Best mpg suv?

[Danronian]

I would also suggest something with a hatchback. Loading stuff into a suv is a huge pain since they are too high. A car height hatchback makes things a lot easier I think.

But if he can't stay away from getting an suv, i would recommend a rav4 or cr-v due to how reliable they are.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by trebuchet03

My mother has that very car.... They've been making good on the oil consumption problem - and are replacing engines.

What's the mileage/year? I don't think they're making good on the problem so much as fulfilling the warranty. I've heard that if the car's out of the warranty range, then the owner is up isht creek... Could just be speculation or not enough info though.

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

What's the mileage/year? I don't think they're making good on the problem so much as fulfilling the warranty. I've heard that if the car's out of the warranty range, then the owner is up isht creek... Could just be speculation or not enough info though.

We got a letter saying to bring it in for replacement.... They never even looked at mileage...

In any case, it has something like 30,000 miles - yeah, that's a lot of driving for about a year and a half

Oh, but that said - there could be some transmission issues on the slush box... On a highway trip, it vented fluid through it's bypass line... They're trying to sort that out (dealer says there's no problem, but at the same time says it's not normal to vent fluid - go figure).

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Dang. It must be a common problem if they're doing recalls like that! I suppose a rering is way cheaper than en entirely new engine... From the horse's mouth, anyone owning anything out of warranty is up isht creek, so I think the recall is more about the bottom line than about customer service. Otoh, it'd be great if it wasn't, but I haven't heard anything to that effect.

[lancek]

Our escape 4cyl auto FWD gets 28 highway with the cruse at 65-70 and the hybrid is rated at 30mpg... at a 2mpg increase it would take a while to pay for the extra cost of a hybrid.

[DarbyWalters]

I know every1 here is all for hypermileage and that is great...but...giving misleading info is not a good road to travel. AWD or Full-Time 4WD is better in snow and slippery conditions hands down...it is just the nature of the beast. I know that front wheel drive will get you most places...in fact a VW Beetle with rear wheel drive and the engine sitting over the rear axle will get you even farther down the road...or up the hill, but a good AWD/4WD Full Time system will go better and safer. As for storage space in an SUV vs Hatchback...it varies depending on vehicle but most of the time the SUV will have more space, hip room, ect.

That being said, someone "should" be sure that they need the AWD/4WD and/or extra space or towing ability before they purchase an SUV or minivan for that matter. Of course there are tradeoffs...mileage vs space ect.

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[SVOboy]

Originally Posted by DarbyWalters

I know every1 here is all for hypermileage and that is great...but...giving misleading info is not a good road to travel. AWD or Full-Time 4WD is better in snow and slippery conditions hands down...it is just the nature of the beast. I know that front wheel drive will get you most places...in fact a VW Beetle with rear wheel drive and the engine sitting over the rear axle will get you even farther down the road...or up the hill, but a good AWD/4WD Full Time system will go better and safer. As for storage space in an SUV vs Hatchback...it varies depending on vehicle but most of the time the SUV will have more space, hip room, ect.

That being said, someone "should" be sure that they need the AWD/4WD and/or extra space or towing ability before they purchase an SUV or minivan for that matter. Of course there are tradeoffs...mileage vs space ect.

]

But it's philly...sensible driving, lack of many serious snow storms, and public snow removal in the city make 4/awd a bit overkill, in my opinion. For NH on the other hand...

[DarbyWalters]

Originally Posted by theclencher

yeah- that's why the ditches are full of suvs and pickups after the first snow LOL

Right , if you say so

[DarbyWalters]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

But it's philly...sensible driving, lack of many serious snow storms, and public snow removal in the city make 4/awd a bit overkill, in my opinion. For NH on the other hand...

I know front wheel drive works well in slippery/snowy conditions...I was just pointing out the SAME driver in AWD vs FWD will almost always do better or have an easier time of it with AWD. Good SnowTires also make a big difference! There will also be times that most people travel outside the city and AWD/4WD could be helpful...just an observation

[Daox]

Originally Posted by lancek

Our escape 4cyl auto FWD gets 28 highway with the cruse at 65-70 and the hybrid is rated at 30mpg... at a 2mpg increase it would take a while to pay for the extra cost of a hybrid.

Lets straighten some things out first. Your Escape's EPA highway rating is 24 mpg. The 4wd Escape Hybrid's EPA highway rating is 27 mpg. The point your missing is that you're comparing your best mileage with the hybrid's worst mileage, because they get better mileage in city driving. Your Escape only gets a rated 19 mpg in the city, where the Hybrid gets 29. Slight difference there, but it it favored to the Hybrid. So, the compromise is to compare the combined ratings which are 21 mpg for the 4wd Escape, and 28 mpg for the 4wd Escape Hybrid. However, you also are getting better than EPA ratings, so it would only make sense that the Hybrid would also get better mileage than it is rated at. It is not uncommon to see these get mid to high 30s, and even into the 40s if they are driven correctly.

Lets just use EPA ratings for our comparisons though.

Assuming $3.00 gas price.
Assuming 15,000 miles traveled a year.
Assuming 4wd Escape price is $21,070 (would be more after delivery/taxes/etc.)
Assuming average mileage of 21 mpg.
Assuming 4wd Escape price is $26,825 (would be more after delivery/taxes/etc.)
Assuming average mileage of 28 mpg.

Difference in price: 26,825 - 21,070 = $5,755


Gas cost per year:
4wd Escape = $2142.86
4wd Escape Hybrid = $1551.72

Savings per year = $591.14

5,755 / 591.14 = 9.74 years until you break even


Increase the price of gas (which will inevitably happen) and the numbers change pretty dramatically. Change the average price of gas to $4 and it drops it down to 7.3 years. Since gas will most likely hit that price this comming summer and not drop down anywhere near $3 this is a much more accurate number and may still be on the low side. At $5/gallon your down to 5.8 years. So, the real question is, how much will gas cost in the next few years? If it stays around $3 then its probably not worth paying out for the Hybrid, if it goes up then it sure starts to look a lot better.