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23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
May have just been a jacked up van, but it sure looked like a 4x4 setup.
A pop-up roof that you don't have to remove the canoes or kayaks from first is pretty amazing.
Bah, nothing a 37 lb kevlar Wenonah Voyager can't fix...
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
But I've never seen a popup van top, popped with boats on top before.
For sure, while riding the tracks in snow, the high point of the snow is also right there in the middle between the wheels, making it a lousy spot for low clearance. In California though, I worry more about rocks on rough roads.
Hard to trade Outback's best-of-both-worlds attributes (car-like performance AND better capability than many SUVs), but I just need the space. As someone who enjoys twisty driving, the trade-off makes me feel... :sick:
But getting to the places I want to go with the whole family will make me feel good, too. :shades:
Need to determine how and where the manufacturers measure that clearance.
Example: Is it measured from the lowest point of anything hanging under the vehicle (such as a brace or protective plate, or muffler), the distance to any of the drive components (such as axles), or to the floor pan?
In the overall scheme of things, 4/10ths of an inch doesn't seem like a real big deal to me. Especially with a "street" vehicle. For an "Off Roader" we get more concerned with inches rather than 10ths of an inch.
Kip
The new Outback competes with the Venza and Crosstour.
I got $1600 off our Forester and we already have $500 saved up to pay for service. :shades:
Tested Enclave, the second row seats are too close to the floor, not like the FS, so it is not really comfy for a long trip (I'm only 5'7"). And the third row, it has a big space than the FS, but the hip space actually smalled than FS.
I really don't want to drive a minivan, so what are my choices? I wan't something at least same size as the FS, but not smaller. :confuse:
And you're entitled to it . Personally, I think they're great looking vehicles, much more-so than the bland Traverse. The Freestyle was nice-looking, but quite bland as well.
The thing about a car with major style, you'll likely love-it or hate-it.
Did that Enclave have captain's chairs, or a 2nd row bench? I think they offer both, so if you didn't like one you may like the other better.
There are a lot of entries in this class, I'd suggest checking them all out at a local auto show, if one will be in your town any time soon. You can test-fit them without any sales pressure.
Another option is CarMax - if even just to test-fit several different models, and see how they age.
Your freaking kidding right? If you are not, man you need to get your eyesight checked. :P
My BIL recently purchased a Flex. Seems to me that it doesn't have as much room inside as the outside suggests it does. Probably a nice car though.
With that color scheme it does look like a Maxi Cooper.
I don't like how you worded that. Makes it sound like a car one might drive on "heavy days."
Sorry...I had to.
I agree with the overall sentiment though!
With that color scheme it does look like a Maxi Cooper."
Haven't seen one like that. The BIL's is solid red or Burgundy with black interior as he is a Georgia Bulldog fan. He was trying to replaced the blue oval with a Bull Dog logo. Don't know how that worked out. Then there are window stickers and I'm thinking a flag or two. The tire air valves, his billfold, jeans, hat, jacket and shirt all have Bull Dog logos. Almost like a religion or cult.
That may have had some bearing on my thoughts.
:
IMHO, there is a point where one must defer to dignity and stop wearing "team" apparel" unless it's at a game - that age is about 23.
But is his defense, he did play second string football in high school!
Not a mini cooper, a Scion xB that is all grown up...
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com
Thanks,
Kip
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com
Definitely a strong resemblance. I could not find a pic of a Flex without the white roof, so that's different, plus the xB's bumper sticks out about, oh, seven feet.
It all came down to which vehicle had the most room in the back with the third row seat folded down. The Veracruz won. I concluded what I felt was a good deal with the low-key Hyundai dealer, who didn’t mind my initiating the final bargaining session by email (thus avoiding the usual showroom dance of haggling back and forth with a sales person and the manager). The sale included a 60,000-mile warranty that Toyota couldn’t match.
Still, it wasn’t an easy decision. While I had been favorably impressed with several Hyundai rental cars, I was nervous about Hundai’s lack of a long track record. I was somewhat reassured when an Internet check showed that while the 2007 Veracruz (the year it was introduced) had some problems they were largely absent in the 2008.
Now, after driving 3,000 miles, with one trek up to Maine and back, I can only report that so far I am more than happy with my choice. The Veracruz has more horsepower than the Outback and hence gets over a mile less per gallon, but it has a powerful kick when you need to pass quickly. The first time I pressed down on the accelerator to pass I could have sworn the engine was turbocharged. I average 17.5 miles in and around my town, with lots of hills and sharp turns, and just over19 miles on the highway. Not bad for what is essentially a SUV.
I found the manufacturer’s manual was exceedingly well organized, clearly written and helpfully illustrated. The biggest surprise was discovering that in shifting down I had no less than four gears going from overdrive to first, giving me two more options than the Outback. This is great for saving on brake pads and a big asset for slowing down gradually on snow or ice. Moreover, the suspension is a little softer than my 2007 Outback, giving a much smoother and quieter ride on rough roads.
My Veracruz is a standard, not a deluxe model, yet it has a lot of small amenities that were absent in my Outback. Among them: a digital tire pressure gauge; two storage bins in the fold-down armrest; two fold-down compartments above the dash for glasses, another cubby for your EZ-Pass, and yet another for small change. The top of the dash has a slightly indented area for placing incidentals that won’t shift every time you brake. Unlike my Outback, the steering wheel has fingertip controls for both the radio and cruise control. The button that opens the gas cap is conveniently located in the door just at the driver’s left elbow. The map stowage in the door swings out 45 degrees for quick and easy access. The backs of the seats all have slip-in storage compartments and placement for car cups.
With the third seat folded flush to the floor of the cargo area, you have impressive space for a big Golden Lab plus three suitcases and a lot of assorted soft luggage. Hand holds and foldout tie-rings are strategically placed for securing fragile or moveable cargo. A big plus for me was opening the compartment under the cargo mat and finding not only the tire jack but plenty of additional space for tools, flares, first aid kit and the like.
What’s not to like? I am not crazy about the blue dashboard lights, but have gotten used to them. The standard sound system is only marginally better than the Subaru, although the heat comes up a bit faster. My Veracruz came with a light blueish-grey exterior finish. The interior upholstery is the same light color that shows stains at the drop of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I would recommend future models come with much darker seat covers. When my right rear tire picked up a screw bolt on that island up in Maine, there appeared to be no way to avoid breaking the tire gauge attachment in order to pry the tire off the rim. I have kept the broken part and will be interested in whether with the service dept. can tell me how to avoid busting it with the next tire change.
In all, the Veracruz has exceeded my expectations. Drive one. If you share my initial hesitation about Hyundai, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
I hear the replacement will be a long wheelbase Santa Fe, when it comes. If it gets Direct Injection technology that would be sweet. Hopefully they do not leave out the plush leather it offers now.
Subaru should have made the Tribeca bigger, note how a happy buyer did not even shop for one. Give it 3 real rows or cancel it.
We are going to also look at the Tribeca and Acadia/Enclave. We only wish the new Explorer would be out sooner as my wife is from a "Ford" family who still gives me a hard time for driving "furrin" cars.
Yes I know that I can remind them of that. But as a Ford shareholder, I also wouldn't mind buying a Ford.
I looked at the Tribeca and found it too small. The third row was too small even for small children. Maybe luggage or Mothers-in-Law would fit there? (By contrast, my T-X nicely handles 6' mountain bikers in the third row on long trips.)
I was also intererested in the Acadia/Enclave, but found it was just too big on the outside with not much extra room on the inside. The second row leg room was significantly smaller than that in the Taurus X/Flex/Explorer. I was mostly turned off that it felt like I was driving high up in a big truck instead of like a nice handling car. I imagined the difficulty trying to get into tight parking spaces, etc..
The new Explorer should also come out with EcoBoost that increases mileage 15% or more, along with better torque/acceleration to boot. The new SYNC system is very nice as well.
Maybe you can wait a few more months for Ford?
I think we'll find the Beca too small as well. Wifey really liked the Saturn Outlook which of course is gone so the Acadia/Enclave are substitutes. She won't look at the Traverse due to the attractiveness quotient.
The CX-9 is running first as of right now as she's gotten over the Joker Face.
I think we can hold out for a few more months. The Odyssey is coming up to needed the 105K service and a timing belt - those two work out to about 3 months of payments so it would be a wash wrt to buying now vs buying in October.
I got an 08 Miata and one of the reasons was I did not want the grin on the 2009s.
Thanks in advance!
Not sure what space you think you might miss novabuyer? If I'm not mistaken the CX-9 has more cargo and passenger room all around than the Pilot plus it looks a great deal better than the Pilot IMO.
If you live in Northern VA, as I'm thinking, search fitzmall.com, they have a no-haggle Mazda dealership in Annapolis IIRC, so you can get up-front CX9 pricing hassle-free.
FWIW we chose the Ford Flex over both, CX-9 was a close second, for it's unique styling and near-luxury car interior. We sacrificed a little space for overall first and second row comfort (2 adults and 2 small boys) and I don't regret it.
I never did drive a Pilot because one look at that strange green fake glass-like center stack made me run away. Far, far away.
When I sat in one, my right knee space was limited by a protrusion in the center console that was just annoying.
Oddly, my MX-5 has a similar flaw, but on the left knee (the bottle holder protrudes). Mazda needs to pay more attention to passenger comfort. I velcro'd some black foam in strategic places to pad the area where my knees rest, but the protrusions should not exist to begin with.