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woohoo...my dad's buying me an SUV

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Two misconceptions about SUV's:
1. They are pretty much only safer in a head on collision with a smaller car. Hit anything else and the heavier mass is to your detriment. Also, if you lose control of the vehicle, the extra weight makes it a lot harder to regain control.
2. The whole Firestone thing is a sham. Did anyone else see the report in Car and Driver about 2 months ago? They took a 1994 or thereabouts Ford Explorer, drove it up to 70 mph or so, and blew out the left rear tire. The truck didn't lose control. It barely even wavered off course. The driver even took his hands off the steering wheel and gently applied the brakes. The Explorer slowed down without a hitch. This is with a BLOWN tire. Not just tread separation.

what else was I going to say? OH yeah, the new problem with SUV's is their weight capacity. I can't remember which ones, but just having 5 people in the SUV and some luggage overloaded the weight limits.

I still think you should go the station wagon route. You get tons of room for stuff, the performance/handling of a car, and much better gas mileage.
 
Ross,

Think it's the 4runner he's talking about. The Rav4 is a recent addition, just started it's second generation. The Sequoia is all new, and the Land Cruiser, I don't think that would fall under that price category... of course, if you find a good deal, the Land Crusier can be had at that price. But that thing is heavier and guzzles more gas than the 4runner. I'm not sure if it was a v8 back then...

dc
 
I totally agree with Triumph. I read somewhere that a Ford Taurus has more weight capacity (people and cargo) than an SUV does, sorry can't remember which magazine I saw this or which SUV they were comparing it to.

The smart way to go would be a Subaru Outback although that's kinda hard to find at $20k more like $25k.
 
traction control on a car makes them perform better on ice than any 4x4 without it.
 
The Subaru Forrester is cheaper than the outback. It is only available with a 4 cylinder engine though. I just went from an 84 Chevy Blazer S-10 to a 87 VW Scirocco 8V. Sometimes I miss the Blazer, but not too often! 🙂
 
link

Check out the link... comparing a 2001 Subaru Outback Wagon to a 2001 Toyota 4runner... Not only do you get at least as much or more head and legroom (in most cases), but the total cargo volume in the Outback is actually MORE than the Toyota [edit] Well, maybe not quite, but it's close enough...(dang Carpoint specs)[/edit]. Add to that better gas mileage, and a lower price (MSRP), and that sounds like a better deal to me...

Oh yeah, but driving a wagon isn't as "cool" as an SUV... :disgust:

Dave
 


<< Emperor, note the &quot;&quot; at the end of his post...he was joking. >>



the cowardly hypocrite added that smiley in there because he can safely fall back on &quot;I was only kidding.&quot; sorta like this: 😉 despite the innocent smiley face, you know very well I still consider smiz a weak-minded fool who has to take extra steps to throw flames around and to hide from incoming ones.


and about the suburu outback, my dad is convinced it sucks when compared to toyota. any inputs on this? how does it compare to toyota? but either way, I'll tell my dad about the strong recommendations for the subaru outback wagon.

and I don't know what model that toyota SUV is 😱 but I went to davej's link and picked the 98 toyota 4runner and it does look like the one we were eyeing. I know, I know, you're all slapping your forehead thinking I shouldn't even be getting a car at all 🙂 but I'm still learning.
 
Nero:

I was trying to stick up for you. I was making fun of all the other people in this thread giving you a hard time. Notice how I called your parents 'immigrants'. Do you really believe I think your parents are foreign? (not that that's a bad thing)

I was trying to paint a picture of hardship and sadness.

<violins play softly> With your 15 brothers and sisters forced to sleep under a loose floorboard because their one shared bedroom has to be rented out now so you can drive an SUV. Mom and dad working three jobs each and selling off organs left and right. Grandma selling crack to the local school children. All to make sure Nero can have a top of the line GSX95000. </violins>


now look closely ------> 😉

P.S. In response to some not well known members posting, everyone was new once and I prefer to post when I have something worth saying. Did you even look at the advice in my post? Or did you just misread the last paragraph? And thanks for setting such a good example as a 'high ranking' member.
 
Nero,
I think you are one lucky person and let the people bitch,most parents pay for thier kids to go to collage and give them the money for room and board,since you are staying at home they will be paying for thier piece of mind when you travel to and from school.

As far as suv's go I like jeep cheeroke with the 4.0 straight six but ,I don't think you need a suv it sounds like gas milage is a concern. I would probly go with a subaru wagon they are great on gas milage and drive great in the snow.
I worked at a ski area for 5 years and most people who had subaru's had no prolem getting to work when it snowed.
the road to the ski area was steep and tricky to drive on when there was snow.

As for piece of mind for your parents you might want to check out the NEW ford Escape they start around $18,000
and you would have a new suv.
 
You keep refering to a &quot;good car&quot; as something around $20,000.

That couldn't be more wrong... If you know what to shop for you can pick up a &quot;used&quot; car in very good condition, low miles, and will not require all the insurace that will come with a $20,000 car. As an example... my first car was an 88' Sentra. I drove that thing for over 2 years without putting anything more than brakepads into it. And that cost me $500. The only reason I'm not driving it now is due to the fact a comercial vehicle backed into it in a parking lot. I loved that car, and I had to save for that car.
 
Well I'm back to give you more s@#t 😀.

I would stay away from the Ford Escape. The trucks has already been recalled 3 times.

Since you set on an SUV you might also want to consider a Nissan Pathfinder.

As to the 4 Runner there are several different models. Don't know the model types but I do know the lowest one has a 4 cylinder. I would try to the one that comes with the 3.4 V6.

Also I will say it again. Be prepared to spend lots of money on gas.
 
Ha! 🙂

What does he have to worry about gas for? His parents will be paying his gas and high-ass insurance cost...
 


<< Notice how I called your parents 'immigrants'. Do you really believe I think your parents are foreign? (not that that's a bad thing) >>



upon rereading your post, smiz, you're right 🙂. the tone of your post sounded harsh last night because I was expecting a lot of crap from people (which I got). and then since we are immigrants (I thought you found out by reading the chinese new year thread), I then assumed you were serious about the immigrant part. but now that I found out you didn't know we are actually immigrants, I see you were joking...so I'm sorry for the very harsh words 🙂.

bowdown, I'm not saying a good car has to be $20,000, but I was talking specifically about that toyota SUV. in fact, I my intent on starting this thread was to find good deals on car and how to buy them. and I believe that buying a somewhat expensive car in great condition is better for me in the long run rather than buying a cheap-average (price-wise) car then fixing it up. in the last two years, over $2500 were spent on fixing my mom's toyota camry...not to mention the headaches and the time we lost. it was because we just moved up to ohio and needed a car desperately so we just dove right into buying that crappy camry. so now my parents have learned their lesson and want to buy me a good car that will last a while.

and I'm definitely putting in a strong word for the subaru outback.

btw, my heart isn't set on an SUV, but on a powerful car that can perform well on slippery roads. if there are other cars that can perform as well as an SUV would, then please tell me.
 
HEY SO IS MY DAD, ITS GONNA BE A 94 FORD EXPLORER!! actually i'll be paying for it pretty much myself.. it is kinda cool though. course my folks aint rich, but its gonna be nice to have my own wheels again.


oh check the oil in your vehicle recently? i didn't enough, and my engine died....
 
Forget price, forget style, forget reputation, forget reliablity - get out there, sit down, and take a couple different vehicles for a 20 mile drive. Then worry about all of the above.

I don't care if a car has won 10,000 awards and beats everything in it's class by leaps and bounds, if you don't find the car comfortable, enjoyable, and easy to drive, then all of those awards and what not are a waste.

Go out and test drive some vehicles. You will then be able to draw some conclusions to what you want.
 
For your intended purpose I'd go for the Subaru. They are durable, economical, and handle well.An SUV is (usually) a bad cross between a pickup truck and a station wagon. If ya have SUV lust then go for the Jeep Cherokee since their drivetrains are reliable, parts are reasonable and they actually work well offroad. With any SUV/truck be prepared to suffer when you pay for fuel. I love my 4500lb F250 Ford, but don't drive it daily.
 
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