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#1
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kinda OT- cars for hauling dogs
what kind of cars do you use for hauling your dogs around? i'm currently
driving a 1977 Mercedes sedan. it's a little clunky, needs a lot of work, but most importantly, it doesn't have a proper divider between the driver and the dogs. the goal: to find a car that's fun to drive, has decent power, is comfortable, and lets me separate the dogs from the driver. it should get good gas mileage, be reliable, somewhat sporty, and come with lots of extra options (like a sun roof and heated leather seats). it shouldn't cost more than $35k optioned out. bonus points if it has all wheel drive. and extra bonus points if it comes in actual colors, not just silver and beige (ick). should not look like something my parents would drive. what i've looked at: Audi A4 Avant - nice looking wagon, fun to drive, kinda spendy for what you get, only seems to come in Silver unless you special order it. BMW 325 xi sport wagon- really expensive with even minimal options, BMW dealer wouldn't even talk to me when i looked at it, so i refuse to buy anything from them even if i could afford it. Subaru Outback Wagon - everybody has one, good car, costs more than you'd think if you get the good engine, but still feels kind of cheap compared to the german stuff. (note, i can do cheap interiors, if the car is cheap. but for $30k, i want luxury). only comes in earth tones. my parents drive this car. Mercedes C230 Coupe (has a surprising amount of cargo space with the rear seats down) - surprisingly less expensive than i would have thought, fun little car, but not as practical as a wagon. Mercedes C240 wagon - really nice. really really incredibly nice. has everything. way expensive, makes it look like i have kids. all of these cars are great, but none have really grabbed me. i'm sure there's something i'm overlooking. cars i've considered, but don't know much about: VW GTI- is it big enough for two 50 pound dogs? VW Jetta wagon- nice car, less expensive than the benz and audi, looks promising. Subaru WRX wagon- cute, fun, seems small, no luxo options. Mazda protege 5 - way underpowered, according to the SO. no leather Nissan Murano - yes, it's an SUV, but it's so incredibly cool, i want one anyway. (bad kelly!) Ford Focus wagon- cheap, lots of hop up parts to make it go fast. SO says he'll disown me if i trick out a station wagon. :-( help? -kelly |
#2
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In article ,
culprit wrote: the goal: to find a car that's fun to drive, has decent power, is comfortable, and lets me separate the dogs from the driver. it should get good gas mileage, be reliable, somewhat sporty, and come with lots of extra options (like a sun roof and heated leather seats). it shouldn't cost more than $35k optioned out. bonus points if it has all wheel drive. and extra bonus points if it comes in actual colors, not just silver and beige (ick). should not look like something my parents would drive. From the reviews of the Subaru WRX Sport Wagon it sounds like a nice little car with some serious performance (although it's kind of ugly). It should have plenty of room for two dogs, although it may not have enough room for two medium-sized crates (always take a tape measure to the showroom!). I had a 1999 VW Passat GLX sedan for a couple of years, and they've now got a Passat AWD wagon. It was a pretty great car, although clearly unsuitable for 5 dogs. It's built on the same platform as the Audi A4, and I feel pretty strongly that it's a far better idea to buy at the top of the model line (which the Passat is) than to buy at the bottom (which the A4 is). The leather wasn't particularly good quality, although good enough, but the interior was great-looking and the car had pretty much every gizmo in the book, from memory seats to self-adjusting variable speed wipers. The ergonomics were excellent, the Tiptronic transmission was excellent, it was above-average on snow, and I really had no gripes with the car other than it being a poor match for my lifestyle. I used to drive back and forth to Ottawa in it pretty often and it was great on the highway, and (aside from the low ground clearance, which was sometimes an issue when I took it on some of the local seasonal-roads) it was excellent on the country roads around here. I'd probably consider giving the Jetta a pass and take a look at the Passat wagon instead. -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - If you don't understand how things are connected, the cause of problems is solutions -- Amory Lovins |
#3
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"culprit" wrote in message
... cars i've considered, but don't know much about: VW GTI- is it big enough for two 50 pound dogs? Yes. I recently eyed it for just that purpose. The seats fold down nicely and the back shelf comes out. But the GTI only comes with two doors, and with two dogs, you may want back doors. So the option with this body is the Golf. But then the engine is not as zippy. We just got a Golf, and it's fun, but not nearly as fun to drive as my old GTI. VW Jetta wagon- nice car, less expensive than the benz and audi, looks promising. And very roomy inside. Beware black interiors; VW's AC is not known for being quick to cool. Mazda protege 5 - way underpowered, according to the SO. no leather Avoid. DH used to have one. Your SO is right. Ford Focus wagon- cheap, lots of hop up parts to make it go fast. They're supposedly rated badly for safety, but I know a couple of people happy with theirs. I also recently test drove a Toyota Matrix, which is much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. It replaces the Corolla wagon, and has almost as much room inside as one. Drives nicely, not as loud as VW wagon engine. Cate |
#4
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In article ,
"culprit" wrote: what kind of cars do you use for hauling your dogs around? i'm currently driving a 1977 Mercedes sedan. it's a little clunky, needs a lot of work, but most importantly, it doesn't have a proper divider between the driver and the dogs. the goal: to find a car that's fun to drive, has decent power, is comfortable, and lets me separate the dogs from the driver. it should get good gas mileage, be reliable, somewhat sporty, and come with lots of extra options (like a sun roof and heated leather seats). it shouldn't cost more than $35k optioned out. bonus points if it has all wheel drive. and extra bonus points if it comes in actual colors, not just silver and beige (ick). should not look like something my parents would drive. No heated leather seats, but we have a Pontiac Vibe (or Toyota Matrix) and are just crazy about it. The all-wheel drive was sort of sluggish, so we went with the 6-speed and it's a fast little devil. I wanted a Subaru Forester (sp?) but I'm much happier with the Vibe. |
#5
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I've got a 1999 Honda CRV that fits the bill nicely. The newer version has
eve more room in the back for dogs. Reasonable mileage, all-wheel drive is nice, small enough to parallel park with ease. We use a roof rack for vacations, because with dog and kid it doesn't leave too much room on the inside. We test drove the Jetta wagon years ago, and loved it. We would have bought one if Mom hadn't passed along her used CRV to us. The SAAB wagon is expensive, but we also really really loved it in a test drive (too expensive for us, though). Great visibility, enough room for a folded-up large crate, lots of room for dawgs. Just my $.02. -Shannon "culprit" wrote in message ... what kind of cars do you use for hauling your dogs around? i'm currently driving a 1977 Mercedes sedan. it's a little clunky, needs a lot of work, but most importantly, it doesn't have a proper divider between the driver and the dogs. the goal: to find a car that's fun to drive, has decent power, is comfortable, and lets me separate the dogs from the driver. it should get good gas mileage, be reliable, somewhat sporty, and come with lots of extra options (like a sun roof and heated leather seats). it shouldn't cost more than $35k optioned out. bonus points if it has all wheel drive. and extra bonus points if it comes in actual colors, not just silver and beige (ick). should not look like something my parents would drive. what i've looked at: Audi A4 Avant - nice looking wagon, fun to drive, kinda spendy for what you get, only seems to come in Silver unless you special order it. BMW 325 xi sport wagon- really expensive with even minimal options, BMW dealer wouldn't even talk to me when i looked at it, so i refuse to buy anything from them even if i could afford it. Subaru Outback Wagon - everybody has one, good car, costs more than you'd think if you get the good engine, but still feels kind of cheap compared to the german stuff. (note, i can do cheap interiors, if the car is cheap. but for $30k, i want luxury). only comes in earth tones. my parents drive this car. Mercedes C230 Coupe (has a surprising amount of cargo space with the rear seats down) - surprisingly less expensive than i would have thought, fun little car, but not as practical as a wagon. Mercedes C240 wagon - really nice. really really incredibly nice. has everything. way expensive, makes it look like i have kids. all of these cars are great, but none have really grabbed me. i'm sure there's something i'm overlooking. cars i've considered, but don't know much about: VW GTI- is it big enough for two 50 pound dogs? VW Jetta wagon- nice car, less expensive than the benz and audi, looks promising. Subaru WRX wagon- cute, fun, seems small, no luxo options. Mazda protege 5 - way underpowered, according to the SO. no leather Nissan Murano - yes, it's an SUV, but it's so incredibly cool, i want one anyway. (bad kelly!) Ford Focus wagon- cheap, lots of hop up parts to make it go fast. SO says he'll disown me if i trick out a station wagon. :-( help? -kelly |
#6
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Why not a Volvo?
"culprit" wrote in message ... what kind of cars do you use for hauling your dogs around? i'm currently driving a 1977 Mercedes sedan. it's a little clunky, needs a lot of work, but most importantly, it doesn't have a proper divider between the driver and the dogs. the goal: to find a car that's fun to drive, has decent power, is comfortable, and lets me separate the dogs from the driver. it should get good gas mileage, be reliable, somewhat sporty, and come with lots of extra options (like a sun roof and heated leather seats). it shouldn't cost more than $35k optioned out. bonus points if it has all wheel drive. and extra bonus points if it comes in actual colors, not just silver and beige (ick). should not look like something my parents would drive. what i've looked at: Audi A4 Avant - nice looking wagon, fun to drive, kinda spendy for what you get, only seems to come in Silver unless you special order it. BMW 325 xi sport wagon- really expensive with even minimal options, BMW dealer wouldn't even talk to me when i looked at it, so i refuse to buy anything from them even if i could afford it. Subaru Outback Wagon - everybody has one, good car, costs more than you'd think if you get the good engine, but still feels kind of cheap compared to the german stuff. (note, i can do cheap interiors, if the car is cheap. but for $30k, i want luxury). only comes in earth tones. my parents drive this car. Mercedes C230 Coupe (has a surprising amount of cargo space with the rear seats down) - surprisingly less expensive than i would have thought, fun little car, but not as practical as a wagon. Mercedes C240 wagon - really nice. really really incredibly nice. has everything. way expensive, makes it look like i have kids. all of these cars are great, but none have really grabbed me. i'm sure there's something i'm overlooking. cars i've considered, but don't know much about: VW GTI- is it big enough for two 50 pound dogs? VW Jetta wagon- nice car, less expensive than the benz and audi, looks promising. Subaru WRX wagon- cute, fun, seems small, no luxo options. Mazda protege 5 - way underpowered, according to the SO. no leather Nissan Murano - yes, it's an SUV, but it's so incredibly cool, i want one anyway. (bad kelly!) Ford Focus wagon- cheap, lots of hop up parts to make it go fast. SO says he'll disown me if i trick out a station wagon. :-( help? -kelly |
#7
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what kind of cars do you use for hauling your dogs around? i'm currently
driving a 1977 Mercedes sedan. it's a little clunky, needs a lot of work, but most importantly, it doesn't have a proper divider between the driver and the dogs. I actually use the most expensive, deluxe vehicle on the planet: A Ford Escort. Yes, an Escort. They come in all colors of the rainbow (mine happens to be white). It has room in the trunk for two--yes TWO--fold down crates. GREAT gas mileage (and that's not sarcasm!). You can fit up to 4 large dogs that are tolerating eachother, or two that aren't, in this vehicle. (Well, you can probably do 3 if you harness them all in their seats properly and have a well-enforced "KNOCK IT OFF!" and are driving somewhere you can threaten to send them to the floor if they're being really bad--lessons about why you stay in your own seat are very important). Really, the best thing about this car is that if you dent it, people don't look at you like you've lost your marbles for not getting it fixed. Downsides: My personal Escort is a hunk-o-junk. See, it's an ex-lease vehicle. It comes with one special featu A radio. No tape deck, no cd-player, no power windows, locks, or doors, ...) ~Emily --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.501 / Virus Database: 299 - Release Date: 7/14/2003 |
#8
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culprit wrote:
the goal: to find a car that's fun to drive, has decent power, is comfortable, and lets me separate the dogs from the driver. it should get good gas mileage, be reliable, somewhat sporty, and come with lots of extra options (like a sun roof and heated leather seats). Someone had come out recently with a survey of long term reliability, to see how the vehicles/manufactureres scored. They looked at the number of problems per x number of cars over a 3 year period. IIRC, the higher end Hondas and Toyotas, the Lexus and Acura came in ahead of their fancier counterparts such as Porsche, BMW and Mercedes Benz. The MB scored worse than average, and according the the surveyors, it was due to their M Class and E class vehicles. I wish I could remember who did the survey - it was one of those people who give out car awards, with a name like something & something, IIRC (yes, I know that's real helpful). BTW, DH drives a C240. It is a very cool car, but nothing but trouble from the get go. They don't have the greatest service either, and the lack of fuel efficiency, + having to fill up premium gas makes DH want to give it up and go back to the Toyota that he had before. Suja |
#9
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On 21 Jul 2003, culprit opined:
there was a famous german study where they showed that the vast majority of motorcycle vs car accidents, where the car was at fault, involved volvos. as a motorcyclist, i'm personally opposed to volvos. I understand not wanting a particular car, but *what*??? Do the volvos seem to be magnatically attracted to motorcycles? Is it the average volvo owner? That just seems weird.... Chad -- Looking for a pet? Adopt one! ** http://www.petfinder.com Info for a healthy, happy dog? * http://www.dog-play.com Nothing is impossible unless you have to do it yourself. |
#10
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"Cate" wrote in message ... I also recently test drove a Toyota Matrix, which is much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. It replaces the Corolla wagon, and has almost as much room inside as one. Drives nicely, not as loud as VW wagon engine. I had completely forgotten about this car. thanks, i'll take a look at it. -kelly |
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