OT: Help Me Choose A Vehicle (Ridgeline Spinoff Kinda)

oldgeezeystax said:

Yeah I'm leaning this way, I've had my eyes on an outback for a while.

We have an outback as well as the Ram, great car... Does get a little crammed with 2 kids, dog, and all the strollers, boogie boards, scooters... Etc

handles like a champ in the snow 

Get a nice 2 seat sports car for most of you daily driving.  Then a used pickup that seats 6, a big bed, and put a liability only policy on it.  Drive it when you need it over your sports car.  Win. Everybody else: Sad.

For what you're doing, and the weight intended to pull, an Outback with trailer is your best bet.

I would have to guess, 75% of the Americans that own a truck, don't use it like one.  Owning a quad cab is the cool thang these days in suburbia.

I'm usually not one to recommend pulling anything with a car.  Pulled my camper (4000lbs) with my brother's 4Runner.  It sucked, compared to my full size Chevy.  Bounced around, got pushed to the center line a couple of times, braking sucked.

Some bags of mulch or stone from the store is fine.  I used my blazer with the seats down for this all the time.  Made additional runs if necessary.  

Plenty of jackwagons on the road doing stupid stuff.  Don't be one of them.

oldgeezeystax said:

I know that was a lot of rambling, I hope you are able to understand some of it.  I feel like the smart economic decision is to drive my Accord until it starts to cost too much in maintenance and rent a pickup for the few times I need one.  Then, once the Accord goes to auto heaven, grab a used Outback and get on with life (continuing to rent pickups when I need them or get a trailer).  That said, I've always wanted a truck... talk me in to one guys!

this is funny, I had the same combination of vehicles; an accord for daily driving and an old beat up pick up truck for many years for slop hauling.  As my hauling days winded down (all major home projects done, rental property sold off), I found I was only needing the pick up maybe once/twice year, & when I say 'need' that may even be a stretch.  I eventually sold the pick up, passed the Accord down to my daughter & picked up a Subaru Crosstrek, love hatchbacks as they'll do for 90+% of what I used to use the pick up for & when it's not enough (one time in the 2 & 1/2 years I've had the Subaru) my buddy picked up my new dryer in his pickup, saved me $50.  Interestingly the dryer would've fit into the Subaru but would've required unboxing it so I imposed on my buddy, the easier route. 

I think the bottom line in these situations is need v. want; if you don't have a work need for a truck & don't have the frequent home related need for one, and money is an issue, it makes no sense as they're not efficient in that respect.  If those things aren't an issue & you just really want one nothing else is gonna do.  And they're fun.

By the way, 32mpg average as tracked over the initial 10,000 miles in this thing at an average speed of 27mph (my commute is rather slow going, no highways), & it's unstoppable in the worst possible conditions:





you can haul a lot of yoga mats in this puppy, & isn't that what's important

if all you're doing is shlepping back & forth to work carrying yourself & your lunchbox what difference does it make if you're driving a civic; don't underestimate the value of 'economic sense', if you exercise it you'd be in the minority.

Think about it, spending twice as much on something else that does the same thing because it's strawberry instead of vanilla really only means you've now gotta work twice as much to pay for the same end result; I guess your question is - is your time worth more than extra hours working in this life?

I just saw that there is going to be a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox in a diesel version. It's supposed to get 40 mpg on the highway. Also since it's Government Motors, you know the Economy Prevention Agency won't give them a hassle.

Focker said:

For what you're doing, and the weight intended to pull, an Outback with trailer is your best bet.

I would have to guess, 75% of the Americans that own a truck, don't use it like one.  Owning a quad cab is the cool thang these days in suburbia.

I'm usually not one to recommend pulling anything with a car.  Pulled my camper (4000lbs) with my brother's 4Runner.  It sucked, compared to my full size Chevy.  Bounced around, got pushed to the center line a couple of times, braking sucked.

Some bags of mulch or stone from the store is fine.  I used my blazer with the seats down for this all the time.  Made additional runs if necessary.  

Plenty of jackwagons on the road doing stupid stuff.  Don't be one of them.

That's because a quad cab truck can do everything a full-size SUV can and more for  10-20k less.

Phatchris said:

Focker said:

For what you're doing, and the weight intended to pull, an Outback with trailer is your best bet.

I would have to guess, 75% of the Americans that own a truck, don't use it like one.  Owning a quad cab is the cool thang these days in suburbia.

I'm usually not one to recommend pulling anything with a car.  Pulled my camper (4000lbs) with my brother's 4Runner.  It sucked, compared to my full size Chevy.  Bounced around, got pushed to the center line a couple of times, braking sucked.

Some bags of mulch or stone from the store is fine.  I used my blazer with the seats down for this all the time.  Made additional runs if necessary.  

Plenty of jackwagons on the road doing stupid stuff.  Don't be one of them.

That's because a quad cab truck can do everything a full-size SUV can and more for  10-20k less.

Bwahahahahaha
Have you priced a truck lately?

Not a fan at all of these short 5ft ish boxes now on quad cabs, most are a glorified SUVs.  

A station wagon that can pull almost 9000. lmao

There are 3 others that do hit 9K or more.  The Yukon is a much better "all around" choice IMO.

http://www.autobytel.com/sport-utility-vehicles/car-buying-guides/10-suvs-with-the-best-towing-capacity-for-2016-130263/

An Acadia is a more accurate Subaru Outback SUV comparison in regards to this thread.  

Yukons, Navis, Expeditions, Burbs, etc are in a class all to their own, but nice try.

Focker said:

Phatchris said:

Focker said:

For what you're doing, and the weight intended to pull, an Outback with trailer is your best bet.

I would have to guess, 75% of the Americans that own a truck, don't use it like one.  Owning a quad cab is the cool thang these days in suburbia.

I'm usually not one to recommend pulling anything with a car.  Pulled my camper (4000lbs) with my brother's 4Runner.  It sucked, compared to my full size Chevy.  Bounced around, got pushed to the center line a couple of times, braking sucked.

Some bags of mulch or stone from the store is fine.  I used my blazer with the seats down for this all the time.  Made additional runs if necessary.  

Plenty of jackwagons on the road doing stupid stuff.  Don't be one of them.

That's because a quad cab truck can do everything a full-size SUV can and more for  10-20k less.

Bwahahahahaha
Have you priced a truck lately?

Not a fan at all of these short 5ft ish boxes now on quad cabs, most are a glorified SUVs.  

I have a 14 Ram 1500 sport, it's my glorified SUV, for at least 15k less than a Tahoe.

Focker said:

A station wagon that can pull almost 9000. lmao

There are 3 others that do hit 9K or more.  The Yukon is a much better "all around" choice IMO.

http://www.autobytel.com/sport-utility-vehicles/car-buying-guides/10-suvs-with-the-best-towing-capacity-for-2016-130263/

An Acadia is a more accurate Subaru Outback SUV comparison in regards to this thread.  

Yukons, Navis, Expeditions, Burbs, etc are in a class all to their own, but nice try.

My mom drove an Oldsmobile station wagon when I was a kid. I believe it had a 400 ci V8 in it but it was offered with a 455 ci V8 in later years. Doesn't matter what's under the hood, the Yukon is still a modern station wagon.