New Vehicle Opinion

storm34 wrote: ...but can you do it for 3 grand? It'll pull the SNOB to the ramp and back no problem....just wouldn't take it more than 20 MPH!!

Umm no, definitely not for $3000. More like 7 times that price. The XJ is a great bargain for that.

And yes, if you get a 4 door JK wrangler, they can tow 3500 lbs, the 2 doors have the low 1500-2000 lb tow capacity.

I will get 18 or 19's for the audi for summer,and run winter tires on it with the 17's it has now. Raise the air suspension to level 4 and you have more ground clearance than all but a rubicon wrangler. LOL

Still have my '01 Jeep Chris.The reason I bought it was to replace a '95 that got T boned by a BMW that ran a red light.There was not a straight piece of sheet metal on that car after it rolled with my whole family inside.It still ran and moved and we walked away without a scratch which is more than I can say for the Bmw and it's occupant.There is not a Fwd or Rwd out there that can make it up my drive like this thing can,it has even gone around my wifes stuck '98 Grand. If it died today,I'd be out looking at Fords,for the reason Greg mentioned.I have had them before the jeeps and had good experences with them.

horkn wrote: I have driven several XJ, ZJ, WJ, and TJ jeeps in snow. As good as my old 93 ZJ grand cherokee was in snow, it's not as good in the snow, depth regardless, as my Audi can even with performance oriented all season tires on it. Technology can do a lot for snow-mobility.

Good point. With snow it's all about technology, balance, and most importantly TIRES. Keep in mind 4WD will really only help the car accelerate in the snow. You still have to brake and manuver. My wife's RWD 325i with good snow tires on all 4 corners is basically the best vehicle I've ever driven in the snow. Absolutely dominates the 4Runner or any other 4X4 I've driven without specialty snow tires in all categories other than off the line acceleration. The car is perfectly balanced front to back and has the traction of a mountain goat with snow tires. Most importantly it can STOP and TURN. Snow tires are important not only because of the tread pattern but the type of rubber used.

I'm amazed at how many people in this area put their lives in the hands of standard all-season tires, especially with grossly unbalanced FWD cars and trucks. Hello understeer! Yikes.

"all around grocery getter" I'd get my ass kicked.

"and mine in repairing them"

Funny thread.

Along with what Eric said, if you have a relationship with a private auto shop, ask 'em. They know what they're working on all the time and why.

I also applaud Ford for keeping the gov't out of their hair. That will affect my next car buying decisions.

...but can you do it for 3 grand?

It'll pull the SNOB to the ramp and back no problem....just wouldn't take it more than 20 MPH!!

The edges are very good vehicles, can do it all and even with AWD, can hover very close to 30 mpg on the freeway.

Get the new Sport with the 305 hp 3.7 and paddle shifters and you'll have even more fun, but even the original edges with "only" 265hp 3.5 v6's were pretty zippy vehicles. The standard 3.5 v6 is now 285 hp.

The wrangler always sounds like a good idea, until you own one. While the 07+ JK's are much more refined and bigger(with the 4 door) than any previous wrangler, they still have too many quality issues to ignore. I would avoid the wrangler unless you REALLY need the off road ability. Most people don't.

Ken, Tell your wife to give the Edge a try. My wife has a 2007 AWD and she loves it. I also have towed our 1977 Nautique with it numerous times on 150 mile trips and on one trip from St. John Indiana to Eric's shop to have the trans done (300 miles)and it tows it fine. My company lets me have my choice of Ford vehicles and I have been driving an Edge every year since they came out. Currently have a 2010 AWD Limited and it is also great in the snow.

I have a Volvo XC70,nice car, great for long trips and makes it up my drive.Don't think I'd want to tow anything bigger than a jetski with it tho.Parts when needed are expensive.I have some friends who had the last generation Wrangler.They rode hard, didn't get very good mileage and the short wheel base makes it hard to tow with.None of them kept them long.

Ken, you must mean "crossover SUV"? The Grand Cherokee, 4Runner, Pathfinder, etc are all mid size SUV's that can tow.

I have to admit that I dont really understand the attraction of the car based, small SUV's. To me, they seem like girly versions of real trucks without the usefulness (tow/haul capability, low range). Personally, Id rather have a real car instead of a taller, heavier, slower version that sits on the same platform but gets worse mileage and isnt as fun to drive. If I didnt have to tow, Id probably have a sporty sedan- lots of options out there if you really need AWD.

Just my 2 cents!

Did I mention the escape, the 4wd v6 version tows 3500 lbs.. it would get you to the ramp and back.

Nautique2001 wrote: the Jeep might be able to pull the Nautique in a jam.

The Wrangler is only rated to tow 2000 lbs, so probably not a good idea.

A lot of highway driving basically rules out the wrangler in my opinion, the difference between its 19 mpg and the 28 of the crv/escape is significant, and the jeep drives more like a truck and the crv/escape more like car. But what the wife wants...

Thanks for your feedback, Joe. She does a lot of highway driving, so MPG is a factor. The Edge looks like a great all around package deal. Ford quality has improved so much and they look great too. I may just go down the street and bring one home for her to test drive. The dealership I bought the F-150 from adjusted their price to meet my needs. I don't think Honda negotiates.

Thanks for your opinion, Ernest. I think I may convince her to buy Ford. She's not a fan of a big vehicle, but I think the Edge is just the right size. I prefer this over Jeep, which is her first choice.

Ken

I bought my wife a Ford expedition this year. She really likes it alot. We had a suburban for about 9 years, and she was tired of the big car.