That sounds like
– Last Updated: Jan-08-08 10:58 AM EST –
the new Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 ltr diesel. Jeep also has the Patriot (gas) at an advertised 28 mpg. Volswagon has a Turbo diesel wagon.
yep,funny how the SUVs are showing
– Last Updated: Jan-08-08 11:16 AM EST –
up with the changes. They've got more of a market to protect from decline. A four door sedan with better back seat comfort can already get 28mpg.
Theres no way around it, heavy and poor aerodynamics sucks fuel.
But at $3/gal it's not that important. At $5 it will be. I think that's where we're going to be in five years.
And that's when the box shaped SUVs morph back down to pill shaped sedans/station wagons.
well
why AWD? 4WD is much much much better when it comes to traction, if traction IS your main priority look no further then your jeep dealer. However I actually have a Job the REQUIRES me to drive off road, as I am a Trails Coordinator, and my truck has 4WD, however 98% of the time its in 2WD… AWD is ALL the time, makes components wear out faster and lowers mileage. Also most AWD vehicles don’t have a LOW gear range for ultimate traction and pulling power. You would be better off keeping the wagon… matter of fact I bet if you hooked the wagon up to an AWD vehicle back to back it would pull it all over the place, unless you were on a solid sheet of ice, then put on a set of tire chains. BTW compare the gas price VS that of a new car payment, AND gas…. Just my 2 cents…
it’s a value judgement
I can’t disagree with anything you said.
I have an outback also and find the same thing - except I have owned other cars more expensive to service and maintain. But darn it, the awd and SUV utility, and car (not SUV) handling come with a price. I wish toyota made these instead of Subaru, but it’s a niche market so don’t hold your breath. If you do the expensive maintenance work, you can keep a scooby running well over 200k.
If you get one my suggestions are:
- Get a head gasket check.
- Get the clutch checked or get an autobox, scooby autoboxes seem to last longer than the clutches
- Get the service record if possible. These cars seem sensitive to being maintained well, not like a toyota which you can abuse and it’ll keep ticking.
If you don’t need the space, I would second the Matrix, better MPG and a toyota.
If you can find a used civic 4wd wagon or corolla 4wd wagon, buy it. Or shoot me an email if you don’t, because I will.
Ford Escape
My parents have had a 2008 Ford Escape for 4 months now and they love it. It drives like a car but gives them the 4WD and towing that they want. While my brother’s 2005 Escape has proven road worthy in some nasty ice and snow. The mileage is in the mid-twenties on both right now. Best of luck on your search!
Honda
Ed,
Check out a Honda Element - you can get a fully loaded, AWD vehicle for about $22k. Plus it’s a Honda. Mine has been trouble free for 85k, and excellent in some terrible CO snow storms. Plus if your a paddler, they take a Thule rack, have a nice plastic floor (easy to clean, I mop mine) and the roof isn’t all that tall. And I get about 23 - 25 mpg on my long road trips.
Ranger
She has a poor history with 4WD.
I was thinking AWD would be safer (less chance of exploding transfer cases).
E
Bridgestone Blizzaks
A set of these snow tires would certainly help in winter driving. I had a set on a FWD Saab, and it felt like I had AWD.
no offense
…but some of these minivan-based SUVs do not drive like “cars”, they drive like minivans. there is a difference. Admittedly most people can’t tell or don’t care about the difference in minivan handling and car handling.
I can’t imagine living without
my big truck! Nothing else compares as a mechanical servant. Hauls anything, runs like new at 400k (mostly on WVO), can sleep in it…yada yada.
So is it ice or snow?
I used to own a '77 Chevy Nova that came with studded tires. That car was not a good car for slippery conditions but the studs made it useable in normal suburban/urban settings with paved roads and moderate grades.
But if you frequently get deep snow and soft mud and steep grades combined, as we do here, the studs won’t suffice. Even chains AND 4wd aren’t always enough.
Sometimes you just gotta…I know people nowadays cannot tolerate the thought…STAY HOME. There are days when even snowmobiles can’t get through.
yeah, well…
…that’s a unique ride you have there.
When you’re ready to sell it let me know 
Hard packed snow.
Steep winding roads with low population density. The town has made it more than clear to me that the street we live on is not a priority. There are only 7 houses on the last mile of it. Once you hit the town line, the small town on the other side does a great job with their roads, problem there is that its even steeper.
Would love to have a big older
truck. Just figure that if I have to add something to the fleet for winter driving I should probably make it as fuel efficient as possible. 25% of our income now goes toward fuel. The more I spend on fuel the less I can spend on boats.
Ed
LOL, I live on a road like that
but one of the plow drivers on the county road crew lives down at the end of it, so we get plowed out early and often!
Its quiet and private.
It makes up for a lot. The towns attitude about use up here though can get under my skin.
Ed
Vote # ??? for Subaru … but I wish I
could find a nice Camary wagon around. Probably the best combination of everything.
I remember seeing an AWD Mercedes 300TD wagon a while back. It was Silver with RED leather interior. Never gonna’ find it, but sounded cool.
98 5 spd. Getting an honest 31 in town 35 - 36 on long trips.
Pikabike … What year is yours ? Thanks.
Subaru
I have a 2001 Legacy wagon and I am not that happy with it. It only has about 46k and has been expensive to own. I currently dont have a dealer nearby but when I did it was not much help. AWD vehicles require closely matched tires and I am on my 3rd set. The 1st set went out early due to an allignment problem that was fixed under warranty but I still had to buy tires. The second set went to road damage and the new ones only have 5k on them. I have had to replace an oxygen sensor, the transmission safety module, the wheels because of excessive wobble (which was part of the allignment problem) and the brakes due to warped rotors (possibly due to the dealer not properly torquing the lug nuts when rotating the tires). I found out the trans safety module does a lot more than lock out the shift. The car ran a whole lot better after it was replaced. The safety module may have been the cause of some the problems with the sensors and injectors. I was ready to trade it in because of poor performance when the safety switch went. Something I really dont want to do because the difference has to come out of savings. I am retired and I dont buy anything if I cant pay for it when I buy it.
2005 Outback
It’s a 2005, and I made a mistake above about the engine size. It is a 2.5-liter unit, not 2.0 as I said (hey, it’s my husband’s car, not mine). Regular–not turbocharged. The only things it’s needed besides maintenance have been minor: one headlamp died prematurely (dealership pointed it out and replaced BOTH), and the radio crapped out (he replaced it with an aftermarket radio).
I think the stick shift is what makes the higher mpg. My husband asked a guy who owned an auto version what he got and it was only about 24 mpg. But that might also have included a higher percentage of city driving.
Being owned by your things
The more vehicles you have, the more time you’ll spend in maintenance. Even though you might drive the same number of miles, fluids have to be changed at time intervals, so you waste more.
At one time I owned 3 vehicles. It began to feel like I was spending too much energy keeping track of which one needed what routine care. And I felt horrible about changing out engine oil when it had only gone 1000 to 1500 miles since the last change but it was past 3 months.
It sounds like you are getting a little stressed (25% of income on fuel is a lot). I don’t think adding vehicles will help, but replacing one or two might if you choose well.