New car for mountain resident (Outback?)

[JaytaeMoney]

I think it is finally time to put my beloved 2007 4Runner out to pasture, 160k on the odometer so still lots of life left in it but it is beat to shit. The last straw was getting side swiped in a parking garage recently and the lead time on parts to get it repaired are 3+ months out. I'm kinda over it.

I am trying to decide if I replace it with a newer 4R or get an Outback (or something else, for that matter). I use it primarily for my daily commute (16 miles r/t), hauling two little kids around, and driving to the ski hill or mtb trailheads neither of which are more than a few miles away. Throw in occasional road trips for both work and play. No towing or offroading.

Outback is appealing because it's got all the latest tech, seems to be very common/popular/well-liked, is reliable, and I could get a brand new tricked out Outback for what I would be paying for a used 4R that's a few years old with like 30k miles on it. WWMD?

[J. Barron DeJong]

Mazda CX-50

[One (+) Sentence]

I placed a deposit on a AWD Hybrid Toyota Sienna 16 months ago. If it ever shows up I will be psyched.

[whyturn]

Mazda CX-5 turbocharged


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[J. Barron DeJong]

Mazda CX-5 turbocharged


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CX-5 is good too. CX-50 is more in line size wise with an Outback or Pathfinder.

[J. Barron DeJong]

I placed a deposit on a AWD Hybrid Toyota Sienna 16 months ago. If it ever shows up I will be psyched.

Sienna is obviously the right choice for a family with kids living in snow country.

Not anywhere near as fun as a Mazda, but can’t beat the practicality.

[auvgeek]

Outback doesn't get a lot of love on here because they are very boring to drive. And I get it. But I do think it's a good car. The latest gen fixed my issues with not being able to fit a full-size spare.

When we bought ours, I couldn't find anything else w ith the combo of ground clearance, value/affordability, fuel economy, and space. But the CX-50 seems to be an excellent alternative so I'd probably take both for a test drive if I was looking at the moment.

You *can* get a hitch for the Outback for a bike rack or whatever. I assume the same is true for the Mazda but I'd confirm.

Sienna makes a lot of sense if/when your kids are grown. Adult sized humans in the rear seats of an ourback is not super fun.

[fleaches]

With that commute I'd think a plug in hybrid would make a lot of sense. I know the plug in rav4 is a little hard to come by but could be pretty sweet.


Personally I'm a big sienna fan. AWD hybrid sienna with a lift? Yes please.

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[ghosthop]

The plug-in Rav4 seems great but carries a real premium. We were happily getting 40mpg around town this summer with our AWD 2018 hybrid, the 2019+ models are projected even better. I think it is the better pick for boring car around town. XLE is the sweet spot for packages.

The Outback has better clearance and from my understanding also has a better AWD system, which is partially to blame for the worse fuel mileage.

[Stuntmonkey]

XC90

[Skistack]

If you get an Outback get the turbo. The base motor is woefully underpowered.


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[plugboots]

Basically any car w/ AWD would work fine.

[halliday]

XC90

Good choice.

[whyturn]

CX-5 is good too. CX-50 is more in line size wise with an Outback or Pathfinder.

CX-5 is same size as CX-50 but has higher roofline. Cx-50 is sloped windshield more suv wagon.


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[Hood26]

We love the Grand Cherokee. We have a Trail Hawk, but OP said no off-road so any other model would do. Latest Tech in the Jeeps is the Wagoneer.

[lowsparkco]

I was a loyal Outback fanboy basically since they came out in ‘95 or ‘96. Have owned six or so, but I think they’ve slowly become less desirable to me. CVT tranny, oil consumption recalls, bigger and bigger bodies, higher and higher pricing.

I think I’d look at an Audi Q3 if I was in that market. Although I must say with all the little trips my first thought was plug-in electric. I looked hard at the Kia EV6 when I bought last summer. If it hadn’t just come out and people were actually bidding on new inventory I probably would have bought one.

[adrenalated]

Basically any car w/ AWD would work fine.

Yeah, pretty much this.

I would say that OP is a shoe-in for a full EV - they fucking rule for as daily drivers and are competent enough these days for road trips - but AWD EVs are still kinda hard to buy at the moment and sounds like he needs a car right meow.

Pretty much every manufacturer has about 5 different generic AWD SUV models that will do absolutely everything that OP needs to do with no fuss, so go to a few dealers, drive a few cars, and buy the one that blows your skirt up and/or is the right price from the dealership that doesn't piss you off too much.

[J. Barron DeJong]

CX-5 is same size as CX-50 but has higher roofline. Cx-50 is sloped windshield more suv wagon.


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Mmm… not exactly. CX-50 is 6” longer, 3” wider and 4.5” longer wheelbase (legroom). CX-50 is too big to be built on the CX-5 production line.

[J. Barron DeJong]

Basically any car w/ AWD would work fine.

Yeah, any AWD will get you through the snow, but that doesn’t really narrow down the choices much does it?

Some cars are better than others. May as well try to pick a good one.

[Robik]

We tested Audi Q4 e-tron as it seemed to be pretty decent EV for daily duties but they are far behind in tech compared to *esla and Kia EV6 (245 miles range but only 120kW charger which will take about 9 hours from empty to full on home 220V). Still seemed cramped. Subies are ok but way overrated and overpriced on the used market. I was thinking 2 year old Disco since they depreciate quickly in the first years but seem to have fixed their main bugs.

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[plugboots]

Yeah, any AWD will get you through the snow, but that doesn’t really narrow down the choices much does it?

Some cars are better than others. May as well try to pick a good one.

Sure. Then give us more info, like how much $?
I live in the mountains, ski bike hike fish, drive back and forth 230 miles to and from Seattle in any fucking weather and would never drive a truck or SUV. Currently main car is a BMW 340 AWD MT.
I think the OP should get either a new Golf R or a new Mini Clubman JCW if he can’t drive a stick.

[lowsparkco]

We tested Audi Q4 e-tron as it seemed to be pretty decent EV for daily duties but they are far behind in tech compared to *esla and Kia EV6 (245 miles range but only 120kW charger which will take about 9 hours from empty to full on home 220V). Still seemed cramped. Subies are ok but way overrated and overpriced on the used market. I was thinking 2 year old Disco since they depreciate quickly in the first years but seem to have fixed their main bugs.

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Old body style Discovery could be a decent deal with the huge revamp to the Defender taking over that niche. I love all the short wheel base military spec rides, have had a few FJ’s, an old G Wagon, and have always dreamt of getting a LHD Defender 90, but my only Land Rover experience was real bad…. old Range. 00-08 probably imparted too much Ford for me to get excited about a Jag or LR product.

It’s easy to bag on Audi for not having the EV performance of pure EV companies like Tesla, but you have to remember it has Quattro. Anyone who thinks AWD is all the same hasn’t owned an Audi.

[J. Barron DeJong]

It’s easy to bag on Audi for not having the EV performance of pure EV companies like Tesla, but you have to remember it has Quattro. Anyone who thinks AWD is all the same hasn’t owned an Audi.

Ok. Explain what ‘Quattro’ is. How does it work? What makes it unique compared to the others?

[lowsparkco]

Ok. Explain what ‘Quattro’ is. How does it work? What makes it unique compared to the others?

I’m not an engineer, I’ve just driven a bunch of cars with AWD.

If I turn the traction control off in my Audi it feels like a Subaru. Certainly Quattro isn’t the only system that moves power from wheels that lose traction, but every other one I’ve driven you can feel it do it. It’s as if there’s a slight delay, some times even dangerously so, this car simply feels glued to the road.

That’s all I got.

[bfree]

Get the outback. Or one of the others mentioned in this thread. For those that don't off-road (I mean legit wheeling, not gravel roads), a 4Runner is a vanity purchase.