USED CARS - SUVs Reviews

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USED CARS - SUVs Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	USED CARS - SUVs Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Car and Driver	5 Best Trucks Csaba Csere, Tony Swan and Aaron Kiley Mar. 2005		Car and Driver's staff perform this comparison test annually—it is a list of their favorite trucks in a variety of categories. Five small sport-utility vehicles are covered, and for the first time, diesel and hybrid models are included. Seven large SUVs, and six luxury SUVs are all compared, along with pickups and vans. The Subaru Forester 2.5XT wins the small SUV class for 2005, as it did in 2004, due to its best-in-class quickness. For the third year, the Honda Pilot wins best-of status for large SUVs by ranking as well above average at everything. The Cadillac SRX wins the luxury category again in 2005 for its styling and a lush practicality; editors call this luxury model the "class of its class."
2. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Top Picks 2005 Editors of Consumer Reports Apr. 2005		Consumer Reports tests dozens of cars and trucks each year for safety, reliability and performance, and picks a handful across various vehicle categories to recommend. Consumer Reports ranks highly with us because its editors are thorough and consider data some dedicated car magazines ignore, such as fender-bender repair estimates and crash-test information. This reviewer does not test performance and off-road ability as thoroughly as the dedicated auto magazines, however.

USED CARS - SUVs Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	USED CARS - SUVs Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. Motor Trend >> Details/Subscribe	Road Test: 2005 Ford Escape XLT Sport 4WD vs. 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD GLS vs. 2004 Saturn VUE AWD Red Line vs. 2005 Chevrolet Equinox AWD LT Kim Reynolds Aug. 2004		This detailed article is a comparison test of the Ford Escape, the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Saturn VUE and Chevrolet Equinox. All tested vehicles are AWD or 4WD and have V6 engines. Although the review is touted as an off-road trail test, the first place ranking for the Equinox focuses on its clean, crisp, and elegant styling and interior space packaging. Reviewer Kim Reynolds especially likes the sliding rear seat. This review leaves out competitive vehicles and mixes years, which results in a slightly lower ranking from us.
4. Automobile.com >> Details/Subscribe	SUV Mega-Test: Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mitsubishi Endeavor, Nissan Pathfinder, and Toyota 4Runner Glenn Paulina Jan. 2005		This article looks at eight midsize SUVs: The Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mitsubishi Endeavor, Nissan Pathfinder, and Toyota 4Runner. The writers gathered these popular SUVs and tested them on the highway as well as over dirt roads. Snow and slush conditions were included. Strengths, weaknesses, and personalities were evaluated. The Honda Pilot and Toyota 4Runner share top marks in this competition. The Honda is described as being the best SUV for most families. The Toyota 4Runner is described as both the value champ. It has the lowest price of all the vehicles tested. The 4Runner is described as capturing "sport" and "utility" in perfect measure.
5. Edmunds.com >> Details/Subscribe	Editors' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2005 Editors of Edmunds.com Feb. 2005		The staff at Edmunds.com votes annually for favorite vehicles in a variety of classes. Back-to-back comparison tests, however, are not performed for this review. The Chevrolet Equinox is listed as the winner in the under-$25,000 arena. Edmund's credits the Equinox's interior and seating as outstanding features. Ride, power and fuel economy are better than expected. The Toyota 4Runner is lauded as the best under-$35,000 SUV for those seeking both on and off-road performance. The nest step up the price ladder is the Volkswagen Touareg, which wins in the under-$45,000 category. Edmund's likes the combination of handling, ride quality, luxury-carlike amenities, excellent towing capacity and off-road ability. The smooth-riding Land Rover Range Rover is the most desirable luxury sport-ute around.
6. Consumer Guide Car and Truck Test >> Details/Subscribe	New Car Reviews Editors of Consumer Guide As of Mar. 2005		Consumer Guide's editors rate vehicles on acceleration, fuel economy, ride quality, steering/handling/braking, quietness, controls, materials, room, comfort, cargo room and value within class. Crash test data and warranty information is also displayed. The Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute combo shares Best Buy status with the Honda CR-V in the Compact SUV category. The Honda Pilot wins a Best Buy rating in the Midsize SUV category for its combination of seating, cargo room, overall configuration and power. The Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe share Best Buy status with the Ford Expedition in the large-SUV category. The Acura MDX, Cadillac SRX and the Lexus RX 330 all are listed as Best Buys among premium SUVs.
7. Kiplinger.com >> Details/Subscribe	2005 Car Buyer's Guide Editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Dec. 2004		Kiplinger's annual auto issue factors in issues such as service costs, fuel efficiency, resale value and insurance costs. We welcome this financial focus to evaluating cars, but since side-by-side tests are not performed, this review does not rank higher in our chart. Among small SUVs, the Toyota RAV4 wins a best in class award while the Ford Escape Hybrid is noted for having the highest fuel economy. The Infiniti FX35 scores highest overall in the midsize category while the Honda Pilot is noted for having the best resale value. In the full-size category, the V8 variant of the Cadillac SRX wins as best luxury SUV, while the V6 model, which is priced under $40,000, also wins for fuel economy and safety.

USED CARS - SUVs Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	USED CARS - SUVs Ratings Comments on Reviews

8. Money.com >> Details/Subscribe	2005 Best Car Values Lawrence Ulrich Feb. 2005		Money Magazine's annual best-car-value awards are based on objective comparisons of price, power, features, safety and trunk space, as well as test drives. For 2005, the best-value ranking for small SUVs goes to the Jeep Liberty for its looks, interior and construction. The best mid-size SUV award goes to the Toyota 4Runner for its high-end features, best-in-class resale and available V8 power. The Dodge Durango wins the large SUV category for its three rows of seats, Hemi V8 and excellent ride and handling.
9. Motor Trend >> Details/Subscribe	2005 Sport/Utility of the Year Editors of Motor Trend Oct. 2004		In the most recent installment of Motor Trend's annual SUV torture test, SUVs are thoroughly tested for their off-road ability, comfort and value. The 2005 contenders are the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape Hybrid, Ford Freestyle, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Infiniti QX56, Land Rover LR3 and Nissan Pathfinder. The Land Rover LR3 is the winner due to outstanding on-road refinement and off-road ability. Editors agree that the Land Rover sets a new benchmark for its segment in terms of design, packaging, technology and functionality. Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend says: "You just point, click, and drive. Whether it's Rodeo Drive or the Rubicon Trail, there isn't a sport/utility in the world that will cover the terrain as quietly, confidently or comfortably."
10. New Car Test Drive >> Details/Subscribe	Editor's Picks for 2004 Mitch McCullough Oct. 2004		The Editor-in-Chief of New Car Test Drive picks his favorites each year based on driving impressions and value. The editor's impressions and those of his staff of correspondents are considered. Comfort, quality, safety, test data, overall automotive excellence and other factors including pricing are used to make the final selection. In the compact SUV category, the Subaru Forester wins due to its predictable handling, excellent all-wheel-drive system and strong engine power. The Toyota RAV4 also gets good marks. The midsize Toyota 4Runner gets top marks for those who want true off-road capability. In the full-size category, the Chevrolet Suburban is the top pick, and the Nissan Armada also gets high marks.
11. Automobile.com >> Details/Subscribe	Mini-SUV Comparison: 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 Kirk Seaman Jan. 2005		This article looks at four small, entry level SUVs: 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The objective of the article is to decide which is the best value, Automobile notes that these picks may cost as much as $30,000, placing them in the same price range as some mid-size SUVs. Although both the CR-V and the RAV4 are described as compelling values, the CR-V edges out the RAV as the top pick. This review does not include off-road testing and leaves out some competitive vehicles, such as the Subaru Forester, which results in a lower ranking from us.
12. The New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	Ford Enters the Crossover Bake-Off Michelle Krebs Feb. 13, 2005		This new car test drive of the Freestyle makes some minor comparisons to vehicles including the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Highlander , Honda Pilot and the Buick Rendezvous. Comparisons, however, are not in-depth, as this is mainly a standalone analysis of the Freestyle. The author concludes that that Ford has created a superior blend of features. If this article covered more vehicles, it would rank higher in our report.