[jogiba]

My first SUV was a 4x4 2000 Ford Excursion Limited with Turbo 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel that I used for 3 years then traded for a 2003 4x4 Excursion with Turbo 32 valve 6.0 PSD . I then sold it in late 2007 because it was too small for our trips to Florida with up to 12 people and luggage and now have a rare 2002 Chevy 3500 LS Express Van with 8.1L big block that has enough power to stay in OD fully loaded on grades with the AC on.

Photo of the 2000 PSD Excursion in April 2003 towing our 41ft travel trailer:


My 2003 PSD Excursion :


My 2000 Chevy Van :

[HeavyD]

Since I started driving I've owned seven cars, a 84 Pontiac Sunbird, 90 Chevy Cavalier, 94 Chevy Beretta Z26, 95 Chevy Camaro Z28, 02 Pontiac Bonneville SLE, 03 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi, 05 Pontiac G6 GT, and four SUV's, a 96 Ford Explorer, 02 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 07 Jeep Liberty and currently a 2005 Dodge Durango that I bought three years ago. Out of all my vehicles my favorite is the Durango. It's got plenty of power, seats up to 7 very comfortably, I can load it up with everything but the kitchen sink when I'm not using the third row, it has a five star crash rating, lifetime powertrain warranty, 4 wheel drive so I can drive through anything, and best of all it intimidates other drivers, they get out of my way. I've thought about trading it in on a new Durango but can't part with it. If I had to choose another vehicle it would have to be the Subaru Forester. My Mother has owned one since 2002 and has never had a mechanical failure. I find it very fun to drive, especially on winding roads, the all wheel drive system grips like no tomorrow. I would own one myself but it is too small for my needs.

[Ratmagiclady]

Volvo. for life.

I suspect I'm driving an old Volvo wagon for the same reason I'm shooting Pentax.



(A larger proportion of that is, 'If this breaks, I believe I can fix it..' )

For life? Hailsa!


(Also, whining slightly to Jogiba: If I could have had enough in one place at a time, I could have had my old truck and a trailer to call home years ago. If no certainty where to park such. I'd have bought that old trailer if I could have, though. But you kind of have to be rich to do nomadic, these days. Or those days.


Shouldn't be necessary till spring, but it's hard to convince myself I shouldn't darken the windows in case I need a fallback residence or whatever...

[magkelly]

Wagons have vanished from the scene because in the past they were seen as the "mom" cars and now days even the moms don't want to look like they're driving a mom wagon. SUV's are sportier and they're higher up from the ground than station wagons which some people like. The way they're made they're also better for camping and such than a wagon. Personally I'm not an SUV lover. They are just too big for me. I like little cars that get really great gas mileage like my Ford Focus. Mine's a hatchback sporty couple type of thing. Doesn't look like a mini-wagon but that's what it is really. I can actually fit almost anything in that thing because of the fold down back seats that I could in the old Chevy wagon I used to have when I first got a car. Plus I hardly ever have to fill the car up unless I am going on a day trip or something. A tank of gas lasts me a while. I get why people like SUV's but if I was to ever go that big of a vehicle I'd probably just get a work van or truck. SUV's are basically aimed at the same group of people.

[Ratmagiclady]

Wagons have vanished from the scene because in the past they were seen as the "mom" cars and now days even the moms don't want to look like they're driving a mom wagon. SUV's are sportier and they're higher up from the ground than station wagons which some people like. The way they're made they're also better for camping and such than a wagon. Personally I'm not an SUV lover.

'Look like?' Gods. Someone wanted me to feel I needed to even 'look like' I needed an SUV, I wouldn't be two thousand miles from the nearest field botanist I thought I was engaged to. Anyone with an issue that way, you can never 'look like' *nothing* enough for them, anyway. Last time I *had* a daughter and a car at the same time, it was a little hatchback I'd cached away and I had to tell that daughter, (Who actually probably loved that car as much as I did,) She asked why I didn't come pick her up every day, and I had to say, 'Honey, we're breaking the law here, but only cause it's a big emergency on account of the blizzard and there's no other way to get you home safe.' .'

They are just too big for me. I like little cars that get really great gas mileage like my Ford Focus. Mine's a hatchback sporty couple type of thing. Doesn't look like a mini-wagon but that's what it is really. I can actually fit almost anything in that thing because of the fold down back seats that I could in the old Chevy wagon I used to have when I first got a car. Plus I hardly ever have to fill the car up unless I am going on a day trip or something. A tank of gas lasts me a while. I get why people like SUV's but if I was to ever go that big of a vehicle I'd probably just get a work van or truck. SUV's are basically aimed at the same group of people.

Well, I'm fond of station wagons, cause you can live or work in or out of one without piecing together some crappy blown front end. Part of why I have one of the last of the rear-drive Volvos is precisely because most of those SUVs were basically 'Flinging-oil-around-machines' by the time anyone aruond here would want to sell them. "Ok, you claim you have functional four-wheel drive, how long have you been running with no driveshaft?' (Cause, yes, where I come from, girls will crawl under cars)


As far as I can tell from all my shopping, they're a bunch of inveterate liars down here pretending to know better than any given female anyway, and I don't say that lightly.
I even *got* a Volvo wagon ythat they lied about to the tune of five bills before we even caught up to the stuff I *expected* to have to fix.

But I can. Those same lies about an SUV would mean a very expensive non-moving thing. Sometimes simple is best. Cause I'm really not equipped to jack an engine and replace CV joints.



Frankly, it's the South. They have no shame. About things that'd disgrace Yankee crafters or mechanics for generations. They'd rather cork you than admit a gal had an intelligent question.

[HGMonaro]

We have a 'proper' 4WD (a Toyota) as we tow our camper and like to go off road (low range gearing required). About to replace our other vehicle, a low riding sedan and debating between a cheapo runabout (Mazda 2 or similar) or a small SUV (Tiguan, Forester, maybe the new Mazda CX-5 that's yet to be released). What I like about SUVs (we had an Subi Outback before the Toyota) is not having to worry about curbs, etc when parking or entering driveways. Our sedan scrapes the tow bar and big speed bumps are a worry (scrapes exhaust under car). When parking you have to be careful not to wedge the front on curbs or roadside guttering. Embarassing (think... scrunch...) when you go to back out, although I haven't ripped the front bar off yet!

[Ratmagiclady]

Do yourself a favor and check out the Lexus RX and GX series.

Question: For what purpose?

[Ratmagiclady]

We have a 'proper' 4WD (a Toyota) as we tow our camper and like to go off road (low range gearing required). About to replace our other vehicle, a low riding sedan and debating between a cheapo runabout (Mazda 2 or similar) or a small SUV (Tiguan, Forester, maybe the new Mazda CX-5 that's yet to be released). What I like about SUVs (we had an Subi Outback before the Toyota) is not having to worry about curbs, etc when parking or entering driveways. Our sedan scrapes the tow bar and big speed bumps are a worry (scrapes exhaust under car). When parking you have to be careful not to wedge the front on curbs or roadside guttering. Embarassing (think... scrunch...) when you go to back out, although I haven't ripped the front bar off yet!

Well: . until quite recently, it seemed I had reason to actually go drive someone actually off-road.


I won't ask why you think parallel parking's any harder regardless of what you're driving...

[Just1MoreDave]

My first SUV was a 4x4 2000 Ford Excursion Limited with Turbo 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel that I used for 3 years then traded for a 2003 4x4 Excursion with Turbo 32 valve 6.0 PSD . I then sold it in late 2007 because it was too small for our trips to Florida with up to 12 people and luggage and now have a rare 2002 Chevy 3500 LS Express Van with 8.1L big block that has enough power to stay in OD fully loaded on grades with the AC on.

I bet any of those would be very exciting here in the west, where "grade" has a whole other dimension. I-70 coming into Denver from the Rockies:

[Ratmagiclady]

I bet any of those would be very exciting here in the west, where "grade" has a whole other dimension. I-70 coming into Denver from the Rockies:

That's why if I leave here, it'll either be with new brake rotors, or hooking up with I-95. Wondrous as the Smokies are.

[Northern Soul]

I regard cars that suck up the juice distasteful (for reasons that should be discussed elsewhere) and choose models that are efficient at what they do. My Bimmer (spunky but no hot rod) delivers about 22 mpg overall with 30% highway driving; the Boxster, which sees virtually no highway miles and is driven with some . . . . . . vigor, gets between 19.5 and 20 mpg, owing, I suppose, to a relatively high specific output mill and a curb weight of less than 2900 lbs.

So how do you square driving cars that give you about 21mpg on average with your distaste of cars that 'suck up juice'?

That sort of consumption is very unusual in the UK. I would guess most new cars sold in the UK do about 45mpg or more. I guess having petrol at about $8.30 per US gallon does that to you.

What's interesting to me is the maths of this. Take your average fuel consumption and price of petrol (I'm using $3.50) and it works out about $0.17 per mile in fuel.

Do the same with the average UK car (45mpg) and fuel cost and you get $0.21 - not a great deal different.

What is also interesting (to me, anyway) is that Land Rover don't sell the diesel engine in the US, and don't sell the petrol engine in the UK (at least not in the LR4) It's also noteable that the fuel consumption data is on the main page for each model in the UK, and I couldn't find it on the US site.

I do worry about the sheer volume of the finite resources we all share that you lot in the US are burning just so you can sit in unnecessarily large cars! (not aimed that the OP - your cars are relatively small, if quite thirsty by European standards)

[Sailor]

They don't have interior volume specs on the BMW web site but actual cargo space looks about the same, while the wagon is 600 pounds less. The wagon has less headroom by a couple of inches, might matter to tall people. Apparently woldwide X3 production is all from the Spartanburg, SC plant.

My first visit would be to see a Mazda 5 but I inherited my Dad's weird car gene. He owned cars from Hudson, Studebaker, two DKWs and a Austin (Morris) Marina.

Dave, I looked for the same data and didn't find them either. As it happens, the dealer does have a wagon as a service shuttle (I use it every year and oil change time); my eyeball estimate is that the X3 is some bigger (it has a bit longer wheelbase), but if we get serious about this, we'll bring a tape measure and quantify the differences, if there are any.

Jer

So how do you square driving cars that give you about 21mpg on average with your distaste of cars that 'suck up juice'?

That sort of consumption is very unusual in the UK) . . . . . . .

Well, for one thing, I don't live in the UK - although I've been there and love the small part I've seen of it.

My choice of the word, "distaste", was a poor one, since it has a judgemental tone. However, given our country's dependence on imported oil, I do take fuel consumption into account when buying a car (even a sports car) although differences in efficiency between two competing models would have little impact on overall ownership cost, given the small number of miles our cars accumulate annually. I don't claim to "wear a hair shirt" in this regard, but I am strongly influenced by gas mileage of a car relative to others of its type; obviously, I have to choose among models available in the U.S.

Jer

[Don From The Radio]

That sort of consumption is very unusual in the UK. I would guess most new cars sold in the UK do about 45mpg or more. I guess having petrol at about $8.30 per US gallon does that to you.

You guys also use a different unit of measure for a gallon. A 45 mpg car in UK gets about 38 mpg here, which is very good mileage. We also have larger distances to drive and more room in which to park the larger cars. It's a cultural thing. I think the only country in the world with a similar big car/truck culture is Australia.

[Phil1]

Here is a pretty good site with some key but limited shopping info on SUVs and station wagons and the rest.

Top-Ranked Cars and Trucks | U.S. News Best Cars

[Northern Soul]

You guys also use a different unit of measure for a gallon. A 45 mpg car in UK gets about 38 mpg here, which is very good mileage. We also have larger distances to drive and more room in which to park the larger cars. It's a cultural thing. I think the only country in the world with a similar big car/truck culture is Australia.

I get a little more than 45mpg (imperial) out of mine. Here it is doing 72mpg imperial, or 86.4 mpg (US) - and that's an average reading, not an instantaneous one. Don't forget that this is a car with 6 individually adjustable full-sized adult seats in it. It also has 500 gallons (US) of room in the back for stuff, and has a flat floor so it's easy to get things in and out.




I'm not sure you have larger distances to drive, do you? If you wanted to drive coast to coast it'd be further, but I guess you're subject to the same physics as any of us, and that your daily commutes are much the same as ours because there are only 24 hours in a day? I've done 2000 miles in a week in a car not much bigger than a Focus, and did 1000 miles in 3 days in a Ford Ka (140 inches long) and called it a holiday. Cars don't have to be big to go long distances.