Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Which small SUV / Crossover?

Thats funny. Our final three were the Rogue,the Rav4 and the Subaru. Even stripped down,we couldn't get the Rav4 close enough to our budget. The 4wd system seemed funky as well. The Rogue was a close second behind the Outback,didn't have near the cargo room of the Outback though.

Well that just goes to show that great minds think alike, and apparently ours do as well!


I liked the Outback almost as much as the Forester, but picked the Forester because of its higher driver position (better visibility) and cargo capacity. My younger daughter loves her Outback (which she recently bought, used, with 155,000 mileson it and in excellent condition).

I can't say with 100% certainty but from the list of vehicles you're considering, I believe the Suzuki Vitara is the only one that is rear wheel drive, and offers a true 4X4 Hi/Low range transfer case.

This may or may not be an issue to you but in my opinion, assuming that in your line of work you will be doing a lot of almost all highway driving in all kinds of weather, you might be better served by a front wheel/all-wheel drive vehicle.

Also, were it me spending long hours behind the wheel, I believe I'd have to add comfort to my list of requirement's.

I own a 2002 Chevy Tracker/Suzuki Vitara 4X4 (different brands but same vehicle thru 2004) and do like it very well for how I use it. That said, as well as I like it, it lacks a bit in the comfort area and do believe I would soon dread spending hours upon hours driving it on extended road trips, day in and day out. As always, YMMV.

If you're the kind of guy that measures his manhood based on the vehicle you drive,then you won't like a Subaru.

They're not big macho 4x4 trucks. They're solid,affordable,capable,and very practical.

My wife's Turbo Subaru Forester is simply awesome. It's really capable in the snow, a hoot to drive and - so far (five years) - 100% reliable.

This is like the equivalent of a .30/06 vs .270 thread only not nearly as nasty.

Well, doc, I think even the harshest of the "Subaru's are gay" guys here will let you keep your man card if you haul around a dead bison!

For what it is worth on the Subaru question, 2 guys I know here in northern Sweden (i.e. snow and ice driving is the norm for 5-6 months per year) have had multiple Subaru's each over the years and they don't even bother looking at other brands when it is time for a new vehicle.

John

That's only because neither the .30-06 and the .270 have been officially endorsed as the official American Lesbian Caliber.

For what it's worth, John, I've really missed my Forester since I sold it to my daughter. The only reasons I'm not gonna buy another Subaru now that I've moved down to west Texas is that 1)the winter roads down here don't require that level of winter roadworthiness, and 2) I need a pickup for hauling more cargo. Oh, and 3)my Lady is talking about trading in her Chrysler and buying a Subaru.

These reasons, plus the lamentable fact that Subaru doesn't make a pickup, have made my mind up.

But if I lived anywhere north of southern Oklahoma, I'd be buying another Subaru and a utility trailer for cargo-hauling.

Any experience with the Suraru Tribeca?

The recent Tribecas are decent.

The early ones were pretty goofy looking both front and rear and had the older 3.0 liter H-6 which required premium fuel.
The later ones have the 3.6l H-6 which uses regular.
The 7 passenger versions are barely usable in the rearmost seat.

The wife had a 1999 CRV AWD and we never had any trouble with it. She now has a 2011 CRV AWD and she loves it. It has about 10 more horsepower and the back seat has more leg room. I am 6'4" and have plenty of leg room on the passenger side. I have not driven it so can't speak to the drivers side. I did ride in the back seat while going to therapy for my knee replacement and managed pretty good. miles

In 2007 the CRV was redesigned and based on the Accord chasis instead of the civic chasis. Making a longer wheel base and bigger vehicle all around. The rear windows are small on the 3rd generation (2007-present) CRVs. My wife has a 2006 CRV and that thing is great. With the seats folded down you can haul nearly as much stuff as I can fit in my Ford Ranger bed.

We looked at the newer foresters when we were shopping, the dash is higher and the big "nose" on that thing made it difficult for my wife to drive. That said, my mom went from a 92 Subaru Loyale to a 2004 CRV, she likes her CRV but it doesn't handle the snow nearly as well as the subaru did.

We have a 2001 Honda CRV which we purchased as a Honda Certified used car in the fall of 2003. The car had 23,000 miles a time of purchase. It now has 275,000 miles. We use Mobil One with a moly additive and a LOF every 12K miles. We have a great Honda mechanic who keeps the car in tip top condition mechanically. So far, we've only had to replace belts and hoses, one starter and one water pump. I told my wife I'll not be satisfied with less than 400,000 miles from this great little car. I believe the car can do it. If we get those miles with LOF every 12k miles, I'd say that is a good return on investment.
The CRV's are not real peppy (the engine makes its HP at pretty high rpms) but they are very sound. They have a great ride with AWD as soon as a rear wheel slips 1.5 turns (If I recall correctly). The current production model makes significantly more horespower than ours and the interiors are very nice. I don't think the CRV is the best choice for a SUV that is primarily off-road, but it is a great choice for a primarily highway vehicle where you also want AWD for snowy pavement and such. We've had ours in deep snow and never gotten it stuck.

Its been a great car.

One minute you're saving the rainforest and the next you're chugging cock.

Driving a Subaru don't make you gay, but it don't help......

http://www.bnet.com/blog/electric-cars/gay-friendly-cars-is-subaru-number-one/309

http://gaywheels.com/category/subaru-reviews/

I would go with a Jeep Liberty 2005-5006 with the 2.8L Turbo CRD (Common Rail Diesel). I have two friends that own them, both say they get 36MPG of better. The best I have heard from one of them was 42MPG!

Wife has a 2008 Honda CRV and I have been really impressed with it. The 4wd drive system works very well. We don't get a lot of snow but it has performed great the few times it has been out in it. Gets good gas mileage, is fairly comfy and has a decent amount of room in it.

The local Subaru Dealer in Bremerton makes a donation to Human Society US with every Subaru purchased off their lot. I dpon't know if this is a National thing or not, but I would sure be checking this out before purcasing a Subaru as I sure don't want to be supporting Purcell(SP) (the founder of PETA) who is now at the head of Human Society US.

Interesting info on the Subaru's. Actually, I never even thought about them since the local dealer has none on the lot. I'll do some checking into them.

Thanks,

Chris

I drive a lot in the snow and ice. Far more than most.

I looked at many options, Pilots, CRVs, Outbacks, Santa Fes, Foresters.

Last year I purchased a 6 cylinder 3.0L Limited Outback in December to drive for work.

I put about 30k miles on it and sold it late this Spring.

Loved the car. Loved the way it handled bad roads.

Hated the way it treated me after working all day in the cold and having to drive 6-8 hours that night. The car felt good the first few hours but when hour 4 or 5 rolled around, I started getting pretty uncomfortable.

I am an extreme case with regard to the miles I drive. If I was only commuting some or driving in and out of town, I would and do wholeheartedly recommend a Subaru Outback. The Forester, not so much. Felt much lighter and chincy.

If you buy an Outback, try to get the 6 cylinder. It's absolutely bulletproof. No timing belts to replace. No head gasket issues which the 4 cylinder Sub engines are notorious for.

Now I am looking at getting a used Audi Allroad. Heard and read a lot about them. Looking forward to picking one up tomorrow. Hopefully it will meet my expectations.