Posted at 5:45 p.m.
Ford Escape
Price: from $29,699
Just like the Tucson, the latest generation of Ford’s Escape is slightly longer and wider than the previous one. Although the roof line has been lowered, the Escape takes care to free up a maximum of living space, especially for the rear seats, where the bench seat can slide a few centimeters. The interior presentation of this vehicle is, on the other hand, austere. The Sportage is in this respect more modern and more rewarding. On the road, the behavior is surprisingly neutral and the handling of the Escape enchants even more than that of the Sportage. The Escape is a lot of fun to drive, but the supercharged three-cylinder engine disappoints the driver. The 2 L is preferable, but we prefer the plug-in hybrid version to the hybrid version, even if the latter only has two-wheel drive…
Subaru Forester
Price: from $29,495
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SUBARU
Wilderness Version Subaru Forester
According to data compiled by automakers, Forester buyers are currently among the oldest in the class. To rejuvenate its clientele, Subaru multiplies the variants and openly targets leisure enthusiasts (Wilderness version, our photo). To do this, the brand with the constellation of stars relies on the efficiency of its constant-mesh all-wheel drive. This gives it remarkable traction at the price, it must be said, of consumption as high as that of the Sportage. Also, despite a neat build quality, the Forester is not as rewarding as the Sportage and unfortunately does not have any hybrid versions.
volkswagen tiguan
Price: from $33,695
PHOTO PROVIDED BY VOLKSWAGEN
Volkswagen Tiguan 2022
Volkswagen doesn’t flaunt it, but the Tiguan’s cabin has a third row of seats on board. This is one of the optional features, starting with the Comfortline version. These additional seats are, unsurprisingly, intended for young children or for breakdown assistance. Compared to the Sportage, the engine of the Tiguan is much more expressive and flexible. Its gearbox shows, for its part, a nice smoothness and is perfectly staged. But where this Volkswagen loses the most is on the question of refinement, the quality of the presentation and the absence of hybrid engines. This German utility is getting an upgrade for 2022 (our photo), but the changes mainly affect aesthetics and connectivity.