@juniebug Our 2005 CR-V seats three adults in back, has three seat belts (lap and shoulder) and three headrests. Our sons are 5’9"+ and 6’. They get the window seats and shorter slender DIL gets the middle.
I used to have a Forester and the joke was, whenever all five of us were in the car, Dear Subaru, love everything about the Forester except the back seat, hard to clip the seatbelts and kind of crowded. The Outback, on the other hand, has a commodious back seat with lots of room and easy to use seatbelts.
I downsized from a minivan to a Subaru Forester. I really love it. We drove several of the small SUVs in that class and we just liked it the best. They were all very similar in features and price, we found, so I just picked a favorite. I liked the interior and I love the way it handles and drives. We did not consider a sedan.
It does hold five adults (we are smallish) but it’s tight for a long trip.
We’ve had it three years, and there’s been a handful of times where we had to take two cars someplace because we had more than five people that would still have fit in a minivan. It is a downsize, but we’ve enjoyed it a lot. Only regret is getting light colored cloth seats.
Upthread a poster mentioned renting a car. I think it’s a great idea to rent a car for 2 days and then rent a small SUV for two days. That should be enough time to get a real feel for what type you’d prefer to get. Enterprise often has great weekend rental rates.
While everybody seems to be recommending CRVs and RAV-4s, both excellent small SUVs/crossovers, I will recommend a Mazda CX-5. It performs better than a CRV, a RAV-4, or an Forester, by way of acceleration and handling, but it is as reliable as those are. It also has pretty good MPG for an SUV. We also have a pre-used Mazda 3 sedan I bought when I was working in CA, but for snow or heavy rain, the SUV is safer.
For a smaller car, I would highly recommend a hatchback, and again, I like the Mazda 3 hatchback, because it is a hatchback. However, if somebody prefers a sedan, I would recommend a Civic. I have found the acceleration on the Subaru Outback to be sluggish, and because of that, I do not feel as safe driving it as I do in the CX-5 or the Mazda 3.
Went from a minivan (shorter version) to a Vibe, and back to a minivan. Loved both. Now drive a Honda Fit. Don’t like the newer versions of the Fit. They’ve decreased the glass and headspace, so they feel claustrophobic (to me). Would never choose a sedan though. I far prefer the flexibility of a roomy hatch. Have considered SUV’s, but they seem to be large for the amount of hauling space. Would love another Vibe, but they’re gone, and the models I prefer are too old.
“Upthread a poster mentioned renting a car. I think it’s a great idea to rent a car for 2 days and then rent a small SUV for two days. That should be enough time to get a real feel for what type you’d prefer to get. Enterprise often has great weekend rental rates.”
Some dealers will allow you to test drive a vehicle over a weekend, too.
Always surprised how popular Subarus are among CC families. Good cars and popular in my neck of the woods but much more popular on CC than across the country aw a whole.
The Mazda 5 came out in 2013 - you might have a little harder time finding an old enough model to fit your mileage/price goals.
I know new the Mazda 5 was not cheap. Not sure how used models fair. Nice looking car for sure though.
I feel like sedans are slightly more roomy than the smaller sized SUVs; Depending on miles & condition & age I"d probably be 51/49 with a sedan. Good and bad to both. and yes, crosstreks are adorable.
I went from a mini-van to my RAV4 and love it. 2012 with 160k miles and counting. Never a problem beyond standard maintenance. Husband has a Mazda 3. A little small for me, but affordable even with all the bells and whistles. And good gas mileage for us, as we put tons of miles on our cars.
My husband had a 2010 Forester (now S17’s car). I strongly encourage you to NOT buy a used Forester. We have had more problems with that car than any car we’ve ever owned. It also has 160k miles on it, and we’ve dropped thousands on it, each time thinking that it would be fixed and get S17 through college. Now we’re just hoping to dump it and get enough to cover the down payment of something more reliable for him.
The approximate successors to the Pontiac Vibe (same as Toyota Matrix) would be the Scion iM, Toyota Corolla iM, Toyota Corolla hatchback.
@abasket are you talking about the Mazda 5 or the CX5? The Mazda 5 isn’t an SUV…it’s more like a very small minivan. The CX5 is a small SUV.
The Mazda 5 was released in 2006 and was discontinued in 2015.
The CX 5 was released in the US in 2012 and was redesigned in 2015, I believe.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_CX-5#Malaysia
When I was looking at the CX 5, it was about the same price as a CRV…and I liked the Mazda a lot more.
Some of the sedan vs small SUV decision may depend on your area. Here in Dallas, so many people drive huge honkin’ trucks and SUVs that I can’t see over their hoods in a regular sedan.
@thumper I meant cx5. 
Released late 2012 as a 2013 model.
I drive a huge truck. Sort of a story as to how I got it, but I’ve grown to love it and will replace it with another truck- but with a little shorter bed. Parking it can be an issue for me. It gets better gas mileage than my 2015 Toyota FJ Cruiser, which we still have as an extra vehicle. My husband drives a small electric car (Chevy Bolt). I work at a company where trucks are part of the culture. It’s all good!
I drive a Honda Accord with a V6. My DH has a Subaru Forester but will soon be getting something else, probably a Toyota 4Runner. It really depends on how you feel comfortable. I much prefer to be lower and closer to the road, but many people prefer to be higher up.
Nobody has mentioned fuel efficiency as a factor, but of course sedans are much more efficient. We had an aging Highlander and a Camry hybrid; bought a second sedan that was going to be for the kids to drive, and then the Highlander died and we didn’t replace. I figured we could rent a car if we really needed to haul something big, but in 6 years we have only done that once. We have hauled home a queen mattress on top of the car; also furniture from IKEA. We moved D2 in and out of college with our sedans— it took both of them to carry all her stuff freshman year and to move out senior year. Not having a larger car just hasn’t been an issue for us.
My compromise on this question was a hatchback. Zippy, great mileage, plenty of cargo space, lay flat rear seats. Like a small SUV but a tad less headroom/height.
I know we CCers are all still very young, but my mother has had back issues for many years and my MIL has arthritis in her hips. Both have difficulties getting into and out of a sedan. My mother prefers a van because she finds it difficult to lift her leg over the ‘lip’ at the threshold, which does not exist in a van.
My ‘funny’ MIL despises vans and SUVs because she “has long legs and is too tall to get in and out of them.” LOL!! Too the contrary, she cannot rise out of a low-sitting sedan (H drives Accord) without assistance. It’s much easier for her to get into and out of my CRV with no assistance. When transporting my DF with dementia, it was much easier for him to get into and out of a higher seated vehicle as well.
We just replaced our 2008 CRV with the 2019 model. Many improvements in the new model: better gas mileage, many more safety features, roomier, better performance, and smoother ride. I know you’re not looking at new but we love our 2019 CRV.
If we had to choose only one vehicle, we would choose the CRV over the Accord for its cargo space, AWD for bad weather, and higher ride. We make frequent runs to the dump with yard waste.
We have a Subaru Impreza 5 door which is the wagon version of their sedan. Smaller than the Forester and Outback. It’s a good compromise in size. It turns on a dime and hauls quite a bit with the back seats folded down.