| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous |
Need to replace a high mileage vehicle with reliable safe and dog friendly vehicle. It has to do well on snow and ice and have heated front seats. On the short list are a subaru forester and Volvo xc 70. Suv is not a direction we wanna go for this. Ideas? Thanks in advance.... | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Oy it was me fltwistygirl that posted this. Darn kindle....grrr | ||
| Kaikoura |
good luck twisty girl | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Thanks Kaikoura. Car shopping is a pain in the butt. If it were up to me, we'd all be commuting on Urals or spyders or snowmobiles or cross country skis!!! | ||
| Ourdee |
Or Shifter Karts.  | ||
| Swampy |
I have seen some very truck like features on older Volvos. I had a roommate that had an 850 wagon? and it was a PITA! I was working on it all the time, everywhere. It broke down everywhere at the most inopportune times. My sister had a newer Volvo sedan, one with twin turbos and it was another POS, seems like she was always whining about it needing to be fixed. She sold it and bought a test Volvo wagon from the company she works for. My mom has an older Subaru Forester and it has never let her down, it is not all rusted out and it hits deer well. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I love my new Grand Cherokee diesel. Heated front and second row seats, 2 row sunroof, full time 4wd (takes all the fun out of screwing off in the snow, but whatever...), awesome fuel mileage. Technically an SUV...but I look at it as my 4x4 luxury station wagon. Although if you're looking for used, this won't work since they debuted the diesel in '14...  | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Thanks for the input, all. "Or Shifter Karts" That too! Hey, just put some spiked tires or tire chains on, and you are good to go! "She sold it and bought a test Volvo wagon from the company she works for." How was the reliability on that? "My mom has an older Subaru Forester and it has never let her down, it is not all rusted out and it hits deer well." I have heard and read many positives about Subarus. They are everywhere out here! We actually had the pleasure of riding in the back seat of a friends brand new Forester this weekend. Neither Mr. twisty nor I are petite flowers...he is 6'0 and I am 5'10 and we had no complaints about leg room. It was the most room we've had since we rode in the back of another friends Jaguar road sofa (XJS?). Safety is a priority too, and I know the Subaru is on point with that. "I love my new Grand Cherokee diesel. Heated front and second row seats, 2 row sunroof, full time 4wd (takes all the fun out of screwing off in the snow, but whatever...), awesome fuel mileage. Technically an SUV...but I look at it as my 4x4 luxury station wagon. Although if you're looking for used, this won't work since they debuted the diesel in '14..." That is a gorgeous ride, Rat. One challenge is getting the hounds in a taller vehicle like that. The golden retriever we sometimes haul around has a tough time jumping in a CRV because of the height. The other issue could be the Thule box that would inevitably be mounted on the roof. We may not have any problems loading skis, but some of our vertically challenged ski buddies may have a tough time with the height. That jeepster may be too tall. A couple other vehicles that may be worth looking at are the Honda Crosstour and Honda Element. I've read the visibility in the Crosstour is an issue. The Element actually has a doggie package available, and our FL neighbors loved their Element for hauling the hounds to the dog park. Keep the ideas coming, all. B. | ||
| Kaikoura |
We have a 2003 Element manual shift..we love it and the dog loves it..(I believe they will be discontinued soon however,,where have I heard this before) | ||
| Skifastbadly |
Anybody crazy enough to ride a Buell is crazy enough to drive a Saab. You put a set of Blizzaks on a Saab you can climb trees with it. | ||
| Froggy |
Moved to the quickyboard as this has no Buell or any motorcycle content, so it doesn't belong in the BB&D | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
On my shopping list for Mme when we get to Quebec either Honda Element or Suzuki SX4. I shall be looking for a big cheap comfy shed that can stand at work for a week or two at a time, top of the list at the moment is a Crown Vic ex police interceptor with a Triton V8. | ||
| Strokizator |
A Toyota Sienna is available with AWD and supremely versatile. Easy for dogs to get in and out. Remove the second row seats and drive it around that way. The third row folds flat into the floor when you really need to haul stuff. Gets better mileage than an SUV too. | ||
| Bads1 |
Kia Sante Fe | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Kia doesn't make a Santa Fe model. Can't go wrong with a Subaru tho, I've not heard a bad word about them in years and have know people that won't drive anything else. | ||
| Court |
Ford Escape 2.0 Eco-Boost with AWD . . . . . I've put 40,000 miles on mine in the last 15 months and it's amazing. EDIT: . . . oops . . it's for sure an SUV . . a small one (can see in the 30's on the highway) but an SUB nonetheless. But . . it also parks itself (either right side or left side) has better heated seats that Porsche or Mercedes . . . full leather . . back-up camera, . . . weather radar . . . tons of room . . . 3,500 towing capacity . . . blah, blah, blah . . .same options will set ya back about $15,000 on the new Macan. (Message edited by court on February 10, 2014) | ||
| Swampy |
I don't think sis is having much luck with the newer Volvo either, but I don't talk to her much anymore. Last summer she was driving her S10 pickup around when the Volvo was in the shop. the Forester has some crazy headroom | ||
| Bads1 |
Sorry Hyundai. And although the Subaru are a great car. They are not the greatest on gas. The brand new one are getting better. | ||
| Reepicheep |
An old Saab 9-3 hatchback with snow tires would be a decent and cheap option, I bet you could find one running well for $4k or so. 30 MPG highway, and it can tow bikes on a trailer during the summer if you want. If you go that route PM me and I'll tell you the easy to fix gotcha's. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Actually...the Summit (and depending how you option them you can get it on the Limited and Overland levels as well) has air suspension. Off Road 2 gives about 12" of ground clearance. OR1, about 10". Normal ride height is pictured, couple inches lower than OR1. Aero, it lowers 0.8" for fuel economy at speed. And enter/exit is another inch or so lower than that. The photo is at NRH because it was running when I took the photo. I know. I'm spoiled now. But...I'm good with that  | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Sorry haven't responded 'til now. Sick and grumpy kid with a big English essay this week. Boo hiss. But the snow is melting so that is good for the Buells but bad for test-driving in any challenging real world conditions. Such is life. "Anybody crazy enough to ride a Buell is crazy enough to drive a Saab. You put a set of Blizzaks on a Saab you can climb trees with it." Now that is funny (the climbing trees part, not the Saab as a consideration part). Would not have even considered a Saab, I had to check to see if they were still made. Now I've been noticing them all over. A coworker from Illinois had a Saab as well as a former boss in Orlando and they were sweet rides. "A Toyota Sienna is available with AWD and supremely versatile." Sounds like a very functional vehicle, but again there is the concern with the height, especially when you factor in a Thule box. We'll definitely have to take measurements of the clearance in the garage before the test drives begin. "Ford Escape 2.0 Eco-Boost with AWD . . . . . I've put 40,000 miles on mine in the last 15 months and it's amazing." It sounds like a great ride, Court. A big bonus for it being American. The towing capacity is a plus as well. "Sorry Hyundai." I had a Hyundai Santa Fe as a rental for one of my funeral trips to MN last year. It performed well on icy Mpls roads and felt more solid than what I expected. Also had decent fuel economy. Audi has been another that was mentioned, but needs more looking into before anyone wastes their time test driving something potentially underpowered or less reliable. Probably no test drives 'til next weekend, but keep the ideas coming. Thanks a bunch! B. | ||
| Cycleaddict |
the wife has a 2014 Forester 2.5 and we both love it . the CVT transmisson is the bomb !!!! the cvt seems to squeeze the most power out of the 175 hp. not a rocket ship but very good at on ramp acceleration etc,mpgs 25-28 all around.handles much better than it should and the all wheel system actually works. (jack up one wheel and the car will move ) | ||
| Crashcourse411 |
How about an ecoboost Flex? Sits low, awd, twin turbo, paddle shift. Goes faster than necessary and still gets 20mpg, if you behave. Its kinda like my S3t.... Funky looking and more comfortable than it looks. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"The wife has a 2014 Forester 2.5 and we both love it . the CVT transmisson is the bomb !!!!" We were passengers in the Subaru with the CVT and it had no hesitation. I can imagine it being weird if you are expecting to hear the sound of the automatic transmission shifting and nothing happens. But, you get used to it. We've had a number of recent conversations about horsepower vs. torque. I get the difference between the two, and torque is what I'd favor. Top end is not a priority, and nobody needs any speeding tix. One of the car manufacturers is advertising torque as a selling point for one of its models on t.v., but I don't remember who it was. Measured the clearance in the garage, and looked for lower profile Thule boxes. Test drives start this weekend, for sure Subaru and Audi in the mix. Hope to consider Ford and Volvo as well. Maybe we will have some "real world" weather conditions. Those 80 mph downslope wind gusts would have been pretty real world. Thanks to all for your thoughts. It's a fun process, but it's better when it's over. | ||
| Aesquire |
I sorta get by with a VW Sportwagen. Too small for big dogs, though. 2wd and studded snow tires usually gets me there, ( average 99 inches snow ) but I'd rate it at 2-3 inches snow max for sane drivers. My buddy does fine with his original Scion XB and rates it a 2 dog ( Great Pyrenees ) car. For Ft Collins? I'd say 4wd, but tires make a bigger difference than mechanicals if the car is well balanced, until suddenly they don't. Then the Subaru's shine until suddenly you need tank treads or a different scale of hardware. Tires make even a Van a viable winter car, until..... http://www.bustle.com/#/articles/15403-these-7-cit ies-can-actually-handle-a-snowstorm-the-toughest-t owns-in-america/1 I'm at #3 in the above article. The idiot who says “but in the winter, the lake is spectacular.” is crazy. The grey, storm tossed pile of icebergs with icicles flying sideways at 50 mph is "spectacular" only if you are into Cliff diving in thunderstorms or watching disasters on webcam. Saw a Weather channel thing on Snow Thunderstorms. Told me they were really rare, and I just laughed. Drive though them every year. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Fyi its bmw clean diesel advertising torque. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"For Ft Collins? I'd say 4wd, but tires make a bigger difference than mechanicals if the car is well balanced" 4wd is definitely a plus here. But snow tires seem to make a huge difference as well. Our neighbor swears by snow tires for his wifes 2 door accord. On snowy days, his Infiniti sits in the garage, and he does not think twice about heading west over any of the passes in her car. Fortunately, the city of Fort Collins and CDOT do a trememdous job of keeping the main thoroughfares plowed, so we've (knock on wood) always been able to get where we have needed to go. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
OK. First up, Subaru Forester. Pros Awesome headlights CVT transmission a plus Plenty of get up and go for inclines Cons Felt "light", like it might blow away Small space in back for the hounds (if more than one along, they may end up in the back seat instead) | ||
| Strokizator |
A Subaru in Colorado - won't you be unique? I'm not kidding, I've taken many trips through the state and every other car is Subaru Outback with either a bike rack or Thule box. How do they find their cars in the parking lot, or are they all keyed the same so it doesn't matter? I'll be in the same boat myself soon enough. The house is up for sale and I'm checking out places in Steamboat Springs. Maybe I'll see you on the road. I'll be the guy in the Subaru so you can't miss me. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Nope. I will still be the one on the uly when the roads are decent. In the ridgeline when road are bad. But u may still see me in steamboat. Chances are I will be on the trails though and not the slopes. |
