Tvan
Angel Diva
My love of Subarus knows no bounds. We are on our 5th. I'm driving a 2015 Outback which is very comfortable to drive and to ride in. And it's like a mountain goat in the winter.
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Best Ski Cars?
- Thread starter Moonrocket
- Start date
My love of Subarus knows no bounds. We are on our 5th. I'm driving a 2015 Outback which is very comfortable to drive and to ride in. And it's like a mountain goat in the winter.
We traded in our old VW for a 2020 RAV4 TRD Pro last year and we love it. The interior is uncluttered and everything is rubber lined and functional, perfect for wet gear, dogs and skis. I'm not a fan of fake wood accents or big bubbly center consoles so it's right up my alley, almost more like a truck interior. Interior visibility is great, very few blind spots. The suspension is a little stiffer than other SUVs we tried, which I really like, it doesn't lurch when your forced to slam on the brakes or steer quickly. On the way down the mountain the low gears keep everything at a steady pace. We've had it a year and I still think it was the right choice for us.
lisamamot
Angel Diva
My daughter is still driving our 2007 (?) Audi A4 - nearly 200K miles on it. We just want it to limp through one more year and see her through college!
I have a 2015 Toyota Highlander that is nearing 150K miles so I will be in the market in the next year or two. We really want me to have something with 4WD this time, but I hate the mpg trade-off. We also need gear space and hopefully the ability to have the family of four plus two dogs in one vehicle. My husband desperately wants me to get the Ford Bronco; we will see when the time comes!
Robyn
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I just leased a 2021 Highlander Hybrid Limited on Friday. Initially, I had wanted the RAV 4 but when I drove it I found it to feel cheap and then I made the decision to adopt my foster dog so the dog part came into play. The Highlander is a ginormous vehicle but the hybrid makes me feel a bit better about that. I wanted something with enough space for me to put my dog in a crate and gear (ski/bike) inside. So far I'm very happy but we've only been around town so no ski trips yet.
Christy
Angel Diva
Funny, we also got our Highlander in 2014 because we wanted a vehicle that would fit our dog crate. I have wanted to replace it with a hybrid Highlander but that doesn't have enough tow capacity for the mr. I'll feel okay about keeping our non-hybrid version if we can drive whatever we buy next everywhere but fishing. Congrats on the adoption.
Christy
Angel Diva
Wait, what? I don't understand. I always put my skis in the car.
SallyCat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Maybe it's just my car? (VW Jetta wagon). I can't seem to mitigate the internal moisture and it freezes on the inside of the windshield. I even filled two ski socks with "Speedy-Dry" (stuff the Fire Department uses to clean up fluid spills on roadways) and I put them on the dash when I get home. Still, every morning: frozen windshield.
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ilovepugs
Angel Diva
I have a VW and sometimes the dampness will cause some internal frost. But I don’t think it’s VW specific! I do have gear in my car most of the time during mid-winter.Maybe it's just my car? (VW Jetta wagon). I can't seem to mitigate the internal moisture and it freezes on the inside of the windshield. I even filled two ski socks with "Speedy-Dry" (stuff the Fire Department uses to clean up fluid spills on roadways) and I put them on the dash when I get home. Still, every morning: frozen windshield.
Christy
Angel Diva
Maybe it's just my car? (VW Jetta wagon). I can't seem to mitigate the internal moisture and it freezes on the inside of the windshield. I even filled two ski socks with "Speedy-Dry" (stuff the Fire Department uses to clean up fluid spills on roadways) and I put them on the dash when I get home. Still, every morning: frozen windshield.
So then what happens to your skis if they are in the car?
SallyCat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Oh, the skis are fine; it's just my windshield that gets icy. I do my best to get all of the snow off before I put the skis in the car, but it gets into the bindings and I never seem to clear it all.
I'm hoping to get a bit more life out of this vehicle, but when the time comes to lay it to rest I'll be looking at a RAV4 or a Forrester. What I'd really like is a 4WD V6 Tacoma so I can just store things in the bed, but dang those things are expensive, even used. People associate Subarus with Vermont, but I think Tacomas outnumber them by a long shot, and they don't seem to depreciate.
MissySki
Angel Diva
Also following this discussion.. My car has over 200k miles now, so the only reason I haven’t had to trade in yet would be due to the pandemic and working from home. Fine with me though, I’m happy to extend my car payment free time as long as possible! I really love my car, but will be looking for an SUV and AWD this time, though my car has treated me just fine in the winter with snow tires. I’ve always put my skis in the car without window icing issues, it’s a Hyundai Sonata.
ilovepugs
Angel Diva
@MissySki - while the towing capacity doesn’t work for @Christy, I will say my VW Tiguan has gotten me out of some really questionable decisions in the past and snow piled up parking spaces in the Bolton Valley parking lot. Verdict is out on the reliability but since I leased this one I am seriously considering the Audi Q5 for my next car.
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newboots
Angel Diva
I'm in my trusty 2015 RAV4. I keep my skis in the back with old blankets (ostensibly for in case I get stuck somewhere in the cold weather, but I like to think they are protecting my skis from banging around). I have what the dealer called "really aggressive snow tires" and have no trouble getting around, even in snowstorms that close the schools but send us flocking to the mountains.
I now have a baby car seat semi-permanently installed in the back seat. My granddaughter's parents drive a Prius and a Leaf. When she gets into my car, this little 2 1/2 year old genius says, "Grandma's car is enormous!"
I now have a baby car seat semi-permanently installed in the back seat. My granddaughter's parents drive a Prius and a Leaf. When she gets into my car, this little 2 1/2 year old genius says, "Grandma's car is enormous!"
gingerjess
Angel Diva
I just borrow my partner's Prius C to be honest. With the passenger seat all the way forward, and the rear seat down, I can fit my Ripsticks diagonally!
My next car may be a hydrogen FCV; California's density of fueling stations is slowly ticking up, and Hyundai already has an SUV with a 400-mile range. I share the concern that while electric is good, batteries and the materials used to make them may not be. We'll see though; the Prius is going strong and we don't do much driving.
My next car may be a hydrogen FCV; California's density of fueling stations is slowly ticking up, and Hyundai already has an SUV with a 400-mile range. I share the concern that while electric is good, batteries and the materials used to make them may not be. We'll see though; the Prius is going strong and we don't do much driving.
elemmac
Angel Diva
Maybe it's just my car? (VW Jetta wagon). I can't seem to mitigate the internal moisture and it freezes on the inside of the windshield. I even filled two ski socks with "Speedy-Dry" (stuff the Fire Department uses to clean up fluid spills on roadways) and I put them on the dash when I get home. Still, every morning: frozen windshield.
I used to drive a VW Golf ('98ish), and often got icing on the inside of the windows. The tail lights used to leak a little (not much...but just enough). This ultimately led to a electrical failure on the tail lights, which led me to realize the problem. Accessing the tail light compartments, and sealing it up helped a lot. It might be a VW thing. I would check your tail lights and trunk, to make sure that's not where the moisture is coming from.
MissySki
Angel Diva
Interesting! There does seem to be a potential VW element from divas who mentioned this in the thread..
MissySki
Angel Diva
I just borrow my partner's Prius C to be honest. With the passenger seat all the way forward, and the rear seat down, I can fit my Ripsticks diagonally!
My next car may be a hydrogen FCV; California's density of fueling stations is slowly ticking up, and Hyundai already has an SUV with a 400-mile range. I share the concern that while electric is good, batteries and the materials used to make them may not be. We'll see though; the Prius is going strong and we don't do much driving.
Wow, I just looked in the Northeast and there is nothing within 70 miles of me for a fueling station. That's in Connecticut, and the next closest is in Canada! I'm in MA, needless to say you all are way ahead of the rest of the country on that one.
