I drove the ‘10 Honda CRV, ’10 Mazda CX-7, 2011 Kia Sorrento 4cyl, 2010 Nissan Rogue and the 2010 Toyota Rav4. WOW, what a difference in cars, for the same (approx.) money. Allow me to start by saying I drove the base model in all the vehicles listed: Power windows, locks, tilt, cruise, automatic, and air conditioning.
The 2010 MAZDA CX-7 had the best overall design; exterior and interior. The seats were firm without being too stiff. Alloy wheels and iPod adapter are standard. It had plenty of get up and go for a 4cyl, and the city mileage was 20 to the others 21 and 22. The incentives are 0% for 36mos. 1.9% for 60 mos. All in all it got my 5 Star vote for comfort and value, handling and horsepower.
The Honda CRV-LX was the 1st runner-up in this category. The interior is roomy, albeit plain. The fit and finish very tight but the overall feeling screamed ” plastic”. Seats offered good support, handling and horsepower were responsive once I got moving from second to third gear. Fuel economy is in the same ball park as the others in the category: 22/28. The exterior isn’t flashy or classy but says urban yuppy, to date myself. No incentives of any kind make you have to REALLY want to buy 
this car, all things being equal; warranty, reliability and price.
In the middle of the pack is the 2011 4cyl. Kia Sorento. While the interior and exterior styling are superior to the others in this class, feature packed and boasting the best warranty at 5yr. or 60k mile basic and 10yr. or 100k power train, the big BUT was in the acceleration. The drive-wire gas pedal makes you do a double push to get the car moving. This issue kept me questioning the engine responsiveness, horsepower vs. torque and finally the pedal itself. At one point it felt like a CVT engine powered by belts and pulleys on a power-band rather than a traditional transmission. I had previously driven the 6cyl Sorento, which didn’t reflect the same pedal predicament, perhaps because of the larger engine displacement. The Kia Sorento uses slightly more gas as a 6cyl, however with the abundance of loyalty, conquest and interest rate incentives (0%) if you want to move up to the bigger engine, the price and value are all there.
Staying the course of 4cyl mini-SUV’s, not to be confused with crossovers, the Nissan Rogue 360 was the ride of the day. The body styling resembles the Mazda CX-7, however, the front grill embellished with chrome accents looks out of place. Interior is roomy, but boring, with wide spans of plastic in all the obvious places. The 360 package offers 16″ alloy wheels and a handy back-up camera in the rear view mirror, along with some other options for a $1000 more, still keeping it in the $22k price point of the group. 
Gas mileage states a 22-28 return but the hunting of the transmission between first and second gave me cause to doubt we will see 22mpg in the summer with the air conditioning fighting the Vegas-style 105 degree heat. Incentives are similar to the others; low interest rate financing available to those qualifying with a 695 or higher FICO AUTO credit score.
Last and least favorite: 2010 Toyota RAV-4. Never mind the obvious recall issue troubling the Toyota fans everywhere. This steel rimmed, plain ole, same old, was a BIG disappointment in the interior styling, size, value and performance categories. It moves around well once you get it past first gear, however, as the smallest mini-suv in the pack, I felt it should have been much more responsive. The incentive at 0% for 60 mos. is a big step for Toyota, as they see sales dropping with every news report. The Rav4 lacked any ambition to be the best in a venue it once clearly owned.
I tried to drive the 2011 Hyundai Tucson and 2010 Kia Sportage, but the local dealers had no base models for comparison. I will try back in another review and bring you the inside story.
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Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com
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