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The Great Outdoors Buying a compact SUV means you're not limited to the pavement, and when the great outdoors calls, you can finally say yes. You can't expect any of these three to climb Mount Pinatubo, but they'll do just fine on dirt roads. The RAV has full-time four-wheel drive, with no need for any switching or shifting. The power transfer to the rear wheels is palpable in climbing and in wet weather, making sure the car can keep propelling itself forward. The RAV should do find on sand or light mud, but watch out for obstacles. The ground clearance is just 180 mm, and it can scrape its low-hanging muffler on parking-lot rocks, despite its 28/29 degree approach/departure angle. Expect the RAV to bounce around if you attempt to take on the rough stuff. The Escape also likes playing in the mud, wiggling for traction then slowly pulling its way out. There are two positions for the four-wheel drive: "Auto" and "On." "Auto" means front-wheel drive in dry conditions, with the rears engaging automatically when the fronts start to slip. If you intend to do some mud-plugging, "On" engages all four wheels. Auto helps to conserve fuel and improve the handling in the dry. You can't leave it in "On" during everyday driving on tarmac, as it will wreck the drivetrain. Ground clearance is higher at 198 mm, with 28/22 degree approach/departure. True to its "no boundaries" image, the Escape feels the most comfortable off-road, with a calm ride even on uneven soil. With the removal of its part-time four-wheel drive system, the CR-V is pure city slicker. The 205 mm ground clearance means that gravel driveways and sharp slopes should pose no real problem. With its skinny tires and drive to the fronts only, the CR-V can hardly keep traction on dry pavement, and taking it onto a damp forest trail is out of the question. Running Costs The Ford comes with just a two-year warranty, but it does include emergency roadside assistance. It gets 6.55 km / liter at the pump, a figure similar to the Real-Time Four-Wheel Drive equipped 2001 Honda CR-V. Toyota recently upgraded its warranty to three years/100,000 km, but for parts only. You'll have to pay for labor if anything breaks after the first 1000 km. Mileage is a consistent 7.7 km / liter, with 8.5 km on highway runs: not bad for a vehicle with full-time four-wheel drive. The CR-V returns a frugal 8.16 km/liter, even after ferrying eight passengers, and repeated use of the VTEC performance cam. The Honda needs less periodic maintenance, thanks to a 10,000-kilometer interval between check-ups. Then, on the subject of warranty, the CR-V carries Honda's new three-year /100,000-km parts and labor warranty. |
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