Quote Originally Posted by Irulan
consider something about 2 years old. You save an incredible amount in depreciation, but can still get "like new".

I wanted to buy a used CRV but only the 05 CRV had the safety features I wanted, standard electronic stability control and side-curtain airbags. Safety features were important to me and some of the smaller SUV's didn't rank as high as the CRV.

I checked out the Toyota Rav 4 but it was more like a car than an SUV and wasn't as spacious.

When I tested the car we took our bikes to make sure they fit. Both of our bikes (road and mtn) fit standing up without taking off wheels, seat posts etc. You do have to fold down the seats and turn the front wheels sideways. They fit so securely that we don't tie them down.

We drove from Denver to Cincy (and back) starting with less than 1,000 miles on it and we were getting 25-26 mph on the highway.

The Thule Spare Me rack works great when I need to carry the bikes outside.

I studied the pros and cons that Consumer Reports stated. Some SUV's they won't recommend because they rolled in safety crashes. Some companies charge extra for safety features (side air bags) and other options included in the base price of the CRV.

The CRV drives like my Honda Civic and is roomy but not to big. It also handles well on mtn passes and has enough power for climbing. I got the EX because I love having a moon roof.

Kathi