A question for the lazywebs...

[compilerbitch]

I am thinking about getting a new car sometime very soon. My Golf, like it though I do, is old enough that I'm going to have to spend a bit more on it quite soon than I'd really like to (brakes, dampers and exhaust need doing, as well as a couple of new tyres), so I'm thinking of swapping it out. I also find it a bit small for my photography trips -- taking both cameras means the boot is completely full with the three camera cases, so my clothes bag and the tripods end up needing to go on the back seat, which is not something I'd prefer ideally. Also, I want something capable of long trips, potentially including ice and snow at high altitudes in winter.

I like the Subarus, but the Impreza is too small (the boot looks actually smaller than the one in my Golf -- I was parked next to one this morning coincidentally). Not sure about the bigger ones. Their SUVs are a bit expensive I think.

I'd consider an SUV, but I'm not really keen on something that eats petrol like it's gone out of fashion. The smaller-engined versions of the Ford Escape (not to mention the hybrid version) look OK -- fuel economy isn't as good as my Golf, but actually not that far off (29 as opposed to 35mpg), and my day-to-day mileage is virtually negligible.

So, any suggestions? I'm prepared to pay something like $15k-ish second hand.

Comments

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

They are nice, yes, but I'm not sure they would be up to winter mountain roads in the High Sierra, which is basically a bit of a must for me really. I found it a bit limiting (and not a little bit scary) when I did my big road trip earlier this year, having to skirt around the snow line in Arizona and New Mexico.

[parthenogenocid.livejournal.com]

The Prius is huge inside. It's amazing how much you can get in there.

I haven't done any snow driving in it, but after a quick look at the forums, it sounds like it does well, with the only complaint being that models with Vehicle Stability Control won't let you spin the wheels. You would want to put snow tires on it, of course.