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Best Ski Cars?

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
I want a smaller car and thinking maybe an AWD wagon. Really like the VW all track (what another VW?) and the Audi Allroad. Also like the smaller Subaru Impreza hatchback...... haven't thought about an EV vehicle but that will definitely be the trend in the coming years. Honestly I drive (in a normal year-non pandemic) about 3-4 k miles per year...

If for whatever reason I don’t get an EV for my next car, the Audi allroad is at the top of my list, along with the Q5 and a few other German cars. I definitely prefer to have a car with a little bit of extra clearance because I live on a hilly dirt road. I thought the all track was cool when it came out — but I don’t think they make them anymore. When VW announced they were stopping production, the local dealer stocked up on like 80 of them because they were such a popular and practical car around here.

The 250 mile range that seems standard for most EVs right now is definitely tight for going to Tahoe from Santa Cruz. You lose quite a bit of range in cold weather, so there’s a definite chance of needing to recharge mid-trip.

@Abbi - I *wish* I were more frugal when it comes to cars! Unfortunately, it seems to be my main outlet for gadget envy. Expensive hobby!
 
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santacruz skier

Angel Diva
I know. I'm crazy to still be wanting german cars. They are so much fun to drive. My very reliable Honda Passport was top of the line model and still drove a bit truck-ish.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
I know. I'm crazy to still be wanting german cars. They are so much fun to drive. My very reliable Honda Passport was top of the line model and still drove a bit truck-ish.
It’s OK to be willing to pay for a car that you like to drive more! As long as you recognize it’s not the cheapest option available and are OK with it. Some people think of cars as an appliance but I spend enough time in mine that I’m happy to allocate more of my budget to it.
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Any mechanical issues with the Alltrack?
It's only got 13,000 miles on it. It's a discontinued line, however, in the US.

There are known issues with the sunroof leaking. I haven't had the issue and love my car, but based on what I now know I wouldn't buy another. I had an Audi for years and mistakingly thought my experience with that very similar car would apply to this one. I belong to a Facebook owners group and found out how lucky I've been.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@ilovepugs
[/QUOTE]- I *wish* I were more frugal when it comes to cars! Unfortunately, it seems to be my main outlet for gadget envy. Expensive hobby![/QUOTE]

I have no issue with your choice! I own a sailboat which is basically a hole in the water into which you feed hundred dollar bills! And worse if you race them which I do! :becky:
 

lisamamot

Angel Diva
I had an Audi for years and mistakingly thought my experience with that very similar car would apply to this one.
We have a dark blue 2007 Audi A4 Quattro - 202K miles on it so far! We bought it as a CPO in 2008 and my husband drove it until the end of 2016 when our daughter started driving and it moved on to her. Hoping it lasts another year or so to get her through college. We have absolutely loved this little car....so solid and incredible in the snow. My friend got a new Q5 a few years ago and got rid of it quickly - sad that things change so much!
 

gingerjess

Angel Diva
We have a dark blue 2007 Audi A4 Quattro - 202K miles on it so far! We bought it as a CPO in 2008 and my husband drove it until the end of 2016 when our daughter started driving and it moved on to her. Hoping it lasts another year or so to get her through college. We have absolutely loved this little car....so solid and incredible in the snow. My friend got a new Q5 a few years ago and got rid of it quickly - sad that things change so much!
Not sure if it's things changing or something else... my understanding for most of the German brands is that their SUVs are typically US-only models and are manufactured in different factories than their regular passenger cars.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
I have no issue with your choice! I own a sailboat which is basically a hole in the water into which you feed hundred dollar bills! And worse if you race them which I do! :becky:

Heh heh... one of our medium-term goals is to get a sailboat (Dr Pugs sails and I would like to learn), which, of course, means that we’ll have to build a garage in which to store that sailboat... and make sure we have a truck with which to tow said sailboat... and a house on the lake from which we would sail said sailboat...
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Heh heh... one of our medium-term goals is to get a sailboat (Dr Pugs sails and I would like to learn), which, of course, means that we’ll have to build a garage in which to store that sailboat... and make sure we have a truck with which to tow said sailboat... and a house on the lake from which we would sail said sailboat...

and so it begins ......... :thumb:
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Heh heh... one of our medium-term goals is to get a sailboat (Dr Pugs sails and I would like to learn), which, of course, means that we’ll have to build a garage in which to store that sailboat... and make sure we have a truck with which to tow said sailboat... and a house on the lake from which we would sail said sailboat...

If you were in the PNW you'd just haul it into your backyard where it would lean and plants would gradually grow up all around it. It's a very PNW thing to have a boat in your backyard. One of my friends has 3, in various states of disrepair.

More seriously though you can surely find storage for it, right? My husband has a fishing boat which is in secure indoor storage near the Columbia River where he fishes. You do indeed need something that will tow it which is why we are hanging onto our (gas engine) Highlander.
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
We used to have a power boat that didn't leave the garage at all the last 6-7 years we had it. The boating season here is short. Pretty much by the time you don't need to be really hardy to enjoy it, the tourists have arrived and you need to endure waiting in line to launch, then spend your time looking out for other boats, etc., then waiting in line to get it on the trailer. The alternative is Yacht club fees.
 
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ilovepugs

Angel Diva
If you were in the PNW you'd just haul it into your backyard where it would lean and plants would gradually grow up all around it. It's a very PNW thing to have a boat in your backyard. One of my friends has 3, in various states of disrepair.

More seriously though you can surely find storage for it, right? My husband has a fishing boat which is in secure indoor storage near the Columbia River where he fishes. You do indeed need something that will tow it which is why we are hanging onto our (gas engine) Highlander.

we need a second garage to store our truck in too of course! Because my future EV will live in the main garage :smile: and the truck will be useful for all kinds of country living hick stuff. I don’t know what country living hick stuff, but it’ll be useful. Everyone needs a truck in the country.

Okay I’m done derailing this thread with my rampant consumerism ;)

:focus:
 

Christy

Angel Diva
I just learned about the tanker driver shortage that will result in a gas shortage this summer. Darn, I wish there was an affordable EV right now that I wanted.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I just learned about the tanker driver shortage that will result in a gas shortage this summer. Darn, I wish there was an affordable EV right now that I wanted.


Geesh, it seems there's an employee shortage for EVERYTHING right now doesn't it? At least around me in New England it seems that everywhere is desperate for workers and can't find anyone to hire. Not sure if this is the same elsewhere in the country.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
My office is in the industrial area of our city. Every, every plant out here is looking for help. The government is giving employees $500/week to sit on their butts, because they're afraid they might get exposed to COVID. Plants need to keep working, so they are being very stringent with health protocols at work. If there is any indication of an outbreak +5 employees off, you're shut down for 2 weeks. My thought are unless you have a medical reason NOT to be able to work, then get your butt back when called or lose the job.

Got an email this morning from the local Chamber of Commerce. Would I be interested in a rapid screening project to ID any risks? Well since 3/5 employees have 1st shots, 1 waiting for age group and another a big NO, not much sense in doing this. But if we had more people, than yeah, count me in.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Geesh, it seems there's an employee shortage for EVERYTHING right now doesn't it? At least around me in New England it seems that everywhere is desperate for workers and can't find anyone to hire. Not sure if this is the same elsewhere in the country.

It does. I keep meaning to look for a Planet Money or some other economics show to learn more about it. I suspect there is a disconnect between the kind of jobs people are looking for and the kind that are available. My favorite fish store just put up a FB rant about that, looking at the unemployment rate but saying they are desperate for help. But it's hard to imagine a professional in their 50s (since I know unemployed people in this age group) or recent college grads hoping to start a career going to work in a fish market or driving gas tankers. I also tend to think that if the wage is right, people will want to work there. I know it's hard to fill service industry jobs in Seattle because even with our high minimum wage you can't live here on that. Restaurants have to pay $25/hour for line cooks and eating out has gotten a lot more expensive in recent years. It seems like if you offer a great wage and especially if you just require a high school diploma there'd be people willing to drive tankers or cut up salmon for people. If gas prices or fish prices have to go up that's the way it goes.

I can also remember a Marketplace story from a few years ago where they talked about how desperate some employers are to hire, but so many now require a college degree even for unskilled labor, and how they all want someone with experience, that they don't have to train at all. Apparently employers used to be more willing to train and to hire high school grads.
 
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sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I know locally there is such a huge apartment rental shortage, that that is a huge reason they can't get employees. There is a fairly big road gap between the "Flathead Valley" and other populated areas. There's the cluster of Whitefish-Kalispell-Columbia Falls-Bigfork (probably 45 minutes between the furthest points) and then any direction outside of that it's not really commutable driving. Everything is now short-term rental focused, not year long leases. The MT legislature has just tossed out the type of affordable housing programs Bozeman and Whitefish spent YEARS developing, so things aren't getting fixed any time soon.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Here I've noticed a TON of help wanted signs in restaurants, fast food, pharmacies, grocery stores, hardware stores etc. The summer touristy places are straight up desperate for help. I think they also usually employ seasonal help from out of the country and that isn't available right now. I can't imagine if these places are so desperate that they can stand to be very choosey, so I'm not sure. On a different level, we are having a hard time getting people for highly skilled positions at my company (toxicologists and pharmacologists in particular) and my significant other's company is having an awful time getting chemists.

I was in Maine this weekend and driving on a street with lots of fast food, gas stations etc. A bunch of the places had help wanted signs out and viewable to me in my car. Also viewable to me was someone pan handling on the median of the road. Can this person not get work at any of these places that are supposedly desperate for help? There is definitely some weird disconnect it seems.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I was in Maine this weekend and driving on a street with lots of fast food, gas stations etc. A bunch of the places had help wanted signs out and viewable to me in my car. Also viewable to me was someone pan handling on the median of the road. Can this person not get work at any of these places that are supposedly desperate for help? There is definitely some weird disconnect it seems.

I think it would depend on if the person pan handling has access to showers, laundry facilities, has the required documents (ID), etc. to get a job. It's a huge hurdle for people to even go apply for minimum wage type jobs without basic necessities being met first. Also depends on their past work history and background check. Even my grocery store requires a full background check as part of the hiring process.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I think it would depend on if the person pan handling has access to showers, laundry facilities, has the required documents (ID), etc. to get a job. It's a huge hurdle for people to even go apply for minimum wage type jobs without basic necessities being met first. Also depends on their past work history and background check. Even my grocery store requires a full background check as part of the hiring process.

Assuming someone's past record doesn't disqualify them from this type of employment, perhaps communities in desperate need of workers need to think outside the box and help get these folks to work.. There are many programs to help those in this situation in MA, but I admittedly have no idea about it in ME.
 

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