What is possible from SUVs?

[diesel_john]

My mom just traded her 98 caravan 27 MPG for a 07 Exquinox 18.4 MPG, not happy. IMHO, it's a brick.

[boxchain]

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/byclass.htm
and search SUVs. Then search midsize sedans, then search station wagons (which look like hatchbacks oddly enough). Spoiler: for non hybrids, this list is roughly in increasing order for FE.

I would think about a sedan like a camry/accord or a little crossover like a scion or vibe, whichever you think you can fit into

The added height of an SUV kills your FE (bad aero, big heavy tires) and they are too prone to rolling over.

[brucey]

If you want the space of an SUV, look into getting a station wagon. If you want the space and the capability, look into getting a subaru. They're quite capable in anything you'd ever want to take a daily driver into, and I just got 34 mpg on mine, and I've taken it on several jeep trails without much issue. (Flat tire)

[dremd]

1) How much are you looking to spend?
2) How many Children do you have/ are expecting?
3) what is your 50 Mile commute like? ( I see 80% highway, just noting)
4) Are you planning on hypermiling? A little? Drive normal? Like you stole it?
5) Is your wife a "I have to have a BIG car lady"

I'm 6'3" 270 and have no issue at all in the Golf, some small cars absolutely, but it is very comfortable (even on long (500 mile) trips). I'm not necessarily recommending it but I do use it for Child seats with no issue, have only wished it was larger 1 time (5 adults + luggage = bad idea). A Passat wagon TDI gets awesome mpg for its size/ room particularly good highway. If you are in town more a Escape hybrid would be a better choice. The XB fits a 6'~6" 400 lbs friend no issue, his wife basically drove to every car dealership and made him get in every car until she found the smallest car he was totally comfortable in, the Xb was a lot smaller/ more efficient than the next larger vehicle he fit comfortably in.

Answer the above questions (even to yourself) then try and make an informed purchase of your next vehicle.

[Lazarus]

If the choice is only those 3 and it's only about FE I would go with the xB. You can get it in a manual and there was a guy on another website that was getting 40's out of it with just driving techniques.

[Daox]

I'm going to have to agree with Bror Jace. Don't get an SUV. Statistically the safest vehicles are family sedans if that is what you are really after. What else makes you want an SUV?

[i_am_socket]

Another vote for the wagon here. Anything I can do to convince someone that they don't need an SUV is time not wasted.

Any safety feature available in an APC, er.. SUV is available in a sedan/wagon. And thinking of safety, what about the safety of other drivers on the road? SUVs block the view of the road for car-height vehicles while placing headlights almost directly at eye level for the car-height drivers. They also need thousands of dollars of high tech equipment to prevent rolling over with their higher center of gravity (for most drivers; I'd assume a hypermiler wouldn't get into such a situation where it all becomes necessary).

Worst accidents I've ever been in involved SUVs.
1) SUVs lined up on a street corner completely blocking view of oncoming traffic: pulling out enough to see traffic put us into traffic and resulted in my sister's Buick being totalled.

2) Stop and go traffic on the highway, lady commuting with single < 2yo child in the back of an XTerra skids and pushes the car in front of her into my car and then the car in front mine.

3) SUV in an intersection in the opposite direction wanting to make a left turn blocks complete view of rest of the road: my friend coming the other way goes to make a left and I end up with a Taurus in my door.

Unless you're off-roading, you don't need one and then you're better off with a Jeep anyway. Need massive space? Get a pickup truck (and the reason why they've been getting larger and higher is beyond me)

[/rant]

[ebacherville]

Originally Posted by 8307c4

Now it might be more stuff along the lines of underpowered cube minivans such as what we had in the 80's, but to get a car now to me is jumping the gun.

Actually the first gen boxy Plymoth minivans were very good coeficient of drag numbers surprisingly.. shocked me anyways.. they were also light weight for the most part..

[ebacherville]

wagons were the SUV's back before SUV's.. they were the most flexable yet economical choice, i remeber my parrents got a brand new 1983 Chevy cavalier wagon with a five speed in 83.. was great on gas and they hauled HUGE stuff in it, large chest freezers, a huge old fiber glass boat via trailer, full length lumber..

A TDI wagon would be ideal in my opinion.. your going to spend some cash on it however..

My dad was looking at a yaris, but wishes there were some good low cost, high MPG wagons like his old cavalier.. but none exsist.

Actually the best areo design i have seen in a wagon is in a huge one , the dodge magnum has a nice roll on the rear of the roof line.. to bad they don't make them in a compact..

Dodges best MPG vehical is there HUGE diesel sprinter vans, even there little sub compacts only get 32mpg, the sprinter vans are reporting 33-35mpg..

My dad really wanted a dodge for there lifetime warranty, original owner has the entire drive train from bearings cv joints to motor to trans and even 4x4 covered till you get rid of the car.. however 32mpg in there compats isnt steller and he sees fuel getting higher and higher.. My dad runs vehicle's into the ground so he'd be stuck with 32mpg for over 15 years.

[Who]

Brian, a Santa Fe is seriously hard-pressed to get close to 30 mpg on the highway. With your length of commute that would be a major issue - mine's only a couple of miles to the train station. It's a great fit for tall people, which was a requirement for me (6'6 240). It's just too bad Hyundai don't sell the excellent and frugal 2.2 CRD version of it in North America because mileage is the only real downside.

As for engines, the 2.7L might do better mileage-wise under some scenarios but the gearing on the 4A is very low. I haven't seen any real differences on the reported mileage of others compared to the 3.3L with the 5A and it would have to be significant to cover the required timing belt change down the road in the 2.7L. It's very expensive - I think in the $800 range. I had originally agreed to buy the 2.7L but switched to a 3.3L with AWD. The AWD system is the same as what Porsche uses on some of its cars and the mileage impact is minimal. I'd actually recommend the AWD if you are going with an extended powertrain warranty and don't like the feel of FWD. That FWD feeling is more pronounced in larger vehicles.

It's too bad Honda doesn't have an Accord wagon. The newest Accord has finally bucked the trend of terrible front legroom for tall people which most sedans, wagons and hatches share unless you can pony up for a very expensive Euro wagon, and few of them are fuel sippers.