Best AWD/4WD Snow beast with mpg?

[Fingie]

I am going to buy a lada niva soon lol.

It is/was sold in central america as Chevrolet Niva

[bhazard]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

I think you'll be disappointed in an low clearance AWD snow performance. One of my nephews has several picture of him getting his AWD DSM and Sub stuck to have his brother pull him out with a 2wd chevy. Best money keeping your jeep, but being it's rust condition, a 200x Montero Sport 3.0v6 gets 20 hwy AWD.

Sounds like you're referring to "toy" subarus. WRX/STI and the like. "Real" subarus dont have ground clearance issues, outback, forester, etc.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by bhazard

Sounds like you're referring to "toy" subarus. WRX/STI and the like. "Real" subarus dont have ground clearance issues, outback, forester, etc.

I disagree. As I stated above, when a car runs out of clearance, it runs out everywhere. You have to dig the entire car out to get it moving again. With a truck, you only have to dig out the pumpkin.

[Hersbird]

The first generation Forester is a lifted Impreza (both tires and suspension) and you can lift it even more in both tires and suspension. With my pure stock 2002 Forester we have been using it for hunting trips on Western Montana the last two years, never close to being stuck. You would have to be being pretty stupid to get one stuck anywhere in a city, like trying to be the first person to drive over a 3' tall plowed bank of snow, and even then I think it would go through no problem with a little momentum or back and forth action (you know you would enjoy that). every winter morning at work I always have a place to park where the plow piled 2' of wet compacted snow by the curb. I always drive it in and then go back and forth a few times and cut an exit path to before actually parking. That way when it all freezes to rock hard ice later, it won't be trapped in there.
Mine is the 5 speed manual version with 165,000 and never had the headgasket problem. They found it really was more of an electrolysis issue. Keep good coolant, good ground straps and a good battery ground and the problem is much less likely.
I can get 25 mpg around town all day and up to 35 on the highway (although it's only rated originally 21/27 then adjusted to 19/25 on the new standard) My clutch does seem like it might be starting to slip sometimes and it did have a timing belt and water pump done around 100,000 miles just to be safe. It has gone through a couple wheel bearings and needed a new front CV joint. Lots of oil changes and it's on it's 3 battery but basically has been bulletproof. The 2.5 has good power with what must be really steep gearing, I shift into 5th gear all the time around town but on the interstate I usually keep it under 65 because otherwise aerodynamics aren't great and it starts turning a lot of RPM. I wouldn't doubt at 75 it would drop mpgs into the 20's.

[TheEnemy]

Define what you consider off-roading, I have found that many people have very different views on what is considered off-roading.

Do you challenge your XJ in any particular department such as clearance, or traction?

[Hersbird]

In western Montana there really is no such thing as off Road travel. Either there is some kind of road or you aren't allowed to drive there. You can't just take off across the forest at least on public lands. That said they don't maintain all those roads or plow them. Does a Forester rock crawl as well as a Cherokee, no. but I bet it will better then a stock suburban. The question is do you want to drive a car 185,000 miles with 100 of them being rock crawling just because you can? The amount of gas you would save could buy a trailer and a nice 4 wheeler to goof around on in the woods when the urge comes over you.

[serialk11r]

No experience with snow (California lol) but the new Subarus with FA/FB engines are very fuel efficient.

I always assumed that if you wanted snow-worthiness, you'd lift the car, buy snow tires in a slightly bigger size, and be good to go?

[roosterk0031]

All snow isn't the same, I've never seen powder like you'll see in videos with truck going thru 2' of snow. I've gotten stuck 200' from my house in a 02 Suburban 4x4 in 12-14" of snow. The bigger the belly the less stiff the snow has to be to get high centered, tires in the air there's no moving. I've also driven over 3' drifts in a S-10 blazer. Cars have more belly hanging lower than most truck/suv(suburban had a big belly). It's all about how much weight the snow will support per square foot and area of the belly.

My Cobalt XFE with good tires can drag it's belly, but depending on the snow 2-3" more and I'm walking. Restarting on hills or flats sometimes might be difficult, that's where AWD shines.

[jcp123]

If we're talking getting stuck high-centre, my Dad's Passat was a beast in the snow until it got high-centred on a tree root covered in snow which had slushed and frozen into more-icy stuff. Aside from that it was truly stable in the snow.

I'd still put my hat in the ring for a Subaru. Get an Outback or Forester, you'll have plenty of ground clearance. An Audi Allroad may not be a terrible choice if you can afford to maintain it, just because of its auto-adjusting ride height. Possibly the best of both worlds? Also, honorable mention to the Volvo V70 XCs.

[Miller88]

Stick with the Cherokee. They're ultra reliable, you already know yours and you aren't driving it too much.

I recently had a 11MPG tank on mine! Granted - it was snow wheeling and I spent a lot of time at the red line getting through stuff.