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Hi people, I'm in the market for a hybrid SUV, wagon or car. I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for the best one out there. My ideal would be the VW Touareg Hybrid model, but I don't know when that is coming out. Does anyone have any advice re. hybrids, for or against? Do Toyota's recent recalls affect the Prius?
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Get yrself a diesel. Better mileage, less batteries.
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I was wondering about the diesel, is it easy to get diesel at any gas station, or is this going to be an inconvenient thing when driving around the country?
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I'm not sure how you could possibly be contemplating a Toureg and a Prius in the same breath... these are WILDLY different cars. The former is a big ol' SUV that could carry a prius on its roof rack. And while a hybrid Toureg will have good gas mileage for its class... my 12 year old mid-size car will probably still beat it by a long shot.
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I realize that this is the message board of the most awesomest hood in the country, but sometimes, even the wealth of knowledge streaming from the fingertips of barely working from home writers, artists, and others who are still allowed to post on this board isn't as valuable a professional. My advice would be to go to the bookstore or newstand and pick up a few car magazines. I'm sure there are at least 3 titles with feature stories on your exact question.
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Diesel is easy to find. It's at all truck stops, turnpike rest areas etc. It's at Hess at Union St here. Check out the VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI. There are many examples in the neighborhood on the street.
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Where do you want to go, and what do you want to do with your car? Why do you want a hybrid? If you're just worried about fuel prices, but still like to drive, get the Jetta. If you want a billion miles to the gallon, the closest you'll find is the Prius or the Honda Insight, though both drive like golf carts. If you need an SUV, check out the RX400h or the Touareg (the diesel gets slightly better mileage than the hybrid, but your call). If you want a mid-sized sedan, check out the Prius but I'd steer you toward the Ford Fusion hybrid. If you just want something that says "hybrid," then again check out the Prius, as it's instantly recognizable so everyone will know how eco-conscious you are. But there are enough hybrid (or otherwise fuel-efficient) options out there that you may as well have asked "what car should I buy?" (Exceptions: don't bother with any GM hybrid, as they're barely more efficient than the gas models and significantly heavier.) Oh, and diesel is easy enough to find around here, but if you're planning any cross-country trips you may have to pull into the truck side of a rest area to find it.
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Thanks all, I have heard the Jetta is very good, but I want something, ideally in the range of a small-SUV size (I do a lot of hiking and trips with gear, and have been known to nap in the back of my 'vehicle between hikes) --but one that doesn't make me look like a non-eco friendly jerk. I am biased towards the VWs stylistically, but I know that they are perhaps a little overpriced--I sort of like the Tiguan, which I guess is less huge than the Touareg. I'm a bit sketched out by Toyota now, and I just never find the modern fords that attractive. I heard that the Touareg is coming out with a hybrid model this summer--but that it is going to cost an arm and a leg (its something like 50K Euro). So perhaps the Tiguan is my next best option? Drunken Revival, your point is well taken, thanks so much, the truth is my pea brain gets pretty overwhelmed pretty fast by the jargon and all the facts and figures, (I have no idea what torsion is, or why might want different sized wheels etc) I pretty much like looking at the pretty pictures and will probably blindly choose based on aesthetic reasons and the lame assumption that if I've made a bad pick, it can't be as bad as a stuck accelerator so....And so I caved in to the generous and infinitely knowledgeable posters at brooklynian. As you say, truly the loveliest message board around.
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i'd check out the car talk website. they even have a gadget that recommends cars for you: http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/auto/inputSummary.do i bet they'll recommend you consider the subaru outback -- on air, at least, it's their go-to "i want an SUV without looking like an asshole" choice.Bumping ancient threads with bot-like bullshit
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Stay away from the Toureg. Mechanically it just sucks. Gas wise and space wise it sucks as well. If you're going to do some serious off-roading then look at the Toyota's SR5-4Runner, Land Cruiser and Seqouia. The RX400 is strictly for all-season roads rather than trails. If it's strictly cross-country with dirt roads mixed in I imagine most automobiles will do the trick. I have taken my '01 S-80 across this vast land and in the wilds of Canukia with no problem and in great comfort and good gas mileage. I'm looking for another vehicle as well, leaning towards a cross-over with AWD. Mostly the Acura ZDX, BMW GT (6 Cylinder) and the new BMW X3 Hybrid. I still do alot of cross-country and plan on driving to Central and South AMerica where AWD, maybe even 4WD and diesel will be essential. Look at Consumer Reports ( http://www.consumerreports.org ) for the cars. Most magazines only focus on the ride rather than the mechanics and the reliability. Then use BBB.org to look up car dealers. I'd stay away from most of the new car dealers in NYC. My experience is they're not into customer service in any way, shape or form."Clamato! Straight Up! No chasah!
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Actually, a Honda Pilot might be the best thing if you're not going off-roading."Clamato! Straight Up! No chasah!
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The cost of ownership for Volkswagen is very high in my opinion. Not too many places can fix those cars but the rip-off dealers. If youre looking for a luxury hybrid SUV I think the Lexus RX is great choice. A more affordable hybrid suv would be the Ford Escape :0
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OK, so I"ve done my research. My final choice will be between: Volvo (I know) XC70 Ford Escape Hybrid Mini Cooper (I know!) VW Golf I realize this is a bit all over the place, but any advice pro or con any of these models?
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Being a Volvo owner, I can honestly say it's the biggest tub on wheels. It spends half its time in the shop as it does on the road. Maybe things will change with the new owners of the corporation."Clamato! Straight Up! No chasah!
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you are considering the VW golf and the Mini ...why did you rule out the other mini wagons? the Toyota matrix the Subaru ImprezaFor better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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When we bought our car the Mini and VW Golf were both on our short list. We ended up with a Ford Focus and no regrets at all. Ours is the hatchback. Do not underestimate the value of a short car and a small turning radius when parking. Or wait just a bit and get the Ford Fiesta coming in in 2011 short, high millage and lots of luxury for a small car http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/fiesta/ Total cost of ownership on the Hybrids is still high and the carbon footprint can be higher than the regular car But choosing from your short list, I'd take the Mini.
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My one anxiety with the volvo was repairs, and it sounds like it can be a sort of lemon. I'm inclined towards the mini--but it's just, well, small. Does anyone have a mini cooper clubman--can you fit a bike in the back with that at least?? I'm worried that my outdoorsy stuff will suffer with a mini. I agree about hybrids, the truth is, I'm not such a big driver that I'm obsessed with the mileage issue. My anxiety with the ford escape hybrid is that it becomes so heavy (with the extra 300 lbs) it is difficult to handle re. breaking and high speeds etc. Hmmm....probably leaning towards a mini myself....
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Mini Cooper is coming out with a true 4-door within a half year (from what I hear). With lots of options and I believe a little more room than the Clubman."Clamato! Straight Up! No chasah!
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Are you getting a new or used car BTW? total cost of ownership goes way down after the first 3 years which is when you get most of the depreciation.
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The Volvo can indeed be a lemon, but it can also run for years without any hiccups; we've had both in my family, including one that ran for 120,000 miles in eight years with never more than routine maintenance. They come with complementary scheduled maintenance, but only for the first three years, so it's not foolproof. That said, they're incredibly practical and comfortable cars, and can get you and your gear up just about any snowy, muddy incline you can throw at them. Minis are tons of fun but good luck taking all of your hiking gear in one - or even worse, trying to sleep in the back of one. I really don't see the point of a Clubman, as they add several hundred pounds and add marginal utility (and look ridiculous in my opinion); if you want the extra space, you probably just don't want a mini. Also, they have relatively low ground clearance, so a stump on a trail could cause a problem, and as they're basically miniature BMWs (and serviced as such), it'll be an expensive problem to fix. Finally, if you think VWs are expensive for what they offer, again, the miniature BMW thing. No experience with the Escape Hybrid or the Golf, though the Escape hybrid has a lot of fans in the car magazine world, none of whom seem to find the extra weight to be an issue - test drive one if that's what's holding you back. I have heard lots of great things about the new Fiesta, and it would undercut most of the cars on this list by quite a lot.
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I'm getting a new car, for sure. Now I'm on the fence regarding volvos. Hmmmm..... Plus I hear minis are super noisy on the highway.....but the volvos are certainly pricey...ugh it never ends....
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Does anyone know anything about reliability rating of the ford escape hybrid?
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Took me all day, but here's that info on the Ford Escape http://tinyurl.com/34g25km
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I saw earlier that the Ford escape had a score of 7 on that reliability scale, but sadly, I'm not quite sure what that means. Is that a good score or just average?
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I will say one thing about the Ford, after having bought my Focus, I've had such bad experiences with the dealers not knowing what they are doing and charging way exorbitantly for work. Manhattan Ford is one of the few that is owned by Ford, not a franchise, even they gave me bad information one time and the other time wouldn't take the time to road test and diagnose a problem
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I'm in the market for a car myself. I've so far been leaning against a hybrid, figuring that owning a car in NYC which is not used regularly will offset the concerns I might have about fuel consumption. Ford has done an excellent catch-up job in the hybrid department. the Fusion Hybrid was named Motor Trend's 2010 Car of the Year. Their SUV hybrid gets surprisingly good mileage, from what I've read, for something that size. If what it seems like you're looking for is that combination, I would absolutely go that route. I have a 2010 Automobile magazine's buyer's guide at home which I've been going through. I can get you more specific info if you wish. Best of luck.
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Thanks, I do like the ford escape, think its a great bargain, only a little worried about safety with such a heavy car. My new final short list is as follows @astigmatism you're right about mini's btw, there's just no way to do camping/hiking with those cute little suckers
Audi xc90
Ford Fusion (not the hybrid) -
sorry I meant audi q5
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What have you driven? We made a long list and I drove a bunch of them. I thought I really wanted a Subaru Forester, till I drove it. What a blah car. The Focus and the Golf were the nicest driving cars I tested but the Golf back then had a smaller engine and didn't perform well with automatic. Why are there no Hondas? The CRV or Element. I always liked the way the Hondas drove. At some point you should stop looking at specs and drive a few cars. If you are driving new make sure you can get decent dealer support. Although I come from a big Ford family, I learned to drive in my dad's 65 T-Bird convertible, my brothers Econoline had 350,000 miles before he had to do transmission work. Ford dealer choices here are Manhattan and Premier. When looking at Fords also see if there is a Mazda Equivelent
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I know I need to test drive, but strangely, I"m more focused on safety and reliability than how it drives, unless its awful. If something doesn't accelerate well, or doesn't have a lot of power, that's fine, as long as I get from point a to b. I do hate the idea of a loud engine on the highway, which is why I'm backsliding towards a volvo xc70 now, seems like it would be the quietest safest ride, and I might just roll the dice re. repairs. Otherwise its probably a ford escape. Call me sentimental but I like ford because it allows its workers to unionize too.
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If you are going for the Escape, not hybrid, also compare to the Mazda Tribute From the WikiPedia article Crash test results for the Escape have been mixed. In the New Car Assessment Program administered by the USA based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the car received 5 out of 5 stars for driver protection and 4 out of 5 stars for passenger protection in a 35 mph (56 km/h) frontal impact.[9] The SUV received 5 stars for both driver and rear passenger in the side impact test. In the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's 40 mph (64 km/h) frontal offset test, 2001-2004 Escapes received a score of "Marginal".[10] In the side impact crash test vehicles equipped with the optional side air bags received a score of "Good" in the 31 mph (50 km/h), while those without the optional air bags received a score of "Poor".[11
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It occurs to me that a good way to get a good test drive in these cars is by using ZIP car Hertz also had hourly rentals but only in Manhattan, though they do have a Fusion for rent
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Thanks BrooklynJack--brilliant suggestion! PS, I'm leaning towards the xc60 now. My friends have officially given up on my ever settling on a final decision. I think test drives really will be the litmus!
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A word on the XC60: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/review-volvo-xc60-t6-r-design/
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