A little background first.
  • It will serve primarily as a family car (3 kids) but I might use it to drive to the office (though not daily depending on fuel efficiency).
  • This is our first car.
  • My wife has a very strong preference towards an A/T.
  • I know almost nothing about cars but have a few people that I trust and can ask/get help from.
  • I cannot go over 500k and intend to sell the car and buy a new/better one in a year or two (my budget constraints will be much better by then)
  • My kids like the starex but I think that it's a too big.
  • I might also consider buying a sedan if it turns out to be a better choice.


I've been looking at the 2nd Gen CRV, Mazda Tribute, Mitsu Outlander, Ford Escape, Nissan X-Trail and other similar vehicles. I have heard good things about the Crosswind and Revo but (no offense to anyone) I do not like the stylings of either car. I've been reading the theads here and it seems like the 1st gen CRV is a good choice but I hesitate because they obviously will have more wear and tear than newer cars.

What do you guys think? Any tips/comments/advice will be greatly appreciated. TIA