Looking for a Car

va_rider

va_rider

Wizard
fz1boone.blogspot.com
Ok folks... it's time for me to consult the masses...

Things have been a bit crazy lately... and as such, I've been a bit absent around the forum... I've got a stack of PM's I haven't even glanced at yet..

So.. things started going nuts a bit ago when my wife spent a week at the beach... she had a lovely time there...but on the way back... she's on I-40 ... got distracted, and drifted across her lane... realized she did so, and over corrected... which started the Honda CRV to start swerving back and forth ... eventually into the median, where the car spun around and went through the steel cables that the State of NC puts in the median to to keep careening cars from going into oncoming traffic...

First off, my lovely wife was completely physically unharmed... she was definitely emotionally shaken up... but who wouldn't be? So... we just got the news, the CRV is totalled....

So... I'm looking for a replacement... the insurance is going to pay off about $7k for the CRV.. so that's about what we're looking to spend on the replacement... It must be something that's AWD / 4WD ... and something that my 4'10" wife can drive... she doesn't know how to drive stick, and really isn't at all interested in learning....

It's gotta be reliable... it's got to be within the specified price range... and I don't want a SUV.... so.. no Explorers, Blazers, Tahoe, etc.... I'm looking for a pickup, a sedan, hatchback, etc...

Ideas? What have you guys got that does great in the snow? (The CRV set the bar pretty high this past winter... it pushed right on through 18+" of snow from basically November to April) ...


Being down to one vehicle is making things crazy with me doing the photography thing in TN every day, and Virginia working at the college here in NC every day... our poor Taurus is getting the miles loaded on it... once I get this vehicle replaced... things should go back to normal.
 
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I glad to hear that your wife is okay Aaron, please send her our regards. I was going to say what Johnny said. Those Outbacks are all wheel drive, have decent amount of storage space, decent gas mileage, and don't look half bad. Ray drives one for quite a while now and loves it. Even with it's Rally heritage, I'm not sure about 18" of snow though. Haha!
 
winters are rough here man... I'm seriously thinking about picking up this guy.... and just forgetting about that whole thing about the wife being able to drive it...


Cars for Sale: 1999 Ford F250 in Fredericksburg, VA 22406: Truck Details - 283844223 - AutoTrader.com

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Glad to hear your wife is ok, sounds like a pretty rough experience.

We have had a number of Subarus and currently have a 2007 Outback. I don't know what the market is like out there for Subarus's, but they are practically the state car in Colorado. Subaru also makes an Impreza that is smaller than the Outback (had one of those, the first year they came out in the USA, 1993, if my memory is correct).

We also have a 2004 CRV, I would say it is about equal in the snow as the Subaru.

The best snow car I have had was an Audi A4, but I will never have another Audi because they are so expensive to maintain.

For snow, other than AWD being nice, good tires also helps a lot even if you end up with a front wheel drive vehicle.
 
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cos_fz1 said:
Glad to hear your wife is ok, sounds like a pretty rough experience.

We have had a number of Subarus and currently have a 2007 Outback. I don't know what the market is like out there for Subarus's, but they are practically the state car in Colorado. Subaru also makes an Impreza that is smaller than the Outback (had one of those, the first year they came out in the USA, 1993, if my memory is correct).

We also have a 2004 CRV, I would say it is about equal in the snow as the Subaru.

The best snow car I have had was an Audi A4, but I will never have another Audi because they are so expensive to maintain.

For snow, other than AWD being nice, good tires also helps a lot even if you end up with a front wheel drive vehicle.
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Even The guys from Top Gear like the Subaru Outback, sounds right for your climate as it works in mine (and we know snow).
 
We drive an 09 Subaru Legacy, before the body change.

Absolutley love it. My wife is a terrible driver, this thing makes her look like a champ. In snow, on ice, pouring rain, whatever.
 
Oh, and good luck with that truck. He says it's lifted 10 inches with 40 inch rubber. THat is probably a 35-50% increase in tire size and he doesn't say anything about regearing it. It would be a pig waddling on it's kneecaps.
 
The Subaru is the car of choice around here too.... but I see quite a few of them falling apart around here... but perhaps the problem is that people don't maintain them... I do like the idea of a Subaru... I wouldn't mind an Impreza.... or an Outback.... but at the same time.. I'm liking the idea of a truck that I can haul the bike around with...
 
I'm trying to stay away from the SUV-ish things... and DAMN! While it IS a Honda, it's got close to 200k on the odometer... I couldn't bring myself to drop $6.8k on something with 200k on it... our '97 Taurus has 198k on its clock... I don't need 2 vehicles with 200k on them...

My worry with the Element, and many Subaru's for that matter is the ground clearance.. even with the CRV this winter, we had a few problems getting high centered on snow... "pushing" snow with the front bumper.... and having snow build up in front of the A-Arms... ... .. I think this might be another reason I'm leaning towards a truck ... (not the one above)

Edit : ... Plus... I miss my truck... I just sold my '98 Dodge Ram when we got the CRV... I bought it when I was stationed in Louisiana.... so it was 2WD and was worthless here in the winter...
 
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I understand leaning toward a truck Aaron, but you said your lovely 4'10" wife needs to drive it so short of a pole vault or step ladder, the bumper will be pushing snow.

Get on Autotrader and search your area for trucks which is what I did for finding the Element.

Oh, and the Element? 200k is just broken in, just like a Toyota! :tup:
 
Couple of things I don't care for with the Subaru's is that they have poor leg space in the back seat and they are underpowered.

On the freeway we reguarily get about 32mpg in our 5 speed Outback.
 
it's amazing how autotrader has become just another outlet for spammers and scam artists... there's really going to be no better way to do this than go around to every damn car lot between Charlotte, NC and Arlington, VA.... luckily, I have my own personal mechanic to go around with me... just so happens he's been my best friend for a good long time... so.. he's always handy to go car shopping with...

As for the Subaru being underpowered.... it can't be as bad as the CRV....
 
va_rider said:
As for the Subaru being underpowered.... it can't be as bad as the CRV....
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They are both pretty gutless in my opinion and the models we have are both 5 speeds. We bought them for the AWD.

In my opinion, the most functional vehicle is a 4 door pickup, maybe you can get a Subaru Brat....not :) Good luck with your search.
 
Pick up a Wrangler I have owned two and they are awesome. Mine have been very reliable and are excellent in the winter and you can take the top down in the summer. Gas prices are alittle higher but they are great vehicles.
 
Just bought a wrangler and I love it.

But, Underpowered in a Subaru? Pshaw. Our turbo 2.5 GT is amazing. And, cruise control at 110 from Phoenix to LA wasn't an issue at all.
 
what about a Tacoma?

Small truck, good clearance -- I miss my truck as well, but don't want to feed something that big that just gets aruonds as a daily driver (although I'm working on changing that to get out from behind the desk and back in the field.....)

My Ford Edge is great, but I'm missing the utility of the bed -- especially since we've been cleaning house and tossing a bunch of stuff and have to go borrow my inlaws all the time.....

don't know if it is in contention......
 
Tacoma's are wicked expensive around here... and most of them are rust buckets because of all of the snow / salt on the roads...

My mechanic best friend actually has me looking at Audi's and the Mercedes 320 .... he seems to really like those, and says he hardly ever has to work on them... very reliable apparently.... he's not a fan of Subaru's... he says he makes a LOT of money on Subaru work.... mainly drive-line components... head gaskets, and water pumps.
 
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