Schmosef's new car

[schmosef]

X-Trail: What's an "X-Trail"? Is that the Canadian XTerra? (Note: looked it up, looks like a similar vehicle!) Finally, a decent vehicle on the list. The back seat is ... err ... cramped. Yeah, that's a nice way to put it. Cramped as in my 5'5" wife had no legroom, had to angle herself in the back seat. But the XTerra has a ton of cargo space. And is actually relatively rough-n-tumble. Can actually be taken off road. The X-Trail looks a wee bit smaller in the rear area, maybe the rear seat is actually human sized. At any rate, this one gets my vote out of the lot.

Yeah, the guy who test drove the X-Trail with me said it doesn't sell in the US but that he knows of several that were sold to Americans who took it back across the border with them. He told me why it wasn't sold in America too, but I don't remember. It's been selling around the world for a few years now. The only thing that I really found odd about it was that the gauges were all in the centre of the dash, not behind the steering wheel. I was told it was like that to make it easy/cheap to manufacture for countries where people drive on the "wrong" side of the road.

[Gurm]

Yeah, the guy who test drove the X-Trail with me said it doesn't sell in the US but that he knows of several that were sold to Americans who took it back across the border with them. He told me why it wasn't sold in America too, but I don't remember. It's been selling around the world for a few years now. The only thing that I really found odd about it was that the gauges were all in the centre of the dash, not behind the steering wheel. I was told it was like that to make it easy/cheap to manufacture for countries where people drive on the "wrong" side of the road.

A lot of cars are going for this now if they intend to sell the car, unretooled, overseas.

[schmosef]

Frig. I found another $10K. Now I have to rethink the whole thing. But $40K is my absolute ceiling. I'll have to research more models later today when I have time.

So far, and X-Trail LE is looking like my top choice.

[Nowhere]

Hmmm...that's still 7k less than needed, but...nobody said you can't take XC70 on a spin ride

[schmosef]

hehe good point. it might just convince me to find more money. seriously though, the $40K has to include taxes, PDI, etc. If I wait until December I'd easily be able to buy a Volvo, but I don't want to spend more than $40K anyway.

[GT98]

wow I wish I could "find" 10K US

[Gurm]

hehe good point. it might just convince me to find more money. seriously though, the $40K has to include taxes, PDI, etc. If I wait until December I'd easily be able to buy a Volvo, but I don't want to spend more than $40K anyway.

I'm telling you - a ONE YEAR OLD Volvo XC70, with 4 years of the original warranty left, certified pre-owned... drops $15k off the price, easily.

[GT98]

Oh dont get a Sportage...my cousin has one and its POS

[schmosef]

I'm telling you - a ONE YEAR OLD Volvo XC70, with 4 years of the original warranty left, certified pre-owned... drops $15k off the price, easily.

Volvo Canada's website lists all the vehicles in their dealers' pre-owned inventory. There's a 2005 XC70 with around 6K KM on it but the price is >$40K. They don't have any older XC70s or XC90s that have dropped in price enough to be on my list for consideration. That means I'd have to buy it in a private sale and I'm not doing that again.

I just read a preview of the RAV4 2006. It says that Toyota is making it bigger to compete more directly with the CR-V and X-Trail. Hmm... Everyone I know who owns a Toyota loves it. I have to find out when that vehicle comes out. I agree with Gurm's reservations about the 2005 design and size. Maybe the 2006 is better. Hmmm...

[schmosef]

I'm telling you - a ONE YEAR OLD Volvo XC70, with 4 years of the original warranty left, certified pre-owned... drops $15k off the price, easily.

I just read online that there's a rumour that Volvo will be releasing a smaller SUV based on the V50 in about two years.

That might be the next car for me.

[Gurm]

Volvo Canada's website lists all the vehicles in their dealers' pre-owned inventory. There's a 2005 XC70 with around 6K KM on it but the price is >$40K. They don't have any older XC70s or XC90s that have dropped in price enough to be on my list for consideration. That means I'd have to buy it in a private sale and I'm not doing that again.

Why not? Read my lips... FACTORY WARRANTY. Unless it's been abused (which is EASY to tell)... it's a year old! And you can drive the crap out of it and just take it to the dealer if there's a problem. Just like a new car. Warranties transfer from owner to owner. And Volvo has a great one.

I just read a preview of the RAV4 2006. It says that Toyota is making it bigger to compete more directly with the CR-V and X-Trail. Hmm... Everyone I know who owns a Toyota loves it. I have to find out when that vehicle comes out. I agree with Gurm's reservations about the 2005 design and size. Maybe the 2006 is better. Hmmm...

The year won't change the fact that it's a Corolla with a raised center of gravity. Think "rollovers" and "cheaply built" and "made of plastic". Think "in a crash, you are guaranteed to DIE".

I don't have reservations about the 2005 design of the RAV4. I have reservations about ALL microscopic SUV's which are really just the company's smallest and shittiest car with a tall-looking suspension. Only Nissan seems to NOT do this, although they sure as shit do with the Murano which is no more SUV than the RAV4 is... only it's nicer.

[Gurm]

I just read online that there's a rumour that Volvo will be releasing a smaller SUV based on the V50 in about two years.

That might be the next car for me.

Oh shit. You're REALLY in love with this "tiny SUV" thing, aren't you?

I thought you said you wanted to pick up chicks in this vehicle? That owning a station wagon would ruin your social life?

Here's a hint - any car which screams out "lookie me! I'm GAAAAAAAAAY!" will also have a negative impact on your heterosexual social life. The RAV4 is driven 99.99% by women and gay men. "Small SUV" is a codeword for "our smallest car raised up on stilts".

Volvo has milked their own designs for years now. The XC90 is a Volvo-only design, Ford had nothing to do with it. The S60 and V70 are just refinements of the 850, which is a Volvo design from 1990. The S80 is based (loosely) on the 960/S90. And the OLD S40/V40 were European Volvo designs brought to the USA.

But the NEW S40/V50... well, they're just Fords. Ford Focuses, to be exact. With Volvo logos and higher sticker prices. And that sucks. This rumored Volvo micro-SUV will, in fact, be a Ford Escape with a Volvo symbol on the front.

Oh, did I mention that the Ford Escape is just an Escort? Yes, an ESCORT. ARGH!

Give up on the micro-suv's already. THEY ALL SUCK DONKEY COCK.

[GNEP]

Hey - the Fiat Panda 4x4 used to be (back in it's heyday of the early to mid 90s) a great small farm "SUV" (not that they had the terminology back then). Great across fields. And I'm not entirely kidding

[gt40]

Oh, did I mention that the Ford Escape is just an Escort? Yes, an ESCORT. ARGH!

I really want to know how you came to deduce this.

everyone I know who owns an escape is very happy with it.

Yer just talkin out yer biased a$$ as usual.

[Fluff]

2nd hand Toyota Highlander (Landcruiser) Diesel could be a safe bet for reliability.