Whats the most driven in Maine? (Presque Isle, Caribou: house, buy, bankrupt) - (ME) - City-Data Forum

Raffie · 04-07-2009, 08:08 AM

Since Maine gets a dusting of snow < insert evil grim>, do most people drive cars? Or 4x4's a better choice in the state?

dmyankee · 04-07-2009, 08:41 AM

The most popular vehicle in Maine, north and south of the Volvo Line, is the Ford F 150.

Bydand · 04-07-2009, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmyankee

The most popular vehicle in Maine, north and south of the Volvo Line, is the Ford F 150.

Well kind of, The County leans toward the Chevy 1500 series very heavily.

That being said, you can find just about any type vehicle being driven year-round in Maine, even Northern Maine. Shoot, I drove a Geo Metro Convertible in the winter up in the Caribou/Presque Isle area. A few days a year a 4X4 may be a bit easier to get through, but overall I don't think after 20 years up in the Northern part of the state the number of days I needed a 4x4 would even be into the double digits. Maybe 7 or 8 is all I can think of.

mollysmiles · 04-07-2009, 08:55 AM

It depends on where your house is located too. I know people who have a long private driveway on a hill, and a 4x4 in the winter and spring makes driving much easier.

lrfox · 04-07-2009, 09:03 AM

Subaru lagacy, subaru forester, and subaru outbacks are what I see most frequently. In fact, many joke that subaru is the state car of Maine due to how many there are. They are very practical here. I do see a good number of American pickups (surprisingly few foreign ones) too.

fxtrader · 04-07-2009, 09:42 AM

I would have to agree with Ford or Chevy pickup as the most popular, especially up north. Second would be SUV's and Subaru's mostly 4x4's. You may not always need it but it is nice to know you have it just in case.

lrfox · 04-07-2009, 10:06 AM

I agree with the 4x4 thing too. I don't have it, but there are about 7-10 days a year where I wish I did.

Northern Maine Land Man · 04-07-2009, 10:16 AM

It depends on what you do for work. I need a 4 WD pickup. I have a GMC Crew Cab. I need to tow a trailer with a 4 WD tractor on it and I can't do that with a Subaru.

Federal CAFE standards have required the manufacturers to average a certain level of gas mileage for their entire fleet. Over half the vehicles sold in Maine are pickups. This true also in many rural states. The result of this federal law is thousands of acres of unsold cars that nobody wants. Detroit made those cars as cheaply as possible to meet Washington's CAFE standard and that is a big reason the car companies are essentially bankrupt. When government forces a company to make an unwanted product in order to make a desirable product that company cannot survive in the long run.

Get the 4 WD that suits you. If you ever intend to trade it in to a Maine Dealer it will be worth far more than a used 2 WD. Your best bet would be to get the 4 WD drive before you come to Maine because it's a safe bet that your state does not use calcium on the roads.

RMoore007 · 04-07-2009, 10:55 AM

There are those in Maine who still have to drive "Gravy Boats" as described by an automotive site here:Auto Service Mechanics Stories | Auto-Facts.org. There is one article called Why your mechanic loves your old car where he describes it like this: "Auto service mechanics and shop owners have a nickname for a vehicle near the end of their life cycle. The term is called a gravy boat. Which is an all you can eat buffet for the mechanic and shop owner. When a vehicle is old and has high miles everywhere you look you can find repairs to recommend to the vehicle owner.

I have relatives here that have been caught in this cycle of owning older cars for years. Always behind on a service or two and never catching up. And at the mercy of all auto repair services within the area. Living here behooves you to have a good relationship with a mechanic, just like a doctor or barber.

If you can afford it, buy one of the vehicles mentioned by others here as they are all on my list as good vehicles to own, except maybe the Geo Metro Convertible.

Submariner · 04-07-2009, 11:13 AM

In Maine we have driven a Buick station wagon, a saab 4 dr sedan, a Willy, and a Chevy Aveo.

We prefer front wheel drive. I see many folks with rear wheel drive who spend a lot of time fish-tailing.

A 4WD is good if you plan to be off-road a lot. But when 4WD gets stuck, it gets REALLY stuck.