New Wagon/Hatchback/SUV. Advice needed

[powderhound100]

So the transmission died on the old minivan and looking to replace it with something a little better. Would like to get good gas mileage, being able to put seats out and sleep in the back (im 6-2) and good in the snow is a plus.

Was wondering if you have any recommendations. Been looking mostly at wagons and hatchbacks but open to anything. Dad and girlfriend insist on getting a new car just so their is no risk of it being fucked or whatever.....Also open to used cars as well though. Trying not to spend more then the low 20's. Some of the vehicles I have been looking at.

VW Jetta Sportwagon. Diesel, amazing gas milleage. Good size etc.
VW Tiguan. More interested in the Jetta wagon at the moment though.

Nissan Roque and maybe the juke. GF is in love with Nissan.

Subaru Forrester or outback. Subaru's seem to be great cars, in snow etc.

Hyundai elentra tour. Awesome reviews. Maybe Tucson as well?

Honda CRV or element. Friend has an element and loves it.

Toyota Rav 4.

I am living in Seattle and will be here for (at least) the next two years if that is of any importance. Live downtown, it is a hilly city and I never learned to drive stick so an automatic would be preferred.

Anyone have any recommendations? Either some of these or something that I missed. Not much of a car person myself so anything helps.

I know a lot of people think buying new is stupid. If you think I should be used, recommend a good used car (or if you are in the Seattle area and know someone selling).

Thanks a lot.

[snapt]

I have an Element. As lame as it looks it's actually pretty damn functional. The AWD is a little funky but it gets me up and down 80 all winter with no issues. I absolutely love it for car camping, fold the interior flat and throw down a pad and you're set. 25 mpg too. Plastic interior makes cleaning it super easy. Water drains out on it's own.

[StopMakingSense]

Subaru Impreza hatch? The new 2012 model gets well over 30mpg ... do I like how it looks? No, not particularly. Is it a great bang for your buck car? Oh yeah it is. For 16,895 (Plus Tax, Title, and License) I got a brand new AWD car, with 4 independent disc brakes, an electronic stability system, side impact airbags, and about 170 HP. If you get involved with the Subaru VIP program you basically get the car for cost, which is what I did.

More information here http://www.mountwashington.org/partners/subaru/

I own (and bought new) a 2009 Impreza (I like the styling better then 2012) and all I've done with it was add snow tires and put a rear sway bar on it for $100 bucks to improve the ride.

The Forrester is the most practical of the Subaru's for your ski life. The Outback looks like a crossover now and is a great ski car. The Impreza has a lower clearance of the two. All have the same flat 4 engine.

[oftpiste]

I've got an '04 Forester with low miles for sale.....

[powderhound100]

Awesome thanks for the advice, will definitely check out the VIP program.

[Tri-Ungulate]

Honda is eliminating the Element from its product line after this year. Maybe you can get one on closeout. They're great ski cars, and I've had mine since the original '03 model year with no problems other than cracked windshields.

[njfreeskier]

I just switched over from a 2000 Jeep Cherokee to a new outback in April and it is an amazing car. I've been really impressed so far. The ride is super smooth, seating is really comfortable even on long trips, and I get about 31 mpg on highway and about 27 in mixed driving. The new engine with the cvt transmission is a great pairing. Not very quick, but definitely adequate power, seamlessly smooth shifts, really good top end power, runs quietly, and great fuel economy.

[huckbucket]

I bought a Kia Sorento. Great warranty. 25+mpg. FWD. Comfy and large inside. All for under $24K new.

[time2clmb]

I have a Forester and had the same criteria of sleeping in the back with a flat surface. Fantastic vehicle...with that said I am only 5'6 and just fit in to sleep.

[avitas]

GOt an Outback (base model with CVT) a few months ago. So far I'm loving it. Not a ton of power, but its plenty. have been using it on heavily rutted dirt/gravel roads a lot, plus commuting 120 miles roundtrip every day. The high clearance really helps on the rough roads. This thing has plenty of torque to crawl up a steeper dirt/gravel road, as I do it almost daily.

When the rear seats are folded, I can fit a 200cm ski in diagonally (trunk to back of front seat). Seats fold nice and flat, so pretty good sleeping surface with sleeping bag pad.

Mileage is best around 62-64 mph and around 68 mph, but I average about 27-28 overall with mostly commuting miles. WOuld do a little better if all interstate driving.

Seats are comfortable enough (last car was a 99 volvo sedan with nice supportive mid-wide seats). These seats are a little flatter and wider, but supportive enough.

Braking is pretty good. You need to get used to the moderate understeer/bodyroll if coming out of something lower/with firmer suspension. Once I got used to what speed I could take corners at (and the correct way to power through with Subaru's AWD) it feels pretty nice.

I'm not a fan of the swinging roof rails. Guess they save on gas mileage, but from a security standpoint, they don't help much.

[cinnepa]

picked up a jeep patriot, love it so far.......it's FWD with the 4X4 switch when i need it. best of both worls; picking up great gas mileage and also have the ability to go 4x4 when needed with the flick of a switch.....also really like the room and riding position.

[iggyskier]

I'm not a fan of the swinging roof rails. Guess they save on gas mileage, but from a security standpoint, they don't help much.

Wait until you try to put a box on them...Yakima finally came out with a decent after-market rack.

Anyway....I have a 2010 Outback. I agree that it is a bit funky looking, but it drives pretty nice. As said above, not a ton of power, but enough to get up and go (way way better than the 99 Outback I had before). Never had lack of power be an issue.

With Blizzaks rock solid on snow.

Seats are comfortable, can't complain about the gas milage. Visibility isn't as good as I would have hoped (blind spots are a bit worse IMO than the 05-09 Outbacks), but you get used to it.

Overall pretty happy with it. My biggest issue is the rack, which is a piece of shit. If I had cash to burn, I would rip it off and do this...


But for a grand, not worth it. So just going with the Yakima landing pad 12 so I can fit a reasonably sized box on there.

Otherwise, pretty happy with everything else.

[HankScorpio]

I bought a Jetta Sportwagen recently and really love it. I opted for the 2.5 5 cylinder with stick shift and I get between 25-35 mpg. Its also got a limited slip differential, traction control and once the snow tires go on it'll be a capable snow car.

Not to mention its bigger than most small wagons and has much better build quality. No bad for less than $20k.

I considered an Outback but they're considerably more $ than the Jetta and gas mileage isn't quite as good. An $23k Outback has less options and worse mileage than a $20k Jetta.

The Jetta diesel is an amazing car but the diesel option is $5-6k more and you need to drive it for about 10 years more the extra gas mileage to pay for itself.

AWD is great but I've gotten through two winters with a FWD Mazda 3 with 4 snow tires and never had an issues getting stuck or getting up snowy roads.

[theetruscan]

How is the road noise on the subarus? The 3+ hour drive to/from the mountain is intolerably loud in my Honda.

[TripleT]

Upfront sorry about slight hijack...

Would like to get good gas mileage, being able to put seats out and sleep in the back (im 6-2) and good in the snow is a plus.

Looking for exact same thing. But more limited at certainly under 10k. Can anyone vouch for something older and used that also fits the bill?
Done lots of searching on here but most threads end up with sacrificing the miles for being an awesome ski vehicle, i.e. would love a taco, mpg blows...

[uglymoney]

FWIW I sleep in the back of my 02 Subaru Outback. I'm right at 6'2" and when I stretch out the top of my head and my feet are planted but it is just long enough to let me do it. I have a large box which allows the wife and I to sleep back there after we throw all the gear up top.

We're in the market for a new car for my wife to commute with and our seriously excited about the new Impreza hatchback. 36 mpg on the highway with the CVT. All new 2.0L motor which will hopefully not have any head gasket issues. Looks like a damned good car that will allow us to have our AWD cake and gas mileage too. My 02 Outback has been a pretty good car and is cheap and easy to fix and maintain, runs like a top so I have no plans to get rid of it anytime soon. Might as well run it into the ground.

[powderhound100]

Thats good to know you fit in the Subaru outback, I am about your height so that should work perfect for me as well.

Thanks for the advice everyone, much much appreciated. Still trying to figure this out.

[skimaxpower]

Pontiac Vibe - based on the Toyota Matrix chasis. Engine and Tranny are built in Japan. Everything else was assembled in California.

My 07 Vibe is very reliable, plenty roomy, affordable, and the manual transmission gets me 30+ MPG even in the winter.

I originally wanted to get an Impreza but picked the Vibe because:
1) Cheaper
2) Better warranty
3) Much better gas milage (30 vs 20)

They made AWD versions of the Vibe and Matrix over the years. I find that the front-wheel-drive on the Vibe is excellent when combined with good snow tires. I ski at Crystal Mountain.

[Big Ern]

Another vote for an Outback. Great vehicle. I don't like the Forrester as the wheel base is too short for my taste. I prefer the longer wheelbase of the Outback.

[StopMakingSense]

Pontiac Vibe - based on the Toyota Matrix chasis. Engine and Tranny are built in Japan. Everything else was assembled in California.

My 07 Vibe is very reliable, plenty roomy, affordable, and the manual transmission gets me 30+ MPG even in the winter.

I originally wanted to get an Impreza but picked the Vibe because:
1) Cheaper
2) Better warranty
3) Much better gas milage (30 vs 20)

They made AWD versions of the Vibe and Matrix over the years. I find that the front-wheel-drive on the Vibe is excellent when combined with good snow tires. I ski at Crystal Mountain.

I get about 28mpg with my AWD Impreza (manual) and a 150,000 mile power train warranty ... no complaints here with my Subaru purchase

[powderhound100]

Thanks for the help everyone. Ended up going with the Hyundai Tucson. Ended up paying more out the door then originally intended but got a great car and a really good warranty so I will be set for years to come.

[DownAmr]

Let us know, how it goes down the roads. Pros and Cons!

[Tuckerman]

Hows that Tucson? We are looking at the sport wagon tdi, outback or some kind of Hyundai. My wife commutes 120 miles a day to work.

[guroo270]

2006-2008 Subaru Forester XT/Outback XT/Legacy GT. These years get better gas mileage and have a more supple ride. That 2.5L turbo engine is key. Get it, love it, put an STi turbo on there if you need to. I get 23.5 MPG all city driving, and 29MPG going over the rockies.

[Ivan Oder]

I test drove a bunch of Subarus yesterday and bought a brand new 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Premium sedan CVT w/manual mode though the VIP program. (Dec 31st = best car buying day of the year.)

Total was about %10 below MSRP + tax, title, license, doc fee etc... The deal is you get %2 under invoice. So if you can get a membership in one of the eligible organizations, it's worth it. You have to be a member for at least six months and there's sort of a process you have to go through with SOA and the organization such that the dealer knows that you're eligible. You also have to select one dealer, you can't make dealers bid for your business, which the VIP Program administrator kindly explained to me when I tried I got mine through National Ski Patrol. There's no haggling and the only thing you have to worry about is the value for your trade in and financing terms. Joining one of the organizations isn't hard, but expect a membership fee etc... and some waiting.

The only downside is that the interiors of Subarus are not very impressive and base trim models lack features that you would find standard in other manufacturers models, eg no cruise control etc... the best bang for your buck is going up one trim level from standard and consider the all weather package option. If you have to commute to work in bad weather, the Impreza CVT transmission gets 36mpg, slightly more than the manual transmission which is impressive. Some trim models come with an optional CVT manual mode with paddle shifters on the wheel, so if you want the acceleration of a stick you can sorta get it.

The flat four boxer engine is pretty cool, it feels more like a 6 cylinder and balances the front end nicely from left to right, so that the car doesn't
torque steer. The always active symmetrical AWD is a blast and probably the main reason why you should buy a Subaru over anything else.

There's lots of videos out there on YouTube showing small Subarus towing other crappier big vehicles that have gotten stuck with their AWD etc...