# What do you drive ?



## bill2ski (Sep 19, 2007)

We are shopping for a new ride.
Any suggestions ?
I'm leaning toward a Volkswagon Touareg2
Any current owners ?


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## severine (Sep 19, 2007)

What do I drive?  A POS...oh, sorry, a 1998 Chevy Blazer.  I certainly hope Chevy has come a long way since this thing... I hate it.

I love VWs.  I don't have any experience with newer ones (my newest was a 1997 VW Cabrio that I sadly had to sell when we started a family).  But I'm hoping to sell my Blazer and get a used Passat Wagon soon.


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## deadheadskier (Sep 20, 2007)

2007 Hyundai Sonata V6.  I lined up it, a 2007 Camry and 2007 Accord.  Basically looking for a reliable car with decent gas mileage and solid acceleration and handling.  The Hyundai out performed the other two cars for about 4 grand less having the same features.  

Not sure if this helps you with your question concerning a Taureg.  Personally, I'd stay away from it unless you have deep pockets.  Out of the 6 cars I've owned, I've had 1 VW and an Audi and both were far and away the biggest money pits out of the 6.  That being said, when running properly, they drove the best.


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## sledhaulingmedic (Sep 20, 2007)

bill2ski said:


> We are shopping for a new ride.
> Any suggestions ?
> I'm leaning toward a Volkswagon Touareg2
> Any current owners ?


 
With the V10 Diesel?  That would  handle the hills well.


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## Terry (Sep 20, 2007)

As a general mechanic who works on all brands, I would shy away from VW and Audi. They are the most expensive and difficult to work on vehicles out there. Everything is specialized so the general mechanic can't do much to them. You have to go to a specialist and in emergency situations (break downs on the road) that may be hard to find. Just my opinion.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Sep 20, 2007)

I drive a 2006 Subaru Impreza...it's a sweet ride..gets good gas mileage..and is awesome in the snow...Personally I think Tourags are ugly..and I've had two Jettas in the past(an old one and a new one) and both were money-pits.  I'd stick with Japanese cars..


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## skidbump (Sep 20, 2007)

2005 honda element,cold air intake and custom exhaust"cat back thru to twin tips".I  throw upto 6 pairs of ski's in, upto 3 mountain bikes,and 2 large dogs "not at same time".BAck seats are good for 2 people"not a bench". I am sleeping in it this weekend at NASCAR race in Dover DE with a full size air mattress in back.Both rear seats are easily removed or fold up onto sides. My only real complaint is it only gets between 22/26 mpg's


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## severine (Sep 20, 2007)

Terry said:


> As a general mechanic who works on all brands, I would shy away from VW and Audi. They are the most expensive and difficult to work on vehicles out there. Everything is specialized so the general mechanic can't do much to them. You have to go to a specialist and in emergency situations (break downs on the road) that may be hard to find. Just my opinion.



This must be the newest models then.  My mechanic is Brian  and he's never had any problems working on our VWs.  He just got a 2001 Passat Wagon, actually.

I can't imagine them being the most expensive though... I recall pricing out maintenance and repairs on Volvos and Mercedes and even older ones were quite expensive - more than I've ever paid to care for my VWs, which were always good to me and required minimal maintenance/repairs.


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## nelsapbm (Sep 20, 2007)

Just traded in my Accord and got a 2007 CRV. LOVE IT. Can't wait to try it out in the snow. It's got "Real Time" 4WD. I get 26 mpg on my commute of secondary roads (no stop & go) and 29 on the highway.
Here's a link to the 08 model:
http://automobiles.honda.com/cr-v/price.aspx?Model=RE4858JW


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## wa-loaf (Sep 20, 2007)

We have a 2005 Outback and are happy with it. I've got a roof box on it which give us enough space for two kids and a dog w/kennel on trips. It's been very reliable and good in the snow and handles better than most SUVs. The new Tribecca's aren't as ugly as the last version, have more horsepower and you can get a 3rd row if you are looking for more space.

Our second car is a 99 VW golf that's my commute to the train station car.


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## Kerovick (Sep 20, 2007)

2002 Jeep Wrangler, I love this vehicle horrible gas milage crappy loud ride and all.


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## 2knees (Sep 20, 2007)

'03 honda civic.  my car.  great mileage.  thats about all i can say there.
'07 toyota Sienna AWD.  havent driven it much but it surprisingly has much better acceleration than i couldve imagined.  much better than the 2.5 liter outback we traded in.


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## snoseek (Sep 20, 2007)

Terry said:


> As a general mechanic who works on all brands, I would shy away from VW and Audi. They are the most expensive and difficult to work on vehicles out there. Everything is specialized so the general mechanic can't do much to them. You have to go to a specialist and in emergency situations (break downs on the road) that may be hard to find. Just my opinion.



I would take a mechanics word on this kind of stuff. i have several mechanic friends that would never buy a volkswagon. 


really just get a hold of the consumer reports car issue and see how they rank.


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## MRGisevil (Sep 20, 2007)

'01 Maxima and an '04 Ford Ranger. Both are fine in the snow- the truck more than the car.


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## snoseek (Sep 20, 2007)

2knees said:


> '03 honda civic.  my car.  great mileage.  thats about all i can say there.
> '07 toyota Sienna AWD.  havent driven it much but it surprisingly has much better acceleration than i couldve imagined.  much better than the 2.5 liter outback we traded in.



03 civic hx for me also. just did my first real maitenence in 50,000 miles (brake pads). it cost 14 dollars @ autozone. new timing belt next week-i'm trading a 250$ cannon bretton woods midweek pass for the guy to do that whole mess, parts were just over 100$.


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## Greg (Sep 20, 2007)

My ride is a 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 142,000+ miles. I love the car. My wife drives a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. Both 4.0 L straight sixes with crappy gas mileage (about 18 MPG). We are seriously considering a 4 door Wrangler for our next ride.


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## tree_skier (Sep 20, 2007)

Just got a new Pontiac Torrant awd.  I had been driving a 01 civic but the back seat was getting too cramped for my kids.  So I was looking for a vehicle with more backseat room, was comfortable to drive as I put about 25,000 a year on it, and not outragously expensive.  We looked at mazda's and VW's (not tourag out of price range), not enough room, Honda's the accourd was ok but didn't like the forward visability, CRV's test drove an 07 and going up a steep hill you had to get out and push plus a little pricey.  The honda place also wanted to bend me over a desk on my civic so I went to a GM place.  Test drove a colorado, not enough back seat room although I miss having a truck and the Torrant  which had a ton of room, much more then the CRV, much better acceleration and with $3000 rebate and $500 conquest cash along with the $2200 that has been on my GM card for along time I was able to start at under $18000 plus $1000 more on my civic then honda offered.  I am getting about 23 mpg but am still under 1000 miles so it may get a little better.


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## Paul (Sep 20, 2007)

'99 Ford Mustang GT
'04 Dodge Ram Quad-cab long bed.

I'm the wrong person to ask....


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## ComeBackMudPuddles (Sep 20, 2007)

I drive a tiny Renault.

I used to drive a bigger Saturn.


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## Grassi21 (Sep 20, 2007)

Kerovick said:


> 2002 Jeep Wrangler, I love this vehicle horrible gas milage crappy loud ride and all.



Same here.   But I drive an Unlimited.  I went from a 99 Sahara, to an Acura TL, to a Mazda 6, and now back to the Jeep.  The Acura and Mazda are smooth quick cars.  I much prefer my bumpy, loud, gas guzzling Jeep.  There will be a Wrangler in my drive-way for the rest of my life.

Wifey drives an 04 4Runner. Lease is up in Dec. We have been looking at the GMC Acadia and the Saturn Outlook.  They are the same vehicle just different badges.  Well, maybe a few little differences.


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## ctenidae (Sep 20, 2007)

A hard bargain.


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## Kerovick (Sep 20, 2007)

Grassi21 said:


> There will be a Wrangler in my drive-way for the rest of my life.



x2

Greg, buy the 4 door.  You'll love it!


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## Grassi21 (Sep 20, 2007)

Kerovick said:


> x2
> 
> Greg, buy the 4 door.  You'll love it!



My 99 was lifted 2 inches and had 31 x 10.5" BF Goodrich ATs.  Nothing crazy.  But knowing what I know now I would go for 33s and something a bit more aggressive with the tires.


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## Grassi21 (Sep 20, 2007)

Greg said:


> We are seriously considering a 4 door Wrangler for our next ride.



Makes a great little solo ski day vehicle.  Its fun to drive.  I would imagine the new hard tops make the noise a bit more tolerable.  Its also tough to beat having the top down on a day like today.


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## Greg (Sep 20, 2007)

Grassi21 said:


> Makes a great little solo ski day vehicle.  Its fun to drive.  I would imagine the new hard tops make the noise a bit more tolerable.  Its also tough to beat having the top down on a day like today.



My brother-in-law has the 4 door and it's actually pretty roomy inside. We're done at the 2 kids and as they are getting older we can get away with less and less so the 4 door Wrangler is not going to be too tight. It actually seems quite a bit bigger inside than my Cherokee.


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## Birdman829 (Sep 20, 2007)

I drive a 2000 Kia Sephia with 90,000 miles on it.  I wouldn't recommend it  

Seriously though it's not that bad. Just more of a beater than a real car. If it were a standard instead of an automatic I wouldn't hate it as much. As it is the auto lags a lot and the thing chugs up hills. Runs well and gets great mileage though. Fairly skinny tires so it's decent in the snow. Only cost me $1900 too after my other car was totaled for $2800.


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## Rushski (Sep 20, 2007)

'06 Nissan Xterra.  Great roof rack, plenty of power, so-so MPG, truck frame and can get through anything...


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## bvibert (Sep 20, 2007)

I've had several VW's, granted most of them were older ones (80's), and have never had any reliability issues with them at all.  Sure they have some parts that are more expensive then others, but I haven't found that to be a big problem.  I also haven't had any problems working on them, sure the newer ones are heavily computerized, but what newer car isn't?  The Touareg is a pretty expensive, high-end vehicle, I wouldn't expect to be bringing it to my local corner shop if I needed service anyway..

If you get one I'm sure you'll be impressed with the ride and creature comforts.

As noted above, I'm currently in a '01 Passat wagon that I'm loving so far.  1.8T, 5 speed.

BTW, it's Volkswag*e*n, not Volkswag*o*n.


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## WWF-VT (Sep 20, 2007)

2001 Audi A6 Avant 2.8 - 110K miles with no major $$$ spent on service and repair.  Other family vehicle is 2007 Outback.  We will see over time to see how the Outback service and repair costs are.

VW Touareg was co-developed with Porsche and shares the same basic architecture with the Cayenne at significantly lower sticker price.   Reputation for maintenance costs and gas mileage have not been impressive to date for the Touareg.


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## cbcbd (Sep 20, 2007)

2002 Mazda Protege5

133K miles and still running great - only problems were caused by my stupidity.

Just put on a 1100cu in box on it for extra storage - I now can carry 3 bikes and one kayak at the same time - go rack manufacturers!!


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## Grassi21 (Sep 20, 2007)

cbcbd said:


> 2002 Mazda Protege5
> 
> 133K miles and still running great - only problems were caused by my stupidity.
> 
> Just put on a 1100cu in box on it for extra storage - I now can carry 3 bikes and one kayak at the same time - go rack manufacturers!!



i need to start experimenting with my truck top combos.  we have a thule evolution and now i want to get the kayak up there as well.  trying to see if i can avoid an aftermarket rack and mount some j brackets to the factory bars.  any suggestions? ;-)


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## cbcbd (Sep 20, 2007)

Grassi21 said:


> i need to start experimenting with my truck top combos.  we have a thule evolution and now i want to get the kayak up there as well.  trying to see if i can avoid an aftermarket rack and mount some j brackets to the factory bars.  any suggestions? ;-)


What car is it? I guess you're saying it has factory bars? 

The J style racks (ie. thule hullaport) fit most factory racks directly without any retrofitting.
What kind of J brackets are you looking to put up there? If you can make something that looks like what Thule and Yakima already make, I don't see why not use it.

Or... until then, just use the foam blocks... which work great and are cheap.


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## tjf67 (Sep 20, 2007)

I drive a 2004 toyota 4runner.  V-8  21mpg.  I have had grand cherokee, wrangler, DiscoveryII.   This by far gets the best mileage.  The Grand Cherokee had the most balls.  The discovery was the coolest looking worst mileage and most expensive to fix.

My buddy has the VW.  He likes it a lot.  It looks cool.  He gets about 17 mpg.


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## skijay (Sep 20, 2007)

After a 1yr wait I took delivery of one of the last built 2006 Scion Xa for the US market in May of 2007.  This is my commuter car.  Just before I took delivery of it I drove the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and a VW Rabbit.  I liked the Scion Xa the best.  It is kind of rare and quirky, but it is a blast to drive.  I do manage 40 mpg on my commute with speeds at 55mph.  

My other car is an aging Saturn VUE.   I have been looking for a 2005 Liberty CDI with less than 10k and certified at a Chrysler / Jeep dealer. I also like the Volvo XC70 and have been looking at Volvo certified pre-owned.  I decided for the VUE replacement I am most likely going to go with pre-owned.


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## ccskier (Sep 20, 2007)

03 Lincoln Aviator and 05 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Aviator gets about 15mpg and cherokee about 20.  I drive Cherokee, wife totes baby around in the lincoln.  Have tv's/dvd's in both to keep the little guy happy.  Just bought the Lincoln, fully loaded, V-8, 40k miles, captains chairs with a center console in back seat and third row if need be, got a great deal on it.  Can't wait for ski season.  Little guy and I will watch Apsen Extreme on Friday nights and one of his flicks on the way home Sunday nights.  Should put about about 7-8k miles on car during the winter driving back and forth to Jay.  Box on top with our gear we take back and forth and the dog rides in the back.  Sure, it sucks gas, but I know they are safe in a bigger car as well as comfortable.


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## hammer (Sep 20, 2007)

1998 Subaru Legacy Outback, 144K miles, 22-23 MPG.   Handles great in the snow IMO.  Wish I could say I''ve had no problems, but I had to replace the head gaskets 6 months ago.  I'm hoping it will last some time longer, but who knows...
 2001 Toyota Highlander, 122K miles, 19-20 MPG.  No major problems...worst thing repair-wise that I can recall was a seized brake caliper.  Does fine in the snow but not as good as the Subaru.
I know others may not agree, but I'd stay away from US brand vehicles...the last one I had (Ford Exploder) was costing me a car payment a month in repairs at just over 100K miles.


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## ccskier (Sep 20, 2007)

hammer said:


> 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback, 144K miles, 22-23 MPG.   Handles great in the snow IMO.  Wish I could say I''ve had no problems, but I had to replace the head gaskets 6 months ago.  I'm hoping it will last some time longer, but who knows...
> 2001 Toyota Highlander, 122K miles, 19-20 MPG.  No major problems...worst thing repair-wise that I can recall was a seized brake caliper.  Does fine in the snow but not as good as the Subaru.
> I know others may not agree, but I'd stay away from US brand vehicles...the last one I had (Ford Exploder) was costing me a car payment a month in repairs at just over 100K miles.



I agree, I would never buy an american car, SUV yes.  I had an exploder, hit 80k and all hell broke loose, hopefully this car won't.  Usually get rid of cars after about 3 years anyways.  Really would like an 08 Ford F250, 4 door diesel, loaded.  It would actually be more fuel efficient, my buddies gets 18-20mpg.  Just don't have any need for it, something like that needs to be justified besides going to the dump and towing around an 18 foot boat.


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## YardSaleDad (Sep 20, 2007)

skijay said:


> After a 1yr wait I took delivery of one of the last built 2006 Scion Xa for the US market in May of 2007.



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.


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## bigbog (Sep 20, 2007)

*...*

2000 Nissan Xterra XE, 167k:  _the_ modded, off-pavement-mobile.  Mods to clear/carry most anything and just reach 20mpg;-) 

95 Honda Accord, 42.1k:  ...inherited from grandparents who lived on their Ponderosa in north-central Maine and tended their 40'x60' garden and drove only when they needed to.  (*Feels like a Formula_1 animal after driving in the lifted Xterra).


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## riverc0il (Sep 21, 2007)

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.


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## Rushski (Sep 21, 2007)

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...


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## Rushski (Sep 21, 2007)

riverc0il said:


> 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.


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## wa-loaf (Sep 21, 2007)

riverc0il said:


> 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.


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## snoseek (Sep 21, 2007)

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


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## bill2ski (Sep 21, 2007)

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


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## bvibert (Sep 21, 2007)

bill2ski said:


> 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.


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## wa-loaf (Sep 21, 2007)

bvibert said:


> 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?


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## riverc0il (Sep 21, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> 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?


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## andyzee (Sep 22, 2007)

YardSaleDad said:


> 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:


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## BeanoNYC (Sep 22, 2007)

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.


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## JohnGD33 (Sep 25, 2007)

*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!


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## ERJ-145CA (Sep 25, 2007)

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).


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## snoseek (Sep 25, 2007)

JohnGD33 said:


> 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.


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## sledhaulingmedic (Sep 26, 2007)

JohnGD33 said:


> 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.


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## mattchuck2 (Jan 11, 2009)

New car for mattchuck2:


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## Mike P. (Jan 11, 2009)

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.)


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## o3jeff (Jan 12, 2009)

Put a deposit on this last week.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 12, 2009)

o3jeff said:


> Put a deposit on this last week.



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


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## o3jeff (Jan 12, 2009)

wa-loaf said:


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



Joke over my head

<----computer dummy:grin:


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## Geoff (Jan 12, 2009)

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.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 12, 2009)

o3jeff said:


> Joke over my head
> 
> <----computer dummy:grin:



I don't see your pic and when I click on the link to it I just get a blank 1x1 pixel gif.


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## Geoff (Jan 12, 2009)

wa-loaf said:


> I don't see your pic and when I click on the link to it I just get a blank 1x1 pixel gif.



That's a photo of his girlfriend "Dot".


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## o3jeff (Jan 12, 2009)

wa-loaf said:


> i don't see your pic and when i click on the link to it i just get a blank 1x1 pixel gif.



View attachment 2157


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## severine (Jan 12, 2009)

Geoff said:


> The quality problems with VWs have mostly come from the ones built in Mexico.


I'm fairly certain the 1997 Cabrio I used to have was a Mexico baby but that thing was great. I had it for 3 years with no major repairs (I believe it needed a starter at one point, but that was it; it was 4 years old when I bought it). The only reason why I got rid of it was that I was pregnant and there was no way I could put a passenger in the front with a rear-facing carseat in the back. It needed a new clutch and oxygen sensor when I traded it in. LOVED that car. Heck, I remember a time we bought a light fixture at Home Depot and had to cram it in the back to drive it home...thank goodness for the fact that I could drop the roof! LOL! It drove well in the winter, worked fine as a ski vehicle (pre-kids, of course), our dog loved riding in it with the top down (with her doggles on, naturally, to protect her eyes ). Very reliable vehicle.

Its replacement is what I'm driving now: 1998 Chevy Blazer LT. I hate this truck. It fits the kids, dog, and my stuff, but it sucks butt. I've had it for 4.5 years now and it has all kinds of little things wrong with it that annoy the heck out of me; intermittent wipers work randomly (even with the recall fix performed); back wiper gets stuck sometimes; heat works intermittently; door locks on driver's side front and rear passenger side get stuck; tripometer resets if temps get below freezing (so every time I turn the truck off right now); air conditioning no longer works; the list goes on and on. It needs work but we haven't had the time or money to invest in it. I hate driving it; the ride is terrible and it wanders. I feel like a little kid pretending to drive sometimes. Still, it gets through the snow and it's nearly paid off. I'm stuck with it.


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## danny p (Jan 12, 2009)

i had a 1998 VW GTI manufactured in Mexico that was uber reliable....only one major service because I drove through a deep puddle at 40 mph...needed a new wiring harness/tune up.  Other than that I put 120,000 miles on it just replacing tires and windshield wiper blades.  Sold it to a friend who put some new brakes and exhaust parts on it and is still running at 19x,xxx miles.  

I drive a 2000 Maxima right now with 140,000 miles on it.  Beast in the snow with the right tires.  Probably will be buying a Subaru Outback in the next 6-8 months.


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## Geoff (Jan 12, 2009)

The Mexican VW quality problem was like any other problematic car.  You could own one that ran perfectly.  You could have the misfortune of getting one that was put together poorly.  In a large statistical sample, Mexican VWs were more likely to have problems than non-Mexican VWs.  If you bought it used, chances are the issues caused by poor manufacturing quality control were resolved at the dealer.  Like any other car, if you maintain it properly, it's more likely to run forever with few problems.

I was happier'n hell with my first VW.  I got 130K out of the front brakes.  I was getting 60K out of the rear brakes.  The clutch and exhaust lasted the 141K I put on it.  The window fell into the door and it had the coil pack recall but those were fixed at no cost and the window happened to fail on a sunny summer day rather than at the Hooksett toll in January.  I had engine wiring harness and turbo plumbing problems but that can happen to any car that's 5 or 6 years old with 100K+ miles on it.

The only issue I have with my new one is a design defect where melting snow collects as ice inside the door jam.  When you open the door, you bend the sheet metal.   You don't know you have the problem until you open the door.  That just happened to me on Friday.  I have a minor body shop visit to deal with this spring since the lower front corner of the driver's door is bent out an inch.  I should give my dealer a call to see if VW treats this as a warranty problem.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jan 12, 2009)

Still driving my 2006 Suburu Impreza..it's now a company car!!!!


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## Glenn (Jan 12, 2009)

I had a Mexican built 1994 Jetta GL 2.slow. I sold it with over 160k on the clock. it was really really reliable car. It needed a few things here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. I did headgasket myself in the garage one weekend at somepoint past 100k.


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