[pmolina]

Visited a 2019 RAV4 YouTube video and couldn't resist leaving the following:

Any car or SUV usually boils down to the buyers' expectations. I expected a lot from the 2019 RAV4 and was disappointed in a number of ways, mostly regarding PERFORMANCE, FEATURES and PRICE! A fully loaded Adventure Trim RAV4 has an MSRP in the $39k range and there is no way in "heck" I was going to pay that much for a SUV with an under-powered 4cyl, cheaply designed interior, with NO LEATHER and nearly EVERY non-Toyota Dealer driving review complains about engine noise! I bought a larger, better designed, Honda AWD Passport with a LEATHER interior and a powerful (smooth and quiet) 6cyl, for $39k... Also look for the Motor Trend small SUV review that ranks this new RAV4 in FOURTH PLACE against its competition...! Of course, I don't mean to denigrate any actual 2019 RAV4 Owners - and for you 2019 RAV4 owners: "denigrate" means "to put down"...

"
"to put down" you mean by killing a sick dog or cat?

 

[pmolina]

Visited a 2019 RAV4 YouTube video and couldn't resist leaving the following:

Any car or SUV usually boils down to the buyers' expectations. I expected a lot from the 2019 RAV4 and was disappointed in a number of ways, mostly regarding PERFORMANCE, FEATURES and PRICE! A fully loaded Adventure Trim RAV4 has an MSRP in the $39k range and there is no way in "heck" I was going to pay that much for a SUV with an under-powered 4cyl, cheaply designed interior, with NO LEATHER and nearly EVERY non-Toyota Dealer driving review complains about engine noise! I bought a larger, better designed, Honda AWD Passport with a LEATHER interior and a powerful (smooth and quiet) 6cyl, for $39k... Also look for the Motor Trend small SUV review that ranks this new RAV4 in FOURTH PLACE against its competition...! Of course, I don't mean to denigrate any actual 2019 RAV4 Owners - and for you 2019 RAV4 owners: "denigrate" means "to put down"...

"
"to put down" you mean by killing a sick dog or cat?

 

[pmolina]

They want you to envision “ski resort”, I imagine.

Then there is the late Dodge Aspen

 

[pmolina]

Well the CX5 isn’t because it’s a compact crossover. The CX9 competes more with the Pilot.

Passport competition is the Grand Cherokee, 4Runner, Explorer, Edge, Murano, Blazer, etc.

On the other hand, a buyer can STILL select a CX-5 over a Passport whether it is a Crossover or a "compact" crossover. The need for a reatively larger vehicle may not be there. THe CX-5, then, is STILL competition just as a Pilot is, for instance, vs a Passport.

 

[pmolina]

I am looking for a non-US branded, non-luxury SUV that I can take camping a few times a year, but otherwise will be city-based driven in a location, that gets 0" of snow and less then 7" of rain a year. Excluding the Korean SUVs, excluding Mazda, that really only left me with Subaru (EVERYTHING they make is UNDER-POWERED), Nissan (None of their SUV's appear to be very rugged), Toyota (The 4-Runner has not had a overhaul in 9 years, and the new RAV4 Adventure, which is $41k US dollars for a 4-cyl engine w/NO leather) and Honda (CRV - too wimpy and the Pilot is too big) and lo & behold - the Passport seems to check ALL the boxes for what I am looking for!

And I actually love the fact that it is pieced together with a bunch of tried and true Pilot & Ridgeline parts, as it makes the 1st year curse pratically non-existant!

"(EVERYTHING they make is UNDER-POWERED)" Wot?? even at 260 hp?,