Best AWD/4WD Snow beast with mpg?

[alex16]

I love my Cherokee, I've gone through mountains with it, blasted down roads with it, hauled huge payloads with it but it does get terrible fuel economy with the straight 6 4.0L engine, I have a new car that I care a lot about (2014 Mitsubishi Mirage) that I am using a lot in the winter to help with my fuel bill.


I'm just thinking about in the future swapping for a smaller awd, wagon preferably to use for the winter here in Pennsylvania.


My ideas were....

(all 5 speed of course)

Justy 4WD wagon
Tercel 4WD wagon
Civic AWD wagon
Corolla Alltrac wagon
Legacy 2.2 Wagon


possible suvs?
trooper 4 cylinder gas/diesel
4 cylinder cherokee
4 cylinder 4 runner


I might just be best off tuffing it out with my cherokee's gas obsession (the 22 mpg avg to jersey and back was okay... but the 8mpg avg I got at last fill up was depressing). I did use my cherokee off road and to pull out 3 stuck cars on my street that fuel tank so 8 mpg may not be so bad?

My mpg varies so much, 8 mpg worst tank, 13 mpg avg in the winter (light 4wd use) 15-16mpg summer, 22 mpg all highway summer.

It does have the highway gears (3.08) and a 5 speed manual. As I type this I am thinking sticking with the cherokee is logical.

[bhazard]

Subaru's aren't *great* on gas but definitely better than a Jeep. The newer ones are even better. Obviously Impreza's are gonna be lighter than Legacies and Outbacks, and they're also geared higher usually.

[fusion210]

Originally Posted by bhazard

Subaru's aren't *great* on gas but definitely better than a Jeep. The newer ones are even better. Obviously Impreza's are gonna be lighter than Legacies and Outbacks, and they're also geared higher usually.

Have you seen the ratings on the latest Impreza?
28mpg city, 37mph highway, 31mpg combined for the cvt.
25mpg city, 34mpg highway, 28mpg combined for the five speed manual.

Out of an awd 2.0l that weighs 3000lbs! I was pretty shocked to see that it was rated that high.

[jcp123]

I'd go Subie all day long. I got a soft spot for the things, they're competent without complacency, comfortable, a highly excellent AWD system, decent FE and are surprisingly common in both wagon and stick (please get one with stick ). For the most part I like Subarus' styling too.

[NickelB NL]

Why not an audi quatro 2.0TDI? Or a volvo awd. Also you could go for an saab awd. All good offroad. Good power. And good milage. And all availible as estate

[redpoint5]

I averaged 28 MPG in my 1996 Legacy 2.2L. From what I'm told, the 2.2L didn't suffer head gasket problems like the 2.5L engines still do.

What kind of mileage does a Sidekick get?

The newer CVT Legacy and Outbacks are supposed to get very good fuel economy.

Probably couldn't do much better than a Civic AWD, but I haven't looked it up. I didn't even know there was such a thing until I read it here.

[wdb]

My father and my wife both have Honda CRV's. Usually FWD but goes to AWD when things start slipping. I've been impressed with how well they do on snow covered roads. Not sure I'd take either on a trail.

4 cylinder Toyota Tacomas get decent mileage. A hypermiling friend of mine does 27MPG when he's not offroading. Get the 6ft bed and you can haul a decent amount with it. Plus 3500lb. towing capacity.

[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.

[Fingie]

http://youtu.be/mAjOKVd6Dws

Bomb proof, but not available in the U.S

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

I think you'll be disappointed in an low clearance AWD snow performance.

True, a sedan once high-centered on the snow is really stuck. That said, I've pulled out many, many 4x4 trucks from the ditch with my lowly Legacy. I never had anyone pull me out of a stuck situation, but not for lack of need. I once spent 5 hrs digging the Legacy out of the snow with my bare hands and normal cloths. I high-centered it going downhill with 1 set of chains on.

Get 2 sets of good chains, and you can push a wall of snow up a 20% grade.



I advise against a truck unless you need the bed space. They handle like garbage in the snow when compared to a uni-body vehicle with more even weight distribution.