long time lurker | looking for advice

[Weegie5]

Hey all,

I've been lurking on the site on and off for the past few years and finally decided to register. I'm the proud owner of a Jeep Liberty CRD (diesel) and I'm wondering if perhaps I should unload it and go with something more thrifty on the fuel, like a Volkswagen TDI. Seeing what CRDs are selling for gives me hope that I could sell the Jeep and pick up a used TDI for no out-of-pocket cash. (In fact, I might just pocket a little bit!)

My wife hates the Liberty and would gladly see it go, except she does like the peace of mind it offers in foul weather with 4WD (as do I). She drives a 1.8L Nissan Sentra that gets ~30mpg and she'd love a Rouge or Murano, but those just aren't in the cards. Maybe we sell her car too and she can have a small AWD ride as her DD.

I read in TEX's thread someone suggest a Matrix or Vibe, and I hadn't even thought of those. What other AWD options are out there besides those two that can get 30+mpg? Subarus don't come all that close. VW 4motion & Audi Quattro both get lousy economy. Please let me know if you have any other thoughts!

Thanks,
James

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Weegie5

VW 4motion & Audi Quattro both get lousy economy.

Did the TDI 4motion or quattro models ever make it to the US ?
They should get better FE - and have a high tow rating, especially the V6.

[Weegie5]

Originally Posted by euromodder

Did the TDI 4motion or quattro models ever make it to the US ?
They should get better FE - and have a high tow rating, especially the V6.

I wish. We just have the gassers over here, with FE in the mid-low 20s.

[Phantom]

Ford made the Ford 500 now relabeled the Taurus (dumb decision) but it is a good car handles well and the CVT version comes in AWD.

[Weegie5]

Wow, very cool. Again, didn't even know Ford made an AWD sedan.

Unfortunately only two are showing up nation-wide on AutoTrader for under $10k.

[Weather Spotter]

As for the Vibe or Matrix, I have the front wheel drive and it handles the snowy roads of MI just fine. The AWD ones only get 1-3 MPG less than mine, so you should be able (with driving changes) to get 40MPG.