Five great SUVs for less than $30,000
Monday, 1 April 2019
One thing is clear in the Kiwi new-vehicle market: SUVs are incredibly popular. Aspirational even.
While the big, expensive ones get a lot of attention (because many of them are very big and very expensive), there's actually a lot going in the more mainstream areas of the market.
If you're of an SUV frame of mind, you don't have to spend big bucks to get a great car. Here are four in the $20k bracket. Yep, we're talking high living for budget small-car money.
Seat Arona Style
How much? $29,990. If we're talking urban SUVs, the Seat Arona hits the nail on the head. It's styled with flair, it's powered by a thrummy little three-cylinder engine and it's entertaining to drive. Pretty nifty packaging too, including a dual-layer boot floor that can give you either a flat load-through or some secret space for valuables.
**READ MORE:
* Why SUVs that aren't really SUVs make perfect sense
* Renault Captur II still quirky, but now much cheaper**
The Spanish brand benefits from the Volkswagen family connection, of course: Arona is based on the Polo platform and picks up a lot of that model's technology. Arona was our Top Small SUV of 2018 and Polo was our Top Car supreme winner; so it's all good.
What makes Arona that little bit more special is that while it's a VW Group product, it has no direct equivalent from any other brand in the family. At least not yet.
Suzuki Jimny Sierra
How much? $25,990. 'SUV' is a somewhat contentious term these days, because many modern models don't really have any off-road ability. Indeed, many aren't even 4WD. Enter the Suzuki Jimny, which is a new model but very much old-school, with proper 4WD and a ladder chassis underneath for the ultimate in off-road toughness.
We don't doubt that the Jimny will find favour as a city vehicle: it boasts impossibly cute retro styling and it is still very tiny, making it highly parkable.
Nonetheless, it is absolutely still an authentic off-road vehicle. An awesome one in fact, going places that Land Cruisers and Land Rovers fear to tread - because they don't have the light weight and incredible approach/departure angles of Suzuki's little wonder.
That $26k price gets you a manual-transmission model, but even if you opt for the automatic (please don't, it's a four-speeder) the sticker stays well under $30k.
Honda HR-V S
How much? $29,990. The HR-V is not a model that usually gets us excited: nice build quality and a decent chassis, but the powertrain is a bit ordinary and it looks kind of weird.
But what is great about this SUV is Honda's Magic Seat system, which is standard in every HR-V. Even the one that gives you change from $30k.
Magic Seat is a clever rear-seat configuration which offers four different modes: Refresh (basically a bed), Long (the front passenger seat folds as well), Tall (1240mm of height with the rear seat squab folded upwards) and the more conventional Utility (a flat load space that's 1845mm long).
No, Magic Seat is not new: the Jazz (which lends its platform to HR-V) and CR-V both have it. But in this context, a more practical and versatile small SUV you will not find.
Renault Captur Zen
How much? $29,990. The Captur might be the best baby-SUV you've never thought about. Which is odd, because it's been a top-seller in Europe in the past and is thought of as an utterly mainstream model on the Continent. Not so here, probably because it's (a) French and (b) a Renault.
Anyway, it's a cool little thing. The styling is distinctive, which is not an easy thing to achieve with an SUV, the three-cylinder engine is fizzy and it's surprisingly spacious. As well as having some surprise-and-delight features, like seat covers that you can zip off and wash, bungy cords instead of seatback storage pockets and sliding rear seat so yu can mix and match legroom with cargo space.
It's true that the Captur lacks a little polish. The automated-clutch gearbox needs a firm throttle to perform at its best, the ride's pretty firm in town and the infotainment system is a bit murky. But this is still a truly cheap and cheerful SUV.
Ford EcoSport Trend
How much? $26,990. Well, 'great' is a relative term. The previous EcoSport was far from it, with awkward styling, a terrible powertrain and cheap interior.
The upgraded model now on sale is still not a brilliant vehicle, but it gets an honourable mention here because it's suitably cheap and Ford has fixed its most serious failings.
It still looks dorky, but at least the spare wheel is no longer mounted on the tailgate. It's now powered by a neat little three-pot engine and six-speed automatic gearbox, and the cabin has been redesigned with better quality materials (again, relative), plus a large touch-screen incorporating Ford's very good Sync system.
You could even buy the top-specification EcoSport Titanium and still get change from $30k. But we wouldn't, because (a) it's not that well equipped and (b) EcoSport is not that kind of car.