The Honda CR-V has been completely redesigned for 2008, and it has a very spacious interior, with comfortable seating and a smooth ride.
The CR-V is also more fuel-efficient, but it just isn't much fun to drive and it's not as rugged when taking on the rutted trail to a campsite.
The Outlander is a different type of crossover; it also caters more to on-road performance, but it has a decidedly sporty character, with a firm ride and very crisp handling.
On paper, it competes closely with the 2008 Subaru Forester, but in reality, it's quite a bit heavier and just doesn't feel as nimble.
However, both of these models have the Forester beat for refinement.
Another choice, for those who appreciate the Forester's boxiness and city-friendliness, is the Scion xB.
The Scion has a lower price than the Forester, with a similar nimble feel on the road, and it's more fuel-efficient.
However, it doesn't have the rugged ability or the all-wheel drive of the Subaru.
|2008 Subaru ForesterBrowse Used Listings||2009 Scion xBBrowse Used Listings||2008 Honda CR-VBrowse Used Listings||2008 Mitsubishi OutlanderBrowse Used Listings|
|18 MPG City / 27 MPG Hwy||22 MPG City / 28 MPG Hwy||20 MPG City / 27 MPG Hwy||17 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy|
|Gas Flat 4-Cyl||Gas I4||Gas I4||Gas I4|
|4WD Sport Utility||Small Station Wagon||2WD Sport Utility||2WD Sport Utility|
|4-Door Manual X||5-Door Wagon Manual (Natl)||2WD 5-Door LX||2WD 4-Door ES|
|All Wheel Drive||Front Wheel Drive||Front Wheel Drive||Front Wheel Drive|
|4 Door||4 Door Wagon||5 Door||4-Door Wagon|
|Manual w/OD||Manual w/OD||Automatic||NA|