"Rugged look and no function"? How can you say that? It's got a great 4x4 system, good torque and great ground clearance.

-I've got numerous scratches on mine, and I don't care. It's an SUV, not a BMW.

-Your friend's AWD hatch could not even come close to making it through some of the trails I go on. He'd be high-centered before we even hit the trail head. And I've got DOUBLE the cargo capacity than your friend's car.

-Ok, so what would you suggest I tow my 2000lb trailer with? A Subaru? Yes, I COULD, but why would I want to? I'm at 5200 ft. above sea level here, and a little 4 banger will die (literally) through the hills I have to climb to fish or hunt. Plus the weight of the car would make it dangerous on decents--you need some good weight up front, like with an SUV. You're an idiot if you would choose to tow with a car than an SUV/truck.

-In general, you do NOT get an SUV for handling. You get it for its practicality and necessity. What's the biggest thing you had to carry in your car? Ever tried to fit a Lazy Boy, coffee table and chairs in your car?

-Actually, good snow tires will substitute for some of the skill. I drove through 3 winters on summer tires (Kumho MX) before switching to dedicated snows on my previous car. Night and day. But, I tried to go up to the ski resort in the blizzard, and the studded snows were sliding all over the place and could hardly find traction. This is why an AWD or 4WD would be handy.

-I'd like to know where 98% of YOUR driving takes you? Why do you need to drive an S2000? You could buy a Civic, that has MORE cargo capacity, can be made track capable AND get better gas mileage.

Your arguments hold no water and made you look ridiculous. If you need to tow, offroad, hold cargo (real cargo, not groceries), then you need a truck/SUV. Period.

 

--Incorrect, a LR3 or Landcruiser can take you into places where you cannot go in e.g. an awd stw, hence function exists. Question is how often do you need this function.

--Imho a Lotus Elise at the track is like a fish in water, I do not follow your argumentation

[QUOTE]-my friend's allwheel hatchy matches performance in snow and has at least moderate cargo capacity.

 

Thanks for bringing some sense into this thread. Driving an SUV in the snow is great. The main reason is because of the weight. If you're set up with some good A/T tires, you will far out-perform any AWD car w/ snow tires. Have you ever hit a pile of slush on the road by accident? Not fun. I've hit some slush/snow in my car and I've almost lost control. In my 4Runner, it's not as bad (although you still can feel it). I feel more in control in my SUV than any other car I've owned or driven.

 

thanks all.

One of my co-workers sold his Land Cruiser to another co-worker and bought himself a new Land Cruiser (about $60K !_) now I know 99% of this type of vehicle is not used in daily driving and for many its just like having the ability. Like this guy I knows says when he goes hunting for rabbit he loads for bear (just in case).

Now I bet that type of argument goes against sense. But wtf buying a $40K+ car doesn't have a lot to do with sense.

Now that you guys bring up the reliability of Land Rover that's a point to consider. I guess I'm going to look around and test drive them to see which we prefer. Probably will ride the Trooper thru the winter at least to get as much use from it as I can.

 

[QUOTE=Paul S,Nov 20 2006, 11:02 AM] Thanks for bringing some sense into this thread.

 

Actually, I find it easier to drive my SUV in any kind of snow than a car. It's heavy so it gets down to the snow better.

If you buy a Lexus or Acura SUV, the key item that will get you out of a tough spot is tires. If you've got good snow tires (maybe even good all-seasons), you can get out of that 1-2 feet of snow. Ground clearance will play a big roll, as well,. which you won't have much of in a car.

In my parent's MDX, they've got a set of snow tires that they put on every winter. It makes a big difference. The AWD system in the MDX was pretty impressive. It was a good mix between a full off-road system and on-road AWD.

 

Actually weight is your friend when it comes to getting traction. I make lots of road trips, and be it in a hard rain, a hard snowfall or worse, my big 4x4 full size truck is just so comfortable and confidence inspiring. A recent trip to Toronto was done in a very heavy rain, and at 83mph the truck felt great, because with that weight and good tires there were no hydroplaning issues.

For some of us who live where there is a lot of snow, AWD cars just don't cut it. They may be fine for some places, but when your snowfall is measured in feet not inches cars that sit low to the ground regardless of what and how many tires are driving are very limited in what they can do. I'm packing something over 11.5" on ground clearance, if I get 2 feet of snow I can still go to work on time, regardless of what the snow plows are doing.

What is right for one person can be 100% wrong for another. If I did not live where I did I might very well drive an AWD car during the winter, but for me a big heavy truck/SUV is the only option that works. And what Rai needs/wants is going to be the key here, for where I live I have no choice if I want the freedom to go where and when I choose.

 

All-season tires

This is a term I find very funny, I'm not teasing you Paul, I just have to laugh at the term. You see where I live there is no such thing as an all-season tire. An all-season tire is just a big compromise, it is not a fun grippy summer tie, and it is clearly not an ice and snow tire.

I had this debate with a friend of mine a while ago and he finally decided to buy 4 ice and snow tires for his Maxima. After the 1st snow storm he told me he was amazed, he should have bought real tires years ago...

 

My concern was more related to when loosing traction, since after loosing traction I think getting it all back under control is easier in a smaller lighter car. I am sure the weight+awd is great for get the car moving, but what about stopping it or catching a slide?

 

Just bought an FJ cruiser. I love it. Not very expensive, reliable, looks cool and totaly capable. I bought it as precautionary mode of transport for the zombie uprising. In case I gotta go "anywhere". Plus, its a Toyota, so that means I can run over plenty of zombies and keep on truckin.