Looking at retiring

[ligersandtions]

Honda Ridgeline FTW....I mean, seriously, a trunk in the bed?!?! Now THAT was genius. Sure, it's not a truck you can take boulder climbing or whatever, but it sure gets the trick done....and the trunk can double as a rinse bin at the end of the dive

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

Honda Ridgeline FTW....I mean, seriously, a trunk in the bed?!?! Now THAT was genius. Sure, it's not a truck you can take boulder climbing or whatever, but it sure gets the trick done....and the trunk can double as a rinse bin at the end of the dive

I bought the locking tonneau cover - you can walk around on that thing, it'll pull some pretty serious boats out of some not so nice landings - 24 ft HEAVY Mako was biggest so far. Trunk storage is TRULY genius - and it has a drain plug - throw your wet salty gear in there, then just rinse it out when you get home.


First thing I've ever wanted that when I showed it to the wife she says, "YOU HAVE GOT TO BUY THIS!".

 

[mwilding]

Toyota Highlander.

bigger than those you mentioned and gets 24mpg

A loaded one that is 3-4 years old is less than $20k

 

[83aztec]

Honda Element has been a very good vehicle for me. I like it better than the CRV

 

[paradicio]

My sister has an Element, darn fine vehicle. We borrow it on occasion when we need cargo space, and it has PLENTY of space... Plus, you can't beat the fact that you can just open the doors and hose out the inside when you need to.

 

[Nemrod]

After a lady talking on a cell phone ran a stop sign and killed my loyal and beloved 1991 Toyota truck I thought it a good opportunity to get a high MPG vehicle. She was not hurt, I was just bruised up (well, not much blood anyways), her Tahoe was totaled, my Toy drove me home and it died in the driveway having never failed me EVER. Then with the settlement in hand, it began. I looked, my wife looked (we already have nice vehicles each, the 91 was a third) and we looked together and we drove and tire kicked and all that from Mini Coopers to BMW M series and look what followed me home. Try as I might it would not go away, I kicked at it and fussed but to no avail. I finally sat a bowl of milk out for it and it seems happy enough, I dunno. Hey, gas is cheap again, burn it. Hauls enough gear for two but not three and is almost as good off road as the 91 Toy. They come in a four door now too, this one is actually used.

As a long time Toyota person, I would have to say from your list, the Rav4.

N

 

[Phrenzy]

Regardless of your ultimate vehicle choice, I recommend picking up a Scanguage.

You plug it into the OBD-II port. That is usually under your steering wheel. You then plug the cable into the back or side of the display module. It uses a Cat5 cable so you can make it as long as you want. I added another 7' to the cable in order to install the unit in a way that hides all the wiring.

You can keep an eye on fuel consumption, temperatures, throttle position, and quite a few other things. I currently have mine set for MPH, MPG, Coolant temperature, and Gallons per hour.

Here is where I got it:

ThinkGeek :: ScanGauge II Automotive Computer​

Here is some more info:

ScanGaugeII - Trip Computers + Digital Gauges + Scan Tool​

It has already paid for itself by showing me how my driving habits affect my mileage.

 

[NudeDiver]

You're missing the best one of all!!! Get a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Plenty of room for gear and 4 people - plus you can take the top off!!

If you need more gear room, you can get a hitch cargo rack. You can also tow a little trailer behind it.

I'm in the process of building a "scuba support trailer" from scratch at the moment. Waiting for it come back from the powder coater's. Once I get it back, I will put on the "skin" to enclose it, the doors, etc. It will be an enclosed trailer, but as you can see from the picture, also have exterior accessible tool boxes (48x18x18) for whatever I want to put in them. One will be configured as a galley, the other with gear. The main compartment inside, accessible from the rear door, will be where scuba tanks go. There are plenty of d-rings welded on to the frame so I can secure them in place and such.

 

[offroaddiver]

I thought about the wrangler unlimited until I drove the rogue and fell in love with the space comfort and zip that little car has. It has been great just went on a trip to destin, fl and got right below 30 mpg.

 

[SkipperJohn]

Based on the experiences I've had after maintaining Nissans well, my recommendation would be to take the Nissans off your list. I'm talking about big dollar repairs as a result of parts or systems that should never hav failed. I will not own one again. Our family now drives two Toyotas, totally trouble free, and the remaining Nissan will be replaced next year with a Toyota.

I have an infiniti FX and no issues at all!