AWD wagons: Help me make a decision

[??????? Kilkelly]

I have an 02 Subaru Outback and with some good driving skills this car will go anywhere I need it to. Coming from a Jeep on 35" tires I am very impressed with what I can do in the Outback. It has a ton of interior space, roof rack, and the ability to tow a small trailer. I was always a VW/Audi guy myself but after owning a Subaru for a few months, I'm hooked on them. I definitely like the 05 body style better but for the low price of $5,000 I couldn't turn it down. I also have a roof top tent on my Ouback and an ARB 60L offroad Fridge/Freezer in the back.

How do you find the 2.5 on the hills? The ones I've driven seem a little underpowered. It's also worth pointing out that this will often have at least 2 adults riding in it, with 1 kid, and a at least a few pounds of plant presses and camera equipment (She's a biologist), and whatever else we're bringing along (often a third adult). I definitely liked the XT I tested, except that the handling was super stiff and sluggish... and then I found out it had been in an accident.
I'm trying to find an H6 or an XT, but they're pretty rare around here, it seems.

 

[2Shoes]

Keep looking and hold out for the H6 or XT. I jumped the gun on mine and wish I would have held out longer. It's not terrible but the 2.5 really doesn't put out much power till about 4K RPM's but it does get 28 MPG on the highway.

This is the set up I'm running right now. The roof top tent is going on my trailer that will be towed behind it.

 

[Warn Industries]

I've owned two Suzuki SX4 AWDs and have really liked them. We decided to upsize recently and bought a '12 Subaru Forester 2.5x (non-turbo). So far, it's been good on dirt roads and in the sand. Haven't really challenged it much, though. It does, however, have plenty of room on the inside for gear, and we threw a BajaRack roof basket up top for more storage.

- Andy

 

[Taco Gunner]

I just sold a BEAUTIFUL 2006 Tacoma since I knew I would never use it to its true potential. I spent hundreds of hours on researching and getting that truck where I thought I wanted it...then realized it would never see the use it was meant for...plus it was an incredibly nice truck...maybe too nice to risk getting banged up!! It is now it the hands of someone who came 600 miles to buy..and will use it for what it was built for.

I bought an '07 Outback LL Bean with the 6 banger. My wife has a 2011 Forrester (company) and the little motor seemed to work hard in the northern elevations of AZ. Plus, I plan on picking up a small trailer/tear drop and wanted the extra horse. My OB is loaded and I think with a wee bit of work, it will serve me well. On the highway, I set the cruise and have seen as much as 27 mpg on the flat road of I-5 on the way back from San Jose where I had to go to buy it.

If you want a Subie..you might have to travel to find the one you want! I went nearly 700 miles! This car will see some use plus can take the kid to school in the morning!

 

[RobRed]

I would probably go Subaru. If its going to be a transportation device and not an enthusiast ride. The Allroad is almost a cult car now and it requires a lot of TLC. Having owned a 2002 from new as well as operating the web site allroadfaq.com I can tell you first hand. Once you have an Allroad they are hard to give up... Like a sexy mistress that knows where all your buttons are


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[Stroverlander]

I test drove a used Allroad before purchasing my second awd Astro van. The Allroad didn't really suit my size requirements but it's a car I've always wanted to own though the van was more bang for the buck - newer, half the miles and simpler for sure. Unlike my Astro awd, I probably still wouldn't have the Allroad six years later.

I am impressed with my mom's 2010 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport for a 20k car, nothing fancy inside or out but solid and capable, cheap carpet excepted.

 

[NothingClever]

Subaru family from Colorado and Colombia here. Wife has an Outback and I'll be buying her another one again. When I get tired of futzing around with the endless pursuit of the perfect truck and pop-up camper configuration for "The Big Trip" down sputh, I find relief in knowing I could throw a Maggiolina on top of Mom's little bread sled and make it to Portillo and Punta Arenas with some skis and a couple of Long Haul kayaks in the back without ever breaking a sweat.

Good luck with the endeavors. Sounds like you have a clear definition of needs and wants.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Here's another idea:



We spent the better part of all last fall looking for a new ride. It had to get good mileage, behave well on the road, serve as a daily driver, and do well enough offroad to get us to remote campsites on our various adventures. Many people bemoan the lack of a low range in many of these smaller wagons and crossovers. The Freedom Drive II on our Patriot is pretty amazing for what it is.

7000 miles later, we couldn't be happier.

 

[Cee-Jay]

A Mitsubishi Endeavor may meet your needs and can be had for much, much less than 10k... probably more like 5k. It's a crossover built on a car-based platform with an optional AWD system that splits power 50/50 between the front and back by default. Also, a traction control system was an available option on the Limited model. It comes with independent suspension all around and a SOHC V6 (same engine that's in the Monteros I believe).

For the dirt roads the Endeavor gives you 8.3” of ground clearance, a 38.4 ft turning circle and approach and departure angles of 24 and 23 degrees, respectively.

On the pavement, the Endeavor was praised for its sporty acceleration (0-60 in the low 7s) and solid handling which exhibited little of the body lean that plagued many competitors. Upon its release, the Endeavor placed first in Motor Trend's braking test and tied the BMW X5 for first in the slalom course. Reviewers also liked the aggressive styling, roomy interior and simply better than average capabilities across the board.

Reviewers took issue with the lack of a 3rd seat, the build quality (solid, but not as good as Honda or Toyota), premium fuel and the use of a 4-speed semi-automatic transmission (since most competitors offered at least a 5-speed at that time). Some critics felt that the rear suspension might snag on rocks and branches in rough terrain, yet other reviews noted that it performed surprisingly well on dirt roads.

I'm sure many of the wagons you are looking at will offer a far superior on pavement experience, but the early Endeavor's were pretty darn good in comparison with other crossovers and the added ground clearance gives you more options when it comes to off-pavement excursions. Also, because these vehicles did not sell well, you can get them used for peanuts.:elkgrin:



PS: There is ZERO aftermarket for these things so don't buy it if you're looking to make this a project vehicle at some point.

 

[??????? Kilkelly]

Bump...
The end result of all this was that I ended up with a 2006 a4 avant quattro (with a 3.2l engine). The reasoning? I could get financing on the a4, and the rest were private sales, or weren't quite what I wanted. Of course, this can still handle the dirt roads it will inevitably end up on, and should get me to the trailhead without too much trouble. Also, the wife loves it, the kid loves it, and it's beautiful on the highway. Definitely not an RTW vehicle, but it'll get me across north america and back, I think

 

[??????? Kilkelly]

Also: I'd like to thank everyone for their help. For the record- I liked the Outbacks I drove, but the handling and road manners were a little quirky (this is coming from small sedans and rental cars). My wife pointed out that the h6 outback felt like a 2012 wrangler.. which we also drove, loved and decided not to buy because the payments would have been too high for us to be able to actually use it for anything. The Allroad, 325 XIt, and the xc70 were all great, and I would have gone with the Volvo, but the price was a little high. This was a good mix of all of them, and will make a decent DD and highway/byway machine. I also have some spare budget for mods now

 

[bentonrover]

Congrats and good luck