Dear John: We need a compact hauler for hockey-loving kids
Story by John LeBlanc
Who doesn’t love a good compact crossover? Based on the surging sales numbers of these small and useful vehicles, most Canadian new vehicle owners would shout, “Not us!” But for some new car buyers, like Peter and Wendy Murray from my hometown of Ottawa, Ont., their current small SUV just isn’t doing it for them anymore.
Between graduating from their trusty 2007 Honda Civic compact sedan to their current 2010 Honda CR-V compact crossover six years ago, the Murrays added a second son to their clan as well. So, as much as they’ve enjoyed the Honda crossover’s easy-to-drive nature, reasonable fuel economy and relatively good interior room, with both their boys (six and 10 years of age) playing hockey (with the older one a goalie, and the associated extra gear no less), the Murrays are finding that their five-passenger CR-V doesn’t offer enough people or cargo room.
“It’s not every day, but weekends can be crazy when both boys are at the rink and we need to take a friend or two along as well,” Wendy explained.
Looking for more space than their compact crossover can offer, the Murrays considered the stereotypical “hockey parent” minivan. But the couple found that beyond the low-cost 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan (that can start as low as $21,895), minivans like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona and Toyota Sienna start north of $30K, beyond the Murrays’ new-vehicle budget.
Essentially, the family is looking for an extended version of their five-passenger CR-V, but with a couple of more seats for hockey teammates and their bags, plus similar, four-cylinder fuel consumption — something the V6 minivans can’t offer.
“Although we live in the city, we always put on snow tires, so we’re not married to all-wheel drive,” said Wendy. The Murrays also asked for an automatic transmission to be on their next new vehicle wish list.
Before I delve into my trio of Dear John recommendations, there are a few three-row, compact crossovers in the market, such as the seven-passenger 2016 Dodge Journey SE Plus ($23,795), 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander SE AWC ($31,198) and 2016 Kia Rondo EX Luxury ($29,695).
The trouble with these vehicles is that there’s little-to-no cargo space when their third-row seats are in use, certainly not enough for two hockey equipment bags and a set of goalie leg pads. Thankfully, there is a trio of new compact people movers that may meet the Murray’s hockey bus needs.
Let’s start alphabetically with the 2016 Ford Transit Connect Wagon, the up-to-seven-passenger version of the U.S. automaker’s compact commercial van that was redesigned a couple of years back. Power comes from a 169-horsepower, 2.5-litre four-cylinder, mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Like the larger minivans, the front-wheel-drive Ford comes with handy sliding side doors. And to aid getting the Murray kids’ gear in and out of the van’s large rear cargo space, you can order the Transit Connect with a pair of vertical (or “barn”) doors.
Next up is the 2016 Mazda5, a longtime favourite with Canadian families since it went on sale in 2005. The front-drive 5 comes with a pair of sliding side doors and seating for six passengers. A 2.5-litre four makes 157 horsepower; you can pick from a six-speed manual gearbox that’s standard or an optional five-speed autobox.
Finally, we have the newest compact people mover of this threesome: the Fiat-based 2016 Ram ProMaster City Wagon that just showed up in Canada last year.
Like the Transit Connect Wagon, the “Wagon” is the passenger version of the front-drive ProMaster City commercial van. Also, like the Ford and Mazda, the Ram comes with a four-cylinder engine, a 2.4-litre unit that aces a relatively generous 178 horsepower. A nine-speed auto is the only transmission offered.