Vehicle Recommendation For Colorado Relocation (Denver, Center: fit in, insurance, buying)

[michael1248]

Every time I spend time in Colorado, I can't help but notice how many Subarus are on the road. Apparently, they are the vehicle of choice. The last time I vacationed, I got stuck with a 4-wheel drive Ford F150, which surprisingly, I really ended up enjoying. Now I am really wondering what type of vehicle would fit me best for my upcoming move. If I went Subaru, I'd go with the Forrester or Outback. If I went pickup I'd go with the 4-Wheel drive F150. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Also, what extra equipment should I be looking for. Do heated seats really make a difference? I'd like to learn as much as I can before making my decision.

[Mike from back east]

One resource that any person should consult before buying a vehicle is The Car Book, produced by The Center for Auto Safety. It gives a wealth of information and I always found it invaluable for sorting through all the hype. Most libraries have it, and it's not that expensive to buy. I get one every year even though I rarely buy a car; it's good to stay abreast of things like warranty laws, tire wear stats, which cars carry higher insurance premiums, repair histories, etc.

Out here, the Subaru is the car of choice, but every other thing on the road here is an SUV or truck of some sort.

IMO, if you need to haul stuff around the p/u truck may be the better choice, especially if you tow any sort of trailer.

[VALGAL222]

Mike offered great information and I just wanted to add that heated seats are definately worth it, especially if you will be spending time enjoying outdoor activities in the winter. Nothing better than toasty buns on a cold winter day.

[ajmac10]

Originally Posted by VALGAL222

Mike offered great information and I just wanted to add that heated seats are definately worth it, especially if you will be spending time enjoying outdoor activities in the winter. Nothing better than toasty buns on a cold winter day.

Heated seats are a BIG deal. Those drives out to the mountains are much more enjoyable with your butt getting constant warmth from the seat.

As for the Subaru's, I can't speak from experience, but one reason why I think they're so popular is because they have a turbo (boxer) engine, and they're AWD which is invaluable in CO. AWD saves on gas mileage as opposed to 4WD. I drove a Nissan Pathfinder and when it snowed it acted like a dog in a lake, it seemed to LOVE IT. But I had to slow way down when it snowed and my 4WD was engaged. I also got caught driving up to Winter Park without the 4WD engaged which was terrifying. Good thing there was lots of traffic which gave me time to put it in because I was sliding all over the place. If you're fortunate enough to have 2 vehicles, I would recommend an AWD or 4WD vehicle for incliment weather, but just driving around Denver it just isn't necessary. A hybrid or high gas mileage vehicle is perfect for city driving. For "300 days of Sunshine" you don't need to be driving around in a huge SUV.

[cowboyxjon]

Definitely buy the biggest SUV you can afford.

I'm JUST KIDDING. I think either choice would be fine, but I love to joke around with the 'you're ruining the environment' crowd. I have a Jeep and while I don't NEED it in the city, I do love it.

[jeepgirl27]

Originally Posted by michael1248

Every time I spend time in Colorado, I can't help but notice how many Subarus are on the road. Apparently, they are the vehicle of choice. The last time I vacationed, I got stuck with a 4-wheel drive Ford F150, which surprisingly, I really ended up enjoying. Now I am really wondering what type of vehicle would fit me best for my upcoming move. If I went Subaru, I'd go with the Forrester or Outback. If I went pickup I'd go with the 4-Wheel drive F150. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Also, what extra equipment should I be looking for. Do heated seats really make a difference? I'd like to learn as much as I can before making my decision.

A jeep 4x4

[Brian_M]

110k miles of running around the Rockies (lived in WY for a few years, parents have a ski cabin in MT, now down here in Denver) and the only time I've had issues with my FWD VW Jetta was driving up the unplowed drive to my parents ski cabin. I hoisted the front wheels off the deck with all the snow that got caught up under my skid plate. As soon as I knocked that snow down and got the wheels back on the ground, I was fine.

FWD with Nokian WR tires (winter rated all-seasons that we run as our only tire). Now, I grew up in WY and learned to drive there, and Montana where I went to college... but there's rarely a NEED for AWD or 4WD. Moving forward is rarely the issue, now STOPPING on the other hand.. you better have good tires and ABS. Granted, I have a 4WD truck for the times I just want to goof-off and not worry about getting stuck.

[Idlewile]

We have both AWD and 4WD vehicles. While we love our truck and SUV (both 4WD) and they do great after a blizzard or in big drift driving but the AWD is substantially better in general icy and snowy conditions. AWD will always handle better in slippery weather. Our AWD gives me a lot of confidence when driving in bad weather here and has actually made me a better driver. Also, don't skimp on your tires.

Yes, heated seats are 100% worth it -- I will never go back.

[Snikt]

I bought a Subaru Legacy shortly after moving here, I already had a Subaru from moving to FL though as well. I wanted something that was AWD, Auto, and still had decent power for under 25-30k, there aren't too many cars that fit in that category. The Ford Fusion was the other one. Both options are the H-6 or V-6, I wouldn't even consider owning a 4 cyl unless it was turbo if you do a lot of mountain driving.

It's kind of funny in Florida having a Subaru was so unique, you never saw them, maybe like 1 or 2 a month, but here it's got to be like 20-30% of the vehicles on the road

[Kyusa]

subaru are car of choice. i had WRX great winter car. its expensive, but worth the cost. shop around there are other AWD cars out there.