What do you drive ?

[Rushski]

Quite a few Saturn drivers in here. I had an '02 Vue V6 AWD that was a total piece of crap. MANY problems and dropped it at 4 yrs. old even though I still owed money on it. Fortunately it still had some value and got my '06 Xterra at the same payment per month and NO problems.

I'm sure the '04+ V6 Vue's are more reliable w/the Honda 3.5...

 

[Rushski]

99 Saturn SC2 Coup at about 120k. Got it at 30k with only regular maintenance and no issues. My first Saturn (94) went from 128k to 204k with minimum maintenance as well. I got to laugh when people say they won't buy American, especially when you look at some of the crap coming in from overseas in the bargain market such as Kia, Hyundai, and Suzuki. Toss a pair of snow tires on a Saturn and it is fine in the winter despite the light weight. 35MPG certainly doesn't hurt.

Looking to splurge on my next auto purchase when the Saturn finally dies in two or three years. Probably a Subaru Legacy sedan which gets a respectable 30MPG. Though I hear so many people mention frequent and big maintenance bills for Subarus which scares me off a little. Wish there were more options in the less expensive AWD market, especially in the Sedan market.

My wife has an '06 Legacy sedan (not Outback or GT) and it does get solid MPG. She loves it, gets through all conditions well, looks great, rides on rails (compared to my SUV) and has been super reliable in just under two years old. Just maintenance so far.

 

[wa-loaf]

Probably a Subaru Legacy sedan which gets a respectable 30MPG. Though I hear so many people mention frequent and big maintenance bills for Subarus which scares me off a little. Wish there were more options in the less expensive AWD market, especially in the Sedan market.

The new ford fusion comes w/AWD and has gotten good reviews. However we have an Outback and haven't had any repair problems. We are approaching 36,000 miles, so I just bought the extended warranty just in case.

 

[snoseek]

good tires and front wheel drive goes a long way....

 

[bill2ski]

My biggest consideration in choosing a vehicle , is versatility. I put on 6000 mi. In ski season. The Touareg2 was designed with winter in mind My daily commute to work is only 2.5 mi. each way. 3.2 if I go the long way. On weekends we like to get off the beaten path, but not so far that, I need a winch to get there.
A loaded Touareg2 v10 TDI would set me back to the tune of $ 75k.
A little too much $$$, I admit.
The 6 cyl. version with some nice extras was more reasonable at $ 42 K, though you sacrifice both power and MPG. Go figure.
The more I look, the more I'm convinced, that I was sold on the heated washer nozzles and adjustable suspension.
I've been telling myself, that I could buy a King Ranch w/ a plow package and plenty of creature comforts, for the same dough.
Where's the happy medium ? for under $ 40 k

 

[bvibert]

The more I look, the more I'm convinced, that I was sold on the heated washer nozzles and adjustable suspension.

If you want heated washer nozzles and adjustable suspension, get an Audi Allroad, though I think I heard they weren't going to be importing them into the states anymore.

 

[wa-loaf]

If you want heated washer nozzles and adjustable suspension, get an Audi Allroad, though I think I heard they weren't going to be importing them into the states anymore.

No adjustable suspension, but even the base Outbacks have heated washer nozzles now. What about the Volvo XC90?

 

[riverc0il]

The new ford fusion comes w/AWD and has gotten good reviews. However we have an Outback and haven't had any repair problems. We are approaching 36,000 miles, so I just bought the extended warranty just in case.

I don't think I could ever bring myself to buy a Ford. What miffs me about the Fusion is that it is more expensive than the Subaru Legacy so why bother?

 

[andyzee]

I've a 2005 xB with 40k that I abuse, and it loves it. 70% of the mileage is skiing and hang gliding trips. So that means snow, salt, and rutted dirt roads. It's made by Toyota and it shows. It's amazing what you can do with just 1.5 liters.

And it makes great toast as well! :lol:

 

[BeanoNYC]

I have a Toyota corolla and a 2004 freelander. The freelandander is the inexpensive Land Rover, that I got a VERY good price on. It's great in the snow, but I'm thinking about trading it in for a Forester as the gas consumption is unacceptable for me. I've put 70K on that thing already.

 

[JohnGD33]

great truck

2007 Silverado 5.3 v8 extended cab. The truck is awesome and gets 20 mpg on the highway!! I think if you want to ski powder you need a good 4x4!

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Mine: 2002 Toyota Corolla
Wife's 2004: Corolla

Always had Toyotas, they last forever, pretty good in the snow too. Managed to fit all our gear and luggage into it for a trip to Vermont last winter (3 of us).

 

[snoseek]

2007 Silverado 5.3 v8 extended cab. The truck is awesome and gets 20 mpg on the highway!! I think if you want to ski powder you need a good 4x4!

need? i'm not so sure about that.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

2007 Silverado 5.3 v8 extended cab. The truck is awesome and gets 20 mpg on the highway!! I think if you want to ski powder you need a good 4x4!

I prefer not having spark plugs, but that's just me.

 

[mattchuck2]

New car for mattchuck2:

 

[Mike P.]

1998 Forester 170K. All wheel of 4 x 4 are good choices. If you aren't likely to be out before the plows with 6-10" on the road, a 4X4 may be more than you need when considering mileage trade-off.

I'd stay away from new but look at low mileage certified pre-owned. (in 2007 we bought a 06 Honda Odyessey for the Mrs.)

 

[o3jeff]

Put a deposit on this last week.

 

[wa-loaf]

Put a deposit on this last week.

You bought a 1x1 gif? I"ll show you how to make your own for free . . . . :razz:

 

[o3jeff]

You bought a 1x1 gif? I"ll show you how to make your own for free . . . . :razz:

Joke over my head

<----computer dummy:grin:

 

[Geoff]

I have a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer. That's what I drive to the mountain every day. It tows my boat in the summer. It hauls trash. It makes Home Depot runs.

I have a 2007 VW GTI as my longer distance drive car. When I rejoin the working world, it's also my commuter car.

There was an anti-VW post early in this thread. I put 141,000 miles on a 2001 GTI. It ran flawlessly for the first 100K miles. I had an engine wiring harness and turbo plumbing problem at 105K that cost me a couple thousand bucks to sort out. It then ran like a champ until I sold it. I put 100K extended warranties on all my cars. My 2001 GTI was the first car I've ever owned where I didn't collect more than I paid for the policy. I wouldn't own a VW without an extended warranty since repairs are expensive but my personal experience is that the car is reliable. My first GTI was made in Brazil. My current GTI was made in Germany. The quality problems with VWs have mostly come from the ones built in Mexico.