vehicles in Maine (price, ranked, best)

[399083453]

If you dont "need" an SUV, which most people dont, think about a subaru wagon. With all the money you will save on gas and tires you can take an extra vacation during the cold winter months of Maine.

[starwalker]

We need the hauling space for the BIG dog, as well as other stuff... I am an artist and "do" craft fairs, etc.

We have settled on our list as the result of much research and thought as to our needs... Fuel economy IS an issue, but not the main one... and we are not inclined to "take vacations" anyway... certainly not away from winter, which is one big reason we are moving north!

[AlisonL]

I vote for the Subaru also. My dad had them for years, and my mom still has one. (and they definitely were NOT yuppies)
Even though, we live below the so called Volvo line,and we're not yuppies either, we do not drive the supposedly required Volvo. We have a Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 truck and a Hyundai Accent that had belonged to my brother in law.

[corgis]

I have the Toyota Matrix - we get around 33 - 35 to the gallon, roomy interior, we haul our stuff, 3 people and 3 dogs up to Eastport and back each year. Downside is that it's not a very heavy vehicle and it doesn't have much pick up going uphill.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

I don't sell Subarus and don't have any relatives that do.

That said; The Subaru Forester has a 5 star safety rating. They have a slogan:

Air bags save lives.
All wheel drive saves air bags.

I know a lady who hit a moose. She then went off the road and hit a giant boulder the size of a bus. The Subaru was totalled. The lady is fine today and there is not a mark on her. She has a new Subaru Forester.

Go buy it.

[AliceT]

Last summer, I asked one of the mechanics that works on my car about a used car good on gas for doing errands. I was thinking along the lines of VW bug. He said to take a look at the Subaru Outback.

I have cousins who bought one and don't like it. They aren't quite right.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

I don't sell Subarus and don't have any relatives that do.

That said; The Subaru Forester <snip>

Go buy it.

I did There is now a black 2003 Subaru Forester 2.5 XS titled to K sitting in my parking lot. Now all I need to do is (a) get a ride back to Jacksonville to pick up my pickup (b) get a trailer and tow the darn thing to KS to get K, his stuff, and his cat, taking Brandi dog with me and visiting friends in WV along the way (c) tie up loose ends here (that was started today, as I laid the bombshell on my second largest client -- the largest one having been the Realtor who laid me off and is closing up shop) (d) find a house and land in Maine and (e) ditto a job in Maine... likely in that order.

Things ARE getting crossed off the list though!

[Bydand]

Congrats Star! Good luck with all the loose ends that need to be handled and wrapped up.

[msina]

Way To Go Star!!! Everything is going to fall in place!

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by starwalker

Other vehicles on the "short list" are:
Nissan Pathfinder LE (2002)
Honda CR-V LX (2003)
Honda Element EX (2006)
Subaru Forester 2.5 XS (2003)
Suzuki SX4 (2007)
Toyota Matrix XR (2007)
Pontiac Vibe (2006)


thoughts??

-I would ditch the Astro van, but that is a personal opinion of my.
-Pathfinders went downhill in my opinion after 2000. The best Pathfinders were from '93 to '95.
-CR-V's are all around reliable as with the Forester, and the Forester consistently gets ranked as #1 in many different categories.
-Elements are really awesome and this would be my choice from your list. You really can't tell just by looking, but they are insanely roomy.
-I'm not familiar with the Matrix or the Vibe, but they both look zippy. Judging by the history and performance of Pontiac and Toyota, I'd go with Toyota and drop Pontiac off the list. The Matrix will have decent resale value ten years from now and since it is a Toyota it can probably be driven over 300,000 miles.