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Smart Shopper Please help me decide between...
562 messages, Last post on Sep 17, 2009 at 6:31 AM
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Replying to: lynnberman (Apr 28, 2008 8:00 pm) Combine trips when you can and drive less aggressively. I can beat the pre-2007 EPA numbers by 15 percent or more on every car I have ever driven just by driving slower. Just accelerate more smoothly and slowly from stops and avoid sudden stops that waste energy. Are the tires on your durango filled to the right pressure? Do you keep a roof rack on the roof all the time even when you don't use it? I admit I am guilty of that because the rack is a PITA to get off. Put synthetic oil in the engine to pick up a little pit of extra MPG. To pick up even more fuel efficiency put synthetic in the transmission, transfer case and both differentials too. A service like that will probably run you 400-500 dollars at one time but you won't have to change out the synthetic again unless you put an additional 100,000 to 150,000 miles on the car.
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Replying to: british_rover (Apr 29, 2008 6:25 am)  He agrees with you about keeping the Durango...the trouble is, HE is the aggressive driver! He drives the Durango on the weekends and occasionally during the week and he drives much faster, floors it when he pulls off from a stop, and brakes hard for speed bumps and the like. He has often commented on the fact that I drive like a grandma compared to him. I don't think I am going to get him to change! I've been telling him we need to use his car (Volvo S60) for family trips to soccer games and stuff like that (longer trips than my during-the-week quick trips), but he prefers taking the Durango b/c it has the DVD player for the kids and more cargo space for folding chairs, coolers, shade covers, etc. I really don't drive very much...to the kids' school, preschool, grocery store, piano lessons, etc., all of which are within 5 miles of my house. I did have the Lube shop put synthetic oil in at my last oil change a few weeks ago, and I have actually seen the mpg increase from 13.4 to 13.9, which I was very happy with. The EPA on my car is 12 City, 17 Hwy, so chances are I'm not going to get much better with the type of driving I do. It has roof rack rails--do I need to try and take those off (I'm clueless about this stuff!)? It only has 60K miles on it so I haven't really ever looked into any of the other fluids...no one has ever recommended replacing them. It does need new tires desperately which might help with the mileage a bit (we've been holding off until we decide whether to go with a new vehicle or not). I guess the feeling I'm getting is that there probably isn't a car on the market that is going to give me everything I want AND greatly improved gas mileage, so I might as well stick it out with the Durango...am I getting the right message here? 
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Replying to: jaxs1 (Apr 28, 2008 7:22 pm) This link is to a video - and yes, it's sponsored by Subaru, but the hill climb test doesn't lie. Only something with 4WD is going to actually be useful in dirt and snow. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4999142340359932162&hl=en This second one is from Europe. That's a pretty typical dirt road by the looks of it. You'd see this in half of the U.S. once you left the interstate in winter. http://www.leftlanenews.com/video-volvo-vs-subaru-awd.html Solid engineering beats fancy marketing and tech-toys. Note - you could also get a Tacoma or 4Runner with 4WD. I have an older 4Runner and it's the real deal. - Climb over rocks and go through a foot of mud...
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Replying to: plekto (Apr 29, 2008 10:35 am)
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Replying to: aredfield (May 01, 2008 7:07 am)
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Replying to: aredfield (May 05, 2008 5:25 am) Yep; the same. Either is a great choice...
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Replying to: tifighter (May 05, 2008 3:33 pm) But now I am trying to sort out the stability control and traction control business, because those also were mentioned to me as important. Does an AWD vehicle automatically have stability and traction control? Does it look like the AWD Subarus have stability and traction control? I have been on their website and it's not clear to me. thanks everyone for all the help
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Replying to: aredfield (May 08, 2008 6:38 am) Stability control is essentially nanny-ware that tries to override you when it thinks you are getting too out of hand with your driving. 100% of Subaru owners that I know who race them turn this off all of the time, since it's largely not needed and intrudes.(or just don't order it at all) Full time AWD with full time traction control at all four wheels pretty much makes the stability control moot. Plus, the limits on a Subaru are... well, look at rally racing. If they are driving that hard and don't need/want stability control, the limits are so far above typical driving in what the car can handle that you're better off going to racing school and getting better skills in the first place than relying on nanny-ware.
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Replying to: plekto (May 08, 2008 10:23 am) |
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Replying to: plekto (May 08, 2008 10:23 am) Stability control is a good thing even if it is a little on the aggressive side it is a good thing.
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