- Owners rank the most and least reliable SUVs for 2023
- 2023 Honda Pilot to start at $50,650 in Canada
- Here’s what the 2023 Corolla Cross costs in Canada
- A Millennial Mom reviews the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross
- Subaru drops Canadian pricing for 2023 Solterra
- Coleman Molnar
Those who design the popular vehicles of today must consider more than just the driver’s experience. Because while many vehicles are still used to shuttle one or two adults into work day after day, they’re also called upon to transport the rest of the family, along with all of their belongings, to and from the plethora of after-school and weekend activities that make up modern life.
Here are the biggest and most recent family-vehicle stories, debuts, and reviews from the past month.
Owners rank the most and least reliable SUVs for 2023
2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Photo by Justin Pritchard
Consumer Reports (CR) recently polled a bunch of U.S. owners on how their new vehicles are running, and we’ve taken the findings to produce a list of the most and least reliable SUVs in three categories of subcompact, large, and luxury. At 80 points, the Subaru Crosstrek was the most reliable SUV in the subcompact category, while the Toyota Highlander Hybrid’s score of 74 points was enough to place it at the front of all large SUVs. And that reliability apparently breeds loyalty, as 79 per cent of Highlander Hybrid owners say they would buy another one.
The list of least reliable SUVs includes two Kias, a Nissan, and a Lincoln. The Kia Sorento and Nissan Pathfinder tied for least reliable large (three-row) SUV with dismal scores of five out of 100 due to poor engine cooling and transmission problems in the Kia; and power and electronics issues in the Nissan.
2023 Honda Pilot to start at $50,650 in Canada
2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport Photo by Honda
After being shown off in the updated TrailSport trim in November, the 2023 Honda Pilot this month received its Canadian pricing details. It’s $50,650 for the entry Sport trim with a 3.5L V6, 10-speed automatic transmission, and trim-dependent interior items like a tri-zone climate control system, heated front seats, and seven-inch touchscreen screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.
The EX-L opens at $54,450 and adds leather upholstery, a QI wireless charging pad, and some chrome exterior trimmings. Three thousand more and you’re in the aforementioned TrailSport territory, with remodelled suspension for an added 25 mm of lift, 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, and skid plates. The Touring trim offers ventilated front seats, a 10.2-inch digital instrument panel, head-up display, 360-degree cam systems, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system for $61,350. Finally, the Black Edition package adds gloss black accents inside and out to the Touring trim. Learn more about the pricing structure and the four available packages here.
The 2023 Honda Pilot is available for purchase in Canada as of yesterday.
Here’s what the 2023 Corolla Cross costs in Canada
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Photo by Nadine Filion
Toyota’s compact SUV, the 2023 Corolla Cross, will be available to Canadian buyers for as low as $25,790. That sum gets the Cross L in front-wheel-drive with Toyota Multimedia and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, six-speaker audio, a 4.2-inch display, and 17-inch wheels. For $27,650, a Cross L all-wheel-drive model is also available.
The mid-tier option is the Cross LE (FWD: $28,750; AWD: $29,690), which upgrades comfort with things like a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, an anti-theft alarm, and blind-spot monitoring. A $30,860 Cross Premium includes wireless charging, roof rails, and a power moonroof. The 2023 Cross XLE ($34,550) caps the trim options with a seven-inch screen, 18-inch alloy wheels, a power back door, auto-dimming rear-view, and more.
A Millennial Mom reviews the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross
2022 Toyota Corolla Cross Photo by Renita Naraine
Simply put, the Corolla Cross has some stiff competition in the compact SUV segment from brands in Asia, Europe, and here in North America. Driving Expert Renita Naraine recently had a $35,980 2022 Cross XLE for a week of her Millennial Mom life, and found a few things she appreciated about it and a few she didn’t.
The 2022 Cross’s pros include its ample leg- and headroom, outstanding cargo space, and unique green paint option pictured above. The cons include the 2022 Cross’s FWD setup (in this model), lack of heated steering wheel, slightly outdated infotainment system, and dismal backup camera. “It’s definitely not the Corolla we’re used to, and maybe we’re not quite getting the best of the Corolla and SUV worlds,” writes Naraine, “but it’s got potential.”
Subaru drops Canadian pricing for 2023 Solterra
2023 Subaru Solterra Photo by Subaru
Subaru’s first battery-electric vehicle, the 2023 Subaru Solterra, will start at $54,295 in Canada and be available as a single-trim model with two option packages. All models use a 72.8-kWh battery to provide 215 horsepower for all four wheels and a range of up to 360 km. The standard Solterra features 18-inch wheels, regenerative braking, hill ascent and descent control, and heated front seats and an eight-inch touchscreen inside.
Adding the Luxury package brings the total to $58,395 and features like a 360-degree camera, fog lamps, rain-sensing wipers, two-tone paint options, and 20-inch alloy wheels. And the Technology package ($62,095) builds on the Luxury with a panoramic glass roof, gloss black hood accents, ventilated seats, a smart rearview mirror, and more. More details at the link above.
Coleman Molnar
Coleman Molnar learned to drive in his family’s rusty farm pickup as a teenager and continues the forearm-strengthening tradition today from behind the wheel of his 1983 Volkswagen Westfalia. Spot him in the slow lane, or on Instagram @Lietco
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Keyword: Family Vehicle Roundup: Most reliable SUVs, and new Toyota, Honda pricing