What car to get with good clearance?

[pw]

I have an Xterra, very happy with it. I'm 6'1" and can sleep in the back, fully stretched out. Of course, they also discontinued them, so you are looking at used, and I think you'll need to go with an automatic transmission. The only time I miss a stick is when I'm in 4 wheel low, I just don't have any feel for what gear I'm in and what the engine is doing, otherwise I was sick of shifting (300,000 miles worth of shifting on my previous 3 vehicles seemed like enough) and happy to have an automatic.

[cschmidt1023]

Pretty sure getting a Tacoma is drinking the Kool-Aid more than getting a Subaru is.

I mean I get it for the people that actually live in the mountains, but it has to suck getting 17 MPG and only using it for roads a Prius couldn't handle 5 times a year.

[Le Marmot]

Pretty sure getting a Tacoma is drinking the Kool-Aid more than getting a Subaru is.

I mean I get it for the people that actually live in the mountains, but it has to suck getting 17 MPG and only using it for roads a Prius couldn't handle 5 times a year.

That's fine and well but you can't convince someone who's drunk the aid theyre drunk on it. But thanks for the city perspective, you have my condolences.

[kaiman]

Pretty sure getting a Tacoma is drinking the Kool-Aid more than getting a Subaru is.

I mean I get it for the people that actually live in the mountains, but it has to suck getting 17 MPG and only using it for roads a Prius couldn't handle 5 times a year.

The Tacoma (which is the model being recommended) is a mid sized pickup and gets 19/25 MPG (not 17 MPG) which is not much less than the Outbacks (25/31 MPG) and on par with most SUVs that have a V6. Reliability and safety aside (Lexus, which is owned by Toyota, and Toyota get top marks in both of those categories year after year), IMO a pickup truck is way more versatile than either an SUV or an Outback.

I have Toyota's full sized Tundra V8 Double Cab pickup and while it only gets 15/19 MPG, I do a lot more with it than just driving to 4WD trailheads that my wife's Prius (which gets 46/53 MPG BTW) can't get to. I'm not the type of person that feels like I need to drive to the very end of a 4WD road, and often find myself parking and hiking. However as someone who lives in Moab and spends a lot of time in both the mountains and desert, I have taken my truck to places where I wouldn't dream of taking a Subaru or even an SUV, but without a truck would leave me miles from the trailhead.

Additionally, my truck is great for going to the landfill, hauling lumber and landscaping materials, tows a trailer, raft, boat, or RV with ease, has room for 5 people, and can haul lots of gear, bags, bikes, dogs, etc. The best part is that with the 6 1/2 foot bed and a topper it makes it great for sleeping in when I arrive at the trailhead late or don't want to set up my tent in the rain. As far as commuting is concerned I carpool with my wife a lot or ride my bike to save gas and only drive my truck when I need to.

Look, I'm not saying that an Outback or SUV isn't a good option for the OP, but I agree with the points that Le Marmot and other posters make about pickups having a lot of advantages and don't think they're drinking kool-aid.

Just my two cents,

Kai

[Greenhouseguy]

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.

[djkest]

Pretty sure getting a Tacoma is drinking the Kool-Aid more than getting a Subaru is.

I mean I get it for the people that actually live in the mountains, but it has to suck getting 17 MPG and only using it for roads a Prius couldn't handle 5 times a year.

The Tacoma (which is the model being recommended) is a mid sized pickup and gets 19/25 MPG (not 17 MPG) which is not much less than the Outbacks (25/31 MPG) and on par with most SUVs that have a V6.

I feel like you're a bit high there. 19/25 is for a manual 4cyl 2-door 2WD Tacoma that no one buys. They have no official economy numbers for the 4-door/4WD/V-6 configuration but Car and Driver got 19mpg when they drove it.
http://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/tacoma
And that's the 2016 version with the 3.5L engine many have complained isn't powerful enough esp to tow with.

The previous version with the 4.0L was rated at 16/20 in 4WD trim and users report about 17 or 18 mpg.

I have Toyota's full sized Tundra V8 Double Cab pickup and while it only gets 15/19 MPG,

My buddy has a 2013 5.7 Liter 4x4 4-door Tundra and he says he gets about 14mpg on average.
Fuelly says the average 2015 Tundra user is getting under 15 combined and that includes a bunch of 2WD trucks
http://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/tundra/2015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[oldschoolczar]

I feel like you're a bit high there. 19/25 is for a manual 4cyl 2-door 2WD Tacoma that no one buys. They have no official economy numbers for the 4-door/4WD/V-6 configuration but Car and Driver got 19mpg when they drove it.
http://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/tacoma
And that's the 2016 version with the 3.5L engine many have complained isn't powerful enough esp to tow with.

Not really. I actually own one. I got 29.1 mpg from Westcliffe to Denver in my 2016 Taco. I routinely get just over 20mpg on my 5-mi stop-and-go commute to downtown Denver. But if you're doing a lot of short trips <3-4 miles, you'll be down on the lower end of the range (17-19mpg).

It really depends on where and how you drive it, but those numbers are easily attainable. Also, I think the double cab V6 4x4 is rated like 18/23.

[Yukon Ron]

I have an old 1997 Ford Eddie Bauer Expedition. Big, heavy, tons of room, V8, 185K miles, and still going strong. Has been to Hell and back twice and is ready for the next trip. I love this truck. I will say this for the Exped, It goes places where others won't, carries lots of gear, and tows like nothing is back there.

We make the drive to Colorado and back to Kentucky twice a year, and we have had no problems. Gets a little beat up from time to time when off road, but then again, so do I. I can't replace what I got for the money I have to spend. I have taken excellent care of it, and I hope it makes it to 300K.

[Chase_Rowdy]

4Runner. The end.

Best all around vehicle. Great clearance and 4wd, lots of interior space, great ride for city and mountains, good gas mileage, "open air" feeling with all windows down and sunroof open, RELIABLE, stylish, HOLDs their value well, does great in snow/mud/dirt, can tow and put stuff on roof, limitless aftermarket potential. Need I go on?

[kaiman]

I feel like you're a bit high there. 19/25 is for a manual 4cyl 2-door 2WD Tacoma that no one buys. They have no official economy numbers for the 4-door/4WD/V-6 configuration but Car and Driver got 19mpg when they drove it.
http://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/tacoma
And that's the 2016 version with the 3.5L engine many have complained isn't powerful enough esp to tow with.

Not really. I actually own one. I got 29.1 mpg from Westcliffe to Denver in my 2016 Taco. I routinely get just over 20mpg on my 5-mi stop-and-go commute to downtown Denver. But if you're doing a lot of short trips <3-4 miles, you'll be down on the lower end of the range (17-19mpg).

It really depends on where and how you drive it, but those numbers are easily attainable. Also, I think the double cab V6 4x4 is rated like 18/23.

I consistently get 17-18 MPG on my 2010 Toyota Tundra 4x4 5.7 Liter Double Cab. Sure I've also gotten 15 MPG driving around town/towing or hauling heavy loads and I've gotten 19-20 with careful highway driving without a load and no crosswinds. Like oldschoolczar points out, it really depends on what kind of driving your doing/how you drive.

My point was simply that MPG is only one determining factor in deciding on a new vehicle, which should be looked at alongside realiability/safety and usefulness of the vehicle in consideration and this is were the Tacoma shines IMO.

[ajkagy]

there is a reason that it seems like 50% of the population in the mountains drive Toyotas.

Wrong. Subarus are ubiquitous in the hillls. I counted 62 of them one time in a two mile stretch near Basalt.

Dick

all front rangers

[gspup]

all front rangers

The western sloper just had to take a shot...