Another what car for me thread

[Ottime]

The Subie Outback just shit the bed. As in engine blown.

So, now looking for a replacement a bit earlier than planned and I know little of what is out there.

Quick glance would be:
Subie Forester
Honda CRV
Ford Escape
Mazda CX 3 or 5

I'm still doing a bunch of quick prelim inquiries and searching.

We live in Santa Cruz, along the coast and regularly travel through chain controls in the Sierra. We want AWD or 4WD. Occasionally we are out on mellow fire roads. Clearance is not a huge issue.

We road trip and want something semi efficient. 30mpg or so. Not a deal breaker.

Only one kid. So don't need a lot of room. Able to rack on top as we need a lot of room.

Heated seats make my wife happy.



We loved the outback up until about 70k, then it was nothing but one expensive fix after another. Then it blew up. And we don't really like the local dealership.

I know how that particular car handled in snow. It was good, but not as awesome as some describe. Thoughts on others. BTW, re prefer more wagon and less suv in shape. And we can't spring for an Audi

[Nevada29er]

VW TDI Golf/Jetta wagon w/ 4 snows, spider spikes go in the trunk for mandatory chain controls.

[Ottime]

^^^We own a fraud car, and love it. Don't want to deal with chains, spikes, etc. I was also told by VW that putting chains on the tdi can fuck with the transmission due to a highly nearly intelligent computer getting a big wtf signal. tdi is also super low to the ground, with little for off road shocks. Not that we do fire roads often enough, but the VW would have to go quite slow.

Do you have a tdi and use spider spikes?

[TAFKALVS]

Audi a4 wagon diesel 6 speed manual with carbon rocket box.

[shroom]

painted desert camo?

[Nevada29er]

I have a Mazda 3 with 4 Snows. Only time I need the spikes is for CA chain control, which has happened once in about 5 years. I really just need to buy an AWD sticker for the trunk.

There is an All-Road version coming out next year? But sadly it won't be a TDI.

[Sirshredalot]

VW TDI Golf/Jetta wagon w/ 4 snows, spider spikes go in the trunk for mandatory chain controls.

If you are open to fwd, I really like the Ford Focus wagon, too. To get awd you have to get the 350 hp monster, which sucks.

The Mazda3 wagon is worth consideration in this category, too.

Our household will probably go to one fwd small wagon and one 4x4 for deep snow and chain control days at some point over the next year.

Currently, we have a 2011 Outback that leaks oil like a bastard and a 2014 CX5, which is clearly a superior vehicle, but it's leased, and I feel like a sucker making the lease payments.

If you really need the awd, I would find a cx5 like mine going back off lease. It's been a bulletproof car for us and is clearly a better car than our Outback. Good gas mileage, drives decently for a crossover thing.

Hell, I'll sell you ours if you want. I think I started a thread putting out a for sale feeler on it. I switched jobs so I no longer commute, so I'd be happy to dump the car payment.

[PNWbrit]

If you are open to fwd, I really like the Ford Focus wagon

Wagon?

You mean the regular Focus Hatchback? It's hardly "a wagon"?

My wife has a 2013 while it's a perfectly acceptable commuter grocery getter and sort of kind of fun to drive briskly ... It has terrible traction, and very intrusive traction control (which itself is difficult to turn off - under pages of awkward to navigate control screens).

That (if) combined with the nearly random shifting and dumb as a box of rocks (and unreliable) auto transmission would make it a pretty terrible ski car no matter what tires you put on it.

Also has almost zero clearance for OP's fire road usage.

[LightRanger]

That Golf All-Trac looks sweet. But you'd have to wait.

Escape and CX-5 both top that class. I test drove both a couple years back and liked them. Turbo in the Escape is nice if you get that option. CR-V would (in all likelihood) be more reliable, but boring (and that says a lot in a boring car class).

[Sirshredalot]

Wagon?

You mean the regular Focus Hatchback? It's hardly "a wagon"?

My wife has a 2013 while it's a perfectly acceptable commuter grocery getter and sort of kind of fun to drive briskly ... It has terrible traction, and very intrusive traction control (which itself is difficult to turn off - under pages of awkward to navigate control screens).

That (if) combined with the nearly random shifting and dumb as a box of rocks (and unreliable) auto transmission would make it a pretty terrible ski car no matter what tires you put on it.

Also has almost zero clearance for OP's fire road usage.

Oh, one of the things I like is that you can get it in a manual rather than the auto. They call it a hatchback but it's the same size-ish as some of the smaller vehicles in the discussion and we had already thread-drifted away from awd vehicles with a little clearance. I've admittedly never played with the traction control in a focus.

If we are talking awd with a modest amount of clearance, the cx5 is kind of the no-brainer. The cx3 does no better on gas than the cx5 and is closer in size to the focus.

He should probably buy mine. I will miss it.

[Timberridge]

The new Jag SUV looks nice. Its aluminum so it wont rust.

[bodywhomper]

Rav4 or highlander. I think highly of the awd decal on a fwd car with real snows. When I had it, my "awd" Altima with snows handled slick roads better than my subi legacy with snows because of the suspension and center of gravity. The Altima was my solo ski vehicle, which almost alway included cruising through chain control on hwy 20 and 80. never had to chain up.

[adrenalated]

Praxis rx

[bodywhomper]

Btw, did you get a second opinion on your car or is it literally dead? I had a similar diagnosis on my subi from a mechanic, but it was still drivable. A second opinion verified the problems of the first diagnosis, but with the caveat that it was still drivable and would like shit the can sometime between that diagnosis and 15000 miles, depending on how long seals and gaskets held up.

[Sirshredalot]

The new Jag SUV looks nice. Its aluminum so it wont rust.

It's British. It'll find a way.

[PNWbrit]

It's British.

Indian, the dot on forehead type.

So probably be an awful driver.

[MakersTeleMark]

Another vote for the RAV4.

[Ottime]

Btw, did you get a second opinion on your car or is it literally dead? I had a similar diagnosis on my subi from a mechanic, but it was still drivable. A second opinion verified the problems of the first diagnosis, but with the caveat that it was still drivable and would like shit the can sometime between that diagnosis and 15000 miles, depending on how long seals and gaskets held up.

Reading through all this and some good things to look at.

I held a chunk of the block in my hand about the size of a kumquat. Looking in, it looked like much more had been blown out. I might be able to get it down the street, but I doubt it would make it up my hill. When it runs, it sounds like chunks of metal are being thrown around. Pretty sure I don't need a 2nd opinion.

[Ottime]

Oh, one of the things I like is that you can get it in a manual rather than the auto. They call it a hatchback but it's the same size-ish as some of the smaller vehicles in the discussion and we had already thread-drifted away from awd vehicles with a little clearance. I've admittedly never played with the traction control in a focus.

If we are talking awd with a modest amount of clearance, the cx5 is kind of the no-brainer. The cx3 does no better on gas than the cx5 and is closer in size to the focus.

He should probably buy mine. I will miss it.

Maybe, I'll look for the thread later.

[Caucasian Asian]

[bodywhomper]

how about some other honda/acura awd vehicles? a friend, who you probably know, has an RDX that is pretty fun and definitely worked out for them when they had 1 kid.

[Ottime]

^^^My list is not exhaustive. I don't even know what is available. I'll look at an RDX. No idea what it might be. Honda? Acura?

Suddenly I'm looking at every car on the road.

[LightRanger]

RDX is Acura's small crossover. More expensive CR-V.

The last gen had their sweet SH-AWD system (still in the larger MDX). The current gen does not.

Turboed.

[Cocximus]

Audi a4 wagon diesel 6 speed manual with carbon rocket box.

+1. Even the gasser is way more efficient than your choices.

[Ottime]

^^^not according to the EPA. The a4 gas is 21/28, which is in the low-mid ballpark of the others. And with an msrp of of 15-20K more, it is not like a more efficient car will save me money. I'm not a yuppie hippy with money to spend. Did you read the part where my current car is now worth nearly nothing?

I like the Audi, but like my original post points out, it is not is our price point.

I'm not actually a dentist. I just snuck in here.