Cars.comparison: Small Crossovers
Small crossovers are becoming increasingly popular thanks to their car-like ride and handling, functional interiors, decent gas mileage and available all-wheel drive. In this comparison, the top-selling Honda CR-V takes on an updated version of Mercury's Mariner and a redesigned version of the Subaru Forester in a quest to win bragging rights.
= Category winner| The Contenders | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD | 2009 Mercury Mariner Premier AWD | 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X AWD |
| Zoom | Zoom | Zoom |
| Base MSRP | ||
| $27,245 | $26,515 | $19,995 |
| Price as tested | ||
| $29,615 | $31,565 | $25,094 |
| Most stylish | ||
| With its 2007 redesign, the CR-V's styling took a dramatic departure from its predecessor's ordinary look. It's the most streamlined of this trio. | Even though the Mariner is a car-based crossover, its styling hews closely to traditional SUV norms with its boxy, angular looks. | The redesigned 2009 Forester's new look is a big departure from its wagon-like predecessor, and the design is both rugged and sleek. |
| Ride and handling | ||
| The CR-V's ride is markedly more firm and active over bumps than the others, which some drivers protest. It has the best steering feel, though. | The Mariner has the most comfortable, road-isolating ride of the three, and it seems to give up little in terms of handling. Solid steering feel on the highway is a plus, and it's appropriately light when driving at low speeds. | The Subaru's ride quality is on the firm side of the spectrum, but body motions are better controlled than the CR-V's. It's the most grounded-feeling of the three. |
| Gas mileage (city/highway, mpg) | ||
| 20/26 It ties with the Forester in this test, but the CR-V's 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is mild unless you rev it. With front-wheel drive, it beats the Forester (which can only be had with AWD), but a manual-transmission Forester evens things out. | 19/25 As a 4x4, the four-cylinder Mariner is 1 mpg behind the others, but it has quicker acceleration at low speeds. With front-wheel drive, it beats the others: 20/28 mpg. | 20/26 It's competitive even though it doesn't come with two-wheel drive, and the standard manual transmission increases the highway rating by 1 mpg. Our four-speed automatic provided decent off-the-line acceleration. |
| Snow performance | ||
| The CR-V handles moderate snow levels with aplomb. Its traction control isn't so intrusive that it hinders progress, and it's pretty quiet when triggered. | In deep snow, the Mariner's all-wheel-drive system is often too slow sending power to the wheels with traction. | Subaru's experience with all-wheel drive shows in the Forester, in which traversing snow-covered terrain is effortless — a non-issue. |
| Driver comfort | ||
| The CR-V's highly adjustable tilt/telescoping steering column lets you put the wheel just where you want it, but taller drivers might find that the bucket seat doesn't move backward far enough. The inboard armrests aren't adjustable. | The Mariner's seats are durable and offer reasonable long-haul comfort, but no telescoping steering wheel or power-reclining driver's seat is offered. The center armrest is generously wide, however. | Quality seats and generous headroom and legroom impress. A telescoping steering column is only offered on higher Forester trim levels, and the lack thereof on this model is a negative. |
| Interior quality | ||
| Some shiny plastics conflict with generally high-quality materials, preventing this model from being deemed best in class. Still, the CR-V's controls feel the highest-rent in the group, and the gauges are clean and well-illuminated. | Too many hard plastics and questionable textures mar the Mariner's interior, but its navigation system, overhauled for 2009, is easily the best. | The modern dashboard design is heavy on silver-colored trim, which cheapens the look of the cabin. Quality is also inconsistent — plastics look upscale in some areas but cheap in others. Too many of the controls have a brittle, unrefined feel. |
| Quietness | ||
| The CR-V's best aspect is quiet engine performance in normal driving. The combination of wind, tire and ambient noise is worse than the others, especially on some surfaces. | The opposite of the CR-V, the Mariner is less noisy in all ways but the engine, which produces an audible drone even under normal acceleration and sometimes when cruising. | Some road noise is ever-present, but the cabin seems better isolated from wind and ambient noise than the Honda. |
| Cargo room, versatility | ||
| The CR-V's large 35.7-cubic-foot cargo area can be expanded to 72.9 cubic feet when the backseat is folded. It folds in an odd fashion, however, ending up flipped forward 90 degrees against the front seats. | At 29.2 cubic feet, the Mariner's cargo area is the smallest of the three. There's 66.3 cubic feet of space when the backseat is folded, but it has an archaic design that involves flipping the seat cushion forward and removing the head restraints before folding the backrest. So 1995. | The Forester's cargo area measures 33.5 cubic feet. Folding the rear backrests is a simple job that results in a flat floor and 68.3 cubic feet of total space. It's not quite the largest cargo area here, but it's the easiest to configure. |
| Audio features | ||
| With the optional navigation system, as our CR-V came equipped, the audio system includes a slot for a memory card. We don't store our music on memory cards, but the system also includes a six-CD changer and an auxiliary input jack for connecting an MP3 player. | The Mariner Premier features Ford's Sync system that uses a USB input to control MP3 players, like an iPod or Zune, through the stereo controls or with voice commands, which is a more useful solution than Honda's memory-card reader. The Mariner Premier also includes a six-CD changer and an auxiliary jack. | The Forester 2.5X with the Premium package has a single-CD stereo and an auxiliary jack. An iPod interface kit that's best left for the dealer to install — unless you want to take apart the center console — is optional. |
| Overall value | ||
| Things like standard leather upholstery raise the price on this top-of-the-line trim level, but base CR-Vs cost about as much as a similarly equipped Forester and don't come with all-wheel drive. Reliability has been very good for this generation. | The Mariner was the most expensive model as-tested in this comparison, but part of the reason for that is Mercury's position as a premium brand. If you like what the Mariner has to offer but are looking for a better value, the Ford Escape awaits. | The Forester's lowest as-tested price reflects its more modest list of features, but it also offers things that either cost extra on the other two (all-wheel drive) or aren't offered (a panoramic moonroof). |
| Editors' choice | ||
| Good fuel economy and interior quality are CR-V strong suits, but the firm ride, cabin noise and unusual folding backseat don't win points with us — and wouldn't be appreciated by families, either. | The Mariner's comfortable ride is a plus, but the droning engine, unremarkable interior and old-school folding backseat are downers, especially when you consider this crossover's as-tested price. | Subaru's skillful redesign of the Forester has resulted in a small crossover that offers a satisfying driving experience, a comfortable cabin and a versatile cargo area. Nice work, Subaru. |
Posted on 2/2/09
Next Step?
- 2009 Honda CR-V
- 2009 Mercury Mariner
- 2009 Subaru Forester
Gas Mileage: Keep it in Perspective and Read the Fine Print — Read on 
