Starting in April I will be living with my in-laws and start commuting to work by car about 70km each way, sometimes 50km. The average will be about 650km weekly. This will be going up into the mountains and coming back down, and winter is traditionally a big hazard as snow can get over 2m high. I have a kei car now that I am looking to upgrade into something a little bit safer now that my distance is increasing almost 5x.
Some of the big requirements in order of importance:
\-Reliability
\-4WD or AWD for winter driving
\-Big enough rear cargo for stroller and skiing equipment
\-Looking to last 7-ish years
BUDGET: 180万円 (A little is OK and under is always good)
Current thinking is 2016 Prius or Mazda CX-5, but would love to hear what other ideas all of you might have. Thanks!
18 comments
range rover sport is the way to go
Mitsubishi Delica
As a CX-8 owner, I would recommend the CX-5. Plenty of room available and if you get the diesel version, a lot of torque for going up the mountains.
From your two options I’d go with the Mazda. I live in a high snow area and the higher ground clearance is better in mountainous areas. For other options, Subaru’s 4WD/AWD options have a very good reputation for snow performance (not sure how they compare in terms of price etc).
X-trail or forester would work.
Holy shit 70km each way!?
Get a Japanese SUV with AWD like the CX-5, X Trail, RAV4 etc
A hybrid will cost less in running costs but a Prius may not have the ground clearance a winter dump of snow requires.
I’m in Aomori and run a Subaru. Great in snow but boxer engines suck the gas.
Hybrid would be my choice and with your budget look at the Honda Vezel. It’s economical enough to make driving that distance bearable,has ground clearance and pretty good internal space. Usual Honda quality and not popular as the Fit so used prices are better. Iwate dealers have them in your price range but being Iwate you only have black, white or silver, [here](https://www.carsensor.net/usedcar/detail/AU4356466326/index.html?TRCD=200002&RESTID=CS210610&LOAN=TSUJO) is a better color with heated (drivers) leather seats and low kms in Hachinohe.
CX-5. Have one that has almost 300K km’s on it since I got it new in 2015. Great car. I am a Mazda nut though, 6 of my last 7 cars were all Mazda’s.
Delica or hilux surf if you need lots of inside cargo room. Levorg, legacy or any other subaru if you want a car.
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GR Yaris if you want to get to work fast.
You could probably find a used X-Trail hybrid 4WD in that price range. My husband had one and it was a good SUV. He traded it in earlier this year for new X-Trail ePower e4orce.
Have you driven long distances in Japan mountainside and countryside before? One week of daily 70km x 2 of traffic lights will turn you in to Michael Douglas in Falling Down.
Subaru XV? Subaru’s AWD systems are the best available for sure.
I know you say you want something bigger than a kei for safety but the 3rd generation Suzuki Jimny is a triumph of Japanese engineering and loves snow and gravel. Rented one in Iceland that had done 200,000 km. Magnificent.
For winter driving, the CX-5 is absolutely the better choice. Get the diesel. **Make sure you get proper winter tires for it!** Do not make the mistake of thinking that all seasons will be “good enough”. All season tires are about temperatures, not about snow capability. You also want to get a set of chains in case you really get stuck.
[Reddit thread about the CX-5 in the winter](https://old.reddit.com/r/CX5/comments/ylk14d/winter_driving/) that you might find a good read.
If you don’t smoke, make sure to check the “禁煙車” option when searching online. And make sure you check out the cars in person because not all cars tagged as “禁煙車” are *actually* non-smoking cars. Not everyone has the same sensitivity when it comes to smells, and not all car dealers are honest. Turn on the aircon and sniff the air that comes out, too.
Key features I’d be looking for:
* 4WD (many are 2WD)
* radar cruise control (it’s an option that not all have but with a 70km commute you are almost certainly going to find this to be a godsend and a huge safety bonus.)
* other safety features like lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring, if they are available.
* LED headlights (I think most of the 2017+ CX-5 have them but make sure, they are a huge boon when you are driving in rural areas.)
* the upgraded BOSE sound system (you’re going to be spending a LOT of time in this car, get the better audio)
* heated leather seats (they are such a joy in winter, and if you’re in a cold area you will love them)
* these cars are easily good for 300,000km so finding one that is around the 100,000km mark is a good option. They will be well depreciated and a good deal. [Something like this one](https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/700054136130230304001.html). (Can’t specifically recommend that vehicle, just an example that might suit your needs.)
Forgot to mention this in my previous comment, but would aim for a 2017 or later CX-5, the newer “KF” series rather than the older “KE” series.
Mazda improved things a LOT with the newer generation. In particular the last year of the KE models (2016) is noted to suffer from drivetrain problems that are not an issue with the newer KF series cars.
86GT.
I’ve been driving a CX-5 (diesel).
It’s been a great car. Spacy, comfortable even as a taller guy. I live in the mountains too, and the diesel engine is great for getting up and down those steep mountain roads, regardless of season.
For your winter commute, I recommend getting the package with the heated seats and steering wheel. So luxurious! (I only got them in the front seats and wife and kid now janken each ride to see who will get lovely warm butt experience.)
Maybe looks don’t matter, but Mazdas are just about the only Japanese cars that aren’t aggressively ugly imo.
I did this commute regularly for 5 years in a kei car. Honestly it’s not as bad as it sounds. When conditions get bad, the key is to just drive slow. No car, no matter how heavy duty, will allow you to drive like normal during a white out. There’s nothing wrong with getting a new car if that’s something that you want to do, but my advice is that the most important thing is to drive safely and cautiously. That’s worth more than any car feature.
I recommend keeping a mini shovel in your trunk. I’ve definitely gotten snowed in to a parking space before.
Edit: As far as ground clearance goes, as long as you’re sticking to main roads, I’ve found that even the smallest of towns are very on top of their regular plowing. The only time I got stuck in the snow was out in on the super backroads out in the farmland. I drove that farmland regularly in the winter and it only happened once in 5 years