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Old 04-28-2009, 06:25 AM
 
7,079 posts, read 37,841,161 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cali_to_nj View Post
The Highlander is great (I drive a Prius myself) but can get pricey pretty quickly as soon as you start adding features - navigation, etc.

Speaking of, I've noticed that the Prius craze has not caught on in Westchester, whereas here in Los Angeles every other person drives one. Perhaps not really a multi-weather car and not much room for all that winter gear. I have resigned myself to trading it in for a small SUV when we relocate this summer.
Keep your Prius. Why on earth do you want an SUV???? They don't fare any better in the snow. Mostly because it's STOPPING in the snow that gets people in trouble: both cars move forward in the snow, and the SUV might move faster, but there's no advantage to stopping. Plus moving faster is not necessarily a good thing. A Prius is better for the planet, anyway.
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Old 04-28-2009, 12:22 PM
 
Location: Washington, DC & New York
10,915 posts, read 31,243,414 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cali_to_nj View Post
Speaking of, I've noticed that the Prius craze has not caught on in Westchester, whereas here in Los Angeles every other person drives one. Perhaps not really a multi-weather car and not much room for all that winter gear. I have resigned myself to trading it in for a small SUV when we relocate this summer.
Many people commute via train in Westchester, so they drive to the station, hence why owning a Prius is not alwas as economical. Plus, there are no carpool lanes where one can zip by the traffic, which does come in handy on roads like the 405, etc. in LA.

I agree with Viralmd, though, that I'd say to keep the Prius. It's not the best in winter because of the tires, and there are hills in Westchester. If I were in your position, I would consider augmenting the family fleet with a reliable AWD wagon or small SUV, such as a Subaru Outback or the Volvo XC70 (if you have an independent shop for the maintenance, since the Volvo is a safer vehicle), which I would buy previously owned since it's not a primary vehicle and can suffer the slings and dings of the train station parking lot in inclement weather. The roads in Westchester are generally very well kept, and are plowed, so you do not need the higher ground clearance of an SUV like a Tahoe or Jeep, unless you have a very long driveway and don't clear it. Even then, there would have to be a large snowfall to cause an issue. However, during a snow event, it is that much more secure a feeling to have the AWD.

Multiple vehicles is a very Westchester thing . You will find people who have a station wagon, SUV, or truck, that they keep for an eternity, precisely for the bad weather. Plus, you would be able to keep your Prius in excellent condition and not have to worry about the winter chemicals on the road marring the paint.
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Old 04-28-2009, 12:27 PM
 
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Viralmd - thanks for the input, I am totally with you. I would hate to give up my Prius. It works well for me in LA even with 2 kids and all of their stuff, plus the hands free phone and nav system are awesome. I intended to keep it but when I was out looking at homes in Westchester a few weeks ago, literally I don't think I even saw one. So I thought maybe there was some issue with the winter weather. I have another year on my lease anyway so we'll see how it fares, and if I also if I did get an SUV it would def be another hybrid - like the Escape or Highlander.

ETA: Thanks to bmwguy as well!!
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Old 04-11-2011, 11:09 AM
 
5,338 posts, read 14,071,350 times
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Originally Posted by movingnorth2 View Post
The Mazda is looking great, except the gas mileage could be better. Looks like the Honda CRV does 20 mpg city / 26 mpg hwy and the Mazda CX9 16 mpg city / 22 mpg hwy. do you think this is a significant difference?
Because the CX9 is way bigger, way heavier and has way more power. It would be more appropriate to compare the Honda Pilot and the CX9.
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Old 04-12-2011, 12:30 PM
 
Location: New York
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We LOVE our Subaru Outback. Bought it in NYC and moved it with us to southern Westchester.
It fares better in hilly snowy areas than our '89 Nissan Pathfinder since it's always on AWD. Pathfinder has to be switched to 4WD. We do love our Pathfinder, but when we can afford to we will be buying a Subaru Hybrid when it arrives (heard rumors that 2012 or 2013 is the year for a Subaru hybrid YAY).
We have 1 child and are both tall, but have comfortably fit a second child in a car seat and a bunch of stuff and good size dog - no problem.
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Old 04-13-2011, 06:16 AM
 
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I think the OP has his car now as the thread is 3 years old. Nevertheless, Subaru has the best AWD system; Audi 2d.
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Old 04-13-2011, 04:22 PM
 
Location: Connectucut shore but on a hill
2,617 posts, read 6,982,767 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ponytrekker View Post
I think the OP has his car now as the thread is 3 years old. Nevertheless, Subaru has the best AWD system; Audi 2d.
A couple random car thoughts:

1. There are still lots of old Subaru's on the road. Ditto full size chevy trucks. But you never see an old Audi. Hmmmm, wonder why? A transmission for an A6 runs about $6k. Maybe that's part of the reason. After 2 A6's I've concluded that the only rational way to to have any Audi is to lease it.

2. Tires have as much - or more - to do with winter performance than anything else (FWD, RWD, AWD, etc). Leave the low profile tires on that AWD X5 or Q5 and winter performance will stink. You see them all over the ditches on I684 all winter long. But put proper snow tires on anything and it will work fine.
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Old 04-16-2011, 01:00 PM
 
1,594 posts, read 3,552,621 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kletter1mann View Post
A couple random car thoughts:

1. There are still lots of old Subaru's on the road. Ditto full size chevy trucks. But you never see an old Audi. Hmmmm, wonder why? A transmission for an A6 runs about $6k. Maybe that's part of the reason. After 2 A6's I've concluded that the only rational way to to have any Audi is to lease it.

2. Tires have as much - or more - to do with winter performance than anything else (FWD, RWD, AWD, etc). Leave the low profile tires on that AWD X5 or Q5 and winter performance will stink. You see them all over the ditches on I684 all winter long. But put proper snow tires on anything and it will work fine.
I was focusing just on the all wheel drive systems, not the cars' longevity or whether tires have anything to do with winter traction. True, tires are the only part of your car making contact with the road but in Westchester's hilly terrain even a Blizzak-shod FWD or RWD car could have difficulty going up a snowy hill. Personally, I run winter tires AND AWD. That's how pony rolls.

As far as owning a german-luxury car, lease and turn in is often less expensive than buy and hold. And it's certainly better on the psyche.
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Old 04-17-2011, 09:19 AM
 
Location: Connectucut shore but on a hill
2,617 posts, read 6,982,767 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ponytrekker View Post
Personally, I run winter tires AND AWD. That's how pony rolls.

As far as owning a german-luxury car, lease and turn in is often less expensive than buy and hold. And it's certainly better on the psyche.
Personally I up the ante a little with 4WD and winter tires. Just pointing out the role tires play, something that's increasingly overlooked IMO as AWD systems and so-called "all season" tires have proliferated. I've seen true 4x4's stuck cause they're on huge diameter wheels with silly low profile tires. Ditto the AWD German brands. My winter vehicle (and pet) of choice is pictured. Note the tires. I take them off about now after ski season is finished.

It's sad about the longevity issue but I have to agree. Last year I traded in a 1998 BMW with 165,000 miles and it still ran like a top and had ZERO repairs other than tires and maintenance. The only reason I dumped it was cause it was on the original clutch and clutches can't last forever. I couldn't stand the idea of spending the $$ on a car that old. It was expensive to buy, but the longevity also gave it value. I have zero confidence that I could repeat that these days.
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Old 04-19-2011, 08:42 AM
 
374 posts, read 1,053,619 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pdrph View Post
I love my Honda CR-V! It's roomy, economical, and reliable (also great in snow). Whatever you do, don't go to White Plains Honda!!!!! The sales department was pushy and not very helpful. They did a lousy job finding financing and the Service Department is Horrible!!!!! I've heard that Brewster Honda is much better (if that's not too far for you to travel).
I will back up the statement that white plains honda is horrible in every way. I've been to yonkers honda and they seemed much nicer, but I didn't buy from them unfortunately.

Also, I find that the CRV does handle well in snow and rain. Although, I did by some good all season tires.

I find the CRV roomy, but I am average height and no kids. The 4 cylinder engine makes it one of the most fuel efficient. But the trade off is that it doesn't accelerate very fast on hills/highways.

I would recommend looking into the subaru Forrester if you want some more power. But I am not sure it is as roomy as the CRV.
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