Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Crossover, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Kia, Mazda, Toyota


Cars.com recently lined up seven new vehicles for a $37,000 SUV shoot out. The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, 2012 Dodge Durango, 2012 Ford Explorer, 2012 Honda Pilot, 2012 Kia Sorento, 2011 Mazda CX-9 and 2011 Toyota Highlander all squared off against one another in a range of evaluations, including a one-day highway drive and family testing.

If you happen to be the deductive type, you may have noticed that the list above includes a fair number of genuine crossovers. Vehicles like the Chevrolet Traverse and Mazda CX-9 bear little resemblance to the body-on-frame bruisers of old, and even models like the 2012 Explorer and 2012 Durango have evolved out of their traditional shells.

But when the dust settled, it was the 2012 Pilot that took top honors thanks to its high level of amenities, spacious interior and clever storage solutions, despite the fact that reviewers found issue with road noise and exterior styling. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that the 2012 Explorer tied for sixth place with the 2012 Sorento. Ouch. Head over to Cars.com to see the full evaluation, and vote for your favorite in our poll.

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Cars.com $37,000 SUV shootout yields unexpected results [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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