Good SUV for under $7,000?

[reni]

Old school Cherokee (XJ)

[JoeC]

My 2007 Forester (L.L. Bean edition) with the right tires is the best all around vehicle I've ever driven. I bought it new and it now has 230k miles on it. Other than maintenance, it's only needed head gaskets. I want to point out that every single 2.5L Subaru motor I've seen has had them done or needed them. Replace them once with steel gaskets and never worry about it again.
My wife and I just took it for a 400 mile road trip on back roads in the mountains of Colorado this weekend and it performed flawlessly. The roads were completely snow packed much of the trip but it is extremely confidence inspiring. It can be kind of frustrating wondering why everyone else on the road is driving so slowly, hahha.

Here are some things I like about it:
Subaru AWD
nice heated leather seats
heated mirrors\windshield
huge sunroof
self-leveling rear suspension (L.L. Bean only feature)
fold flat rear seats with plastic backs great for dogs and gear.

Things I don't like:
bad MPG (I average about 22.0 overall)
buzzy transmission that downshifts at the slightest acceleration
it definitely gasps for air at 8,000ft. plus. and would benefit from the turbo out here but it's a completely adequate engine as is.

[strat61caster]

I know nothing about snow but worth pointing out that 4x4 is a bit overhyped by the average consumer, I'd take 2WD and with the savings get a set of winter tires given the scenario. As the old saying goes: you can tell which cars have AWD, they're the ones further off the road.

Random inflammatory links:
http://jalopnik.com/lets-settle-the-...bat-1462180324

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STaximkaQxo"]RWD and winter tyres VS 4WD and summer tyres on snow - YouTube[/ame]


And I second the Nissan, Pathfinder is based off the Hardbody/Frontier architecture, depending on how thrifty you want to be you could have two Pathfinders in your budget based on my local prices. The 4-banger 2WD MT should be able to net you low 20's mpg if you've got a convenient commute.

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

I know nothing about snow

you probably could have stopped there.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

I know nothing about snow but worth pointing out that 4x4 is a bit overhyped by the average consumer, I'd take 2WD and with the savings get a set of winter tires given the scenario. As the old saying goes: you can tell which cars have AWD, they're the ones further off the road.

Random inflammatory links:
http://jalopnik.com/lets-settle-the-...bat-1462180324

And I second the Nissan, Pathfinder is based off the Hardbody/Frontier architecture, depending on how thrifty you want to be you could have two Pathfinders in your budget based on my local prices. The 4-banger 2WD MT should be able to net you low 20's mpg if you've got a convenient commute.

After driving through 40 Canadian winters in over a 100 types of vehicles I know a pile about driving in the snow!
Yes, two wheel drive with snows beat all wheel on summer tires, to think any different is ridicules.
But...awd with snow tires will kick the crap out of 2wd with the same tires. This becomes even more dramatic as the snow gets deeper.
The awd on snows also has the advantage over 2wd on patchy snow and ice as there is a larger chance of at least one wheel grabbing some traction.
Now, on ice or small amounts of snow the awd loses some of it's advantage but is still better then 2wd.
Braking on ice negates the awd drive's advantages completely of course as the drive system is not engaged.
It is the ice and small amounts of slick snow that put all those 4wds in the ditch for the simple reason that 2wd drivers know they are at a disadvantage and slow down but awd drivers (not the vehicles) seem to think they are omnipotent in bad weather and don't drive how they should.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by JoeC

you probably could have stopped there.

2WD is cheaper to buy, maintain, and fuel, he'll need snow tires anyway, don't see the hype for the average driver.

[hmong337]

Originally Posted by JoeC

My 2007 Forester (L.L. Bean edition) with the right tires is the best all around vehicle I've ever driven. I bought it new and it now has 230k miles on it. Other than maintenance, it's only needed head gaskets. I want to point out that every single 2.5L Subaru motor I've seen has had them done or needed them.

This head gasket failing design is what scared me away from anything Subaru prior to our FA20/4U-GSE. If it was going to be a reliable DD and it had to be a Subaru, I'll opt for the 2.0 or 2.2. Not the 2.5. One of my Dad's buddies has an old base Impreza with something like 480,000kms original engine. Too bad the body was shot from being a 90's design/material and our heavily salted Canadian winter roads rusting out our cars. It would've kept going but it went to the junkyard instead.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

2WD is cheaper to buy, maintain, and fuel, he'll need snow tires anyway, don't see the hype for the average driver.

Spoken in the true manner of somebody that has probably never even seen more then a sprinkle of snow much less drove in it! It would be like me saying that window tint and air conditioning are a waste of money because it really never gets hot enough anyplace too warrant them.
The debate (as I understand it) is not can they be used but which is better. Sometimes the extra costs are well worth the price if you live where there is snow.


Below: 2011, after only 2 hours of snow, no plow for 3 days, wife's 4wd walked out without a pause the same day, Lancer with snows could not get down the street for 2 days!
Not an abnormal situation up here.

[Speed2th]

4 runner is a great choice. very value retaining and heavy duty. its a real SUV with truck chassis.

[FRSNewb]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Below: 2011, after only 2 hours of snow, no plow for 3 days, wife's 4wd walked out without a pause the same day, Lancer with snows could not get down the street for 2 days!
Not an abnormal situation up here.

Didn't realize London was capable of getting that much snow; most times on my trips down to Windsor during the past few years, winter consisted of MAYBE an inch of snow there

[FRSNewb]

Thanks for all the feedback thus far everyone, keep them coming if you have anymore thoughts! This certainly narrows down my choices when I start shopping around throughout the new year.

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by hmong337

This head gasket failing design is what scared me away from anything Subaru prior to our FA20/4U-GSE. If it was going to be a reliable DD and it had to be a Subaru, I'll opt for the 2.0 or 2.2. Not the 2.5. One of my Dad's buddies has an old base Impreza with something like 480,000kms original engine. Too bad the body was shot from being a 90's design/material and our heavily salted Canadian winter roads rusting out our cars. It would've kept going but it went to the junkyard instead.

I've heard other people with that sentiment about the Subaru head gaskets. I've just accepted it as a trade off for an otherwise great motor\vehicle. My mechanic\friend does tons of them and for him it's a 4 hour job.

my forester is still on the original wheel bearings and ball joints. I've also never done an alignment and it wears tires perfectly evenly on all four corners. 230k miles. It's just such a super solid vehicle. I tend to get carried away with how impressed I am with it, hahah.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by FRSNewb

Didn't realize London was capable of getting that much snow; most times on my trips down to Windsor during the past few years, winter consisted of MAYBE an inch of snow there

I live in London and work in Windsor and believe me although they are only 2 hours apart they are in two distinctly different weather zones. I have left London with 2 feet of snow and arrived to green grass in Windsor many times. London is just the right distance from all the lakes that no matter which direction the weather comes from it picks up moisture and dumps it right on us.

[strat61caster]

@Tcoat I totally misunderstood your post as support for 2WD as being acceptable, my bad.

Gets up to 110+ where I lived the past few years, never had tinted windows and am considering a car without AC as my next purchase, although I moved to a cooler climate that only surpasses 100 for a few days out of the year.

My father's first car with AC was in 2001