Buy a 2018 Honda CR-V or 2018 Hyundai Tucson?

[Mrs. Ciz]

My old 2002 Lincoln Navigator finally died. I knew it was coming. It barely passed state inspection last summer. The AC died in September. Now the alternator is bad. I had planned to buy a new used car this Spring because I need AC this summer!!! So I’ve been shopping this past week. I’ve narrowed it down to:

2018 Honda CR-V, AWD, 10500 miles, one personal use owner
or
2018 Hyundai Tucson, AWD, 27500 miles, fleet/rental car

The Hyundai costs $7500 less than the Honda.

I know the CR-V is rated best in class by Consumer Reports, while the Hyundai was ranked 3rd (still very good) last time I looked. The Honda is a little bigger - more cargo space and more back seat legroom. I test drove both. They both ride well. The Honda feels a little heavier, rides a little bit smoother than the Hyundai, gets slightly better gas mileage, and it’s interior looks more upscale with wood trim. But I would have been totally satisfied with the Hyundai if I’d never driven the Honda.

I like the CR-V a little bit better, but $7500 is a big difference. Hondas hold their value better. Why is this when both cars are so similar?

While I can afford either one, my practical side and my checkbook says I should buy the Tucson. My heart wants the CR-V. Plus we’ve owned a few Hondas over the years and they have been great cars. If you have positive or negative experiences with either car, please share. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

[havaneselover]

I'd buy the Honda. Of course I'm on my 5th Honda and never been disappointed. Also, fleet/rental car makes me nervous.

 

[Alesia]

Hondas hold their value longer because they last forever. I drive a 2013 Civic that has never been in the shop for anything. It's the most reliable car I've ever had.

A friend had a Hyaundai that was nothing but trouble from day one.

 

[CoffeeKitten]

Honda. I have a 2017 CR-V. And DH has a 2019 HR-V. We are Honda fans obviously.

 

[FFMickey]

We bought a CRV last year and it’s been great! The cargo space is much larger than some larger midsize SUVs. We also get better gas mileage than our little Kia Forte. I would also rather buy a one owner vehicle with low mileage than a fleet vehicle.

 

[Daddee]

Hyundai has really improved in the last few years. BUT buying a rental is a risk. and it has more miles than the 7500 dollar more Honda. I think the correct choice is the Honda.
And I dislike Honda's.

 

[starry_solo]

Honda

 

[hopemax]

Normally, I say Honda. But when we were researching our new car we looked at the CR-V and it came up that the recent models (2017-2019) have some sort of issue of gas and oil mixing together improperly. This is particularly an issue in cold weather, when the car is driven mostly short distances / city driving. I think it's just the models with Turbo, but you might want to do a little research to make sure.

 

[Hikergirl]

Honda, as far as reliability is concerned I don't think there is much that beats Honda. I have no personal experiences with Hyundai but I wouldn't even consider any rental car over a Honda, even with that much of a price difference.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Normally, I say Honda. But when we were researching our new car we looked at the CR-V and it came up that the recent models (2017-2019) have some sort of issue of gas and oil mixing together improperly. This is particularly an issue in cold weather, when the car is driven mostly short distances / city driving. I think it's just the models with Turbo, but you might want to do a little research to make sure.

And that’s the exact type of engine I’m looking at - 1.5 liter turbo engine. Thank you for pointing it out. Nothing about this came up in any of my google searches until I googled turbo issues. Now DH and I need to have a serious discussion with the dealership about this because I don’t want to pay all that money for a lemon!

 

[tvguy]

IMHO either is a good choice in my book.....at least according to what my mechanic says.

I would also get a quote from your insurance agent on both. I suspect the Honda will be more expensive to insure, and depending on the state you live in, $7,500 price difference is going to hit you every year when you renew the registration. And here in California with 7.25% sales tax, that Honda is going to cost you an additional $540 over the Hyundai.

 

[kymom99]

Normally, I say Honda. But when we were researching our new car we looked at the CR-V and it came up that the recent models (2017-2019) have some sort of issue of gas and oil mixing together improperly. This is particularly an issue in cold weather, when the car is driven mostly short distances / city driving. I think it's just the models with Turbo, but you might want to do a little research to make sure.

Yes I have a friend who has been fighting with this. Could this be why the car is for sale? I have a 2018 accord and it’s been great but I would do a bit of digging before buying the CRV

 

[badiggio]

From what i remember,the tuscon's are one of the lowest rated in it's class for the last few years,according to consumer reports.That particular one has a lot of miles on it considering it's a 2018,imo.

 

[DLgal]

Personally, I would not buy either of those particular cars. Instead I would go to a Honda dealer and buy a certified pre owned CRV. I'd get whatever model year fits into my budget. Those certified pre owned Hondas come with a 5 year warranty.

I wouldn't trust someone selling a car that is less than 2 years old and I would NEVER buy a former rental car.

 

[brockash]

I h

My old 2002 Lincoln Navigator finally died. I knew it was coming. It barely passed state inspection last summer. The AC died in September. Now the alternator is bad. I had planned to buy a new used car this Spring because I need AC this summer!!! So I’ve been shopping this past week. I’ve narrowed it down to:

2018 Honda CR-V, AWD, 10500 miles, one personal use owner
or
2018 Hyundai Tucson, AWD, 27500 miles, fleet/rental car

The Hyundai costs $7500 less than the Honda.

I know the CR-V is rated best in class by Consumer Reports, while the Hyundai was ranked 3rd (still very good) last time I looked. The Honda is a little bigger - more cargo space and more back seat legroom. I test drove both. They both ride well. The Honda feels a little heavier, rides a little bit smoother than the Hyundai, gets slightly better gas mileage, and it’s interior looks more upscale with wood trim. But I would have been totally satisfied with the Hyundai if I’d never driven the Honda.

I like the CR-V a little bit better, but $7500 is a big difference. Hondas hold their value better. Why is this when both cars are so similar?

While I can afford either one, my practical side and my checkbook says I should buy the Tucson. My heart wants the CR-V. Plus we’ve owned a few Hondas over the years and they have been great cars. If you have positive or negative experiences with either car, please share. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I have a 2012 crv and generally like it and have always stayed with Hondas. One huge issue that would make me pretty hesitant to buy a crv again is a pretty well documented battery issue. - There's tons of info. online if you search, but basically it seems something is pulling at the battery at all times, even when vehicle is off which totally kills the life if the battery. I've basically just resorted to buying a new battery every 10 months or so (pretty annoying, but less annoying than the car not starting repeatedly.) I would do a ton of research to make sure it was actually acknowledged by Honda and fixed before your model came out, otherwise I'd pass.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Personally, I would not buy either of those particular cars. Instead I would go to a Honda dealer and buy a certified pre owned CRV. I'd get whatever model year fits into my budget. Those certified pre owned Hondas come with a 5 year warranty.

I wouldn't trust someone selling a car that is less than 2 years old and I would NEVER buy a former rental car.

Both cars we are considering are at a reputable Honda dealership and we’ve seen the Carfax on both. That’s how we knew the Hyundai had been a rental. We’ve bought a rental from Enterprise in the past - a Ford Explorer when we were first married and poor. It worked well for us, so I’m not dead set against buying rental cars. Although I know some folks are not comfortable with it.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Yes I have a friend who has been fighting with this. Could this be why the car is for sale? I have a 2018 accord and it’s been great but I would do a bit of digging before buying the CRV

Does your friend live in a super cold winter climate? I read that the problems are most prevalent in those areas. I wonder if that’s true.

 

[kymom99]

Does your friend live in a super cold winter climate? I read that the problems are most prevalent in those areas. I wonder if that’s true.

Not really. Nky and our last couple winters have been mild. They did something with the computer and it may have corrected it. I’d have to ask her if she still smells it. She said she would go in the garage and the smell scared her. Honda told her there’s no reason to be concerned but seriously, if you smell gas in your house it’s hard to not worry.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Not really. Nky and our last couple winters have been mild. They did something with the computer and it may have corrected it. I’d have to ask her if she still smells it. She said she would go in the garage and the smell scared her. Honda told her there’s no reason to be concerned but seriously, if you smell gas in your house it’s hard to not worry.

I’ve been reading up on this all afternoon. Honda did come out with a software fix. Sounds like her car got it. I hope her issue is permanently fixed. Honda also extended the Powertrain warranty to six years to give their customers added comfort. We are going to talk to the Honda service technicians about the issues on Monday.

 

[kymom99]

I’ve been reading up on this all afternoon. Honda did come out with a software fix. Sounds like her car got it. I hope her issue is permanently fixed. Honda also extended the Powertrain warranty to six years to give their customers added comfort. We are going to talk to the Honda service technicians about the issues on Monday.

I just asked her. She said she smells it occasionally but not nearly as bad.