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(SFR) Time for a new FFing vehicle

7K views 118 replies 62 participants last post by  David Loy 
#1 ·
I'm finally financially stable enough (after many years of higher education) to consider replacing my trusty '91 Ranger 2WD pickup. I've been driving her since '99 and we've been all over the western US and Canada . ..but a recent marriage and modern safety features present new considerations!

I'm looking for first-hand info on the newer model (2003+) Toyota RAV4's, Subaru Forester and Outback wagons, and Honda's goofy looking Element. I do a lot of 2-3 night road trips with my wife in National Forest areas (gravel and 2-track roads) but I'm not looking for hard-core 4WD performance.

I'll be doing some test driving this weekend but I'd appreciate a review of these rigs as they perform as fishing cars.

thanks in advance,

Rod:beer2:
 
#52 ·
Salmo_g said:
They're not for everybody, especially CWU girl and Sloan, but it might be right for you.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.
Obviously I'm in the miniority, but I've gotta say.....I have friends that would laugh and point if I bought a Subaru. And no, they're not crazy ********, they're mostly liberal leaning city dwellers, but thankfully, brutally honest. :p The taunting...the jokes... lesbaru... no thanks.

The Honda Element also falls in to the laugh and point catagory.

I'm looking at getting a new ride but I just can't justify the purchase since my 12 year old exploder just won't die and I'd rather not have a car payment. I'm looking at Toyota FJ Crusier, Honda Pilot, Nissan Xterra, and Nissan Pathfinder.

((Anyone reading this post please understand I'm NOT completely serious...))
 
G
#53 ·
Here are a couple of my suggestions; Volvo cross country, Toyota land cruiser and ML 320. Most previously owned vehicles that cost over 40k new are taken pretty good care of. Chances are you can get one for a good deal and they will hold thier value much better.
Good luck.
I recently went from an 83' Land Cruiser to a 2000. Toyota's don't break and hold value.
 
#54 ·
CWUGirl_ said:
Obviously I'm in the miniority, but I've gotta say.....I have friends that would laugh and point if I bought a Subaru. And no, they're not crazy ********, they're mostly liberal leaning city dwellers, but thankfully, brutally honest. :p The taunting...the jokes... lesbaru... no thanks.

The Honda Element also falls in to the laugh and point catagory.

I'm looking at getting a new ride but I just can't justify the purchase since my 12 year old exploder just won't die and I'd rather not have a car payment. I'm looking at Toyota FJ Crusier, Honda Pilot, Nissan Xterra, and Nissan Pathfinder.

((Anyone reading this post please understand I'm NOT completely serious...))
Wow, you hate on subarus and you get an fj cruiser? or a honda pilot? Come one now! The newest outbacks are faster than porshe boxers, have more torque than most suvs and small to midsize pickups. All subaru engines now are based of off porshe boxer design, except they incorporate different and smaller turbos, and obiously all wheel drive. Subarus are the shit, and if you dont know it, you havent had one.
 
#55 ·
CWUGirl_ said:
Obviously I'm in the miniority, but I've gotta say.....I have friends that would laugh and point if I bought a Subaru. And no, they're not crazy ********, they're mostly liberal leaning city dwellers, but thankfully, brutally honest. :p The taunting...the jokes... lesbaru... no thanks.

The Honda Element also falls in to the laugh and point catagory.

I'm looking at getting a new ride but I just can't justify the purchase since my 12 year old exploder just won't die and I'd rather not have a car payment. I'm looking at Toyota FJ Crusier, Honda Pilot, Nissan Xterra, and Nissan Pathfinder.

((Anyone reading this post please understand I'm NOT completely serious...))
I laugh and point at people driving FJ Cruisers, Pilots, Xterras, and Pathfinders.
 
#56 ·
My main criterion looking for a new rig (after my '89 Pathfinder got ripped off:mad: ) was something big enough to sleep in (besides carry gear). Got a '06 Toyota Taco, 6-speed manual, off-road package. Sweet rig, but only about 18-20 mpg. :(
 
#57 ·
Dan Soltau said:
The newest outbacks are faster than porshe boxers, have more torque than most suvs and small to midsize pickups. All subaru engines now are based of off porshe boxer design, except they incorporate different and smaller turbos, and obiously all wheel drive. Subarus are the shit, and if you dont know it, you havent had one.
Actually, the basic 2007 outback doesn't have as much torque or horsepower as the basic 2007 explorer, pathfinder, jeep grand cheroke, durango, escalade. dakota,....
 
#60 ·
Buying a fishing vehicle is like buying a flyrod you got to try it before you buy it. I have made a short list of vehicles that I would buy in the "cute-ute" catagory. They are big enough to seat four adults for short trips. They all would accomodate a fully inflated pontoon on a good rack on the top. I would buy a front wheel drive NOT a four wheel drive and a 4 cyl with a stick.
Good MPG low maintanance less expensive.
The criteria for me is comfort. If I am going to sit in one of these for a average trip to the fishing hole it has got to comfortable. I don't want to get to the fishing spot only to be crippled by the poor seating.
Based on my "research" the seat of my pants! the Honda Element is out, the Suburu is awful. the Kia and Hyundai are tolerable.
If I were to buy right now here are my top three in orer of preference.
1. Ford Escape
2. Saturn Vue
3. Honda CRV
All three of these are available new like I want for under 20K. All get 28MPG or so on the highway.
They are not fast, they may not appeal to everyone but I think they all get a nod for practicality.
Blessings
jesse
 
#61 ·
Sloan Craven said:
Actually, the basic 2007 outback doesn't have as much torque or horsepower as the basic 2007 explorer, pathfinder, jeep grand cheroke, durango, escalade. dakota,....
I said most suvs and small pick ups, maybe not the expensive ones. Escape, Tracker, Rav4... Ford Ranger, the cheapest colorados,... Plus, if you bought the most powerful outback, and put in $500 afterwoards you can have over 400 horsies... I have a wrx and to get over 300 horsepower would mean new injectors, fuel pump, and ecu, which total around $500 if you know what to get and where.
If you are gunna et an suv, get a big one, unless it is huge and you can carry an insane amoun of stuff in it, then I would much rather have a subie. Plus, I hate hondas, ford is about to go down, and toyota is quite expensive although they are great cars and will last a long time. But so will a subaru...;)
 
#62 ·
This is a great thread!
I was gonna mention the Lezbaru thing earlier, but I thought it a bit unappropriate. But it is true, lesbians love subarus.
As for the Honda element. I have heard good things about it, but I just can't get over the look.
The comment about the head gasket on the Subies is interesting. Interesting because the head gasket in my girlfriends subaru just took a dump.
 
#63 ·
CWU Girl,

You're probably still young enough to let what other people think influence your choice of car to drive. When I was that young, I drove a '55 Chevy set up for drag racing on the streets. It was a lousy fishing and camping car. But it was a chick getter, that is, the shallow, easy to impress ones, which admittedly was my target audience at the time. But that was a long time ago, and I haven't given a rat's ass what other people think of my car and truck choices for decades. Life's short. Drive what ya' want. That said, by most objective criteria: power, AWD, ground clearance, cargo and towing capacity, the Subaru Outback makes a heck of a fishing rig.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.
 
#64 ·
Love/hate Subarus, only because the one I bought new in '82, a GL 4x4 wagon, was the best surfing/skiing rig I ever owned, and the most uncomfortable long-distance cruiser...bad on the lower back because the seats are way too close to the floor...designed for someone about 5'6" or less. I'm almost 6'1" . I have the same complaint about Toyota's too.
I put 230,000 miles on the soob before I sold it to a local who needed a work rig and didn't mind that the hood had holes in it, the hatch was falling off, and the passenger door was also about to fall off.
Those early 80's rigs became notorious for rusting out, and the fact that I regularly drove mine on the beach, not just to surf, but to cut, gather and haul firewood with, didn't help. I live on the coast and parked it near or at the beach all day every day in the salt spray, and rarely washed it (let rain do it). In the winter, I would drive home from the surf still in my wetsuit (never more than 9 miles which is the furthest I have lived from the break in the last 23 years, and with towels on the seat) to hop in the hot shower at home.
The engine and running gear were still mechanically sound and working well when I dumped it.

Never worry about how other people may or may not be judging you. It is 100% irrelevant, unless you are trying out for amerikan idol, or something. C'mon, who really cares if some wet-behind-the-ears moron thinks a car is "gay?" Freedom sometimes happens when other people's opinions simply don't matter.

Most comfortable rig I ever owned was a Ford Ranger V6 Xtra cab P/U. It had a split bench seat and my back never got sore driving it. Mechanically it was a POS gas hog (only got 19mpg hwy, less short haul). If I could find something with a seat like that that got 30mpg, I'd buy one asap!

I'm going to need something that can pull a light 16' aluminum sled back up a ramp and still get superior gas mileage. Does that animal exist yet?
 
#65 ·
chadk said:
I just like to laught and point at people. Why limit yourself to the type of car they drive? :confused:
I'm from NY, I like to honk my horn and then flip people off...just the assholes. But there's lots of assholes out there...:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

CWU, are we talking bull ***** or lipstick cuties...:clown: ? Face it, the only reason that association sticks around her is due to the great number of lesbians in the Seattle area...it would never float in Montana where Subies are all over...
 
#67 ·
CWUGirl_ said:
Obviously I'm in the miniority, but I've gotta say.....I have friends that would laugh and point if I bought a Subaru. And no, they're not crazy ********, they're mostly liberal leaning city dwellers, but thankfully, brutally honest. :p The taunting...the jokes... lesbaru... no thanks.

The Honda Element also falls in to the laugh and point catagory.

I'm looking at getting a new ride but I just can't justify the purchase since my 12 year old exploder just won't die and I'd rather not have a car payment. I'm looking at Toyota FJ Crusier, Honda Pilot, Nissan Xterra, and Nissan Pathfinder.

((Anyone reading this post please understand I'm NOT completely serious...))
you're not alone. my wife feels the same way about them. i thought that one would make a good car for her last year when she wanted a new car. I really thought the subaru would be a good option.
she didn't...and there was nothing unclear about her not wanting a subaru.
 
#68 ·
I'm going to need something that can pull a light 16' aluminum sled back up a ramp and still get superior gas mileage. Does that animal exist yet?
__________________
I had a 3/4 ton diesel p/up that got 22mpg on the hiway and would pull a house up the ramp if you needed it too till it got stolen.
how about a diesel jeep liberty...30something mpg and will tow quite a bit, biodiesel friendly, etc.
 
#73 ·
Jeep Wrangler. I have one and I tell you what I will never own another car as long as I live. that Jeep has gotten me every where I need with plenty of storage, heck If you don't have enough storage you can always attach racks out the wazoo. I like the new 4-door, it's pretty nice and well worth the look.:beer2:
 
#74 ·
Stephen Rice said:
Jeep Wrangler. I have one and I tell you what I will never own another car as long as I live. that Jeep has gotten me every where I need with plenty of storage, heck If you don't have enough storage you can always attach racks out the wazoo. I like the new 4-door, it's pretty nice and well worth the look.:beer2:
We can't keep the 4 doors on the lot. we got 2 yesterday...they won't last long, one's a rubicon and it's very cool.
 
#75 ·
Dan Soltau said:
I had a jeep liberty, worst fishing rig ever. We got rid of it in two monthes for a Yukon XL, which if money is not an issue, is the best fishing rig out there.
The older you get you'll find there are less absolutes in life. You're definitely not there yet.

How does the Yukon XL smell at the end of a fishing trip when you have two wet dogs jumping in the back after every stop? Or after 5 years of having that happen? Just curious, because my truck with canopy handles the dogs (in back with wet gear) and passengers very well (up front).
 
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