One of the drawbacks of living in Upper Cryogenica is the harshness of the winter environment, especially on vehicles that never see the inside of a garage. I just had to turn the Grand Marnier over to the local car vet for an extended stay. The road salt rusted out the emergency brake system, the spare wheel release mechanism under the floor was rusted shut, and the oil pan was leaking. It wouldn’t pass the NH state inspection with a faulty emergency brake, so it had to get fixed, and I had all the rest done as well while they had the thing up on the lift. $1,000 later, I have my sticker and state permission to drive the Grand Marnier on public roads for another year.
The Dodge is a 2005 model, with pretty low mileage for an 8-year-old car (about 110,000.) It is, however, sliding off into that territory where fixing the age-related boo-boos is getting pretty spendy. In addition, the side panels are starting to show corrosion (again, liberal use of salt up here), and I am starting to wonder about a suitable replacement.
Every time I do think about a new car, I am torn between just getting another minivan because ours is just so freaking versatile, not to mention the most comfortable vehicle for those once-a-year road trips to the family down South. But I also like the idea of a smallish, fuel-efficient car for puttering around town, since I don’t use the full cargo or passenger capacity of the Dodge 95% of the time. So right now I’m waffling between a new Grand Caravan, something from the Subaru line (an Impreza or Crosstrek), a VW with TDI engine, or maybe one of those Mazda 5 microvans. The kids are getting older and no longer require a huge supply train for trips, so I don’t need the space for strollers and high chairs anymore, but it sure is handy to be able to haul furniture or plywood sheets or six friends in a pinch.
What would be a good option for a dude like myself who drives about 1,000 miles a month, has to deal with snow and shifty roads in the winter, and occasionally takes the family on 2,000-mile round trip family visits to NC and TN? Bonus points for fuel efficiency and decent interior space. Sporty pep would be nice, but it’s a secondary concern, because let’s face it, I’m middle-aged and boring now, and getting the kids to various destinations cheaply and safely has to take precedence over being able to outrace teenagers in souped-up Civics at the stop light.
Throw your recommendations at me, Internets!
Subaru Outback is a very good car. It handles well, and safely, on winter roads, has a fair amount of space for transporting people or things, and gets ok mileage. It’s not a sexy car but driving around in NW PA or W NY I never had trouble with the winter roads.
Here’s one that might not be easy to find but is very good…the Toyota Matrix wagons are great, Corolla drivetrains so they run forever. If you want a discount version, look for the Pontiac Vibe. It’s a Matrix with a Pontiac brand rebadging. They are out of production but theres a lot out there. With the exception of the Pontiac-specific plastic parts, all the parts are cheap and easy to find, and because Pontiac is deceased you can sometimes find them screaming cheap.
Regarding your E-brake and spare tire winch, it’s a good idea to exercise them regularly to prevent what happened. Annually drop your spare and clean the crud off the spare tire, spray some good lube in the works (Motorcycle chain lube works good here). Even though your car is an automatic, get in the habit of setting the E-brake when you park. If you use the E-brake it won’t be as likely to rust solid.
Whatever, find a shop that does rust treatment. And then, several times in the winter, take it to a car wash that washes down the undercarriage. If your shop puts the car up on a lift for oil changes, ask if you can wipe down the CV joint boots with Armor-All.
I don’t know as you can stop rust, but you can slow it down a tad.
A Subaru Outback would seem to fit your needs and is vaguely close to an economical and fuel efficient mini van/station wagon. I had one many moons ago and it was a safe, reliable, and capable car. My eldest son (60 yrs) just bought one for his wife and they are both happy with the results. Just a thought, since as I tell my kids and grand kids, you’ll do what you want. This from one of your fans and hopefully friend (I’m sure you have recently discovered many ).
My 12 years of living in Maine with the same Subaru Legacy Outback (which was used when I bought it) leads me to recommend the Subaru line without reservation. Four-wheel drive pays off in winter and mud season (spring, here) and when needed I use Hakkapellitta studded snow tires, also recommended. Approaching 200,000 miles and the only thing that doesn’t work properly is the powered radio antenna, which I could replace if I thought it was worth it. (I probably bent it driving in the woods.)The body still looks good. This larger regular station wagon body is still not too large for city driving and parking and is very useful. HTH
== Michael Höhne
Sigh. Nothing beats a minivan for ease of use / space / livability when you have kneecap punchers running around…
Looks like the next gen Chrysler will have AWD again…
Since I don’t have those pesky yard apes, I will stick to my 2 seat cars…
Subaru Forester. I have a 2005 that we picked up with 10k miles on it in 2006 for 15k. Not a single problem of any kind so far in 8 years. It’s done off-road, snow, desert and two coast-to-coast trips pulling a trailer without complaint. And get something like 35 MPG.
But if you just want a new 4 wheel toy, go for it and have fun!!!
It’s the depreciation that gets you. Much cheaper to spend $1500 a year on the van if it’s a good one than much much more on finance and depreciation. With a bit of TLC you sould see another 4 to 6 years out of the van.
I would consider some of the products Honda puts out: Ridgeline, Crosstour, or CRV. I’ve had a really good experience with my Ridgeline. Cheers…
I would tell you a quad cabbed Ranger… if they made such things. They don’t. Since they don’t, and I don’t think you need something quite so big as a F150 for tooling around, I’d probably lean towards a Subaru. The value of all wheel of 4 wheel drive in places like upper cryogenica can’t be understated. Front wheel drive is probably good enough most of the time… but boy do I love my 4×4 🙂
They do make it, in South of the Border. Very popualr there. Won’t pass crash tests here, unfortunately.
Lots to be said for the Subie wagon of your choice.
Now, don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure that the Impreza is reserved only for use by lesbians in NH, ME and VT. Judging by the virtually 100% assurance of sighting a Moe from the 3 Stooges-style haircut by the driver, this plays in there too.
I love my 2013 Subaru Outback. Plenty of interior space, good ground clearance, all wheel drive, and 30 mpg highway. It accelerates and handles decently too. I use mine quite a bit for kayaking. It can carry four decent sized people and gear comfortably (five if you don’t care if they’re comfortable), and comes standard with a roof rack. Just long enough that I can fold the seats down and sleep in the back comfortably!
Marko, for me, safety and versatility are critical. As an example, 4-wheel drive could be very useful and a life saver in the NH terrain, especially when you add in snow and ice. With your other criteria of space for several people, the occasional transport of material and bulky cargo and fuel economy for potential long distances … I would have to look at an SUV. Or perhaps one of those Subaru Outback all wheel drive wagons. Now that I am living in the backwoods of south central Kentucky, my 12 year old GMC Envoy is at nearly 300,000 miles and will soon be retiring. I am looking at either a late 90’s Ford Expedition or an Extended Cab Ford pickup of the same time frame. The choice of an older vehicle is because of the rear end suspension is much more complicated in the newer models. If I am to be working on it, myself, simpler will be easier to maintain. If my business changes and I start putting more miles on the road, warm weather commutes to various client sites, will be on the motorcycle. Or I may purchase something more like a Ford Explorer Sport. Several options to choose from, while trying to balance costs and operational expenses.
TDI are hard to beat. AUDI also has them in a range of cars more than VW
You could always go with a Dodge Caravan R/T…gives us middle aged dad types the minivan with rubber burning capabilities.
There is a good reason Subarus are popular everywhere it snows. Take one for test drive in snow. Then imagine how it drives with winter tires. Im not a huge fan o the two models you suggested. I will note though that a trailer can provide room for cargo on that once a year trip and home despot run.
I *like* my (not souped up) Civic. On the occasional long trips – have you considered renting a larger vehicle just for those trips? If you really don’t need the capacity the rest of the time, it would make sense to get something smaller (and in theory, more efficient or fun to drive) and go with a rental for the trips.
My vote would be a Subaru. I lived in Anchorage, AK for a number of years and loved the Subaru Outback we had. Great versatility, solid mileage, and overall great dependability. Subarus of all makes were very popular there simply because they were a) great winter cars and b) versatile enough to throw gear in for weekend trips winter or summer.