Compact SUV safety shootout: Toyota Rush vs. Renault Duster vs. Honda BR-V

By Ané Theron

 

Which compact SUV packs the most safety features for your hard-earned cash? We compare the top-spec, automatic Rush to its Renault and Honda counterparts.

Contender no. 1: Toyota Rush 1.5 S Auto, R319 800

If space is what you’re after, the Rush is essentially a seven-seater SUV with only five seats. This means that you have a 609-litre boot for camping gear or sports equipment, and even though the feeling of perceived quality isn’t quite up to RAV4 standards, it’s still a Toyota and quite a capable one at that, despite being based on the Avanza’s MPV-focused platform.

The Toyota Rush is remarkably well-specified with safety and convenience equipment, so much so that it blows the Honda BR-V completely out of the water. On the safety front, it is equipped with ABS, vehicle stability control, hill-start assist, a reversing camera with park distance control, satnav, and a whopping six airbags. It also boasts a wading depth of 600 metres if you have off-road aspirations.

Contender no. 2: Duster 1.5dCi Dynamique Auto, R316 900

After the launch of Renault’s new Duster, local motoring media came back suitably impressed. All the build quality and ergonomic niggles had been sorted, and the new and improved Duster is not just easy on the eyes, it offers plenty in terms of safety, convenience and all-round quality.  And with fuel prices on the rise, its frugal 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine is just what you need for maximum mileage - we managed to squeeze over a thousand kilometres out of a single tank. Safety features include ABS with EBD and brake assist, traction and stability control, 2 airbags and hill-start assist. Satnav is included and you get rear-parking sensors too. Cruise control is a standard feature, and its boot is a sizeable 478 litres.

Contender no. 3: Honda BR-V 1.5 Elegance Auto, R305 900

Honda’s BR-V is the only seven-seater on this list, with the highest power output, but the least amount of safety features. However, Hondas are known for their structural integrity should a collision occur.  Passive safety features include dual front airbags and ABS anti-lock brakes. There’s also a high-mounted third brake light (as with the other two), but EBD and brake assist would have been very welcome indeed, as would stability control. The BR-V’s boot is a generously-sized 691 litres if the third row of seats is folded flat.

Verdict

The Toyota with its six airbags comes out on top with the Duster at a close second. However, I’d still go for the Duster, because of its six-speed automatic gearbox which is just much easier to live with than Toyota’s 4-speed unit. The engine also sounds a bit noisy at speed and is not nearly as economic as the Duster’s diesel powerplant. But with regards to resale value, the Rush won’t disappoint. As for the Honda, it feels and looks like quality and is built to last a lifetime, but I would still want a car with traction/stability control and more airbags if I’m planning on transporting my kids on the highways and byways of our fair country.