So whats your ski vehicle?

[Moe Ghoul]

Me- 03 Honda Pilot 34,000 miles, Yakima Rocketbox and ski rack.
She-07 BMW 5 series. 4000 miles, never took it skiing, but handles well enough in snow.

 

[The Sneak]

2008 Mazda3 hatchback. Low 30s on the highway. Wanted a GTI or R32, but would have had to sell my sports car to do so. That ain't happening. The Mazda is a good compromise. Gotta get some snows for it.

 

[andrec10]

08 Subie Tribeca Limited with Michelin Latitude Alpins
06 Honda CRV with Michelin X-ice's
Thule 1800 Evolution that goes on either.
08 Dodge Grand Caravan (Work Vehicle) I will only use this when I know the roads are gonna be dry, its squirrely in the rain with the current tires on it. I will get snows on it as well, but I doubt Michelins, as the company wont pay for those.

The first two are like Billy goats with these tires on them! Gotta get them on in the next couple of weeks.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

my car, 98 suby outback 5spd w/ winter pkg (heated seats and heated windshield juice) my everyday driver and solo ski car. 140K Likes...w/ 4 studded snows its an absolute tank in the snow, plenty of room even w/out the box on the roof. Heated seats are sweet, warm wiper juice is cool too. 28mpg...and its paid for. Dislikes...other than its age, none.

Wife's car/family truckster, 07 Suby Tribeca LTD. Her everyday driver and the usual weekend warroir skimobile. Likes...very comfy, all the bells and whistles...very safe ride for my wife and daughter to be tooling around in. Lots of room. A tank in the snow, AWD and 4 studded Nokians. First car I ever bought with less than 80K on it. Dislikes, wish I had 17" wheels for snow...and it doesn't have a roof rack so we can't throw the box on it. MPG isn't too bad if you aren't stomping on it all the time, 21-22 around town and 24 on the highway (at 75) Biggest dislike is I don't get to drive it all that often...ahh, the sacrifices you make to be a good father/husband...

 

[Maksim]

Audi S4 Avant wagon; A blast to drive @ 340hp, six speed. All wheel drive with winter wheels and tires; great in the snow. Pass through ski bag and 40/60 fold down seats translate to no rack or box. Down side; pricey, average 15 mpg, the back seats don't have much leg room.

Mazda CX9; I just got this car. So far so good, we like it. Have not skied out of it yet. Skiing out of it will bring all of it's bad issues to the surface fast. Gets better milage than my Audi

The S4 really gets such crappy mileage? How heavy of a lead foot you got? =P

I think the 02 A6 2.7t we had almost had as bad... well, maybe around 19-20

My 1993 Camaro Z28, modded, with high gears averaged 18, 20 if driven ok. =P

 

[hammer]

my car, 98 suby outback 5spd w/ winter pkg (heated seats and heated windshield juice) my everyday driver and solo ski car. 140K Likes...w/ 4 studded snows its an absolute tank in the snow, plenty of room even w/out the box on the roof. Heated seats are sweet, warm wiper juice is cool too. 28mpg...and its paid for. Dislikes...other than its age, none.

My ski car is a 98 Outback, auto trans., ~165K miles. Never bothered to get snow tires, does fine without them. Will likely replace with another Outback or Impreza soon, depends on when my son starts driving (he's been promised the car).

Have you avoided the dreaded head gasket problem? Unfortunately, I didn't, and the repairs were not cheap...:???:

 

[skibum9995]

1999 Saab 9-5, 153K, decent mileage, great in the snow.

 

[gorgonzola]

me: '05 4runner SR5 ok in snow meh for mpg
MrsSnowBunSKi: '06 honda pilot ok in snow - not as much clearance as 4runner - again meh for mpg
thule 1600 mountaineer fits and alternates between both, been using the pilot for trips to distribute the milaege. Both are a little small for our family of 5 + gear so its a little tight for trips but we didn't want anything bigger/less mpg for daily driving

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

My ski car is a 98 Outback, auto trans., ~165K miles. Never bothered to get snow tires, does fine without them. Will likely replace with another Outback or Impreza soon, depends on when my son starts driving (he's been promised the car).

Have you avoided the dreaded head gasket problem? Unfortunately, I didn't, and the repairs were not cheap...:???:

I bought the 98 from Lake Region Imports in Westbrook, ME...they're a second hand suby dealer and their standard procedure (after replacing a number of gaskets after they'd sold them) is to replace the gasket on those model years before they re-sell them... I did have to replace the head gasket on a 97 around 130K...then put another 80K on it...it hurt, but my lifetime repair costs on that car were still pretty low...much lower than the Saabs I used to drive before I switched to Suby.

 

[gladerider]

2005 honda pilot

 

[Schif]

03 Ford Explorer to get me and others to and from the hill. 91 Jeep Wrangler for the days when the snow is deep and the friends are home.

 

[Glenn]

I bought the 98 from Lake Region Imports in Westbrook, ME...they're a second hand suby dealer and their standard procedure (after replacing a number of gaskets after they'd sold them) is to replace the gasket on those model years before they re-sell them... I did have to replace the head gasket on a 97 around 130K...then put another 80K on it...it hurt, but my lifetime repair costs on that car were still pretty low...much lower than the Saabs I used to drive before I switched to Suby.

Don't they have to pull the engines on those to get to the head gaskets? I thought that was the case with some of the horizontal Subie engines?

 

[tree_skier]

me 07 pontiac Torrent
wife 06 honda Pilot

Thule spirit 1600 box use with both

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

2006 Suburu Impreza

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

'06 Audi S4 Sedan -- AWD V8 6spd Manual -- Daily Driver + Ski Ride

08 Audi TT Coupe -- AWD Turbo 4 6 Spd Manual -- Wifey's Ride Occasional ski ride

69 Impala SS Convert. 427-LS1 Auto 51,000 orig. miles

'00 Miata Intercooled, Turbocharged, Chipped 260hp Sick Summer Toy

Nice car quiver..you are officially a baller

 

[billski]

:flame:Ah, but are there snows on all four????

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Don't they have to pull the engines on those to get to the head gaskets? I thought that was the case with some of the horizontal Subie engines?

yup...hence the $1500 price tag I paid more for my 98 than I could have in a private sale but it was worth it knowing the gasket was already done.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

:flame:Ah, but are there snows on all four????

ahahahaha..Papasteeze from PASR has two hummers..an H1 and an H2..a yellow H2 Hummer is nicknamed a Yuppie short bus..

 

[WJenness]

My DD and usual ski car: '04 Audi A4 3.0 (6cyl) 6 speed, 60/40 split, ski pass through, heated seats comfy as hell.

Though my ski car this weekend (if I decided to head to SR on Sunday) will be my buddy's '00 Audi S4 ... Turbos are fun.

He's in Missouri, my car is in for 75k mi service (YAY new timing belt), so he let me use his for the weekend.

-w

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

Me DD 2002 Audi A4 Avant 5spd sport package/winter package
Wife DD 2008 Volvo XC70 loaded

both used as DD and Ski rides...have thule bars on both so the box goes on and off as needed..