Need a crossover up to $40,000

My husband and I — Inna and Serhiy — have been married for 17 years and work in finance. We currently drive a Peugeot 206, but building a country house has made us think about changing cars. We need a compact but spacious crossover with all-wheel drive and sufficient ground clearance. Our budget is limited to $40,000.

At first, we didn't even want to look at all-wheel-drive cars. We planned to simply replace the Peugeot with something new, even settled on a Toyota Corolla hatchback. But just as we were about to sign up for the queue, the model was discontinued. As it turned out, this was for the best: the more we built the house, the more requirements arose for the future car. First, we needed a larger trunk than our Peugeot's, then increased ground clearance. At the same time, we wanted the new car not to intimidate with its size after our familiar compact. There were few options. Those we managed to see fell away due to their unremarkable looks. Then we switched to the SUV segment and found that Japanese brands had the most suitable offers in our price range.

Our requirements for the car:

Image
A modern model from a Japanese brand, not necessarily the newest, but definitely not outdated.

Style
No provocations or excessive flashiness, but not one that gets lost in city traffic either.

Driving performance
Sufficiently dynamic, with clear handling and a suspension that doesn't rattle on every bump.

Fuel efficiency
Not critical, but we'd like to know how much the car consumes.

Interior
A spacious cabin with quality materials and a roomy trunk.

Standard equipment
An automatic transmission is a must. We categorically refuse a manual — we spend a lot of time in the city, and an automatic is more comfortable there. The rear seats must fold flat with the floor. That's about all our wishes.

Nissan Qashqai
Chosen because: fresh model, modest dimensions, suitable price.

Once we settled on our search direction, our eyes immediately fell on the Nissan Qashqai. Its novelty, unusual design, and compact size attracted us. At first, the car seems like a cute simpleton with the face of a good-natured koala. But after a drive, the impression changes: the "marsupial" turns into a stocky boxer ready for any surprises on the road. We really liked the Qashqai's behavior. The steering responds excellently, and the car accelerates quickly. We were especially pleased with the CVT — acceleration is brisk, without jerks or pauses. By the way, it's the only one of all the tested cars whose gearbox has a manual shift mode. With it, as it seemed to us, the dynamics even improve slightly. Given its compact size and small turning radius, the Nissan will be convenient both in city traffic and when overtaking on a busy highway. The suspension also pleased us — comfortable, not stiff, but not "floaty" either, just what we need.

The cabin also appealed to us. Solid trim, logical controls, comfortable seats. Space is fine. The only thing is a lack of various glove boxes and shelves for small items: we often have to carry documents, and there's nowhere to put them. We'd like the on-board computer screen on the instrument panel to be larger — reading information isn't very convenient.

The trunk seemed quite spacious. Folding the rear seat, we got that same flat floor we wanted. But loading things requires bending over — the tailgate doesn't open high enough.

Style
You wouldn't call it handsome, but its cute looks immediately win you over.

Driving performance
Pleasant acceleration without jolts or jerks — the CVT is a good thing!

Interior
Soft and pleasant-to-the-touch trim plastic, clear controls, comfortable seats.

Fuel efficiency
8 liters per hundred! Super, our Peugeot consumes more!

Standard equipment
With our modest wishes, we'd have settled for less. We didn't really count on climate control and heated seats.

Likes: Compact dimensions, attractive looks, driving comfort.

Dislikes: Few compartments and pockets for small items, inconvenient trunk loading.

Toyota RAV4
Chosen because: a time-tested popular car.

We couldn't pass by the Toyota RAV4 — after all, it's a popular model from a reputable brand, even though the crossover's looks have already become quite "familiar." We'd already tried the 2.0-liter version at the dealership. Honestly — it didn't impress us. Somewhat sluggish and "thoughtful." So we were glad to check out the 2.4-liter variant. Just like in the ads: feel the difference! This "Rav" drives much more interestingly. More assertive, so to speak. But the acceleration dynamics would be truly great if not for the "lagging" automatic. It just can't keep up with the engine, that's all! Press the gas pedal sharply, revs soar, but the AT is still "meditating." The RAV4's steering felt overly light. In principle, for the city, where the car will spend most of its time in the metropolis, that's quite good. The suspension is a bit stiffer compared to the previous candidate, but it doesn't affect cabin comfort at all.

You can't fault the cabin design. Needless to say, quality with a capital Q. We liked everything: comfortable seats with power adjustments, the convenient small steering wheel, and a bunch of various pockets and glove boxes. But the purpose of many buttons on the center console isn't immediately clear. For instance, setting the climate control took some time. And we'd like to have push-button engine start in our future car. It's convenient: the key in your pocket, and the car opens and starts by touching buttons on the door handle or the panel.

The large trunk is an undeniable plus for us. The rear seats fold easily — just pull the handle on the trunk wall. If only the door opened upward instead of sideways...

Style
The strict body proportions inherited from the previous generation are out of fashion now.

Driving performance
It drives quite briskly, but the "fussy" automatic leaves a depressing impression.

Interior
Quality trim, high seating position.

Fuel efficiency
Its appetite is bigger than the Qashqai's, but the engine is more powerful too!

Base trim
The car has everything needed for comfortable driving, including even a keyless engine start system.

Need a crossover up to $40,000. Toyota RAV4
© Photo: Serhiy Krestov, 5 Koleso

Pros: Light steering, spacious and solid cabin, soft suspension.

Cons: Tired looks, side-opening trunk door.

Honda CR-V
Why we chose it: memorable design, heard good reviews.

Like the Nissan Qashqai, the Honda CR-V is a fairly new car. Although in terms of dimensions and price it didn't quite meet our needs, we decided to take a closer look anyway. Friends had such a car, albeit the previous generation, and they spoke very highly of it. Of the three, it seemed the most attractive visually. Especially the front end: modern, stylish, and with aggression.

Despite its large size, the Honda turned out to be quite obedient in handling. High seating position, excellent visibility, comfortable seats, clear instrument panel — no need to get used to anything, just sit and drive. The only thing we had to get used to was the unusual placement of the AT selector. The plastic in the cabin is pleasant to the touch. The interior looks solid and rich. And there's clearly more free space here than in the competitors.

Need a crossover up to $40,000. Honda CR-V
© Photo: Serhiy Krestov, 5 Koleso

During the drive, a contradiction emerged. The CR-V is clearly tuned for a driver-oriented feel: body roll in corners is minimal, the steering responds quickly, the suspension is firm. But at the same time, active acceleration is accompanied by pauses in the automatic's operation, and the start from a standstill seemed somewhat sluggish: either the weight is too great, or the power isn't enough.

But the trunk volume would allow us to refuse renting a Gazelle for transporting building materials to the dacha. And loading things is convenient — the door opens high. However, to get a flat surface, you first need to slide the rear seat row all the way forward, and only then fold them. You don't realize this algorithm right away. Under the trunk floor, we found only a spare tire — little consolation far from home. We want a full-size spare wheel!

Need a crossover up to $40,000. Honda CR-V
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso

Style
A typical city dweller. Its appearance doesn't evoke strong emotions.

Driving qualities
Rio accelerates very briskly. You wouldn't think there's only 1.4 liters under the hood.

Interior
Ergonomics are in perfect order. But the large amount of hard plastic is disappointing.

Fuel efficiency
With such a peppy engine and manual transmission, you want to drive at a faster pace. So fuel consumption will probably be higher.

Base trim
The list of options is small, but the base trim is pleasing.

Need a crossover up to $40,000. Honda CR-V
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso

Pros: Modern style, excellent handling, spacious trunk.

Cons: Large dimensions, sluggish responses from the powertrain.

Our choice

Weighing the pros and cons of each car and relying on our own feelings, we concluded that of all three, Nissan Qashqai suits us best. Both competitors are undoubtedly very worthy cars in every respect. However, the Honda CR-V doesn't match our idea of a compact car, and the Toyota RAV4 doesn't match our idea of modern looks. Moreover, they are noticeably more expensive, and the house construction isn't finished yet, so we didn't want to spend extra money. Could you tell us where the nearest Nissan dealer is?

Editor's choice

Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are cars with a rich history. Every year, the number of fans of these crossovers grows, and the cars themselves become more technologically advanced, better equipped, and, as a result, more expensive. Nissan Qashqai can't boast a long lineage, but against the background of the two giants, it doesn't look like a poor relative at all. In our opinion, with comparable consumer qualities, this SUV even wins in terms of price-to-capability ratio. Attractive design, comfortable cabin, compact dimensions, good dynamics and handling — the very set of these features can draw attention to the model. And if you remember the reasonable price, for many the question of choice will simply disappear. So let's give way to the young!