Need CAR for backcountry roads

I need to get a new car. I'm looking for something reliable, with good fuel economy and decent cargo space, and not too expensive. I'm most interested in a Honda Fit (highway MPG 33), but am open to other vehicles. My question is what vehicles people are using that have enough ground clearance to maneuver those tough National Forest roads, such as Caribou Valley Road near Sugarloaf.
Anyone drive a Honda Fit? Toyota Matrix? Scion xD? Scion xB? Subaru Outback or Forester (both a bit pricey for me, and not such great MPG)? Other recommendations?

Lots of Subaru Outback drivers on this BBS...

I have one (2002) and like it. It gets 28-29 mpg on the highways.

Doug

My wife has the 2001 Outback wagon - 4cyl - it's a dog and the brakes are wimpy, but it does pretty well on rough roads and in the snow and ice... I rarely fill it so I don't know what it gets for mileage these days. I don't think a car exists that meets all your desires, btw. It's like a Chinese menu - pick any two from (Good, Fast, Cheap).

Tim

the ultimate driving machine ---

Mini Cooper! S of course!!

Like my new used 04 Pontiac Vibe. Though 2wd, plenty of clearence for Mad Tom Notch Rd or Camels Hump Rd. n VT.
When I first got it I over inflated the tires by accident, got 43 mpg that weekend. Well, I'm at around 34 mpg highway with properly inflated tires.
Big change from the 95 Integra, but love it.
Dave G.

That's a tough tradeoff you're asking for. An Outback is the only car I can think of that offers reasonable MPG and backwoods clearance.

The Honda Fit is a great car but my '08 Civic bottomed out on the Safety Pond road last week. I'm sticking with my truck in the mountains from now on.

It partly depends on your skill as a driver and your willingness to drive slowly on bad spots

Andy Martin of cohp/prom fame has a Honda Accord with over 200k that he has driven on worse roads than any you mention

If your goal is higher MPG, you could just walk the rough roads. I think it is somewhat silly to sacrifice day-to-day car performance in order to gain the ability to drive a handful of miles for fun -- and really, in New England when we talk about rough roads to access hiking (that are too rough for a Civic or something similar), we are talking about a very small handful of miles.

BlackBuffalo said:

plenty of clearence for Mad Tom Notch Rd or Camels Hump Rd. n VT.

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These aren't rough roads compared to the Caribou Valley or other hit-or-miss maintenance truck roads (logging roads).

Gives me an idea for a new thread...

There is only one "car" for backcountry roads

I just traded my *yawn* BORING and gas guzzling Subaru Outback for a brandy-new 2009 MINI Cooper Clubman...now I have a huge smiley on everytime I drive, and 38 ft3 of cargo room and flat folding rear seats...yeah, life is good. Forget about the Fit, if you are going to go small, have some fun for doG's sake!!!

For the CRV and roads alike, a bike carrier and bike stash is just fine with me.

BTW, I drive local roads here around the Greater Boston area and I'm averaging 38 fun mpg in my Cooper. The Clubman is the 'wagoneseque' model.

rav4 - 4cyl, nearly 30 mph highway, 4wd - tons of storage

I test drove them all - and this was the best.

Honda CRV AWD
32 mpg highway
28 mpg overall

35 year Honda fan. I love the CRV. Pretty good clearance and I've negotiated it over some big rocks. Carries all the gear, nice sleeping, but...it's got a hefty car payment.
I'd seriously consider the FIT.

Kawasaki KLR 650

60 + mpg and no parking pemits required! I can take it down any road in these woods (and a few illegal as well - which I choose not to).

xB

Love the mileage (~38 hwy/33 city) and the space (great rear seat legroom - on par with large sedans) with my 2006. The newer ones get lower mileage, but have more pep and space. Ground clearance is a major problem though. If I'm going rough roads I take the minivan.

Tom & Atticus said:

That's me. Can't say as I'm much of a car guy but I love the Fit. It gets great mileage (about 38 mpg highway), has an incredible number of air bags, great storage space, the price is right, and in the last two years has been a joy to drive. And since I'm not much of a car guy, I like that fact that Hondas are made to last.

I'm sure there are better cars out there but this car has met my needs just fine.

(*Asking what kind of car to get out here is a lot like asking what kind of dog to get. Plenty of people will tell you there's is the best. In the end all that matters is that you end up with something that fits your life.)

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The Fit looks to be a pretty good vehicle, the front seats fold forward so if you can store some long items in the car if you don't need the passenger seat. if you're not really tall, you can probably even sleep in it, although the front seats when folded isn't really flat, or as flat as my Outback's rear seat folded but might do in a pinch or if you aren't a roller.

If ground clearance is not an issue, a used Subaru Legacy would fit the bill nicely, gets better gas mileage than an outback, will probably ride better on the road and still has some ground clearance, just not as much as the outback.

Jay

I'm usually in a Focus and that's made it fine to the AT crossing on the CVR, also to the end of the Speck Pond Road.

When in Colorado we had a Mazda CX-9 (aka Ford Edge), which was pretty nice. Tons of space (could even sleep two in the back), not bad mileage for something of its size, decent clearance. No problem going up to Kite Lake and it made it up the Stevens Gulch road (somewhat slowly). There's a hybrid Edge coming for 2010, supposedly.

Bike spots are also a good way to go; I made it up the Sawyer River Road on a Dahon folding bike with slicks. Those who don't ride regularly might find them far less fun.

una_dogger said:

I just traded my *yawn* BORING and gas guzzling Subaru Outback for a brandy-new 2009 MINI Cooper Clubman...now I have a huge smiley on everytime I drive, and 38 ft3 of cargo room and flat folding rear seats...yeah, life is good. Forget about the Fit, if you are going to go small, have some fun for doG's sake!!!

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^^^This iz korrekt!!

The wife's ride is an '09 Clubby that we got last fall -- I get to drive it occasionally, and only if I've been good.
(Hoping she'll let ma take it to the ADK's this weekend, though after the recent "backpack incident"...)

It's a fun car, though I'm not sure it'd be the choice for backcountry trails and logging roads. The ground clearance isn't any better than an average car, IMO, and it snot AWD either, which is why we ended up not trading in Truckasaurus (i.e., the '01 Durango).

Una, how long did you have to wait for yours after you ordered it?

J.Dub said:

The wife's ride is an '09 Clubby that we got last fall -- I get to drive it occasionally, and only if I've been good.

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I never learned to drive standard ... waahhhhh!!!

(ps - she bought off the lot)

Jay H said:

If ground clearance is not an issue, a used Subaru Legacy would fit the bill nicely, gets better gas mileage than an outback, will probably ride better on the road and still has some ground clearance, just not as much as the outback.

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The names Outback and Legacy can be confusing. In different model years, Outback has been a model or a trim line.

For instance, in 2002 (my model year), Legacy was a model (contrast with Forrester and Imprezza) and the Outback was a trim line of the Legacy model (ie Legacy vs Legacy Outback). The Legacy Outback had a bit more clearance and a better differential system than did the plain Legacy. IIRC, the milage ratings were the same.

I haven't kept up with Subaru's name games, so I can't tell you exactly what the distinctions are for the current models.

Doug