 Seater coming out soon

 

5) Toyota RAV4 - $99k

Pro - Spacious

- Selective 4WD

- Sleek Design

 

Cons - Expensive in comparism with similar make

- Slow response in initial pick up

 

6) Susuki Grand Vitara 2L - $75K

Pro - Very good pricing

- SLeek design

- Always 4WD

 

Cons - poor FC

- more for Off road usage ( hard suspension )

- Slow response in initial pick up

 

7) Ford Escape 2.3L - $75K

Pro - Very good pricing

- Simple SUV design

- Always 4WD

 

Cons - Loud engine

- very few interior compartments

- Slow response

 

If price is not an issue, try go for the Lexus RX400H

[W210k]

Between the 3 you've named, the CX-7 is the most powerful (being TC) and sleek. But you'd need to push all 3 SUVs to test their handling prowess. Am not surprised if CX-7 turns out to be the better handler, due to its lower stance. However, the only thing negative (to me at least) is that the Mazda, though assembled in Japan, has many of its OEM parts supplied from China Inc. The internal plastics used also are hard and brittle - making them look cheap. But to balance that, I like the feel of the steering wheel and the look of the dials on the dash board.

 

You should wait for the Nissan Qashqai to be brought into SG by TCM. The Qashqai is (still) made in England, using mostly parts from England and the EU. There is only ONE (1) Nissan factory manufacturing Qashqai now and they are unable to cope with the world-wide demand.

 

Now compare that against the quality and handling of the 2007 facelifted BMW X3 and X5.

Or even the new 3.2L IL-6 Volvo XC-90 and the Audi Q7. Both these are 7-seater SUVs. All these very ex lah - not necessarily buy them, but at least touch, feel, test-drive and get an inkling on what is available at the top end.

 

With that, your bro-in-law can then compare along a broader range of SUVs and make his decision - price, power, quality and/or handling?

 

p.s. Forget the Jeep. But if his pocket is deep enough, should also take a look at the new LandRover Discovery. But that's 4+L.

[Santa]

ever consider vw touraeg, xc 90, x5, opel antara, chevrolet new suv, or the pariah citroen outlander or peugeot outlander.

 

just my own opinion no flaming please, at those price which murano, cx7 and tribeca are sold, why not just top up another 20-50k and go for lexus 350. not that i support or promote lexus, at least u know u paying for a reliable machine that is quiet and nice in/out plus it is from someone who has many years of experience in suv rather than madza or subura or nissan which are relatively new if not maiden.

 

importanly for suv is not about 0-100km but rather 0-60km as having enough punch for our singapore city driving - most suv are close to 2 tonnes in kerb weight and if u go for low end model i.e small engine capacity then u might not enjoy the ride. the pick up could be very sluggish and u might not be accustomed to cherry qq, hyundai getz, honda jazz blowing at u . cx 7 could boast that it is turbo but at what rpm does turbo kick in and how often u drive at those rpm, any turbo lag etc etc

Edited December 18, 2006 by Santa

[Route88]

Forget all,get a Harrier

[Zoomx]

Hi Santa,

 

Not flaming but more of a discussion. The widest spread between RX350 and the cheapest of the trio mentioned is about 50k or 50%. Well, normally when others mentioned some cars that are within budget, there is a possibility that he or she is already stretched. Based on your stretching of budget, I give you an example. If you are looking for an E or 5 series (high hundred nearing 200k), I asked why don't you stretch 50% and get a S or 7. When you decide to move to a entry S or 7, another guy who isn't awared of your "upgrading" may suggest you to stretch 50% to get a Bently or Porsche. LOL, you get the pic? From E to Bently. Nevermind that you may be driving a Porsche or Bently in real life and 50k may not be a lot to you, again, I am not flaming but I think the thread starter needs "useful" inputs. I have no advice (thats why I only read and not write) as the only SUV I had before is a GMC which is almost irrelevant in SG context.

 

Cheers

[Santa]

i agree to your point - well said.

 

the reason i dare to recommend him rx 350 simply because tribeca is 138k, for someone who can look at 138k i think 150k not too far fetch from it.

 

maybe to grant him a wider choice, he should look downward i.e hyundai santa fe 80k (but then again some will say how can u compare koreans with japanese heheheh

Edited December 18, 2006 by Santa

[Iziz]

Hi,

 

To clarify, there are no concrete plans to bring in the Qashqai yet. As least, that was wad was being communicated to the ground.

 

To add on, y dun u go for a test-drive, it tells loads more den just paper specs.

 

Personally I dun like to buy new models as there usually are bugs to be tweaked and as first owners, u r the ones who have to bear with it, it may be big or it may be small, nobody knows... But of coz if u r one of those who like to be the first, den its a good time since both of the other 2 r new models =)

 

PS: I bought my own car 2 years after it was first launched.

[Zoomx]

Now you are talking

 

Santa Fe is another one thats very value for money. I do not have a korean before but my friend who has a getz says its not too cool on FC. Also, except in Singapore, Korean makes are ranked almost on par with Jap and even ahead of some American makes in terms of reliability. If I remember correctly, Hyundai has the best warranty package in the market for the largest automobile market in the world.

 

Also, if comparing Tribeca and RX350, its pretty close. Thats why I took the largest spread as an example.

 

If I have to make a choice among the 3, it will be the CX7. If not, it will be Subaru Forester for sure for a SUV.

[Mysteria]

bro santa FE is a V6 but is booasting only 180bhp... thats even slower than a bicycle

 

pay peanut get money wor...

[Vino]

Wonder why no one mentioned about RAV4?

A Japanese 2.4L with close to 180bhp for less than $80k is a good buy IMO!

[Ccssgm]

Make Mazda Nissan Subaru

Model CX-7 2.3 (A) Murano 250XL (A) Tribeca 3.0

Year [ Year Introduced ] 2006 [ 2006 ] 2006 [ 2005 ] [/color] 2007 [ 2006 ]

NCAP 1 N.A 1

Latest SRP [Latest PI Price] SGD 102,800 SGD 106,000 SGD 138,500

Latest OMV N.A SGD 29,939 N.A

 

Reviews Rating 4 / 5 3 / 5 N.A

Car Type SUV SUV SUV

Engine Capacity 2260 cc Turbocharged 2488 cc 2999 cc Turbocharged

Engine Layout Straight Straight Flat

Cylinders 4 6 6

Valves 16 24 24

Max Power 235 Bhp / 5000 rpm 163 Bhp / 5200 rpm 250 Bhp / 6600 rpm

Max Torque 350 Nm / 2500 rpm 245 Nm / 3600 rpm 297 Nm / 4200 rpm

0-100 8.6 secs 11.9 secs 9.7 secs

Top Speed 230 km/h 180 km/h 195 km/h

Drive Train FF FF F4

Gears 6 4 5

Transmission Auto Tiptronic Auto Auto Tiptronic

Weight 2267 kg N.A contribute 2586 kg

Curb Weight 1782 kg 1665 kg 1895 kg

Power to Weight 131.87 97.9 131.93

bhp/litre 104.0 bhp/litre 65.5 bhp/litre 83.4 bhp/litre

 

Length 4620 mm 4770 mm 4855 mm

Height 1645 mm 1705 mm 1675 mm

Width 1872 mm 1880 mm 1880 mm

Wheelbase 2750 mm 2825 mm 2750 mm

Track Front 1617mm 1620mm 1580mm

Track Rear 1612mm 11620mm 1580mm

Turning Radius 5.7m 5.7m 5.7m

Seating Capacity 5 5 5

Boot Capacity 455 N.A contribute N.A contribute

Front Brakes Ventilated Discs Ventilated Discs Ventilated Discs

Rear Brakes Discs Ventilated Discs Ventilated Discs

Front Suspension MacPherson Strut MacPherson Strut MacPherson Strut

Rear Suspension Multi-Link Multi-Link MacPherson Strut

Tyre Size 235/60R18 225/65 R18 255/55R18

Bore/Stroke 87.5 x 94 mm 89 x 100 mm 89.2 x 88 mm

Compression Ratio 9.5 9.5 10.7

Fuel Capacity 69 litres 82 litres 64 litres

Recommended Fuel Grade N.A contribute 95 RON N.A contribute

Fuel Consumption Urban N.A contribute N.A contribute 17.1 litre/100km (5.8 km/litre)

 

[Zoomx]

LOL. If power output and speed (among SUV) is your cup of tea (like mine), I believed you will be looking at a CX7 or forester. However, even the base VW and Porsche SUVs, or even the old T6, will cost twice or more than the forester but still slower. My point is not everyone is looking high power output, some look for style and most for utility. The mighty GMC typhoon (do a google search on it) is sub-six stock but its not easy to drive when you have a huge load or when its slippery.

 

Look at it this way, which other SUV in the same price range give you a V6 and the third row of seats? To add on, more cyclinder is not always = more power but it is almost always = more smoothness in the power delivery. Some V6 cannot even match the K20A.

 

My 2 cents.

[Yeshe]

the santa fe 2.7L has very high FC compared to the others. other than that, it has very good overall performance.

 

one other point to note about SUV is that, nowadays, many manufacturers ride onto the SUV trend and makes SUV that is 2WD. coming to thinking about it, why do you want an SUV that is 2WD? so please bear in mind when you are buying RAV4 and harrier from PI, they might be 2WD, so its the 2.5L murano.

 

last thing about the subaru forester, i was almost tempted to get it; especially the 2.5XT. however, it is considered one of the smallest SUVs around if you even consider it as an SUV. the leg room behind is small, just like a small saloon. maintenance wise is like WRX. i would compare it among performance cars rather than the SUV league.

 

all in all, i m still waiting for the 2007 outlander with 7 seater capacity. its actually a 5+2 seater with the 2 additional seats normally flatten in the boot as an option if you need to carry more. good features all round.

[Carcraze]

my choice would be the murano.