Normally I would say 48 months is an awfully long time for a true CCBA er, but you seem to have a mild case of the disease. Instead of flipping every year or two you seem to be able to hold out for 3 or 4 years.
I don't know; a four year lease sounds like CCBA kryptonite to me :surprise: . You like the xD more than the xB? I think I would too, but would be curious to hear your reasoning...
Saw a new G35 sedan (on a temp tag) the other day in a parking lot. Dark gray color, gray leather. Absolutely beautiful. I wanted to run out and buy one on the spot. Other than the fact that I was at a gymnastics meet, it was Sunday (dealers closed) and the wife was with me, I was all set.
Still, I certainly deserve one, right? Although it might not be the best use of 15K right now to upgrade from my paid-off Accord.
You know, there is an advantage to having to finance, especially longer term. You can always rationalize a new car by saying that your payments aren't going up!
Much harder to buy impulsively when you either have to write a large check, or take on payments that you don't currently have.
I will have to get my fill of shopping while "bottom feeding" for a 1st car for my son.
You like the xD more than the xB? I think I would too, but would be curious to hear your reasoning...
#1 - mileage ... with the smaller engine, the xD gets 27/33; the xB gets 22/28. My L300 gets around 24-25MPG with a V6 (EPA numbers are 21/29) - why switch to a 4-cyl engine if I'm not going to get an increase in mileage?
#2 - price .. the xD is a couple grand cheaper than the xB, and since I'm currently thinking about a low cost lease, a lower starting price translates into lower monthly payments
That being said, the xD has pretty much everything I need .. power accessories, cruise, decent stereo, iPod jack. My L has leather and a sunroof, but I think I could give those up.
I plan to, over the weekend. My commute is 20 miles long, 15+ of which are on I-25 at 65-75MPH.
Am curious about the following:
1) what the revs are at that speed - in my L, 75MPH equates to about 2600RPM with the 4-speed automatic.
2) ride - the L has, to me, a decent balance between comfort and sportiness. I've never driven an MB or BMW, so cannot compare to those makes, but I did drive a VW New Beetle for a few years, and that was pretty harsh riding, IMO.
3) comfort - the xD has a pretty upright driving position, much like the wife's VUE. The legroom seemed a bit tight, so I'll be curious as to whether I'll be comfortable or not.
What about the Honda Fit? I hear good things about it. What little reading I've done seems to say that both the Versa & the Fit have more a comfortable ride than the Scion xD.
Also, what about the Mazda 3? (Just some ideas; I haven't driven any of them.)
Oops, you're correct, I didn't follow his posts back far enough. I was basing my engine speed comment on the current (automatic) Corolla figuring that the xD is a similar size and the engine is similar too. As usual gearing will likely be a compromise between fuel efficiency and performance.
Not sure it is the same, but my Matrix (which I believe has the same powertrain including transmission) turns around 2500 rpm at 65 mph. That's a 5-speed of course.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
True... small cars dont carry stigma anymore. In fact, it is considered as "cool" to have a premium compact such as mini cooper, c30 or a wabbit. Back in the day an oldsmobile regency ninety eight was cool.
Same with houses.. I see people shifting away from gargantuan houses and moving into luxury condos. Money is part of the reason ofcourse.. but cheap they are not. Most of these downtown condo dwellers are the same dudes who are lapping up those european compacts.
qbrozen....am i going crazy? or was that volvo wagon always advertised at $7490...for some reason i thought when i clicked on the link last week it was $7995...anyway-did you go and check it out?
$7500 was right (because I ran it by RWTIV folks and was told high trade-in is $6k, so I surmised $7500 is a fair price if the car is in top shape). I did not go and check it out.
It is so so tempting. But it would just sit here for 10 months and that is 10 months during which I could continue earning interest on the money. So I'm resisting. I know I'll be kicking myself in 10 months, however, when I can't find another one like it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
What's the interest on $7500 after taxes...$300? A manual wagon is a rare animal. If it really is in as excellent shape as the pictures the maintenance/repairs on a lesser example will be way more than that.
O.k. , I'm done. The maintenance and insurance for the next 10 months will not help it either. I would probably wait also.
Have you shopped for T5 wagons a lot? Could you offer them $6800 maybe? As I recall it had moderate miles.
It's not a huge amount of $$ to have tied up in an extra car.....not buying it means you get to keep up the hunt tho--I think secretly that's why I've blown off so many nice used cars & houses--"there could be something better".
I could definitely see a V70 T5 wagon in my driveway--red preferably. Would look nice next to my E39 wagon I think.....
I mean... I look at it this way... one with quite a few options was, IIRC, leasing at around $10k off sticker (low $30k). Then they had really horrible residuals on top of that. But, for fun, let's say 50% on a 3-year lease (I believe it was like 47-48%). On a $42k car, that's $21k. So that car they are selling for $30k had a $21k residual when it came in off lease (probably more like $20k). Even with the CPO, $24k should be more than enough.
Unless, of course, the true trade-in value far exceeds the projected residual.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Unless, of course, the true trade-in value far exceeds the projected residual.
I think it is the latter. I didn't check what we own those cars for but no way do we have that much markup in those cars. On a car like that we typically have 2,500-3,000 of markup after the CPO and I can typically buy a Used car we have on the lot for a little less then we own it for. If it is a very old unit, say 60 days plus, then I can buy it for several thousand less then we own it for since the company would take a bath when it goes to auction.
The Ram turned over 36k today, so its officially out of its base warranty, last one we had do that was the Titan. The Ram is just shy of 16 months old.
Tomorrow the Pilot will have 8k on it, by next week 9k since there's a 700 mile round trip in store on Monday. Thankfully no problems to date other than whatever that weird hard start thing was, seems to have gone away though.
I was never a fan of the rust/orange colors until recently. I think I have become bored seeing the same silver and white everywhere(and I have a white car).
At least that one has the roof rails. I see alot of v70's without them. There is nothing more useless than a wagon that you can't throw a load of 2x4's or a christmas tree on top of.
I've never owned an AWD car, but living here in the Great Pacific NW, (the land of perpetual rainfall), I think that I would like to give it a try. :shades:
the NEW Rs have that much power. The '98 V70R was basically a T5 with AWD. Both had 236hp.
The newer Rs have 300hp. HOWEVER, on the earlier geartronic models, the power was electronically limited in 1st and 2nd so severely that the cars were slower (or as slow, depending on who is measuring) from the factory than a '98 T5. I know the first year of the "new" Rs had that problem. I'm not sure when or if it was every corrected.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The last couple of years they have had a Six speed geartronic instead of the old five speed so I think they finally give you full power in first and second. I would only want a manual one of those anyway.
Sorry, have been in mourning over the Rockies' sweep and the Broncos' loss on Monday night.
:sick:
Plus, I'm transitioning into a new job, so I've got one foot in the old job and one foot in the new job at the moment. Keeps me quite busy.
No, I'm not enjoying a new set of wheels -- yet.
I did test drive another car last week ... 2008 Subaru Impreza 5-door, stick shift.
Nice, but a little cramped for me inside ... legroom didn't seem to be as great as the specs indicated. Peppy, though.
I may resurrect the idea of an Outback as well.
Wife is on the fence about the whole thing ... on one hand she says that my car will only go down in value, so if I want to trade it in on a cheap lease, I'll get more for it now than I would in 3-6 months.
On the other hand, the idea of saving that $464 every month is appealing to her as well.
Nice, congrats, you're in software development right?
Not exactly .. I do technical support at the moment .. my new job will be operational in nature (metrics, headcount planning) for a worldwide support organization within my company.
That's the color--I kind of liked it too. Probably like that "pea soup green" color on DII's--a very personal choice. Or the dark Lipstick Red--that was kind of a cool color. (From my DII shopping obsession around '99-2000--I never bought one tho).
So yesterday I went to our local car show here in Seattle. Always a fun CCBA-er activity. As some of you may recall, I was the guy struggling with the 'should a single 32 year-old guy have a minivan or CUV' question so I thought I would try the market on for size in one shot. Ideally, I'd like to keep it in the $20K-$25K range, new or low mileage used. Features I'd like: -AWD or 4WD -tiedown points (for carrying a canoe on the roof) -factory roof rails -rear legroom noticeably better than my Forester (sorry, Outback) -min. length 70 inches cargo area with seats folded down (for skis, bikes, etc.) -Max height of 73-74 inches to fit in garage (shorter is better) -Pluses include audio aux in, dual climate, adjustable lumbar, heated seats & relatively quiet at highway speeds
Out in the first round: RAV4, Rogue, Vue, CRV, CX-7, Santa Fe, Liberty, Outlander, Xterra - All too small. CX-7 was closest here with a measured (yes, I had a tape measure like a nerd)68in cargo area & seemed pretty comfortable. Biggest surprise was the Santa Fe; everyone talks about how its 'almost-Pilot' size but I did not find this to be the case although it does have great under floor storage in the 5 passenger. Rogue is not about utility in any way. None of them had much for tiedowns either (yes, I crawled under all of these like a nerd); the xterra would was passable here with the optional tow hitch, but it is so tall that you'd need a crane to put a canoe on top of it.
Aw, schucks- Magnum, Pacifica, Murano - On paper, the Magnum has a long enough cargo area and the low roof should be great for loading things on top. Hard to see out of like everyone says, but I could live with it. Great rear seat room. Absolutely no where to tiedown anything from the roof; why don't cars have tow hooks anymore? My old 81 Tercel back in high school even had them...why, why, why? The Pacifica smelled like a plastic experiment gone wrong onside; I couldn't get past it. The cargo area in the Murano is oddly shaped and seemed pretty unuseful, plus it too has the tiedown/tow hook issue. Great interior, though.
Light at the end of tunnel- Sienna, Pathfinder, Outlook - Outlook is not really on the list as it is too expensive. But I checked it out anyhow, and it is a big step for GM. Panel gaps look good, interior is not embarrassing anymore, lots of thoughtful features, etc. Big vehicle with no tiedowns. Sienna; well, here is one of the preseason favorites and lots of room it does have. Big gold star for 70 inches of cargo room with the second row folded forward and 94 inches with the second row removed. A little disappointed with the interior as I thought the materials could be better. Almost feels too big inside! No tiedowns at all which is a shame since the factory rack looks pretty solid. Not cheap. The Pathfinder was a pleasant surprise; meets the cargo requirements, is a little shorter in height than the xterra and has some tiedown possibilities. Interior is acceptable, but gas mileage is painful. Marginal deals on used ones around here.
Tete de course- Taurus X, Pilot, Tribeca - Now we are getting somewhere. The TX is nice; great room in all rows, great cargo room (76 inches long, and that's without the front passenger seat folded down), comfortable & low roof. Lacks tiedowns :mad: Lower ground clearance. But I was surprised how much I liked it. I see 07 Freestyles used here hitting $18-19K with 15k miles, leather and most the options...true, the FS has the old engine and CVT, but this seems like a pretty useful vehicle. You just know that deals will be available on the 08's soon. The Tribeca is another strong one; looks small on the outside but has good room inside (74 inches) and rear seat slides back for more legroom. Has a 'just right' feel to the size. Like that a 5 passenger version is available; I don't really need a third row, and this opens up underfloor cargo space. Has tiedown points front and rear !!! Subies have strong awd systems, and 'Beca has better clearance than most. Spendy new but I always did like the looks of the older one anyhow. Despite the fact that the Pilot is oldest design here, that big square box seems like it would get the job done. Good room inside and comfortable, although the interior looks and feels the oldest in this group. Big square cargo area has 71 inches of length. Third row looks painful...I didn't even try. Towhooks front and rear. Likable vehicle. Pretty tall, though, and I could only afford the base model at best...a few dealers still have some 07's and their $3k factory rebates. Resale means this one doesn't make sense to buy used.
From left field- Trucks (Tacoma, Frontier), Quest - Hey, you know what does score pretty well in the utility category? Trucks (duh)! I only just figured this out. Totally does not meet the rear seat requirement I set for myself, but I still got weak in the knees when I saw all those towhooks and tiedowns, 6ft bed, low range and ground clearance. The Tacoma is pretty nice inside too, with comfortable seats and a carlike interior. Plus, Tacomas are practically depreciation-proof. I had dreams of a 4-Cyl extended cab 4wd with a 5sp manual and the SR5 pack. 4Cyl Mileage would be strangely close to my current Forester, and I don't tow. Then I saw NO available side airbags. :sick: Crew Cab only, apparently. Its 2007, Toyota, pull your head of your rear. Pretty much a dealbreaker. The Frontier does have available SAB, and you can get the V6 for the price of Toy's 4cyl,and that is before the rebates. Nice available features, but the interior and seats are clearly inferior to the Tacoma. The interior just looks noisy. And even with the crew cab, the rear seat is torture. While I was at the Nissan booth, I saw a Quest sitting in a corner, with no one looking at it, and decided to crawl around it out of pity. Here's the thing, I like it a lot...interior felt nicer to me than the Sienna and the seating arrangement is nice; the second row folds down nearly flat to create a huge cargo area. No seat removal required. Lots of cubbies and storage spots but it too lacks tiedown points. Anyhow, surprised by this one...if it only came in awd...
Long narrative, but CCBA-ers usually like to live vicariously through others. That's all I've got.
the becas are nice cars. I drove one last year (my SIL was looking) and it was a nice piece, assuming you like the styling. Great interior, nice road manners.
If I needed a new family truckster, I would seriously consider an '08 (more palatable styling for the wife!)
At least the '07 is somewhat quirky/funky/stylish, so you won't have the stigma of driving a mommy mobile. That, and you can use it to advertise what a macho outdoorsman you are.
Comments
Disfunctional
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
Still, I certainly deserve one, right? Although it might not be the best use of 15K right now to upgrade from my paid-off Accord.
You know, there is an advantage to having to finance, especially longer term. You can always rationalize a new car by saying that your payments aren't going up!
Much harder to buy impulsively when you either have to write a large check, or take on payments that you don't currently have.
I will have to get my fill of shopping while "bottom feeding" for a 1st car for my son.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
#1 - mileage ... with the smaller engine, the xD gets 27/33; the xB gets 22/28. My L300 gets around 24-25MPG with a V6 (EPA numbers are 21/29) - why switch to a 4-cyl engine if I'm not going to get an increase in mileage?
#2 - price .. the xD is a couple grand cheaper than the xB, and since I'm currently thinking about a low cost lease, a lower starting price translates into lower monthly payments
That being said, the xD has pretty much everything I need .. power accessories, cruise, decent stereo, iPod jack. My L has leather and a sunroof, but I think I could give those up.
May look at the Nissan Versa as well.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I plan to, over the weekend. My commute is 20 miles long, 15+ of which are on I-25 at 65-75MPH.
Am curious about the following:
1) what the revs are at that speed - in my L, 75MPH equates to about 2600RPM with the 4-speed automatic.
2) ride - the L has, to me, a decent balance between comfort and sportiness. I've never driven an MB or BMW, so cannot compare to those makes, but I did drive a VW New Beetle for a few years, and that was pretty harsh riding, IMO.
3) comfort - the xD has a pretty upright driving position, much like the wife's VUE. The legroom seemed a bit tight, so I'll be curious as to whether I'll be comfortable or not.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Also, what about the Mazda 3? (Just some ideas; I haven't driven any of them.)
my tC was turing about 3K at 65, and that was a big torquey motor!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Also the tC has sporty aspirations hence the relatively low gearing.
I know that tC was supposed to be sporty, but I believe the other small models ( like the Xa) also buzzed along. Wonder what a current COrolla does?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Not sure it is the same, but my Matrix (which I believe has the same powertrain including transmission) turns around 2500 rpm at 65 mph. That's a 5-speed of course.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Same with houses.. I see people shifting away from gargantuan houses and moving into luxury condos. Money is part of the reason ofcourse.. but cheap they are not. Most of these downtown condo dwellers are the same dudes who are lapping up those european compacts.
It is so so tempting. But it would just sit here for 10 months and that is 10 months during which I could continue earning interest on the money. So I'm resisting. I know I'll be kicking myself in 10 months, however, when I can't find another one like it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
O.k. , I'm done. The maintenance and insurance for the next 10 months will not help it either. I would probably wait also.
Granted, the interest isn't anything great ... but its more than I would get if I spent it on a depreciating asset.
$300 is close. I think maybe ~$400.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It's not a huge amount of $$ to have tied up in an extra car.....not buying it means you get to keep up the hunt tho--I think secretly that's why I've blown off so many nice used cars & houses--"there could be something better".
I could definitely see a V70 T5 wagon in my driveway--red preferably. Would look nice next to my E39 wagon I think.....
The V70R is an auto though which is a no go for me personally.
woody - it had, IIRC, 72k miles or so, which I would call low for a 10-year-old car, personally.
The vehicle is for the wife, so an automatic it must be. And those early geartronic Rs were no faster than a '98 T5, oddly enough.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
25,900 for the 2004 V70R with 45,000 miles.
I could be each one for about 3,000-4,000 dollars less including the CPO.
I mean... I look at it this way... one with quite a few options was, IIRC, leasing at around $10k off sticker (low $30k). Then they had really horrible residuals on top of that. But, for fun, let's say 50% on a 3-year lease (I believe it was like 47-48%). On a $42k car, that's $21k. So that car they are selling for $30k had a $21k residual when it came in off lease (probably more like $20k). Even with the CPO, $24k should be more than enough.
Unless, of course, the true trade-in value far exceeds the projected residual.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I think it is the latter. I didn't check what we own those cars for but no way do we have that much markup in those cars. On a car like that we typically have 2,500-3,000 of markup after the CPO and I can typically buy a Used car we have on the lot for a little less then we own it for. If it is a very old unit, say 60 days plus, then I can buy it for several thousand less then we own it for since the company would take a bath when it goes to auction.
Do you wonder why the Ad doesn't show an exterior pic?
maybe there is a reason that the color is so rare:
Tomorrow the Pilot will have 8k on it, by next week 9k since there's a 700 mile round trip in store on Monday. Thankfully no problems to date other than whatever that weird hard start thing was, seems to have gone away though.
We can sure put some miles on!
At least that one has the roof rails. I see alot of v70's without them. There is nothing more useless than a wagon that you can't throw a load of 2x4's or a christmas tree on top of.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
james
The newer Rs have 300hp. HOWEVER, on the earlier geartronic models, the power was electronically limited in 1st and 2nd so severely that the cars were slower (or as slow, depending on who is measuring) from the factory than a '98 T5. I know the first year of the "new" Rs had that problem. I'm not sure when or if it was every corrected.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Sorry, have been in mourning over the Rockies' sweep and the Broncos' loss on Monday night.
:sick:
Plus, I'm transitioning into a new job, so I've got one foot in the old job and one foot in the new job at the moment. Keeps me quite busy.
No, I'm not enjoying a new set of wheels -- yet.
I did test drive another car last week ... 2008 Subaru Impreza 5-door, stick shift.
Nice, but a little cramped for me inside ... legroom didn't seem to be as great as the specs indicated. Peppy, though.
I may resurrect the idea of an Outback as well.
Wife is on the fence about the whole thing ... on one hand she says that my car will only go down in value, so if I want to trade it in on a cheap lease, I'll get more for it now than I would in 3-6 months.
On the other hand, the idea of saving that $464 every month is appealing to her as well.
Guess I need to sit down and run the numbers.
Decisions, decisions....
Nice, congrats, you're in software develpopment right?
There was a color similar to that on the 1st or 2nd year of the LR DII--British Rover would know probably. Either an interesting color, or putrid (?).
I hate car payments. Unless the old car is costing more in repairs than the new payment. But a great deal on a new Subie sounds like a good idea too.
There are occasionally people with 10 y.o. Subies on the RWTIV board that are worth $5K, that they paid $22K for......
This picture doesn't do it justice as it is a more orange metallic color.
Not exactly .. I do technical support at the moment .. my new job will be operational in nature (metrics, headcount planning) for a worldwide support organization within my company.
More business stuff, less technical.
-AWD or 4WD
-tiedown points (for carrying a canoe on the roof)
-factory roof rails
-rear legroom noticeably better than my Forester (sorry, Outback)
-min. length 70 inches cargo area with seats folded down (for skis, bikes, etc.)
-Max height of 73-74 inches to fit in garage (shorter is better)
-Pluses include audio aux in, dual climate, adjustable lumbar, heated seats & relatively quiet at highway speeds
Out in the first round:
RAV4, Rogue, Vue, CRV, CX-7, Santa Fe, Liberty, Outlander, Xterra - All too small. CX-7 was closest here with a measured (yes, I had a tape measure like a nerd)68in cargo area & seemed pretty comfortable. Biggest surprise was the Santa Fe; everyone talks about how its 'almost-Pilot' size but I did not find this to be the case although it does have great under floor storage in the 5 passenger. Rogue is not about utility in any way. None of them had much for tiedowns either (yes, I crawled under all of these like a nerd); the xterra would was passable here with the optional tow hitch, but it is so tall that you'd need a crane to put a canoe on top of it.
Aw, schucks-
Magnum, Pacifica, Murano - On paper, the Magnum has a long enough cargo area and the low roof should be great for loading things on top. Hard to see out of like everyone says, but I could live with it. Great rear seat room. Absolutely no where to tiedown anything from the roof; why don't cars have tow hooks anymore? My old 81 Tercel back in high school even had them...why, why, why? The Pacifica smelled like a plastic experiment gone wrong onside; I couldn't get past it. The cargo area in the Murano is oddly shaped and seemed pretty unuseful, plus it too has the tiedown/tow hook issue. Great interior, though.
Light at the end of tunnel-
Sienna, Pathfinder, Outlook - Outlook is not really on the list as it is too expensive. But I checked it out anyhow, and it is a big step for GM. Panel gaps look good, interior is not embarrassing anymore, lots of thoughtful features, etc. Big vehicle with no tiedowns. Sienna; well, here is one of the preseason favorites and lots of room it does have. Big gold star for 70 inches of cargo room with the second row folded forward and 94 inches with the second row removed. A little disappointed with the interior as I thought the materials could be better. Almost feels too big inside! No tiedowns at all which is a shame since the factory rack looks pretty solid. Not cheap. The Pathfinder was a pleasant surprise; meets the cargo requirements, is a little shorter in height than the xterra and has some tiedown possibilities. Interior is acceptable, but gas mileage is painful. Marginal deals on used ones around here.
Tete de course-
Taurus X, Pilot, Tribeca - Now we are getting somewhere. The TX is nice; great room in all rows, great cargo room (76 inches long, and that's without the front passenger seat folded down), comfortable & low roof. Lacks tiedowns :mad: Lower ground clearance. But I was surprised how much I liked it. I see 07 Freestyles used here hitting $18-19K with 15k miles, leather and most the options...true, the FS has the old engine and CVT, but this seems like a pretty useful vehicle. You just know that deals will be available on the 08's soon. The Tribeca is another strong one; looks small on the outside but has good room inside (74 inches) and rear seat slides back for more legroom. Has a 'just right' feel to the size. Like that a 5 passenger version is available; I don't really need a third row, and this opens up underfloor cargo space. Has tiedown points front and rear !!!
From left field-
Trucks (Tacoma, Frontier), Quest - Hey, you know what does score pretty well in the utility category? Trucks (duh)! I only just figured this out. Totally does not meet the rear seat requirement I set for myself, but I still got weak in the knees when I saw all those towhooks and tiedowns, 6ft bed, low range and ground clearance. The Tacoma is pretty nice inside too, with comfortable seats and a carlike interior. Plus, Tacomas are practically depreciation-proof. I had dreams of a 4-Cyl extended cab 4wd with a 5sp manual and the SR5 pack. 4Cyl Mileage would be strangely close to my current Forester, and I don't tow. Then I saw NO available side airbags. :sick: Crew Cab only, apparently. Its 2007, Toyota, pull your head of your rear. Pretty much a dealbreaker. The Frontier does have available SAB, and you can get the V6 for the price of Toy's 4cyl,and that is before the rebates. Nice available features, but the interior and seats are clearly inferior to the Tacoma. The interior just looks noisy. And even with the crew cab, the rear seat is torture. While I was at the Nissan booth, I saw a Quest sitting in a corner, with no one looking at it, and decided to crawl around it out of pity. Here's the thing, I like it a lot...interior felt nicer to me than the Sienna and the seating arrangement is nice; the second row folds down nearly flat to create a huge cargo area. No seat removal required. Lots of cubbies and storage spots but it too lacks tiedown points. Anyhow, surprised by this one...if it only came in awd...
Long narrative, but CCBA-ers usually like to live vicariously through others. That's all I've got.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
These days you pop a little plastic square out of the bumper, and screw in a separate eyeloop that comes with the tire changing tools.
If I needed a new family truckster, I would seriously consider an '08 (more palatable styling for the wife!)
At least the '07 is somewhat quirky/funky/stylish, so you won't have the stigma of driving a mommy mobile. That, and you can use it to advertise what a macho outdoorsman you are.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.