Anyone here own a jeep, or has done ?

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Look into the Mazda CX-9. Third row seating and very highly rated. Roomy and it has a turbo. Motor is considered in the top ten. The only jeep engine I liked is the straight six. But then again I like most straight sixes. I own a Toyota Yaris, a Honda Civic, a Ford F-150 and a Ford Explorer. The Toyota the Honda and F-150 I love. Not so much love for Explorer. Good luck.

a reply to: Tarzan the apeman.

Yeah, the 6's are good motors, but sadly Jeep pulled the legendary 258 straight 6 out in favor of a V-6. That 258 was a bullet proof engine! That's what my old Wrangler had in it, and I loved that motor.

The one bright spot in Jeep's future that I can see right now is the 428 I-4 diesel. If they get some proven mileage under that motor in the Rubicon Unlimited package it might be hard to keep me out of the dealership! I think I'd have to buy one, and I'd probably ignore all the reviews just to get the diesel (unless the diesel itself is the problem).

I'm pretty confident Jeep has neutered the diesel, but that could be pretty easily rectified (i.e. "un"-neuter it) (and plus there's enough room in the Jeep engine bay to do it too).

ETA...I mean, just think about the possibilities... Put in a Banks or Garrett turbo charger, some water injection (or maybe even some nitrous), lift it up about 3", add a 12,000 lb. hydraulic winch, bull bars front and rear, release pins on an articulated suspension...man, now we're talkin'!

I don`t know about the new jeeps but I had a mid 90`s jeep cherokee country that thing was a gem. it needed hardly any maintainence and it just kept going and going.
I sold it to my neighbor about 8 years ago,it had 280,000 miles on it when I sold it and it was still going strong, I think he bought it for his daughter.That thing is still probably on the road somewhere.
it had the inline 6 cylinder engine and didn`t burn or leak any oil even at 280,000 miles.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I'll make sure I pass that warning back to him. That's the first time I've heard of that. Thanks.

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I have been driving a 1999 Jeep Wranger Sahara for about 10 years and I love my Jeep. All Jeep owners have opinions and I'll just give you my honest observation. The 1997-2007 Wranglers were some of the best jeeps ever built, generally dependable with the 4.0 liter engine. The beauty of the Wrangler is that it can be rebuilt from any on-line auto parts site because with few exceptions they didn't change much between the years I mentioned. Drive a Jeep before you buy it because the ergonomics are pretty much for the "average sized" driver.

I think the new Unlimited Rubicons like the new Grand Cherokees are great but who could afford one. I have invested an additional $10K in my little Wrangler over the years to improve and personalize it and will probably just keep on doing so, the wife gets a new car ever 3-5 years and I just keep driving my Jeep. Anyone who buys a Jeep should always remember the cardinal rule....if it doesn't have round headlights don't buy it.

I have a Jeep Wrangler, bought it brand new in '99... It now has 252,000 miles on it. I love it, but, it is a tricky love. We also have a Subaru... and I love that car as well... However they're both quirky.

When my Wrangler, with the I-6, old school 4x4 is in 4X4 nothing can touch it. It is like driving around in a Snow Machine. I look forward to the snowfalls that dump a foot of snow because NOBODY, is out - Not even the plows or the police. Except me and Pumba (Jeep's name), I have actually never been stuck in it... but you cant go over 45 - Transfer case bucks a little then.

Also, since my Axles and Transfer Case are straight I need to have real bad conditions before I can pop it in 4x4 that means my inside tires, when taking a corner, have to 'cut' to accommodate. Why I bring it up is if it is just mediocre slick out, not enough to engage the 4x4, makes a Wrangler almost suicidal in 2 wheel drive. The Cherokee's have limited slip differentials...they don't have that 'old school' problem.

The Subaru is AWESOME - The last one (before the current) got hit by a tow truck, pulling another truck, doing about 50 mphs while my Mother was driving it - She was sitting at a Stop Sign. It launched the little Subaru, with my Momma, cork-screwing through the air. The impact was so great it literally 'blew' apart the interior.... totaled the Suber-doober - Mom crawled out the back window with a few cuts... The police couldn't believe there wasn't a dead person in the car.... It was hit by 4 tons of metal moving 50 mphs of while sitting at a dead stop...74 year old woman crawls out with a few cuts, we think happened when she was crawling out. It was like their commercial said "They lived..." We got another one before the insurance check came... that is how much I respect Subaru.

But MAN are they crabby little cars when in super Minnesota cold. They make noises, squeaks and squeals... Rides like a wagon... at -20 below zero. They can go almost anywhere the Jeep does - like a little Billy Goat...But the boxer engine must always have regular, synthetic, oil changes or you'll get the Subie Tick of Death.

I love my Jeep, but, if I was buying a car for my daughter - It would be a Subaru Forrester in a heartbeat. And, if your squeamish about not buying American made, just buy a used model - all the money stays in the U.S.A. then...

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

My son owns a Jeep Liberty. He bought it used from my buddy. My son likes it, but it's rusting out on the lower part of the doors. At the time he bought it, it was 8yrs old and only had 57,000 miles on it. We got it for a good price.

I heard Jeeps are rust buckets, and from the looks of my son's jeep that may very well be. He really hasn't had any problems with it, but 4 months ago he hit a deer while driving on the interstate. Still drives well but the deer did some damage to the corner drivers side and the grill. He's in the process of getting that repaired.

I've also read the reviews on Jeeps, and the ratings were not fantastic. My son still wants to buy a Jeep Cherokee down the road. He likes the way they look. I guess that's a major factor for anyone when they buy a new vehicle. I've always been a loyal Honda owner. I still have my 15 year old Honda Odyssey van that has over 135,000 miles. Still runs great, and it's just starting to get some rust along the bottom.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I did a lot of research. Jeep (in general) took a really bad beating in the reviews. (and I mean really bad too!) Pretty much across the board the reviews were thumbs down and 1-2 star reviews. Noise, mileage, quality and reliability seemed to be a universal constant across all the reviews.

Yeah the reviews are damning, its a shame, they look good and go well but are prone to many issues...

I will at the very least look into the subaru's, i quite like the outback, a mate of mine bought one recently and its a damn nice vehicle.

a reply to: Tarzan the apeman.

I really want to stick to a half decent off road vehicle, im not a die hard but i do like to get off the beating track so the mazda is not really what im after and im not much of a fan.

a reply to: WilliamtheResolute

.if it doesn't have round headlights don't buy it.

I will keep that in mind

a reply to: Newt22

I love my Jeep, but, if I was buying a car for my daughter - It would be a Subaru Forrester in a heartbeat. And, if your squeamish about not buying American made, just buy a used model - all the money stays in the U.S.A. then...

Im in Australia and i have no loyalties to where the money goes, after all car manufacturers have no loyalties to we the people.

I just want something nice to drive and worth the money i pay for it, money is too hard to come by to give it away easily.

a reply to: WeRpeons

He likes the way they look. I guess that's a major factor for anyone when they buy a new vehicle.

Luckily i am past that point in my life, cars have cost me a lot over the years and now im looking for reliability and comfort instead of looks and speed.I have to admit though it was the looks that got me interested in the jeep, i suspect however i will not be going there.

It always comes back to honda and toyota, you have to hand it to the japs they make great cars.

Cheers

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I've been a long time Jeep guy. In fact, this is the first time I haven't owned one in quite a while. Just love 'em.

We bought a new car recently to replace my Accord commuter (with 376,000 miles on it...and never spent a day in the shop). Loved the car, but we live way out in the country and I needed 4x4 or AWD. I did a lot of research. Jeep (in general) took a really bad beating in the reviews. (and I mean really bad too!) Pretty much across the board the reviews were thumbs down and 1-2 star reviews. Noise, mileage, quality and reliability seemed to be a universal constant across all the reviews.

I wound up going with a '16 Subaru Outback. Never owned a Subaru before and I have to say...I'm STUNNED at how good this car is!! It will go places my F250 turbo diesel won't even go, and that's no lie either! It actually has more interior room than the Renegade, Wrangler and the Cherokee. It's quiet, solid, problem free (so far, at 45,000 miles...yes, I drive a lot, 140+ miles per day). The fuel economy is excellent (28+ mpg)...and that damn thing will go anywhere!

Subaru's seem to attract a fairly liberal type client, so they kind of have that identity, and this kept me away for a number of years. However, when I researched and test drove everything else in the class the Subaru just blew everything else in class away, hands down! Plus, the price point is comparable (and possibly even less depending on equipment) than the Jeeps. So, needless to say, I got over the identity thing real quick, and will now be the first person to stand up and say I drive a Subaru (and damn proud of it too!). The choice was pretty much a no-brainer for me.

Oh, and another thing; I'm a big guy 6'4" 260lbs and the Subie has more comfort room inside it than anything else too. The layout is really well designed, nothing fancy, just pure function (which I really appreciate).

If you're looking for something to put a 6" lift on and do some hardcore four wheelin', stick with the Jeep, but otherwise I'd strongly recommend giving the Subaru a look. It's my first Subie and I can honestly say it spun my head around.

On a side note; we bought the wife an Audi A-8 back in '14. I call it the "supercar", but historically I've been a Ford, Honda and Jeep man. This frustrates the crap out of her dad who is a retired career GM man (and we could get the big employee discounts too...he about had a cow when we bought her the Audi). Right now we've got (2) Ford trucks, the Audi and the Subaru...oh, and a GMC Suburban (which is absolute crap/money pit so it just sits). The reason for noting this is, what car would you guess the wife is opining for now? You guessed it, an Outback just like the one I bought.

Take a look. And NO, I do not have any affiliation whatsoever with Subaru!

Thanks for the tip. We were thinking our next vehicle would be either a Jeep or a Range Rover, but I've always liked the look of the Outbacks, so we will test drive it. By the way, does the Outback also accommodate a petite person? Also, what type of weather conditions do you drive in?

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I've been a long time Jeep guy. In fact, this is the first time I haven't owned one in quite a while. Just love 'em.

We bought a new car recently to replace my Accord commuter (with 376,000 miles on it...and never spent a day in the shop). Loved the car, but we live way out in the country and I needed 4x4 or AWD. I did a lot of research. Jeep (in general) took a really bad beating in the reviews. (and I mean really bad too!) Pretty much across the board the reviews were thumbs down and 1-2 star reviews. Noise, mileage, quality and reliability seemed to be a universal constant across all the reviews.

I wound up going with a '16 Subaru Outback. Never owned a Subaru before and I have to say...I'm STUNNED at how good this car is!! It will go places my F250 turbo diesel won't even go, and that's no lie either! It actually has more interior room than the Renegade, Wrangler and the Cherokee. It's quiet, solid, problem free (so far, at 45,000 miles...yes, I drive a lot, 140+ miles per day). The fuel economy is excellent (28+ mpg)...and that damn thing will go anywhere!

Subaru's seem to attract a fairly liberal type client, so they kind of have that identity, and this kept me away for a number of years. However, when I researched and test drove everything else in the class the Subaru just blew everything else in class away, hands down! Plus, the price point is comparable (and possibly even less depending on equipment) than the Jeeps. So, needless to say, I got over the identity thing real quick, and will now be the first person to stand up and say I drive a Subaru (and damn proud of it too!). The choice was pretty much a no-brainer for me.

Oh, and another thing; I'm a big guy 6'4" 260lbs and the Subie has more comfort room inside it than anything else too. The layout is really well designed, nothing fancy, just pure function (which I really appreciate).

If you're looking for something to put a 6" lift on and do some hardcore four wheelin', stick with the Jeep, but otherwise I'd strongly recommend giving the Subaru a look. It's my first Subie and I can honestly say it spun my head around.

On a side note; we bought the wife an Audi A-8 back in '14. I call it the "supercar", but historically I've been a Ford, Honda and Jeep man. This frustrates the crap out of her dad who is a retired career GM man (and we could get the big employee discounts too...he about had a cow when we bought her the Audi). Right now we've got (2) Ford trucks, the Audi and the Subaru...oh, and a GMC Suburban (which is absolute crap/money pit so it just sits). The reason for noting this is, what car would you guess the wife is opining for now? You guessed it, an Outback just like the one I bought.

Take a look. And NO, I do not have any affiliation whatsoever with Subaru!

Thanks for the tip. We were thinking our next vehicle would be either a Jeep or a Range Rover, but I've always liked the look of the Outbacks, so we will test drive it. By the way, does the Outback also accommodate a petite person? Also, what type of weather conditions do you drive in?

The cabin layout of the Outback will adjust to just about any body size. My wife is a shrimp and she loves it! I'm like Lurch, and I love it.

Conditions? Probably some of the worst you can get. We live way out in the boondocks of Colorado, so we get deep snow (in the winter), even deeper mud (in the spring), mountains, switchbacks, flooded roads, washed out roads, blizzards, ice, black ice, pouring rain, blazing hot and dusty in summer, wind...we get it all! We're about 10 miles off the nearest paved road and 3 miles off the nearest county maintained road (private road). So when the conditions get ugly, they get really ugly! Like I noted, the Subaru blazes through that stuff better than my crewcab F250 4x4 turbo-diesel. In fact, I haven't seen something it won't go through yet!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I've been a long time Jeep guy. In fact, this is the first time I haven't owned one in quite a while. Just love 'em.

We bought a new car recently to replace my Accord commuter (with 376,000 miles on it...and never spent a day in the shop). Loved the car, but we live way out in the country and I needed 4x4 or AWD. I did a lot of research. Jeep (in general) took a really bad beating in the reviews. (and I mean really bad too!) Pretty much across the board the reviews were thumbs down and 1-2 star reviews. Noise, mileage, quality and reliability seemed to be a universal constant across all the reviews.

I wound up going with a '16 Subaru Outback. Never owned a Subaru before and I have to say...I'm STUNNED at how good this car is!! It will go places my F250 turbo diesel won't even go, and that's no lie either! It actually has more interior room than the Renegade, Wrangler and the Cherokee. It's quiet, solid, problem free (so far, at 45,000 miles...yes, I drive a lot, 140+ miles per day). The fuel economy is excellent (28+ mpg)...and that damn thing will go anywhere!

Subaru's seem to attract a fairly liberal type client, so they kind of have that identity, and this kept me away for a number of years. However, when I researched and test drove everything else in the class the Subaru just blew everything else in class away, hands down! Plus, the price point is comparable (and possibly even less depending on equipment) than the Jeeps. So, needless to say, I got over the identity thing real quick, and will now be the first person to stand up and say I drive a Subaru (and damn proud of it too!). The choice was pretty much a no-brainer for me.

Oh, and another thing; I'm a big guy 6'4" 260lbs and the Subie has more comfort room inside it than anything else too. The layout is really well designed, nothing fancy, just pure function (which I really appreciate).

If you're looking for something to put a 6" lift on and do some hardcore four wheelin', stick with the Jeep, but otherwise I'd strongly recommend giving the Subaru a look. It's my first Subie and I can honestly say it spun my head around.

On a side note; we bought the wife an Audi A-8 back in '14. I call it the "supercar", but historically I've been a Ford, Honda and Jeep man. This frustrates the crap out of her dad who is a retired career GM man (and we could get the big employee discounts too...he about had a cow when we bought her the Audi). Right now we've got (2) Ford trucks, the Audi and the Subaru...oh, and a GMC Suburban (which is absolute crap/money pit so it just sits). The reason for noting this is, what car would you guess the wife is opining for now? You guessed it, an Outback just like the one I bought.

Take a look. And NO, I do not have any affiliation whatsoever with Subaru!

Thanks for the tip. We were thinking our next vehicle would be either a Jeep or a Range Rover, but I've always liked the look of the Outbacks, so we will test drive it. By the way, does the Outback also accommodate a petite person? Also, what type of weather conditions do you drive in?

The cabin layout of the Outback will adjust to just about any body size. My wife is a shrimp and she loves it! I'm like Lurch, and I love it.

Conditions? Probably some of the worst you can get. We live way out in the boondocks of Colorado, so we get deep snow (in the winter), even deeper mud (in the spring), mountains, switchbacks, flooded roads, washed out roads, blizzards, ice, black ice, pouring rain, blazing hot and dusty in summer, wind...we get it all! We're about 10 miles off the nearest paved road and 3 miles off the nearest county maintained road (private road). So when the conditions get ugly, they get really ugly! Like I noted, the Subaru blazes through that stuff better than my crewcab F250 4x4 turbo-diesel. In fact, I haven't seen something it won't go through yet!

That's almost unbelievable.

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I've been a long time Jeep guy. In fact, this is the first time I haven't owned one in quite a while. Just love 'em.

We bought a new car recently to replace my Accord commuter (with 376,000 miles on it...and never spent a day in the shop). Loved the car, but we live way out in the country and I needed 4x4 or AWD. I did a lot of research. Jeep (in general) took a really bad beating in the reviews. (and I mean really bad too!) Pretty much across the board the reviews were thumbs down and 1-2 star reviews. Noise, mileage, quality and reliability seemed to be a universal constant across all the reviews.

I wound up going with a '16 Subaru Outback. Never owned a Subaru before and I have to say...I'm STUNNED at how good this car is!! It will go places my F250 turbo diesel won't even go, and that's no lie either! It actually has more interior room than the Renegade, Wrangler and the Cherokee. It's quiet, solid, problem free (so far, at 45,000 miles...yes, I drive a lot, 140+ miles per day). The fuel economy is excellent (28+ mpg)...and that damn thing will go anywhere!

Subaru's seem to attract a fairly liberal type client, so they kind of have that identity, and this kept me away for a number of years. However, when I researched and test drove everything else in the class the Subaru just blew everything else in class away, hands down! Plus, the price point is comparable (and possibly even less depending on equipment) than the Jeeps. So, needless to say, I got over the identity thing real quick, and will now be the first person to stand up and say I drive a Subaru (and damn proud of it too!). The choice was pretty much a no-brainer for me.

Oh, and another thing; I'm a big guy 6'4" 260lbs and the Subie has more comfort room inside it than anything else too. The layout is really well designed, nothing fancy, just pure function (which I really appreciate).

If you're looking for something to put a 6" lift on and do some hardcore four wheelin', stick with the Jeep, but otherwise I'd strongly recommend giving the Subaru a look. It's my first Subie and I can honestly say it spun my head around.

On a side note; we bought the wife an Audi A-8 back in '14. I call it the "supercar", but historically I've been a Ford, Honda and Jeep man. This frustrates the crap out of her dad who is a retired career GM man (and we could get the big employee discounts too...he about had a cow when we bought her the Audi). Right now we've got (2) Ford trucks, the Audi and the Subaru...oh, and a GMC Suburban (which is absolute crap/money pit so it just sits). The reason for noting this is, what car would you guess the wife is opining for now? You guessed it, an Outback just like the one I bought.

Take a look. And NO, I do not have any affiliation whatsoever with Subaru!

Thanks for the tip. We were thinking our next vehicle would be either a Jeep or a Range Rover, but I've always liked the look of the Outbacks, so we will test drive it. By the way, does the Outback also accommodate a petite person? Also, what type of weather conditions do you drive in?

The cabin layout of the Outback will adjust to just about any body size. My wife is a shrimp and she loves it! I'm like Lurch, and I love it.

Conditions? Probably some of the worst you can get. We live way out in the boondocks of Colorado, so we get deep snow (in the winter), even deeper mud (in the spring), mountains, switchbacks, flooded roads, washed out roads, blizzards, ice, black ice, pouring rain, blazing hot and dusty in summer, wind...we get it all! We're about 10 miles off the nearest paved road and 3 miles off the nearest county maintained road (private road). So when the conditions get ugly, they get really ugly! Like I noted, the Subaru blazes through that stuff better than my crewcab F250 4x4 turbo-diesel. In fact, I haven't seen something it won't go through yet!

That's almost unbelievable.

I thought so too. I have kind of a funny story which actually pushed me over the edge with them...

My buddy and I were out pheasant hunting in western Kansas. It was January and it had snowed about 8-10" the night before. My buddy had brought along a younger (crazy) guy who worked for him and the guy's two sons. The guy and his two sons were driving this old beat-up, completely trashed out, Subaru wagon. My buddy and I were in my truck. It had been pretty warm before it snowed, so under the snow was just mud everywhere. We were way off road and the driving conditions were so bad I thought I was going to have to put chains on my truck to even move in 4x4.

At one point we'd hunted this area which was next to a big ravine coming down a hill. We'd parked at the bottom and hunted the whole hillside. The whole time this guy kept bragging about how his Subaru would go anywhere. We just kind of laughed and carried on. When we got back to the vehicles he decides to prove to me how bad-ass this old junker is. Both me and my buddy told him straight up...'if you get stuck, you're getting yourself unstuck!!' Next thing you know he did the dumbest thing imaginable, he heads straight down into the bottom of this ravine and starts climbing the hillside in the bottom of this ravine! It was just off-the-charts crazy!!

There was no way on God's green earth I was going to take my truck down into this ravine!! And we just knew he'd get stuck, the snow must have been two feet deep (heavy wet snow) with pure muck underneath it. He got 3/4 of the way up that ravine before he got stuck (as we knew he would). I even told my buddy I was mildly impressed he got as far as he did (inside I was actually really impressed). It was what happened next which really shocked me.

After spinning for a while, both he and his kids get out. The car doors were buried in snow about halfway up, they had to crawl out the windows to get out. They were pretty far away so it was hard to see what they were doing exactly, but we hollered to them..."You guys are on your own, we're not coming in there to get you!" Looked like they were digging a little bit with their hands. They were hopelessly stuck. After a couple minutes they all crawled back in, and I'll be danged if they didn't back out of where they were stuck, turned around and didn't come down the way they'd gone in, but rather climbed right up the side of the ravine!! That old beater of a Subaru had blazed a trail right up out of that ravine in 2 feet of snow and made a new trail right down the side of the hill back to the road. I was STUNNED!!

If I'd have tried to take my truck down into that ravine and then climb up it like they did...it would have taken 3 wreckers and a bulldozer to get my truck out...maybe even a helicopter!! That old Subaru had oil stains all over the back of the car from burning oil, it smoked like a train, it knocked, rattled and squealed...but at the end of the day it showed up my $50,000 3/4 ton hard core turbo-diesel 4x4!!

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I've been a long time Jeep guy. In fact, this is the first time I haven't owned one in quite a while. Just love 'em.

We bought a new car recently to replace my Accord commuter (with 376,000 miles on it...and never spent a day in the shop). Loved the car, but we live way out in the country and I needed 4x4 or AWD. I did a lot of research. Jeep (in general) took a really bad beating in the reviews. (and I mean really bad too!) Pretty much across the board the reviews were thumbs down and 1-2 star reviews. Noise, mileage, quality and reliability seemed to be a universal constant across all the reviews.

I wound up going with a '16 Subaru Outback. Never owned a Subaru before and I have to say...I'm STUNNED at how good this car is!! It will go places my F250 turbo diesel won't even go, and that's no lie either! It actually has more interior room than the Renegade, Wrangler and the Cherokee. It's quiet, solid, problem free (so far, at 45,000 miles...yes, I drive a lot, 140+ miles per day). The fuel economy is excellent (28+ mpg)...and that damn thing will go anywhere!

Subaru's seem to attract a fairly liberal type client, so they kind of have that identity, and this kept me away for a number of years. However, when I researched and test drove everything else in the class the Subaru just blew everything else in class away, hands down! Plus, the price point is comparable (and possibly even less depending on equipment) than the Jeeps. So, needless to say, I got over the identity thing real quick, and will now be the first person to stand up and say I drive a Subaru (and damn proud of it too!). The choice was pretty much a no-brainer for me.

Oh, and another thing; I'm a big guy 6'4" 260lbs and the Subie has more comfort room inside it than anything else too. The layout is really well designed, nothing fancy, just pure function (which I really appreciate).

If you're looking for something to put a 6" lift on and do some hardcore four wheelin', stick with the Jeep, but otherwise I'd strongly recommend giving the Subaru a look. It's my first Subie and I can honestly say it spun my head around.

On a side note; we bought the wife an Audi A-8 back in '14. I call it the "supercar", but historically I've been a Ford, Honda and Jeep man. This frustrates the crap out of her dad who is a retired career GM man (and we could get the big employee discounts too...he about had a cow when we bought her the Audi). Right now we've got (2) Ford trucks, the Audi and the Subaru...oh, and a GMC Suburban (which is absolute crap/money pit so it just sits). The reason for noting this is, what car would you guess the wife is opining for now? You guessed it, an Outback just like the one I bought.

Take a look. And NO, I do not have any affiliation whatsoever with Subaru!

Thanks for the tip. We were thinking our next vehicle would be either a Jeep or a Range Rover, but I've always liked the look of the Outbacks, so we will test drive it. By the way, does the Outback also accommodate a petite person? Also, what type of weather conditions do you drive in?

The cabin layout of the Outback will adjust to just about any body size. My wife is a shrimp and she loves it! I'm like Lurch, and I love it.

Conditions? Probably some of the worst you can get. We live way out in the boondocks of Colorado, so we get deep snow (in the winter), even deeper mud (in the spring), mountains, switchbacks, flooded roads, washed out roads, blizzards, ice, black ice, pouring rain, blazing hot and dusty in summer, wind...we get it all! We're about 10 miles off the nearest paved road and 3 miles off the nearest county maintained road (private road). So when the conditions get ugly, they get really ugly! Like I noted, the Subaru blazes through that stuff better than my crewcab F250 4x4 turbo-diesel. In fact, I haven't seen something it won't go through yet!

That's almost unbelievable.

I totally believe it... Our Forester will follow almost everywhere our Wrangler goes... only when clearance or crawling is involved separates that little machines ability... but I love them both. I love the Jeep a tad more, but, the Jeep is a maniac in 4x4. Plus, you can get some Jerry Cans, a Snorkel, Rack and just go.

originally posted by: Newt22

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I've been a long time Jeep guy. In fact, this is the first time I haven't owned one in quite a while. Just love 'em.

We bought a new car recently to replace my Accord commuter (with 376,000 miles on it...and never spent a day in the shop). Loved the car, but we live way out in the country and I needed 4x4 or AWD. I did a lot of research. Jeep (in general) took a really bad beating in the reviews. (and I mean really bad too!) Pretty much across the board the reviews were thumbs down and 1-2 star reviews. Noise, mileage, quality and reliability seemed to be a universal constant across all the reviews.

I wound up going with a '16 Subaru Outback. Never owned a Subaru before and I have to say...I'm STUNNED at how good this car is!! It will go places my F250 turbo diesel won't even go, and that's no lie either! It actually has more interior room than the Renegade, Wrangler and the Cherokee. It's quiet, solid, problem free (so far, at 45,000 miles...yes, I drive a lot, 140+ miles per day). The fuel economy is excellent (28+ mpg)...and that damn thing will go anywhere!

Subaru's seem to attract a fairly liberal type client, so they kind of have that identity, and this kept me away for a number of years. However, when I researched and test drove everything else in the class the Subaru just blew everything else in class away, hands down! Plus, the price point is comparable (and possibly even less depending on equipment) than the Jeeps. So, needless to say, I got over the identity thing real quick, and will now be the first person to stand up and say I drive a Subaru (and damn proud of it too!). The choice was pretty much a no-brainer for me.

Oh, and another thing; I'm a big guy 6'4" 260lbs and the Subie has more comfort room inside it than anything else too. The layout is really well designed, nothing fancy, just pure function (which I really appreciate).

If you're looking for something to put a 6" lift on and do some hardcore four wheelin', stick with the Jeep, but otherwise I'd strongly recommend giving the Subaru a look. It's my first Subie and I can honestly say it spun my head around.

On a side note; we bought the wife an Audi A-8 back in '14. I call it the "supercar", but historically I've been a Ford, Honda and Jeep man. This frustrates the crap out of her dad who is a retired career GM man (and we could get the big employee discounts too...he about had a cow when we bought her the Audi). Right now we've got (2) Ford trucks, the Audi and the Subaru...oh, and a GMC Suburban (which is absolute crap/money pit so it just sits). The reason for noting this is, what car would you guess the wife is opining for now? You guessed it, an Outback just like the one I bought.

Take a look. And NO, I do not have any affiliation whatsoever with Subaru!

Thanks for the tip. We were thinking our next vehicle would be either a Jeep or a Range Rover, but I've always liked the look of the Outbacks, so we will test drive it. By the way, does the Outback also accommodate a petite person? Also, what type of weather conditions do you drive in?

The cabin layout of the Outback will adjust to just about any body size. My wife is a shrimp and she loves it! I'm like Lurch, and I love it.

Conditions? Probably some of the worst you can get. We live way out in the boondocks of Colorado, so we get deep snow (in the winter), even deeper mud (in the spring), mountains, switchbacks, flooded roads, washed out roads, blizzards, ice, black ice, pouring rain, blazing hot and dusty in summer, wind...we get it all! We're about 10 miles off the nearest paved road and 3 miles off the nearest county maintained road (private road). So when the conditions get ugly, they get really ugly! Like I noted, the Subaru blazes through that stuff better than my crewcab F250 4x4 turbo-diesel. In fact, I haven't seen something it won't go through yet!

That's almost unbelievable.

I totally believe it... Our Forester will follow almost everywhere our Wrangler goes... only when clearance or crawling is involved separates that little machines ability... but I love them both. I love the Jeep a tad more, but, the Jeep is a maniac in 4x4. Plus, you can get some Jerry Cans, a Snorkel, Rack and just go.

Totally agree with your assessment. My brother drove a Subaru in Maine for years and was never stuck. The beauty of the Subaru and Wrangler compared to a full sized SUV or truck is the weight difference....I can stay on top of mud and snow and drive over a lot of stuff in my Jeep while heavier trucks and SUV's sink and have to drive thru it. I think the Subaru is awesome for a family car as long as you don't try and crawl rocks.

Agree on the large rocks. The ground clearance on the outback is 8.3" which is pretty good really, but if you're going to be climbing over boulders, it would probably be good to have something with a higher frame.

Remember, ground clearance is made up of two factors...axle clearance and frame/body clearance. Axle clearance can only be changed by increasing tire/wheel size (there are some exceptions with some of the more exotic suspensions). Frame/body clearance can be increased with lift kits (but they don't change the axle clearance).

The only reason for noting this is because the Subie comes with 17" wheels, which I believe is the same for Jeep.

Still, I agree, if you're climbing over boulders where high frame/body clearance is a must...stick with the Jeep.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Yeah, however the typical jeep in the 1997-2007 years generally came with 15" wheels and tires and Dana 30 front axles and Dana 35 rear axles unless it was a Rubicon. Many people put big tires on a stock Wrangler and went off roading with some bad results. Stock Jeep .......think climbing curbs more than boulders.