Car recommendation from the group?

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Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Location
Patterson, New York
TDI
1997 Passat TDI, 2010 Jetta Sportwagen
So, I am trying to decide on what to get in a year or so. I will likely be driving about 30,000 miles per year, with some bad hills, but mostly highway.
The commute will be some back roads until I get to I-84 roughly at the NY/CT border, then up to Rte 8 to Torrington, and then a short trip including a rather steep driveway to work. Technology Drive, for those that are in the area and know what the roads are like. I've heard a lot of bad stories about that driveway from people that work there.
My road is a very steep road with a couple of turns that is always a challenge when there is a lot of snow, even with snow tires.
I am 6', and not thin, so too small a car might not make for an enjoyable drive.

I am trying to weigh my options, and would like some other opinions, so I am not just looking through my blinders. :rolleyes:

I could get a BMW diesel with AWD.
I could get some kind of VW diesel, if they are allowed to be sold. (I am honestly thinking nothing older than a CR.)
I could get a (gasp) Prius.
I could get some econobox Hyundai or something.
I could get a Subaru.

I'd love to own the BMW, though I'm not sure about the payments, or if they will be around when the time comes.
If VW made the upcoming Alltrack in an AWD diesel flavor I'd probably end up with one.
The Subarus sounds like they have awesome traction and decent fuel economy.
Hybrids would have the economy, but I worry about the lack of traction.
An econobox would be the cheapest to buy, and with fuel economy supposedly close to 40 mpg might or might not be the cheapest to drive.

What do you guys think?
I'd love to have something fun to drive, but with that kind of mileage I am afraid I might have to get something to merely commute in.
 

aja8888

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
TDI
Out of TDI's
I lived in Connecticut most of my life (Waterbury area) so I know what you are talking about. Front wheel drive is best for snow as we all know. So you have a lot of choices.

BMWs are expensive and costly to repair. Many folks in that area drive Subaru Outbacks.

Have you thought of a Colorado or RAM diesel pickup? Put a few hundred pounds of sand bags in the bed and they will be OK.
 

tikal

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2001
Location
Southeast Texas
TDI
2004 Passat Wagon (chainless + 5 MT + GDE tune)
I wonder how a Mazda 6 with manual transmission will do in that kind of commute. It might be something to consider in your cost/benefit analysis. Cost of ownership should be reasonable and you will probably get in the mid/low 30's mileage wise.
 

RebelTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Location
Boston, MA
TDI
2016 Audi Q5 TDI, 2016 BMW 535d Xdrive
The X3d has been a good performer so far (about 8K miles). It was good in snow with all season tires (xdrive). I'm averaging about 35 mpg at this point. I find it roomy. I'm 5 11. You may want to sit in one yourself, though. I have no complaints and BMW diesel seems to be here to stay. Expensive, yes. You should be able to get at least 10% off msrp. Perhaps going pre-owned would be an option. I think the Ford Edge looks reasonably attractive, though.
 

tikal

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2001
Location
Southeast Texas
TDI
2004 Passat Wagon (chainless + 5 MT + GDE tune)
Obviously there are many factors of course to consider in the OP situation. For the BMW xDrive options I think the non-SUV flavor would give you more 'bang for the money' either the 328d xDrive sedan with Fuelly showing an average of around 39 MPG (11 vehicles, 198 thousand miles) or wagon with a Fuelly average of around 32 MPG (approx. weighted with 14 vehicles and 164 thousand miles). Comparatively the X3d shows an average of 30.8 MPG (approx. wighted with 20 vehicles and 262 thousand miles). The cost of ownership of a newer BMW diesel is another factor and wild card in my opinion. You would have to go to the BMW diesel forums to find out more.

By contrast (in terms of MPG) the Subaru Outback is going to net you around 25 MPG (based on Fuelly averages). However most likely is going to be more reliable than a BMW and of course less costly.


Do you care about manual vs. automatic? I would think that a manual would be better in snow but I cannot say from personal experience. Soon getting a new light duty diesel with a manual transmission is going to be very hard or almost impossible unfortunately.
 

nwdiver

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2015
Location
Texas
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI (sold); 2012 Tesla Model S

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Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Location
Patterson, New York
TDI
1997 Passat TDI, 2010 Jetta Sportwagen
Thanks for the feedback so far.

As for timeframe, my department is moving from Danbury to Torrington at some point. The expansion is being built on the current building now, I am not sure when it will be done and when we will make the move. (The move was supposed to be in the spring of '15, so it is as certain as VW's promises.)
I am currently driving a 4x4 2500HD pickup, and I need it to tow and plow with, so a smaller pickup won't work for me. (I bought it expecting better fuel economy than the truck it replaced, but that didn't happen. VVT, two more speeds in the transmission, and a taller final ratio, and I think I lost 1 mpg.) If the weathermen were trustworthy I'd consider unhooking the plow and driving it on the bad days, but there are days I won't have time to remove the plow, and there will be days that we get snow sooner or heavier than predicted, and I'd rather not get stuck on one of those days.

If I got a BMW it would be a CPO car. I'm not in the income bracket to throw away $25K on depreciation for the first two years. However, the price. features and quality of the car makes a two year old car very attractive. Again, that is if I can find one when the time comes.

The Subaru is definitely a viable alternative. They seem to hold their value and are dependable. Nothing exciting, but very utilitarian.

The Tesla sounds awesome. Long electric range and AWD. If I can convince them to put in a charging station at work I'd be all set! We already have some Ford plug in thing, so we can claim to be green. One.

One of the things I need to figure out is content: Do I get a stripped down model, assuming I'm going to wear it out and throw it away, or do I get the bells and whistles that I want in something that I'll be driving for a long time? Navigation would be nice, but I'll have my phone. Heated seats are always nice, but I've lived without them. Satellite radio is a must.

In the snow I feel that an automatic can be better, if it has an actual manual mode. It's easier to upshift if needed, and less likely to stall if you get traction at the wrong moment. Using the engine to hold you back can be bad if it starts to slip, so I think brakes work just as well. Besides, automatics can unlock the torque converter if the system detects a loss of traction, preventing a skid if you chose too low a gear.
If the manual gives better economy I am all for it, but that seems to be a wash nowadays. For a highway commuter I'm not seeing an advantage for a manual.
 

aja8888

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
TDI
Out of TDI's
If we moved back to Connecticut again, I would go with a 3 year old Outback that had relatively low miles. If that's not good enough, a BMW may work, but they will eat your bank account if repairs are in order.

Ii had a 4 wheel drive Chevy Blazer back when we lived in Southbury on a dirt road. I had a plow also. I never got stuck and I worked in Ansonia.
 

APT

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Location
Metro Detroit
TDI
2012 Passat SEL
The 3 Series is tiny. Since I'm tall, the rear sear is nearly useless. I have friends with them and would love to drive a 335, but the Passat is more like the size of a 7 Series inside.

Test drive the 2.5L Forester and Outback. Very reliable, low 30's highway, and the CVT is quite responsive. The Premium trims are the best selling with cloth, but optional heated seats in the Forester and 4 standard heated seats in Outback Premium. You can get the outstanding Eyesight package for a fair price on the Premium trims. I drove them back to back and noted the difference in feel/vibe/ride between them. I like some things about each. I only drive 18-20k miles per year and am willing to pay for the 6-cyl. I am at the point in my crazy life where I just need the car to work. Two working parents, kids in school and activities, active weekends, etc.
 

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Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Location
Patterson, New York
TDI
1997 Passat TDI, 2010 Jetta Sportwagen
I'd be more likely to drive the truck on bad days, if not for the fact that the plow blocks too much airflow, and it throws off the HVAC system. The outside temp will read 70 or higher, and that make the truck turn down the heat inside. It is annoying.

I just test drove a Forester yesterday. It drove nice. I do wish it was not so touchy from a stop, it also feels like the throttle is weighed much more to the beginning than the end of travel. I was in a base model, and was not thrilled with the seats and interior. Not sure I'd like the car for a road trip.

I also sat in a base Legacy, a Limited (I think) Outback, and a nice new Legacy.

The base Legacy was very much like the Forester for feel of the interior.
The Outback, with power seats and all that, did not feel that impressive as a step up.
For some reason, the new Legacy felt very nice. The leather seat was nice and supple. The one in the Outback felt rather hard.
I am going to take a new Legacy with seats like the one I found comfortable for a drive and see if it really does make a difference.
 

MarionCohrs

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2016
Location
Portland, ME 04101
TDI
TDI diesel
why not to choose Ford Fusion , because the Fusion was originally offered with a 4-cylinder gasoline engine, a choice between two V6 engines and a gas/electric hybrid powertrain. =)
 
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