How much ground clearance do you really need?

Yea def take a look. I mean once you get into that highline stuff you really can't go wrong, they're all so damn nice. While your at it you may as well check out the Maserati Lavante  

I love my VW Alltrack.  It rocked in some fairly deep, unplowed snow upstate this winter.  Plus, I believe it is the only station wagon available in the US that comes in a manual!  

I had a Lotus for a short period of time when I was very young, I could never buy Italian again. I don’t know why my stint with a Triumph hasn’t given me the same feeling though. I loved the comment my machinists told me when I was having them balance & plane the pistons on my TR6 - “WW1 was the height of British metallurgy”

 I think it's pretty easy to make the argument for using a truck as a daily. They're reliable and you can get a lot of miles out of them.

The biggest problem I have with modern SUVs is that the engines and trannys fail prematurely. This is because they are under built to reduce weight, and theoretically increase fuel economy. They put in small engines that rev at high RPMs and run close to water for oil to produce the power necessary to move a vehicle of their size. Those engines won't last nearly as long as a truck. Trannys aren't built to last either.  The tranny on our Traverse shit the bed at 130K miles, meanwhile we have two POS 90s GM pickups both with over 200K miles still going strong. Ive talked to a lot of mechanics about this and they all say modern crossovers/SUVs just aren't made to put on the miles.  Trucks are just built to last. Really anything with a longitudinal drivetrain will last a lot longer. My buddy drives a Chev Tahoe which is basically truck, and he's at 320xxx miles.

If you want a small SUV that's fine, just plan on trading it on after you put a few miles on it.

My Nissan 4 banger gets 29 MPG at best and meanwhile the new GM 1/2 tonners get like 27 (i've driven them, it's not joke) so if you can afford to have a vehicle that you know will last a long time, and keep you safe in whatever life throws at you, get a truck. No fault there. 1/2 tonners (1500s) are really designed as daily drivers for the most part anyway. It's when you start driving a 3/4, or a dually as a daily that it gets silly. But if it sets your pants on fire, drive whatever you want. I have a 3/4 ton chevy with a 454 that I drive just for fun sometimes. Nissan is the daily.

Marcski wrote

I love my VW Alltrack.  It rocked in some fairly deep, unplowed snow upstate this winter.  Plus, I believe it is the only station wagon available in the US that comes in a manual!  

Uhm, have you ever heard of a Subaru Outback?

BTW, what are the chances that either Platty, or Belleayre will reopen this weekend?

New Outbacks (almost all new Subarus?) don't come with manual transmissions. Right, camp?

Ethan Snow wrote

Marcski wrote

I love my VW Alltrack.  It rocked in some fairly deep, unplowed snow upstate this winter.  Plus, I believe it is the only station wagon available in the US that comes in a manual!  

Uhm, have you ever heard of a Subaru Outback?

BTW, what are the chances that either Platty, or Belleayre will reopen this weekend?

I'm pretty sure the Outback is only offered in a CVT these days. They haven't offered a manual tranny in the Outback for a couple of years.

Despite having plenty of snow left on most snowmaking trails and picking up a few inches over the next couple of days I doubt either will re-open this weekend.

HAve a newer Forester; yes they are rather tall. Have parked next to Outback and they have much lower roof. Both have the same (8.7 inch ) ground clearance.

campgottagopee wrote

Benny Profane wrote

 

Don't get me going about everyone driving around in thos stupid pickup trucks.  

Whatev --- let me see you toss a dead deer in your, ahem, car with clearance ----- or firewood ---- or pellets ---- or dirt ---- or sand ---- or hay ---- or ladders ---- or staging ----- or blocks ---- or bricks --- or lumber

I used to hear that from dudes I worked with in Saratoga when I lived there. Of course, they did the same thing I did for a living, parking their asses in front of a computer for 8-10 hours, so, you know, hauling crap for work was not a factor. All of the things besides the deer you mention can be delivered. You know, by the guy who actually needs a pickup truck. How many times do you actually haul firewood, anyway? Or.......hay? Wtf? Hay?? And the deer? Strap that thing to the hood of your car, like your grandad did. He didn't need no 60,000 dollar Queencab to get through life.

PeeTex wrote

I had a Lotus for a short period of time when I was very young, I could never buy Italian again. I don’t know why my stint with a Triumph hasn’t given me the same feeling though. I loved the comment my machinists told me when I was having them balance & plane the pistons on my TR6 - “WW1 was the height of British metallurgy”

The Lotus was British. Colin Chapman stirs in his grave.

Benny Profane wrote

The Lotus was British. Colin Chapman stirs in his grave.

And now, it's Chinese.

As is Volvo.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

New Outbacks (almost all new Subarus?) don't come with manual transmissions. Right, camp?

     Sadly I think only Subaru WRX and perhaps Forester are now available with manual. :(

Get a sedan or hatch w/ AWD, snow tires, and a roof rack/box for your skis. I drive a Subaru WRX hatch and I have never had any clearance issues. Drive it through tons of snow all the time for powder days. Any road I couldn’t get it through I would probably need studded tires for anyways. Ground clearance is more important for off-roading than for snow.

Highly recommend any Subaru. An Impreza hatch would be pretty ideal for the city as well.

Icecoastchef wrote

Love this pic.  Thinking about reviving the ski car series of posts.

Tips forward?

MC2 5678F589 wrote

New Outbacks (almost all new Subarus?) don't come with manual transmissions. Right, camp?

Almost. you can still get a bolt action in the Impreza 4 and 5 door models, BRZ, Forester and Crosstrek. It used to be people bought bolt action trans for better MPG, but now that the CVT's are getting better mileage they are quickly becoming extinct. And for the more fun to drive peeps, sport shift is now providing that fun.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

Tips forward?

I wondered the same thing

PeeTex wrote

I had a Lotus for a short period of time when I was very young

Wasn't a turbo esprit was it? Even today that's one cool exotic car.

PeeTex wrote

  I don’t know why my stint with a Triumph hasn’t given me the same feeling though. I loved the comment my machinists told me when I was having them balance & plane the pistons on my TR6 - “WW1 was the height of British metallurgy”

My HS hoops coach had a red TR6 and at that time I thought it was the coolest car I had ever seen. I had a TR7, so much fun, nobody knew what that car was even if it was/is the bastard child for Triumph. I'd still love to get my hands on a TR8 or even a Sunbeam Tiger ---- little car that packs a big punch.

Ethan Snow wrote

I think it's pretty easy to make the argument for using a truck as a daily. They're reliable and you can get a lot of miles out of them.

The biggest problem I have with modern SUVs is that the engines and trannys fail prematurely. This is because they are under built to reduce weight, and theoretically increase fuel economy. They put in small engines that rev at high RPMs and run close to water for oil to produce the power necessary to move a vehicle of their size. Those engines won't last nearly as long as a truck. Trannys aren't built to last either.  The tranny on our Traverse shit the bed at 130K miles, meanwhile we have two POS 90s GM pickups both with over 200K miles still going strong. Ive talked to a lot of mechanics about this and they all say modern crossovers/SUVs just aren't made to put on the miles.  Trucks are just built to last. Really anything with a longitudinal drivetrain will last a lot longer. My buddy drives a Chev Tahoe which is basically truck, and he's at 320xxx miles.

If you want a small SUV that's fine, just plan on trading it on after you put a few miles on it.

My Nissan 4 banger gets 29 MPG at best and meanwhile the new GM 1/2 tonners get like 27 (i've driven them, it's not joke) so if you can afford to have a vehicle that you know will last a long time, and keep you safe in whatever life throws at you, get a truck. No fault there. 1/2 tonners (1500s) are really designed as daily drivers for the most part anyway. It's when you start driving a 3/4, or a dually as a daily that it gets silly. But if it sets your pants on fire, drive whatever you want. I have a 3/4 ton chevy with a 454 that I drive just for fun sometimes. Nissan is the daily.

Lots of truth there bro

Icecoastchef wrote

Get a sedan or hatch w/ AWD, snow tires, and a roof rack/box for your skis. I drive a Subaru WRX hatch and I have never had any clearance issues. Drive it through tons of snow all the time for powder days. Any road I couldn’t get it through I would probably need studded tires for anyways. Ground clearance is more important for off-roading than for snow.

Highly recommend any Subaru. An Impreza hatch would be pretty ideal for the city as well.

You do realize that your skis and bindings are almost covered as much in grime and junk as your grill? Buy a box.

And, unfortunately, the WRX hatch is no longer.