MT SUV?

NYSpeed Automotive
1

So we’re not planning on doing anything till next summer, but the wifey and I are starting to look at cars.

-4 Wheel drive
-SUVish
-5 star safety
-Manual Tranny
-Not Ghey
-New or used
-~$18k
-Proven reliability record

She says no dice to wagons. The closest things I’m coming up with are new Xterra’s and FJ Cruisers. But the Xterra didn’t do very well in frontal crash tests, and the FJ is a fairly hardcore offroad vehicle and I don’t want to be that guy: Uber poseur who drives an offroad oriented vehicle but doesn’t go offroading. Plus not having full rear doors on a decent sized SUV is kinda ghey.

Honestly a Hyundai Santa Fe seems to be a perfect fit, except for the whole “not ghey” thing. Hell I’d consider sucking it up and driving one, but she won’t.

So what am I forgetting? 4x4 SUV, MT, not gay, safe…

2

MT on an SUV is going to eliminate a ton of options.

And good luck finding one used.

Is your wife going to be the primary driver? Does she actually want MT?

3

Izuzu Rodeo… bingo

4

MT and safe eliminates all American options.

5

Crv

6

i dont think that the base FJ are really hardcore anything - i’d check them out

7

why do you want a MT in an SUV? its not like you’re using it for performance driving

8

The wife’s never driven anything but manual, and she doesn’t like change. I’d suck it up and get an auto because it’s just an SUV if it were just me, but it’s not just me.

However, she did say she’d give in and get an auto if we got an RX300. :gtfo:

CRV’s no longer come in stick. Neither do RAV4’s. I don’t want a little chick SUV anyways. It’ll primarily be my car. But she does home care and as of this winter will be driving from our house in Tonawanda to Lockport to Springville several times per week. So I want her to have something 4 wheel drive so she doesn’t get stuck in someone’s driveway in Springville, and something safe so she doesn’t get dead on the 219. My commute’s 3 miles down Sheridan so I can drive anything.

So she’ll be taking the SUV during the winter. (What she doesn’t know is that that means I’ll be autocrossing her Protege in the summer. :snky: )

9

[quote=“MOBOOST4U,post:3,topic:32158"”]

Izuzu Rodeo… bingo

[/quote]

I’ll have to look that up. My little PITA, er, wife probably won’t go for an Isuzu but if I have to I’ll just :zong: Isn’t it the same vehicle as something else? Honda Pilot or something?

[quote=“K Cuv,post:6,topic:32158"”]

i dont think that the base FJ are really hardcore anything - i’d check them out

[/quote]

Yeah, I guess I ought to give them a look before I count them out.

10

my mom just bought a new crv and she loves it.

if i were you i would try really hard to find an older MT jeep charoke (yes they made them, not many, but theyre out there)

11

[quote=“Jam,post:10,topic:32158"”]

if i were you i would try really hard to find an older MT jeep charoke (yes they made them, not many, but theyre out there)

[/quote]

While that would be cool, Jeeps suck in crashes. :touchy:

12

crv

/thread.

13

[quote=“BikerFry,post:11,topic:32158"”]

While that would be cool, Jeeps suck in crashes. :touchy:

[/quote]

man i really dont worry about that gah i drive a 17 year old bmw for christ sake

then get a crv, MY MOM LOVES HERS

heh

14

Audi imported a couple hundred ALLROADS with mt.
Maybe too old or too wagonish for what you are looking for.:gotme:

15

FJ’s are badass. Even 'yotas FJ ads in magazines are targeted towards their offroadability and show the truck blasting thru a river half submerged in the winter. The ad in my mountain biking magazine friggen tells you how to ford a river safely and how deep of water the FJ can cross safely.

Pretty damn sweet trucks, but if you’re worried about being that guy…

I think the MT part is going to kill your options bigtime.

16

find and test drive a v6 vue.
awd only when the fronts are slipping means that if you are agressive in teh snow… and start to spin the fronts in a turn, the back kicks into gear and you can fishtail/powerslide with ease.

17

Wayyyyyyy too wagonish likely.

My vote goes for an outback or a forester, but it looks like those aren’t options.

18

Here I thought that “MT SUV” was going to be your license plate for it, showing how you are just like everyone else on the road with a full size SUV with nothing in it.

19

I’d just talk her into getting an auto. Really opens up your options. Plus, you’re going to have to expand you search nearly nationwide if you’re looking used.

I really liked the FJ, until I realized it was 2 door. That’s just retarded.

20

I have taken my FJ offroad a few times, got it scratched up. But for the most part it is my DD. I feel in no way I am a “mall crawler” with it. If your looking for a used one let me know, I will keep my eyes open on the forums.