Another what car for me thread

[Flexon Phil]

I glanced at a RAV4 Hybrid this week but the rear seats don't fold down flat enough. The Hyundai Tuscon is at the top of the pricing structure compared to even the Japanese offerings. The Forester is still available in a stick, I might put that back on my list. Space efficiency goes to the new Golf Sportwagen, longest cargo area and the LTD is a great value at 25K. Just have to get an AWD/4Motion lable from Ebay.

[LightRanger]

Or wait until the Alltrack is available later this year.

[Ottime]

That might be something we'd like.

No need for an Areostar. No dogs. No wife who sleeps in cars. No need for all the room, we like to travel light.

To give you an idea, we looked at the Crosstrek. Ultimately we want a little more boot room, but that almost for our needs and would most days.

Alltrek looks about right. Did enjoy driving the new outback. It is pretty damn big. Need to drive the cx5 again. And at least get over to Honda.

As I cruise around the road, I do like those second tier wagons a lot. Low and long.

I also like that 8+" of clearance for the two moments a year that it makes a difference. I'm

[LightRanger]

^^^ Having a vehicle with that clearance is nice. I was pretty stoked that I was in our 4Runner when we were driving an unplowed Donner Pass Road/Old 40 on Friday evening. Our next vehicle (to replace my commuter Civic) will likely be AWD, but since we already have the 4R, the clearance is less of a concern. But if that's your one vehicle, then it's definitely an important consideration, IMO.

[bodywhomper]

I feel that the best car for those conditions^^^ (for mere humans) would be a wrx (or equivalent) with studded snows. Let momentum carry ya through the drifts, as your drifting...

[Ottime]

We are a 3 car family.

I've kept my '97 Taco 2wd when we bought a family car to put the newborn in. The taco has 345k on it. Great for beach, camp, lumber, dump, surf and occasional solo trips to spring skiing.

We also have a fraud car, which we will likely sell back. We really like the TDI, but it seems like we will do better financially selling it back. When that happens, we will likely go with another commuter car. Low clearance, high mpg, smaller in size. I like the priusC for size. Or see if anyone can fix the diesel situation. Did I mention how much I enjoy driving the TDI?

The new outback seems plenty big. I kind of wish there was a Forester length and Outback height car out there. Seems most are shaped like the Forester/CX5. I don't know what people want all that head room. Just seems to raise the center of gravity to me.

Anyway....

Do you know if the Alltrek is supposed to be in that 5.4-6.4" ground clearance range? I could be happy with 7.5" I think.

[plugboots]

Do you know if the Alltrek is supposed to be in that 5.4-6.4" ground clearance range? I could be happy with 7.5" I think.

Is "a bit higher off the ground than its Golf brethren" enough? http://www.gizmag.com/2017-vw-alltrack-us-ny/42483/ Coming in the fall, manual transmission version later, (still). More research says about an inch more than a Golf TSI or 6.4 inches.

[hop]

I'm an Aerostar.

[auvgeek]

I don't know what people want all that head room.

Sex? I don't understand it either. Low cg is a huge selling point.

We just bought a 2016 Outback, and it seems like a great car so far...minus the steering column recall. The length is nice if you want to sleep comfortably in the back. You said you don't want to hear how great they are in the snow, but I was really impressed by it. Not sure how much it differs from your Outback, but it handles the best on snowy roads at highway speeds of the cars I've personally driven. Low cg, decent clearance, and the combo of AWD & XMode (i.e., 4Low) seems great. No dicking around with going into/out of 4WD on the freeway, and so much better than the modern crop of "snow mode," "rut mode," etc.

All things considered, it seems like the best compromise for someone living near the mountains who has a commute (both to work and to the hill) and is limited to a single car—or needs a car that does everything reasonably well. We plan to sell it around 70k, though, and I'm sure there are better cars if you don't need the ground clearance or the length for sleeping.

When researching cars, the biggest question in my mind was similar to yours: why doesn't any other company make something similar to the Outback? I don't know of another (semi-affordable) AWD car with a low cg, enough room to sleep in, and decent ground clearance. Would have preferred to buy something with better reliability.

[Below Zero]

why doesn't any other company make something similar to the Outback?

The yet to be released Volvo V90 looks awesome, although I'm sure the plug-in hybrid will be quite expensive. The interior looks fucking sweet!

[plugboots]

Sex? I don't understand it either. Low cg is a huge selling point.

We just bought a 2016 Outback, and it seems like a great car so far...minus the steering column recall. The length is nice if you want to sleep comfortably in the back. You said you don't want to hear how great they are in the snow, but I was really impressed by it. Not sure how much it differs from your Outback, but it handles the best on snowy roads at highway speeds of the cars I've personally driven. Low cg, decent clearance, and the combo of AWD & XMode (i.e., 4Low) seems great. No dicking around with going into/out of 4WD on the freeway, and so much better than the modern crop of "snow mode," "rut mode," etc.

All things considered, it seems like the best compromise for someone living near the mountains who has a commute (both to work and to the hill) and is limited to a single car—or needs a car that does everything reasonably well. We plan to sell it around 70k, though, and I'm sure there are better cars if you don't need the ground clearance or the length for sleeping.

When researching cars, the biggest question in my mind was similar to yours: why doesn't any other company make something similar to the Outback? I don't know of another (semi-affordable) AWD car with a low cg, enough room to sleep in, and decent ground clearance. Would have preferred to buy something with better reliability.

Isn't the Toyota Vensa that car? Parked next to each other they look identical. http://www.thecarconnection.com/news...a-compare-cars Mazda CX5 perhaps. The VW Alltrack in the fall is another.

[auvgeek]

Isn't the Toyota Vensa that car?

Wow, that car was totally off my radar. Feeling kinda stupid now. Thanks for the heads up!

I guess I wasn't quite fair in that statement. The Volvo V60 and XC70 also come close.

[Flexon Phil]

Wow, that car was totally off my radar. Feeling kinda stupid now. Thanks for the heads up!

I guess I wasn't quite fair in that statement. The Volvo V60 and XC70 also come close.

I just drove a V60, hugely disappointed. Transmission kept hunting for gears, engine was raspy and unrefinded. Not what I expected from a $42K machine. The Venza hs big on the outside, small on the inside. Two that did impress, BMW 328D and the 328 Grand Turismo, ton of room, felt like the space of the old Saab 9000. I woudl choose the GT out of all the $40-50K premiums.

[LightRanger]

^^^ Fugly though...

[Caucasian Asian]

I don't know what people want all that head room. Just seems to raise the center of gravity to me.

I like to be able to sit in a car without my head touching the ceiling and without having to lay the seat waaay back.

[plugboots]

My view right now. My friend's, not mine:

[Ottime]

^^^^^^our friend loves her Mercedes and all its special features.

I like to be able to sit in a car without my head touching the ceiling and without having to lay the seat waaay back.

You must have good height on me. I'm 5'9" and have never had an issue.

But is not just head room. In a RAV4 my ass is way higher too. But ground clearance is two inches less. What are they hiding under the seat?

Drove a CRV and HRV the other day. For the money, the HRV looked like the better car. Even though the cargo room is less, the seats actually fold down to flat. I could lay diagonally across. The CRV had a little more length but the seats angled up quite a bit. HRV only has 6.4" clearance, same as RAV4. Seemed like a lighter and lower center of gravity car though.

[plugboots]

I think that little HRV is kinda cool.

[bodywhomper]

IME, clearance of an unmodded sedan has generally been fine on the roads and backroads of kirkwood, Tahoe, etc. in winter. I spent three winters driving a "4wd" Nissan Altima sedan as my regular and frequent ski car. Many powder days with it, including many trips up and down unplowed old hwy 40. Momentum is the friend. The times I've been in a vehicle that augered into the snow and got stuck, 'twas with 4Runner and subis.

[BFD]

moving to Colorado for the winter and realized will need to buy a car. something like the op. any thoughts on the Hyundai santa fe? do the seats fold flat like the outback for sleeping? just checked that carguru site. Wow lot of choices. I was thinking tops $15000 no more than 100,000 miles. probably buy in the Denver area. looks like you can watch how many days on the market and maybe make an offer? just saw review says seats fold flatter than most what ever that means. seems like a good alternative to Outback.

[Danno]

If you can buy somewhere else and drive to Denver, you may be better off, cars are expensive here.

Never owned a Santa Fe but they look like good cars.

[Ottime]

moving to Colorado for the winter and realized will need to buy a car. something like the op. any thoughts on the Hyundai santa fe? do the seats fold flat like the outback for sleeping? just checked that carguru site. Wow lot of choices. I was thinking tops $15000 no more than 100,000 miles. probably buy in the Denver area. looks like you can watch how many days on the market and maybe make an offer? just saw review says seats fold flatter than most what ever that means. seems like a good alternative to Outback.

We've not been shopping lately, but like the looks of the Sante Fe. No Hyundai dealership near us, so we have not looked at them yet.

If you can fit into the HRV, the seats go totally flat. I'm 5'9" and can lay diagonally in the back.

Outback has a slight angle.

RAV4 hybrid barely fold down.

So there is a range for sure

[adrenalated]

moving to Colorado for the winter and realized will need to buy a car. something like the op. any thoughts on the Hyundai santa fe? do the seats fold flat like the outback for sleeping? just checked that carguru site. Wow lot of choices. I was thinking tops $15000 no more than 100,000 miles. probably buy in the Denver area. looks like you can watch how many days on the market and maybe make an offer? just saw review says seats fold flatter than most what ever that means. seems like a good alternative to Outback.

Not sure if the rear seats go flat in the Santa Fe, but I have two friends that own various generations (a 2007 and a 2016) and both are very happy with them. I have 12k miles on a 2016 Accent now and it's been totally problem-free, so as a brand I'd recommend them.

If you can buy somewhere else and drive to Denver, you may be better off, cars are expensive here.

Never owned a Santa Fe but they look like good cars.

Arapahoe Hyundai works off moving lots of volume at low margins - no idea if you can get a better deal elsewhere, but you can definitely get a good deal on a new Hyundai in Denver. Unlike Toyota and Subaru, the used market seems sane for Hyundais around here as well.

[liv2ski]

Tough choice, but if I had to buy a newer wagon today, would likely get a CPO Allroad. http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...25908337&Log=0

[LightRanger]

^^^ Word. I'm trying to steer my wife in that direction for when our 4Runner is paid off and we're in the market to replace the other car. Golf AllTrack, V60, or XC70 potential too. (I know you like your V70R.)