Looking for a "new" vehicle

oldsoul

Gold Member
Oct 12, 2015
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Standing with Covington Kids
Here is my situation:
  • I live in an area that gets snow and below freezing temps. for about 6 months of the year.
  • My commute is about 30 miles, almost all of which are hwy miles.
  • I, generally, do my own maintanance and repairs.
  • I would prefer AWD or even better 4WD.
  • My next vehicle needs to have at least four doors (family).
  • I have a family vehicle (mini-van) already so this will not be the primary family car.
  • Budget is $10,000
I am open to any and all suggestions. What do you think are my best options for my next vehicle?
 
Jeep Wagoneer with an inline 6 and auto. Four doors and decent millage and likes snow.
I am thinking something a bit newer. Say within the last five years or so. Loved them though, what an awesome truck to lift and put huge tires on for off-roading. Beyond that, I would not be interested in one.
Newer tech means more problems. Electronics and cold wet conditions do not mix.
 
Forester?

Not in my direct experience, and not efficient enough for me, but people I know who own them seem to like 'em.
 
Jeep Wagoneer with an inline 6 and auto. Four doors and decent millage and likes snow.
I am thinking something a bit newer. Say within the last five years or so. Loved them though, what an awesome truck to lift and put huge tires on for off-roading. Beyond that, I would not be interested in one.
Newer tech means more problems. Electronics and cold wet conditions do not mix.
Older tech means more, if easier and cheaper, repairs. And I have not experienced any more eletrical issues than the national average in 20+ years of driving. It's the cold that is more of a problem. New or old, no car/truck/SUV likes -40. LOL
 
Jeep Wagoneer with an inline 6 and auto. Four doors and decent millage and likes snow.

You NEVER want an autonomic transmission in the snow. Ever. That completely surrenders control of your traction.

They make traction control now.

Irrelevant. When you're passing your motor skill commands through a torque converter, you're sending commands through an intermediary, and that inevitably means something lost in the translation. And more important, you've isolated yourself from the feedback of what's happening on the road in the moment. There is no mechanical substitute for direct sensory feedback.

I want direct communication from my extremities straight to my wheels, with as little in between as possible. No need for a middleman. I never get stuck in snow, because I can feel what's going on, instantly, and respond instantly.

Not to mention, it's just more crap to wear down and weigh down.
 
I had a Grand Cherokee, the V8 in it. there was never a time that it caused me concern in snow. Of course the most I ever put it through was maybe 24 inches.
Mileage was fair for what it was, roughly 18 highway 15 city. Had the 4 doors and plenty of room in the back for luggage and stuff.
My current 4 wheel is the GMC 3500 Dually, four door long bed with the diesel. Ive pushed through 3 ft of snow with that for short distances. 18 to 24 inches is no problem. Hwy empty is up to 24 city is 16 to 17. Downside to that truck is that its too long and wide for parking lots, drive thru windows are not an option and the turning radius sucks if you have to make a U-turn.
Toyota has a really good product too.
 
I had a Grand Cherokee, the V8 in it. there was never a time that it caused me concern in snow. Of course the most I ever put it through was maybe 24 inches.
Mileage was fair for what it was, roughly 18 highway 15 city. Had the 4 doors and plenty of room in the back for luggage and stuff.
My current 4 wheel is the GMC 3500 Dually, four door long bed with the diesel. Ive pushed through 3 ft of snow with that for short distances. 18 to 24 inches is no problem. Hwy empty is up to 24 city is 16 to 17. Downside to that truck is that its too long and wide for parking lots, drive thru windows are not an option and the turning radius sucks if you have to make a U-turn.
Toyota has a really good product too.
It should never be an issue of having the newest tech but the most reliable tech. And as far as age? Age don't matter, condition does.
 
Jeep Wagoneer with an inline 6 and auto. Four doors and decent millage and likes snow.

Seriously? Most Wagoneers has 360 V8's, got 8-10MPG at the most, and in this area, they dissolved years ago. The few built with six-cylinder power were very slow and used just as much gas! They were also-to the end in 1992-basically a late-60's design!
 
The Chrysler Pacifica was the best bastard child of the Mercedes-Chrysler hookup, and as is often the case with such things, by the time they got it "right" it was basically all over (see Pontiac Fiero, Solstice). Look for an '07 or '08.

The basic vehicle goes like a tank in snow and seats 6 people comfortably (two buckets + two buckets + a small bench). Suspension was handled by the Germans, so the handling is good (comparable to "R" series Mercedes).

In 2007, they introduced the 4 Liter V6 and the 6-speed automatic, which are far superior to the 3.8 and 4-speed of earlier years. Some of the auto's were problematic, but by now any cars on the road have had it sorted out. The "Limited" model has everything anyone could want in a vehicle, and often has such exotic items as backup camera, DVD player, adjustable pedals, and memory seats + pedals. The factory nav shows up in the middle of the driver's dash-view, not the middle of the car. Fuel economy is decent: 25 highway for FWD and 23 for AWD. Towing capacity is not great, at 2500 lbs.

Check Edmund's consumer reviews. Most of them are effusive and wish they had not stopped producing the vehicle (which defies categorization). It's not a mini-van, not an SUV, not a wagon.

Good, low-mileage examples (under 60k miles) can be found for 9 grand on AutoTrader, Car Gurus, or Cars.com. If you are patient, you can find them on Craigslist by searching various locales.

If the kids are high school, there are not many other vehicles that are as good, at least on paper.
 

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