What car to get with good clearance?

[Conor]

For argument's sake, I'll throw out a statistic. When I came down from Sneffels on Sunday, there were six vehicles at the upper TH: three Tacomas, a Tundra, an FJ Cruiser, and a Jeep. That's just as I passed through, and it certainly changed throughout the day. When I got back to the lower TH, there was a wide variety of vehicles. Just about any pickup or SUV you could think of, and a few crossovers like RAV4s (that's what I was driving). Not a Subaru in sight. Subarus are a great compromise and I've been amazed by a few ballsy drivers, but it wasn't a Subaru day in Yankee Boy Basin. Walking a little farther is part of the compromise of owning a reliable vehicle that gets good gas mileage. I doubt that walking an extra quarter mile ruined anybody's day.

Subarus are gay. I parked at the lower trailhead at Sneffels, but I can wheel up any road that any of those six vehicles can. FJ cruisers are gayer than subarus, if one can imagine that.

[oldschoolczar]

FJ cruisers are gayer than subarus, if one can imagine that.

Haha! Why isn't there a "like" button on here yet?

[Tony1]

Subarus are gay.

Yes, yes they are.

[TallGrass]

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/ho ... ddy-martin


KC #12, Denver #46

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/th ... can-cities

Congrats, Boulder. Suby capital of the U.S.


Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder are listed.

[mtnview]

I would do some research on CVT transmissions that most of the newer Suburus have (ie a steel belt running on two pulleys)

Not a tranny I would buy to go off road. Check out the cost when they go south on you! Yikes!

[Scott P]

I would do some research on CVT transmissions that most of the newer Suburus have (ie a steel belt running on two pulleys)

Not a tranny I would buy to go off road. Check out the cost when they go south on you! Yikes!

This coming from someone who drives a Jeep Compass?

[mtnview]

I would do some research on CVT transmissions that most of the newer Suburus have (ie a steel belt running on two pulleys)

Not a tranny I would buy to go off road. Check out the cost when they go south on you! Yikes!

This coming from someone who drives a Jeep Compass?

2014 Compass has a traditional 6 speed auto tranny with real gears and around 9 inches inches of ground clearance. Agreed, only good for very mild 4x4 trails.

Still waiting for the teething pains of the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk to be resolved (ie 9spd ZF transmission)

Regards
Allan A

[SkaredShtles]

Good spot for this funny:

[Scott P]

I would do some research on CVT transmissions that most of the newer Suburus have (ie a steel belt running on two pulleys)

Not a tranny I would buy to go off road. Check out the cost when they go south on you! Yikes!

This coming from someone who drives a Jeep Compass?

2014 Compass has a traditional 6 speed auto tranny with real gears and around 9 inches inches of ground clearance. Agreed, only good for very mild 4x4 trails.

Still waiting for the teething pains of the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk to be resolved (ie 9spd ZF transmission)

Regards
Allan A

What advantage would the 6 speed have over a CVT in a car based wagon (such as the Compass or Subaru)? A CVT is like having a 1000+ gears, but the Subaru CVT feels more like a conventional automatic and can be manually shifted to hold gears (1-6). A CVT has many advantages (such as being much more efficient), but also some negatives, such as not working with high torque engines (which is why you don't see them in vehicles designed for heavy pulling, etc.). (Unlike the Subaru CVT though, the one in the Jeep didn't do so well and was quickly replaced after a few model years).

As far as the cost of replacing the Subaru CVT, it will be more expensive than in some vehicles, but it has been proven to be far more reliable than the automatic (or CVT) in the Compass. Further, the newer 9 speed used in Jeeps been plagued with many problems.

[oldschoolczar]

This truck truly kicks ass on 4WD/jeep roads!

allmyfriendsknowthelowrider.jpg

[AlexeyD]

For argument's sake, I'll throw out a statistic. When I came down from Sneffels on Sunday, there were six vehicles at the upper TH: three Tacomas, a Tundra, an FJ Cruiser, and a Jeep. That's just as I passed through, and it certainly changed throughout the day. When I got back to the lower TH, there was a wide variety of vehicles. Just about any pickup or SUV you could think of, and a few crossovers like RAV4s (that's what I was driving). Not a Subaru in sight. Subarus are a great compromise and I've been amazed by a few ballsy drivers, but it wasn't a Subaru day in Yankee Boy Basin. Walking a little farther is part of the compromise of owning a reliable vehicle that gets good gas mileage. I doubt that walking an extra quarter mile ruined anybody's day.

OK, here's a partial list of where I've taken a Subaru (Forester):

-Grays Peak upper TH
-Grizzly Gulch (front range) to just before the mud pit
-Loch Lomond (James Peak Wilderness)
-Nellie Creek, upper TH
-YBB, 1/4 mile below upper TH
-Castle Creek, about 1/2 mile below Pearl Pass junction

I'd say the only place so far where I truly wish I had a more capable vehicle if/when I go back is the Como road. I'll take any distance not having to walk that thing I can take Still, unless you've got some ridiculous, lifted monstrosity, you're not getting more than a few miles up versus where you could get with a crossover. And honestly, on that road it was more an issue of tire wear/damage, than of clearance or traction.

Just food for thought...

[tobiasfunke]

Truck Yeah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf7GfUORHtw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;