Comments on: SUV Advice Requested

By: The Angry Clam

The Angry Clam — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

For about $40k, you can get a Cayenne.

That would allow you to simultaneously be able to drive an SUV and brag about owning a Porsche.

By: McGehee

McGehee — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

More important than looking cool, I want to be able to use the SUV as an SUV, at least on occasion.

Answering this depends on how you mean “use it as an SUV.” Any 4×4 with decent ground clearance will work for most relatively tame off-road uses, but if you plan on going farther than that you’ll need either a dealer-option “off-road” package that includes a slight lift and larger tires (okay), or an aftermarket off-roading lift kit for more inches and even bigger tires (better). However, the rougher the off-roading you want to be ready for, the less suitable the thing will be for its normal mall-terrain use. And mud tires can make for some interesting vibration at certain freeway speeds.

Would a Ford Escape have enough interior capacity for your needs? Being the smallest of the Ford SUVs it should get better mileage, be easier to drive and park in mall-terrain mode, and slip more easily into those narrow backcountry trails when you need to go bury/dig up your guns. And of course GM has its own choices in that size range, if you like GM. Jeep has the Liberty, which has replaced the non-Grand version of the Cherokee. Almost any furrin automaker with an SUV line would also have its options. If it didn’t have to be brand new I could sell you our non-Grand
Jeep Cherokee for $2900 but you’d have to pick it up here and drive it back to California.

Of course, I consider the Cherokee to be just a compact statiojn wagon that happens to have 4WD, so Orange County may not accept it as a lawful SUV.

By: boifromtroy

boifromtroy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

My parents really like their Acura MDX, but I am not sure if it has ever been used off-road. It has all the features of the BMW, etc. but is larger, cheaper and has SULEV certification (which *may* qualify you for free metered parking in the City of LA if you get a permit)

For off-road capacilities, the only maker that has a solid reputation is Jeep…but part of me thinks that is just marketing.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Honda has some great mini-vannish SUVs. The Honda Pilot is an Acura MDX with slightly less luxury.
But I wouldn’t want to take any Honda off-road.
Isuzu is trying to win some points with “value-priced” SUVs…
I guess I would say your best bet would probably be the Ford Explorer or a Dodge Durango for versatility and/or general coolness…

By: Spoons

Spoons — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m a big fan of the Nissan Pathfinder, preferably in yellow.

By: The Angry Clam

The Angry Clam — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hope you like the Tahoe.

Even though you still are, after all, driving a Chevy.

By: Xrlq

Xrlq — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Yeah, I know, those damned Chevys are nothing like
the GiMmiCk Yukon or the Denial.

By: The Angry Clam

The Angry Clam — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ford is still the great American car company.

That said, I drive a Japanese car, and am looking to move up to an Italian car soon.

By: Xrlq

Xrlq — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I suppose so, if one defines “greatness” in terms of how often a vehicle breaks down. Mrs. Xrlq’s Tempo was good for a migraine a week. I’ve heard mixed reviews about their more recent models. My neighbors have an Explorer, and they swear by it. However, they also told me that if they could have gotten a Tahoe for the same price, they would have. The sad part is that they actually paid more for the Explorer than I did for the Tahoe, even before the financing is taken into account.

The moral of the story is never make a major purchase when you need it. Instead, anticipate what you are going to need in the next year or two, and get when the gettin’s good. Right now, the gettin’s OK for Ford, but excellent for GM.

By: The Angry Clam

The Angry Clam — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

My next vehicle purchase, as indicated, will have nothing to do with “need.”

It’s all about getting the car before I wind up married and prohibited from driving anything other than a minivan. Pre-existing use, and all that.