OK, here you see my tow vehicle. The little Sea Ray and trailer only weigh about 2300 pounds. I really like the car but had a bad experience pulling this boat out of the water last week. It's not that the car is too small or does not have enough power, its the fact that it has a clutch. The boat got stuck in the sand and I have to keep rocking it back and forth and feathering it and when I finally got it out I could smell clutch smoke. Once out it towed just fine but I have this fear of breaking the clutch and being stuck at a boat ramp with the boat in the water. If I had bought an auto (I HATE AUTO's) it would be fine but hindsight is 20/20.

I want to start using the boat a lot so I thought I would go see what was out there. I want just big enough to pull the boat, and get the best milage I can find. I only use my second car about 5-6000 miles a year so I don't really care about anything to fancy or expensive, it gets in the way of fun travel and someday getting a cayman.

So I looked at three cars. A new outback 3.6R Limited, a new Equinox V6, and a Kia Sorrento. I did not even look at a Rav4 because I cross shopped it when I bought the first Outback, and it was solid, but just uninspiring and really cheap inside especially given the sticker price. If I did not like the Rav then, I don't think I'd like it 4 years later.

The Outback- I really like my 07 turbo a lot. Its been a really great car and goes through deep snow extremely well. Blizzards are actually relaxing instead of white knuckle so I thought I would just get a new one. I went in the drive it and to be honest, I hated it. It rides nice, but any hint of sporty is just gone. Its more Camry like. They made the styling ugly(er). I don't like the looks of it, and the dash is hideous. I drove the thing and it just goes around and does everything in a nice boring fashion and is ugly the whole time. They made more interior room but now I feel like I am sitting in a huge car. For $32k I just can't buy a car I hate to look at and bores me to drive. For some who just want a sedate quiet ride, I am sure its great, and for those who can opt for the 4cyl CVT lots of people are reporting near 30mpg out of the thing which sounds great but I would never tow with a CVT.

Next I drove the Equinox. First, they are selling really well so dealer inventories are kind of low and there are no incentives which really hurt it because the prices are kind of outrageous. If you want V6 and leather be prepared to pay about $34k which is more than both of the others. I drove a V6 with cloth because it was the only tester they had. I rode very nicely, handled fine for a small tall car, and the new interior is far superior to the old one. I also liked the exterior the best of the three. On the downside, the cargo area is very small with the seats up, the stereo is horrible sounding, the power is adequate but not great and the gas pedal requires a freakishly large amount of effort. You really have to try to push it down to get going from a stop and the transmission is very slow to kick down a gear when you get on it but that can be said for all three of these cars. A nice car but needs to be a few grand cheaper for a leather V6 with a couple the basics. No incentives, not much dealing I am going to pass but seemed like I would have been fine with one of those.

Now the Kia. Let me start with what I did not like first. First, Kia's reputation. This thing has a stellar warranty but will it be a lemon or a reliable car? I really don't know. The engine and tranny are Hyundai and people seem to have faith in it so I might give it a whirl. If it turns out to have major issues I will get my money back. Next, the exterior styling is not offensive, just bland. The stereo sound quality is average but not awful. The ride is a little stiff over uneven pavement. A really bad road announces itself in this car because the wheelbase is too short. On smooth pavement though the ride is quiet and comfortable. If anyone has ever driven in 10 below zero when the shocks are really stiff for the first few minutes of operation, I think this car is going to ride like an oxcart in those situations. Lastly, the leather is not super awful but is definately a notch below premium. Not as good quality as the hides in the Subie, but I did not see the Chevy to compare. Oh, and they don't spend any money dressing up the engine bay, no plastic engine shroud with company logo just an unattractive looking engine and some dohickeys.

But here's the thing, there are a ton of features for the money, the interior is really pleasing (third row is standard with a 6 but I don't have kids so I doubt I will ever use it) and it has power to spare. Its not a rocket but I think it has 276 hp and runs away from the other two. Its a very smooth power plant too. It moves far quicker than my dad's old V8 grand cherokee. Even if the interior leather is cheap, the rest is pretty nice for a little trucklet. Features galore. Bluetooth, heated leather, backup camera (who cares?) giant glass roof. It was enjoyable to drive as long as the road was not rough. The one I looked at was $32k (yes for a KIA) but with incentives and rebates they were offering it for $28k and going to give me the trade value I was looking for where the other dealers wanted to play games. This car, the the Outback and the Equinox V6 all have people reporting on thier forums they can get 25-26 if they drive sedately so mileage is about the same for all three.

The press has been pretty positive about this car, and I was really pleasantly surprised. Since I don't put that many miles on the second car I might give them a try. My wife and I went out to the new trendy place in town for an expensive dinner last night and the lot was filled with nice nameplates and my wife asked how I would feel pulling up to a fancy restaurant in a KIA and my response was, "you know, I don't really care."

If anybody is looking for a little truck to haul a few kiddies and does not want to pay to much I say at least look at one. I might buy it.

 

 

I have a 5-spd Outback and it sucks balls for pulling/towing out of holes. I pulled a buddy's full-sized Dodge out of a bad snow/mud hole last winter and was overcome by the stench of burned clutch. There is a huge realization of how underpowered a Subaru really is when you encounter that sort of situation. Perfect for towing around town or driving in hazardous conditions, but not worth a shit for extreme situations. If I were to buy another it would be an automatic. Then again, maybe that is why so many Subarus tear up the auto trans?

/feel your pain

Good luck with the new search, all I know about the options listed above is what you've already said.

 

This should help you step up off the ledge, my friend:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n4Vb91aJQg [/media]

 

Why not. I would check to see if anyone trailers with the thing. Short wheelbases are never great for towing. I also might look at the Ford Flex. It's more tall wagon than SUV but the long wheel base might be good for towing. However, if the Kia does the job why should you have to apologize for getting one?

 

Never even thought of the Flex, maybe I should go look because everybody seems to like them. I am not in love with the exterior styling of it though.

The Sorento is rated for 3500 pounds and my boat is 2400 and I installed a disc surge brakes on the trailer for extra safety and I only tow about 20 miles of back country road every time I use the boat so maybe 100-150 miles a year tops.

 

So the 2nd car is ONLY for towing or...?

If that's the case, why buy something new? Spend 6-8k on something used and pocket the rest of the money for the Cayman.

 

try a cx-9 its has good pulling power, awd, and the engine is bullet proof. And has alot of features that you have mentioned.

 

And a 4 months of Minnesota winter while the S2000 is in storage. I also drive it in the summer when I need to carry something big or it looks like rain.

 

that's a pretty limited use vehicle. I would recommend a used vehicle too. But, I'm the founder of a car buying service that pits dealers against each other. If you are interested hit me up on PM.