Car Crux

Evo<^|SiNz|^> · 06-14-2006, 05:43 PM

I'm posting here hoping you guys could lend your insight. My girlfriend (long term) and I are selling her Mustang Convertible soon, probably next week. It's impractical, and we need something capable of hauling mulch, 2x4's, etc because we just got into a new house. Our other car is a gutless Mitsubishi 2-door coupe, but it's almost paid off. Seeing as how the Mustang was a pricey monthly expense, we'd like something quite a bit more affordable.

Here's the crux. We could buy a really, REALLY nice full size extended cab '96 GMC Sierra from her dad for $5000 bucks. It's a great deal, trust me. The thing is, we have concerns the full size truck would be excessive for us since we live in a semi-big metropolis and the extent of our hauling would be home & garden improvement projects.

Here's my question to you all... what vehicle would you recommend us? We're trying to stay in the price range, but leasing a new car isn't out of the question. But the key factor is we need something capable of hauling 2x4's, small/mid size furniture pieces, bags of mulch, etc...

I've been looking at older Subarus, but I don't want to look like an enviro-weenie douche. On the other side, I feel a full size truck is excessive for a city-dweller. And mini-trucks (S-10, etc...) are a little too "date rapist" looking for me. Argh....

**TheFeniX** · 06-14-2006, 05:47 PM

I've never had an issue driving my Dakota or Chevy 2500 through Houston. Just make sure to check your blind-spots.

I'd say if the thing got decent (15-20) mpg, buy it. Hauling wood and mulch pretty much requires a truck unless you're dying for an SUV. Then you have to be real careful.

I lucked out and found a 1992 Ford Ranger for $3000. It won't haul 2000 pounds of wood, but it will handle a bundel of 2x4s.

Mateo · 06-14-2006, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFeniX

I've never had an issue driving my Dakota or Chevy 2500 through Houston.

Don't they issue those (or an F150) to you at birth down there in Tejas?

**TheFeniX** · 06-14-2006, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mateo

Don't they issue those (or an F150) to you at birth down there in Tejas?

Pfft, I wish. My first vehicle was a 1993 Chevy Cavalier.

**P8riot** · 06-15-2006, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evo<^|SiNz|^>

I'm posting here hoping you guys could lend your insight. My girlfriend (long term) and I are selling her Mustang Convertible soon, probably next week. It's impractical, and we need something capable of hauling mulch, 2x4's, etc because we just got into a new house. Our other car is a gutless Mitsubishi 2-door coupe, but it's almost paid off. Seeing as how the Mustang was a pricey monthly expense, we'd like something quite a bit more affordable.

Here's the crux. We could buy a really, REALLY nice full size extended cab '96 GMC Sierra from her dad for $5000 bucks. It's a great deal, trust me. The thing is, we have concerns the full size truck would be excessive for us since we live in a semi-big metropolis and the extent of our hauling would be home & garden improvement projects.

Here's my question to you all... what vehicle would you recommend us? We're trying to stay in the price range, but leasing a new car isn't out of the question. But the key factor is we need something capable of hauling 2x4's, small/mid size furniture pieces, bags of mulch, etc...

I've been looking at older Subarus, but I don't want to look like an enviro-weenie douche. On the other side, I feel a full size truck is excessive for a city-dweller. And mini-trucks (S-10, etc...) are a little too "date rapist" looking for me. Argh....

Thats not a bad deal IMHO... Like Fenix said - check your blindspots.. especially behind the tailgate. I found, when driving our Sierra Crew HD, people just get out of the way whenever they can. If traffic is particulary unruly and unfriendly.. you can often 'push the issue' and git r dun.

I hate the gas mileage though.

In recent memory we've also had a F150 King Ranch, PT Cruiser, Saturn Vue (NEVER AGAIN!), Jeep Liberty Special, MDX, Sequoia, Expedition, RAV4, and a few others that come to mind.. so far, the Liberty and the RAV4 are favorities.

**ThePenguineer** · 06-15-2006, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFeniX

I've never had an issue driving my Dakota or Chevy 2500 through Houston. Just make sure to check your blind-spots.

So YOU'RE one of those people!!!

**Rincewind** · 06-15-2006, 01:26 PM

You could make a list of what you need and just rent a truck for a weekend. Much cheaper than buying new vehicle...

Addict · 06-15-2006, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P8riot

In recent memory we've also had a F150 King Ranch, PT Cruiser, Saturn Vue (NEVER AGAIN!), Jeep Liberty Special, MDX, Sequoia, Expedition, RAV4, and a few others that come to mind.. so far, the Liberty and the RAV4 are favorities.

Timely thread, we are looking to replace a '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee soon. It has served us VERY well in hauling all our garden and construction needs. Putting 2x4's and even 2x6x10's out the rear window has been a snap. At one point we put 10 bushes, a tree, 2 large bags of peet, and a few bags of mulch in it all at the same time with my wife and me up front. And it serves to haul our friends around too when we aren't hauling stuff. We drive downtown chicago often enough in it as well(though we live in teh burbs), so I'd say an SUV is a very convenient piece of kit, if more expensive than a light truck.

P8triot, out of curiosity, why the big negative on the vue?

Also, we've looked at the new rav4(40% bigger than the previous?! talk about inflation) and ruled it out because the tailgate opens sideways and rear window doesn't open up, leaving it hard to carry oversized items... Any comments? Are we wrong? can you cary oversized items easily?

Evo<^|SiNz|^> · 06-15-2006, 03:09 PM

Yeah, but we're hauling at least something every weekend. Making 3 trips to Home Depot to mulch part of the flowerbeds is not my idea of a good time. And it's too much of a hassle to borrow people's trucks for the projects that require them.

The big thing stopping me from going after the Sierra is the gas milage issue. It's not just the cost of gas. It's just as much the responsibility factor of consuming more fuel than I might need to.

**P8riot** · 06-15-2006, 03:19 PM

No - you'll be limited by that rear window unfortunately - I really wish they didn't do that.

The Vue was everything that was rotten about GM cars and then some. At least ours was - don't want to shout over anyone that has liked thiers. The steering was loose-feeling, overly mushy ride. There were paint problems the first few months. The rear window shattered on its own a day or so after getting it home. What started out with the left daytime driving lamp burning out (typical GM - even the same lamp on the Sierra keeps burning out) progressed to ALL of the lights burning out within a few months. The V6 is under powered and gets winded easy because of wierd gearing. Rotten resale value.. geeez.. and on..

Just stuff like that.. Love the Liberty, though - but might not be big enough. You look at FJ Cruiser yet?

Evo<^|SiNz|^> · 06-15-2006, 03:40 PM

Hm, looks like the FJ Cruiser starts at $21,700. Could be an affordable lease.

Buck Fush · 06-15-2006, 08:16 PM

With a 5000lb towing capacity the Liberty is a beast in the small SUV category. I just had to give up my Mach 1 and I went with a Liberty. It's pretty nice. I already own a 2001 Wrangler and they're really fun also. Better gas mileage then the Liberty, but only 3500lb towing. I just use a trailer and have hauled a ton and a half of sheep crap with it no problem.

You could also consider the Subaru Baja. They're great little truck/cars with excellent gas mileage.

**P8riot** · 06-15-2006, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buck Fush

With a 5000lb towing capacity the Liberty is a beast in the small SUV category. I just had to give up my Mach 1 and I went with a Liberty. It's pretty nice. I already own a 2001 Wrangler and they're really fun also. Better gas mileage then the Liberty, but only 3500lb towing. I just use a trailer and have hauled a ton and a half of sheep crap with it no problem.

You could also consider the Subaru Baja. They're great little truck/cars with excellent gas mileage.

Yeah.. I didn't even know that when I got it but it's size is very deceiving in the towing/torque category - and the special edition is very nicely appointed. Mines never hauled sheep sh.. 'er crap with it.. and, I, uh.. hope it never has too..

I'm kinda burnt out on 'American' vehicles though.. otherwise another Liberty or a Wrangler would be a front runner for my next vehicle.

**Apophis** · 06-15-2006, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evo<^|SiNz|^>

Yeah, but we're hauling at least something every weekend. Making 3 trips to Home Depot to mulch part of the flowerbeds is not my idea of a good time. And it's too much of a hassle to borrow people's trucks for the projects that require them.

The big thing stopping me from going after the Sierra is the gas milage issue. It's not just the cost of gas. It's just as much the responsibility factor of consuming more fuel than I might need to.

I'm in the same boat as you right now. I used to have a 2000 Toyota 4Runner Limited, but I ended up turning that in (it was leased and I didn't want to buy it out) and picked up a 2004 Honda Accord EX V6. I love the Accord, but I am constantly needing to pick stuff up at Home Depot or Lowe's and just don't have any way to transport it. I usually end up having to get my brother to drive 45 minutes down here just to help me pick up a couple sheets of 3/4" plywood or something equally as rediculous.

I've been looking at the new Honda Ridgeline. It seems to have the best of both the SUV and pickup worlds without being TOO oversized.

**Apophis** · 06-15-2006, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buck Fush

With a 5000lb towing capacity the Liberty is a beast in the small SUV category. I just had to give up my Mach 1 and I went with a Liberty. It's pretty nice. I already own a 2001 Wrangler and they're really fun also. Better gas mileage then the Liberty, but only 3500lb towing. I just use a trailer and have hauled a ton and a half of sheep crap with it no problem.

You could also consider the Subaru Baja. They're great little truck/cars with excellent gas mileage.

The 2005 2WD Liberty w/ 2.4L engine can only tow 2,000 lbs with a 300lb max tongue weight. The 4WD 3.7L model can tow 5000lbs with a 750lb max tongue weight, but I would seriously be concerned with that when the GVWR is only 5600lbs. It's still an impressive number.

The new Honda Ridgeline in the base model has a 5,000lb towing capacity as well, I'm not sure on the MTW for it though.

06-14-2006, 05:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
Evo<^\|SiNz\|^> Join Date: May 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Age: 28 Posts: 1,237	Car Crux I'm posting here hoping you guys could lend your insight. My girlfriend (long term) and I are selling her Mustang Convertible soon, probably next week. It's impractical, and we need something capable of hauling mulch, 2x4's, etc because we just got into a new house. Our other car is a gutless Mitsubishi 2-door coupe, but it's almost paid off. Seeing as how the Mustang was a pricey monthly expense, we'd like something quite a bit more affordable. Here's the crux. We could buy a really, REALLY nice full size extended cab '96 GMC Sierra from her dad for $5000 bucks. It's a great deal, trust me. The thing is, we have concerns the full size truck would be excessive for us since we live in a semi-big metropolis and the extent of our hauling would be home & garden improvement projects. Here's my question to you all... what vehicle would you recommend us? We're trying to stay in the price range, but leasing a new car isn't out of the question. But the key factor is we need something capable of hauling 2x4's, small/mid size furniture pieces, bags of mulch, etc... I've been looking at older Subarus, but I don't want to look like an enviro-weenie douche. On the other side, I feel a full size truck is excessive for a city-dweller. And mini-trucks (S-10, etc...) are a little too "date rapist" looking for me. Argh.... __________________ "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." - Attributed to General George Patton, Jr.

06-14-2006, 05:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
TheFeniX Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston, TX Age: 26 Posts: 4,478	Re: Car Crux I've never had an issue driving my Dakota or Chevy 2500 through Houston. Just make sure to check your blind-spots. I'd say if the thing got decent (15-20) mpg, buy it. Hauling wood and mulch pretty much requires a truck unless you're dying for an SUV. Then you have to be real careful. I lucked out and found a 1992 Ford Ranger for $3000. It won't haul 2000 pounds of wood, but it will handle a bundel of 2x4s. __________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TheFeniX's Steam Profile TG's Team Fortress 2 Steam Group

06-15-2006, 01:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
Rincewind Join Date: May 2005 Location: Casting useless spells in Oklahoma. Age: 27 Posts: 2,997	Re: Car Crux You could make a list of what you need and just rent a truck for a weekend. Much cheaper than buying new vehicle... __________________ ~~ Veritas simplex oratio est ~~ No matter how far a wizard goes, he will always come back for his hat. --T. Pratchett <---- You know you're getting old when you rely on your forum meta-data to remind you how old you are. Required Reading for all TG sandboxers

06-15-2006, 03:09 PM	#9 (permalink)
Evo<^\|SiNz\|^> Join Date: May 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Age: 28 Posts: 1,237	Re: Car Crux Yeah, but we're hauling at least something every weekend. Making 3 trips to Home Depot to mulch part of the flowerbeds is not my idea of a good time. And it's too much of a hassle to borrow people's trucks for the projects that require them. The big thing stopping me from going after the Sierra is the gas milage issue. It's not just the cost of gas. It's just as much the responsibility factor of consuming more fuel than I might need to. __________________ "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." - Attributed to General George Patton, Jr.

06-15-2006, 03:19 PM	#10 (permalink)
P8riot Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bradenton, FL Age: 38 Posts: 2,842	Re: Car Crux No - you'll be limited by that rear window unfortunately - I really wish they didn't do that. The Vue was everything that was rotten about GM cars and then some. At least ours was - don't want to shout over anyone that has liked thiers. The steering was loose-feeling, overly mushy ride. There were paint problems the first few months. The rear window shattered on its own a day or so after getting it home. What started out with the left daytime driving lamp burning out (typical GM - even the same lamp on the Sierra keeps burning out) progressed to ALL of the lights burning out within a few months. The V6 is under powered and gets winded easy because of wierd gearing. Rotten resale value.. geeez.. and on.. Just stuff like that.. Love the Liberty, though - but might not be big enough. You look at FJ Cruiser yet? __________________ Age of Conan: Tharashk (Taxiarchos), Thaumiel (alt), guild Ars Tactika - Cimmeria XBox360 GamerTag: P8riotOne (but it might also be my son playing - he can game with TG tho!)

06-15-2006, 03:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
Evo<^\|SiNz\|^> Join Date: May 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Age: 28 Posts: 1,237	Re: Car Crux Hm, looks like the FJ Cruiser starts at $21,700. Could be an affordable lease. __________________ "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." - Attributed to General George Patton, Jr.

06-15-2006, 08:16 PM	#12 (permalink)
Buck Fush Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 608	Re: Car Crux With a 5000lb towing capacity the Liberty is a beast in the small SUV category. I just had to give up my Mach 1 and I went with a Liberty. It's pretty nice. I already own a 2001 Wrangler and they're really fun also. Better gas mileage then the Liberty, but only 3500lb towing. I just use a trailer and have hauled a ton and a half of sheep crap with it no problem. You could also consider the Subaru Baja. They're great little truck/cars with excellent gas mileage.

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