With a Dodge Magnum, a fairly large dog would have to crouch, rather than stand in the back. To put a chopped roof on the back of a station wagon might be good for appearances sake (actually, I think it looks…not very good), but it certainly isn’t practical. The height of the load area of a Dodge Magnum effectively makes it impossible to carry tall cargo in the back of that vehicle.
Beth, If you do take the Dealers’ cars home for an overnight test, make sure you load them both with all the “stuff” you normally carry in your car. This includes the dog and any other items(large and small), as well as your purse , water bottle, etc. The idea is to know everything fits comfortably before the car becomes yours. Don’t worry yourself putting a few miles on their car. Its better to know before you buy, (than find out after you sign the papers) that your “stuff” won’t fix in. The car absolutely must fit your lifestyle or you will hate it.
Don’t let the occasional or rare need to carry lumber stop you from a particular car. A good roof rack will do for most things unless you live in a very rainy place.
We had a rack on our Saab for years and had nearly the full Monty with wire basket, ski, bike, and ratchet tiedown system. It was handy to the extreme.
whatever you choose… just make sure it’s not a SATURN! they are hardly worth the money despite the initially nice ride… spend a little more on a higher end and be treated accordingly.
You might consider getting a car that is rated as a reliable one instead of Audi or Volvo. Some consumers need the report. 22 bucks a year could save you some big headaches. It’s true that you can get a bad car from any manufacturer, but why murder the odds by choosing the ones with the bad reputations? You could buy a car made in the U.S.A. like a Camry or something. If you want good gas mileage, don’t get all wheel drive.
one need not even spend $22 to suscribe to CR. just get the stand alone issue(s) comparing new cars.
A really helpful site is from the magaizine Car & Driver:
http://www.caranddriver.com/carbodystyles/suv_-_compact.small/
Right. More research is needed.
My husband has been really good about standing back this time and letting me choose the vehicle - BUT - he finally let me know that the passenger wheel well in the Outback is tight. Losing in both depth (heater box) and width (to give the driver a more spacious area). We’re pretty average in that we’re not in the car that much together unless on long drives (when we’d likely be using AWD feature).
I think you guys are right about the Volvo V50 and the Audi A4 - my mechanic is also not a fan but I thought I should give them a go against my fave, the Outback.
So I guess I’m going UP high again. I liked the Saturn, thought I should drive the twin Chevy. The Ford Edge had a nasty dash squeek on test drive-bad show. Ideas? Or do I have to go up to Medium SUV with $32K and up sticker?
The Vue and Equinox are not the same truck. The Vue is an Opel Antara. The Equinox has no corporate twins.
I drove a hybrid Toyota med size suv (model name is escaping me this minute)(highlander?) while skiing up in Big Sky Montana last year. I also own a toyota tundra 4wd and have had not one problem with this or my old Celica with 270,000 miles!Anyway, this highlander, or whatever it was was great for carrying my own dog and ski’s at the same time along with great traction and decent mileage. I got around 28-32 mpg on average (actually better in the city!) I drove it every day for two weeks and was very impressed. so much so I’m thinking of buying one for my wife, (kid on the way). Tons of cubby holes for stuff, like milkbones and a water bowl, cupholders for you and the way the seats fold forward, in a split design if you only need one side flat, was genius. It went down to 5 below some nights and it started right up each day. It’s nicer than a pick-up because if you put down the one side, the dog can lie down but then can curl up in back, like a cocoon when it wants to be alone, (or throw up or have an accident). My brother has two kids and the subaru you mentioned nd likes it in general. But it’s not getting the gas mileage promised and has gone through two alternators in one year. (A frustrating drive home, hoping you make it when it happens at night. In the rain, beware of exploding head syndrome). Good luck. I agree with the rental for a day or two idea. If you’re going to be keeping it for 5-8 years, or more, its worth it to really find a vehicle with a good fit. Good luck.
PapaB
Just curious, if you were looking at Audi A4 wagons, did you also look at the VW Passat wagon? It’s basically the same car and it should be a little lower price.
I recommend the Dodge Caliber wagon. The back seats fold down flat and my doggies love it. You can get one with AWD, a seat heater and the sticker price is very resonable.
If you consider Volvo American, check out the Saab 95 wagon. No AWD tho.
I think you’re out of luck b/c in the Ford and GM (and most Japanese) design and marketing departments, they don’t really see the Wagon body as popular these days, so they push small, car-like SUVs and crossovers on us. I think that leaves most people happy, but there’s a strong-willed number of us who stay focused on European-badged (and Subaru) Wagons instead.
I would look at the Acura RDX.
yes, it was a Highlander. it’s the only hybrid suv toyota makes, altho’ it has a twin in the Lexus RX400 hybrid.
good review! i haven’t had much exposure to the highlander; don’t even know anyone who has one. (and i have a lot of fellow toyota owner/enthusiasts as friends and acquaintances.) if i were in the market for an suv, i definitely WOULD consider this one!
among the many prius owners i know, the major complaint has been that on snowy slopes, they sometimes have difficulty, as the traction control prevents ANY excess torque application. on snow, sometimes you NEED a little slippage to get going. awd in the highlander/RX hybrids should negate that drawback. i understand toyota has also since modified the traction control programming to allow it to be switched off, when the driver can do better than the computer.
i admit to some bias (from experience) but i tend to prefer toyotas over subarus, altho’ both ARE excellent cars. i understand that the subie awd systems are possibly TOO finely tuned. you MUST replace all 4 tires as a set, even if only one pair is worn.