Two medium-sized SUVs suitable for self-driving tours, affordable, easy to drive and fuel-efficient, and no pressure on the mountain roads

Have you ever thought about how "all-round" a car must be considered a truly suitable partner for free travel? It’s not the kind of exquisite vase that only circles around the city, nor is it a tough guy who has to go off-road, but a "reliable teammate" who can carry you, walk around, cross mountains and rivers without any effort, and the fuel consumption is so low that you can make you secretly enjoy yourself when you come on the bus at the end of the month. There are so many SUVs on the market now, but there are actually not many mid-sized SUVs that can be cheap, easy to drive, fuel-efficient, and easily cope with mountain roads. Today, we don’t talk about those "Internet celebrity cars" that cost 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, and we turn our attention to more down-to-earth choices - Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 Rongfang. These two cars may understand the meaning of "freedom" better than you imagined.

Let’s talk about why they are. Many people choose SUVs, and their first reaction is that they have a large space and comfortable sitting, but those who have actually driven long distances and walked along the mountain roads know that having space alone is far from enough. Chassis adjustment, smoothness of power output, fuel consumption control, and reliability are the keys to determining whether a journey is enjoyment or torture. And CR-V and RAV4 have put a lot of effort into these "invisible places". They do not build configurations and speed up like some new models, but are like two experienced veteran drivers who steadily accompany you through every section of the road.

Have you ever thought about how "all-round" a car must be considered a truly suitable partner for free travel? It’s not the kind of exquisite vase that only circles around the city, nor is it a tough guy who has to go off-road, but a "reliable teammate" who can carry you, walk around, cross mountains and rivers without any effort, and the fuel consumption is so low that you can make you secretly enjoy yourself when you come on the bus at the end of the month. There are so many SUVs on the market now, but there are actually not many mid-sized SUVs that can be cheap, easy to drive, fuel-efficient, and easily cope with mountain roads. Today, we don’t talk about those "Internet celebrity cars" that cost 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, and we turn our attention to more down-to-earth choices - Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 Rongfang. These two cars may understand the meaning of "freedom" better than you imagined.

Let’s talk about why they are. Many people choose SUVs, and their first reaction is that they have a large space and comfortable sitting, but those who have actually driven long distances and walked along the mountain roads know that having space alone is far from enough. Chassis adjustment, smoothness of power output, fuel consumption control, and reliability are the keys to determining whether a journey is enjoyment or torture. And CR-V and RAV4 have put a lot of effort into these "invisible places". They do not build configurations and speed up like some new models, but are like two experienced veteran drivers who steadily accompany you through every section of the road.

Let’s look at the CR-V first. Its 1.5T turbocharged engine is equipped with a CVT gearbox. It doesn’t sound amazing, but when it actually drives, the power response is very linear, especially on mountain roads. The continuous push-back feeling after the turbo intervenes is more confident than the naturally aspirated model. More importantly, its chassis is more comfortable to adjust, but it does not lose its support - the body will not shake when cornering, and it can effectively filter vibration when encountering potholes. Last year, I drove it to western Sichuan, from Chengdu to Xinduqiao, climbed more than 2,000 meters above sea level, and continued to bend. It did not lose its chain throughout the process, and its fuel consumption was still controlled at about 7.8L/100km. It is quite good for a 1.5T SUV.

And RAV4 Rongfang is in a different style. It uses a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine + CVT, and its power output is not as "shock" as the CR-V, but its victory is extremely smooth and there is almost no pause. Moreover, the reliability of Toyota's power system has been verified by millions of car owners around the world. More importantly, its four-wheel drive system performs more calmly than CR-V on non-paved roads or slippery mountain roads. Especially when walking on the winding mountain road on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau during the rainy season, the grip and stability of the RAV4 are reassuring. In terms of fuel consumption, it also achieved around 7.5L/100km, which is comparable to the CR-V.

You may ask: Both cars are so similar, how to choose? Here we have to mention a reverse thinking - sometimes, when choosing a car, it is not about what it can do, but about what it "will not make you worry about." CR-V is more suitable for those who want some driving pleasure and more power; while RAV4 is more suitable for "Buddhist players" who pursue extreme stability and don't want to worry about it. A like a skilled mountaineering guide and a calm old captain with different styles, but they all bring you safely.

And don't forget that they are very affordable. The landing price of mainstream models is basically between 180,000 and 220,000 yuan, and the maintenance is cheap and the maintenance outlets are spread all over the country. Even if there are minor problems in remote areas, they can be solved quickly. This is not something new brands can easily do. You think electric cars are so popular now? But if you really want to go to the Sichuan-Tibet Line and Yunnan-Tibet Line, the density and energy replenishment time of charging piles are still a flaw. In this scenario, oil trucks are still the most pragmatic choice.

Speaking of this, you may wonder: Will all self-driving tours be replaced by electric vehicles in the future? Maybe. But at least in the next five years, when the battery life anxiety and mountain road energy replenishment problems have not been completely solved, fuel-fueled SUVs like CR-V and RAV4 are still the most down-to-earth "far carrier" for most ordinary families. They do not show off their skills or claim to be subversive, but just silently carve the word "reliability" into their bones.

So, does real freedom have to pursue the most cutting-edge technology? Or, sometimes, it is precisely those choices that seem “not cool enough” that allow you to sail far away without any worries? Next time when you stand in the exhibition hall, facing a bunch of large screens, lidar and autonomous driving publicity, you might as well ask yourself: Do I want a show or a down-to-earth journey?