best road trip vehicle?

[arlon]

What would make the best road tripper with photography in mind?


Has to get decent mileage so we can afford to use it.
Has to have a lot of secure space for equipment.
Has to be comfortable.
Big front window would be nice.
Real 4-wheel drive would be nice (mountain jeep trails, beach)
Needs to accomodate 4 people + gear.
Nice for it to have some towing capacity (jon boat or such).
I'm a diesel fan..
Daily driver too.
I do have a budget.
Reliable.
Appearance is of little concern to me.

My current road tripper is a 2wd 3/4ton Dodge Quadcab with Diesel engine.
Economy is pretty good considering what it is (23+mpg on the road) but at todays prices that's a relative thing. At $125/tank to fill it I find myself staying home more than I like.

[Wes]

Wow! That's a tough one. Probably one of the biggest limiting factors is the gas mileage. How do you define, "decent"?

[raevyncent]

Well, I know its not a diesel, but with a turbo version available that out-accelerates most V-6 small trucks, the Subaru Baja would be my choice. Its very versatile, and with a locking bed cover would provide all you need with extremely low operating cost. Towing in the 2000-2400 range should tow a jon boat easily, though a $20,000 bass boat might be a bit heavy. Check Edmunds review here Baja Review

On another note, diesel is not as much of a saver as you might think, with price per gallon often $.75-$1.00 more than regular unleaded. Doing a cost comparison with 17mpg for gas vs 23 mpg for diesel, and prices of $3.95 for gas and $4.75 for diesel, savings per 1000 miles driven is less then $25.00. Something to think about!

[arlon]

I'd call 20+ decent, 30+ excellent. Eight mpg like a V10 4x4 excursion is not a possibility (unless someone want to give me the vehicle for free)...

I also have an old 96 Isuzu trooper I've considered throwing a few dollars into and making it my Trail car. Youngest son is driving it now but he's hunting for an older prelude or celica so I'll be getting it back by summers end.. Trooper was great for everyrthing but mileage. It's paid for and not making a new car note and insurance bill could pay for a LOT of extra fuel!



I really like the subarus. I was just reading on a baja this morning. The forester will have their new diesel out for the 2010 model year. That's supposed to pull 45mpg. Economy would be good but I'm not sure about the overall size. Also going to be in the Impreza and an Impreza wagon with the diesel might be worth a look. Diesel baja would be pretty cool too..

[LDB]

Subaru turbos require premium gas I believe. I was going to suggest the Forester X for regular gas, awd, decent mileage considering capabilites and other benefits/intangibles.

[CaptainTom]

You had to figure that this sort of question would elicit some smart ass replies?

May I have the honor of being the first ?

[groovyone]

I don't think there is much, if anything, out there right now that will meet your needs.

My 1998 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 is close, but it gets 14-15 MPG with its current gearing. I only paid $4500 for it and have done some maintenance, so the low cost/zero payments of the vehicle helps cope with its gas milage. If I regeared it I could likely get it closer to 19-20MPG.

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by LDB

Subaru turbos require premium gas I believe. I was going to suggest the Forester X for regular gas, awd, decent mileage considering capabilites and other benefits/intangibles.

They do. A friend of mine just sold his 2005 WRX for a 2008 Accord 4-cyl. Even though the milage is close, he saves by only putting regular in it.

There are a couple of the previous body Forrester at my local Subaru dealer. They are going cheap. McRee Subaru, I-45S at Exit 19. =)

[corralup]

I just couldn't leave this post alone, Arlon.
I have the perfect vehicle for you.

Has to get decent mileage so we can afford to use it.-- That's a gimmy.
Has to have a lot of secure space for equipment. Saddle Bags?
Has to be comfortable.---They have pillows now for saddles.
Big front window would be nice.--All the window space you want.
Real 4-wheel drive would be nice (mountain jeep trails, beach)--Not a problem
Needs to accomodate 4 people + gear. ---They would have to be small.
Nice for it to have some towing capacity (jon boat or such).
I'm a diesel fan..--Saddle Horn and rope.
Daily driver too. ---Ride as much as you want.
I do have a budget. ---Just feed me some oats and hay.
Reliable. ---Ready to go at all times. Hardly ever break down.
Appearance is of little concern to me.--Don't require much brushing.

[Spec A!]

We have a 2007 Forester Sports XT - excellent car. They're a basic no frills vehicle that is extremely safe and has an incredible drivetrain. Very capable AWD/offroad, very utilitarian, extremely reliable. I'd highly recommend them as well. We get on average 22mpg intown but that's not wailing on it which can be hard to keep from doing. The non turbo version (X or XS) would fit your bill nicely, and there's probably a ton of 08's left on the lots for deals to be had with the new 09's now fully in stock. The 09's are restyled to be more generic SUV looking, but have a lot more rear passenger leg room and a few other niceties.

A Baja would be nice too, as would a used Legacy Outback wagon.


edit- forgot to also mention the visibility in the Forester is outstanding. We also got it with the sunroof, and when you see one in person your'll know why- fricking HUGE! You could set up your tripod inside the car and extend thru the sunroof with PLENTY of room to stand up behind it! Come to think of it- It'd make a nice Safari vehicle!

[toverman]

I can highly recommend a Subaru, too, especially when it comes to needing an economical daily driver. I have a 2005 Outback 2.5i and I get 24 in town and close to 30 on the highway.

The all-wheel drive will get you where you want to go most of the time; I've bounced around on soft-sand beaches and didn't get close to getting stuck (serious mudding would make me want more ground clearance, grippy tires and a lower gear). Even with the normally aspirated four cylinder, it can tow up to 2,000 pounds. Another advantage when it comes to adventuring or travel is that because it's not so tall, it's easier to rack bicycles, kayaks/canoes or luggage on the roof.

My mom has a 2007 Forester and loves it. I looked at a Baja, too, but the cabin was too small for my family. I like the wagon shape because even a small car has a more open rear section and feels bigger on long trips. And the early Tribecas, larger and less efficient, required premium fuel (as do the turbo engines in any of the models) but now run on regular.

Subaru owners tend to gush about them much like photographers gush about their camera equipment!

[Spec A!]

Yeah there is definitely a certain loyal cult following, much like VW's. My wife and I met because of VW's believe it or not! Unfortunately that company seems to have gotten so far off the track and just feels so removed from what made it a cool car to own- we traded in our 2000 Passat Wagon for the Forester. We do still miss having a VW in the family but they are just so over priced anymore it's not worth it. And they just don't "feel" like they used to. We're very happy with the Forester, especially for the money.

[arlon]

VW is out of the question at the moment. One of my sons has a Passat. Had to change the water pump on it...

This is what it took to get to the water pump. Of course I changed the timing belt while I was in there..

[arlon]

Sandy! Your suggestion is probably more practicle than my old corvette but the corvette's a little faster on pavement. Maybe a lot faster! Anyone want to trade their wifes old subaru for a corvette?

[photonewb]

Toyota 4Runners, they hold their resale very well and are very reliable. They won't be diesel, but I think they'd do everything else you wanted.

Older Durangos (they look better IMO). They got decent enough gas mileage, can tow, had 4wheel drive. I had a 98 and loved it. I miss it sometimes.