Vehicle help please

[chickwhorips]

hello all. considering i am moving to the "big city" i need to purchase a car.

my thought is a Toyota 4Runner. i know if a toyota can last in cold bay, it can last in anchorage or anywhere for that matter. i also hear that the insuance is good on them.
though by off hand chance i can't find one (or one in my price range, nothing over $15K) what else is there? i thought of a nissan xterra, but don't know much about them or how reliable they are.

i need something that i can put my bike in plus a dog, or 3 big dogs in general. i don't want a truck, an suv is more my type.

any ideas or feeling on the subject?

thanks!

[7rider]

If you are looking at an Xterra or 4Runner for less than $15K, I imagine you are thinking "used." Yes?
I have a Ford Escape. It has been very reliable (dad always said the only thing Ford knows how to make are trucks.). However, I have the V-6. I've heard bad things about the 4-cylinder, so I'd say "Ford Escape with the V-6" would be a good option, although I don't know just how BIG your dogs are. It may be a bit small for your needs.
We regularly through 2 bikes on the back (we also carry them inside sometimes, but have to remove the front wheel to do so), 2 kayaks on the roof, a bale of hay in the back, and other assorted junk.

[xeney]

We have three big dogs and a 2002 Toyota RAV4, which is too small for three dogs plus bikes unless the bikes go on a rack outside. We are also kind of in the market for a new car because we will soon be adding a baby to that mix. There are not many occasions when we'll need to have dogs plus baby plus bikes ... but we do camp a lot so we need to be able to haul kid plus dogs, and right now the only way to take all three dogs is to remove the rear seats. We may experiment with removing only one rear seat, but I don't think that is enough space.

We are going to look at the new RAV4, which is quite a bit bigger, and also the Highlander. We really love our RAV4 and don't want to replace it so we are trying to get something similar, if we do have to upsize. So I am going to be watching this thread for suggestions, too. Gas mileage is fairly important to us, although we don't commute by car and drive fewer than 5,000 miles a year so space, reliability, and 4WD are more important in the big scheme.

[chickwhorips]

yes i am thinking used. can't afford to buy new.

the dogs are two german shepards (100+ lbs each) and my peanut who is about a 100 lbs. i would like to fit the bike inside without having to really take it apart. it just seems safer to me to have it inside. if i have the bike, i would probably only have peanut and not the other two.

[Kitsune06]

I suggest an Isuzu Rodeo Sport, next-gen of the Isuzu Amigo. Very nice, can be converted to topless if you want, will transport large dogs and bikes (though I reccommend a rack on the back for the bikes)

good luck.

[xeney]

I would worry about a bike falling over with a dog in the car, especially if you haven't taken a wheel off. Unless your dog rides on the seat?

[Mr. Bloom]

Consumer Reports (a trustworthy source to me) lists used 4Runner,Rav4, Pathfinder, Pilot, Forester, and Outback as a "Best Buy". I think they're all 4 wheel drive and/or SUV's.

Honda Element is on the list as well...if I wasn't old and frumpy, I'd get that!

[snapdragen]

As a devout Subaru fan, I say Forester.

[KnottedYet]

Back before you were born we called Subaru the "State Car of Alaska."

Have you considered a Subaru Legacy wagon? I've hauled 2 big dogs (110 lb Rottie and 75 lb mutt) in my Legacy without putting the back seat down, and also hauled 2 bikes inside it with the seat down. No dogs WITH the bikes in side the car, though.

Now I have an Impreza (my 3rd Subi), which easily hauls one bike inside or two dogs (75 lb mutt and 85 lb Griffon) with the back seat down. I haven't had the opportunity to try hauling 2 bikes yet. Imprezas are cheaper, but smaller. Same engine and such as the Legacy. The Forester is the same platform as the Impreza but taller and roomier inside.

All have AWD and generally more clearance (especially in the Outback versions of the wagons and the Forester) than the average pick-up truck. (gotta watch the pumpkin on a pickup!)

Edit: I get between 32-36 mpg in my Imp.

[Tuckervill]

I vote for an 03 or 04 Honda Element, which you can get for under $15, and with all-wheel drive.

Karen

[Tuckervill]

My bikes wouldn't fit standing up in a Forester, but they roll right in the Element. Plenty of room for dogs and bikes, even if you don't remove the back seat, because they fold up along the windows.

And Mr. Silver, I am old and frumpy, and I love my Element. My 72 yo pop has one, too.
Karen

[KnottedYet]

I looked at an Element and really liked it, but the increase in price (new) to get AWD was utterly insane (like $4k more than an Impreza) and the AWD at that time only came as an automatic. Grrr!

The Element is a very cool car for hauling stuff. Just be aware that the overlapping doors substitute for the "B" pillar in a crash. You don't have kids to worry about, so I don't imagine that'd be an issue.

I sure did like the Elements, though... but I have SKnot to consider!

[chickwhorips]

i just looked at the elements and i'm in lllllloooooovvvvvveeeeee!! the great thing is you don't have to take the bike apart. finding one, in my price range, in anchorae, may be a different story.

no kids, only peanut. she's more than enough to handle. couldn't imagine a human child thrown into the mix.

i looked into a subaru but they aren't high enough off the ground for my liking. they tend not to plow roads in anchorage and well crazy drivers, and i'd just feel safer.

[KnottedYet]

i looked into a subaru but they aren't high enough off the ground for my liking. they tend not to plow roads in anchorage and well crazy drivers, and i'd just feel safer.

Watch out for those optical illusions! The Element has 6.9 inches of clearance, the Subaru Legacy has 7.3 inches of clearance, and the Subaru Outback has 8.7 inches.

The Element is certainly taller head-room wise (and what's an inch or two of ground clearance among friends, anyway ) and would certainly be better for hauling both bikes and dogs at the same time!

They are awfully cool cars. If you can't find a used one, at least go to a Honda dealer in Anchored-down and take a new one for a test-ride! You could always make a trip to the lower 48 (say... hmm... maybe *Seattle*?) to find a used one.

Edit: Just for Snap I went back and searched the Forester's ground clearance. The LLBean limited has 8.1 inches, the standard has 7.9 inches.

[silver]

Ok, I know that you said SUV, and I don't know if there is a mini van that meets your road clearance and AWD needs, but I'll have to say that as much as I HATE the look of my minivan, it truly meets my bike and toting capacity needs. I regularly drive around with all gear necessary for running biking and swimming. It's the perfect triathlon vehicle. I'll bet with the seats out I could tote 4 bikes inside the van without removing wheels. I don't have dogs so I can't tell you about dog space. And You wouldn't have to pay a premium for an SUV.