Dog hauler / sporty daily driver?

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LightngSVT

New member
I have decided to hold onto the M3 for now. I think my wife played me by buying a black on black vehicle knowing how I am about clean cars. Because her last car was the dog and "stuff" hauler, so now my Contour SVT has become the dog hauler. Not the best considering I have a 50# and a 159# dogs. I was contemplating selling the 'Tour for a small wagon or something, but I want something along the same lines driving wise. Id be looking in the 10k range since itll be a daily driver too.



Mazda Protege 5 wagon

Focus SVT 5 door (not the best looking, but should drive like the 3 door and still be able to handle dogs.



Any other ideas?
 
LightngSVT said:
Focus SVT 5 door (not the best looking, but should drive like the 3 door and still be able to handle dogs.
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As a 5 door SVTF owner, I have to admit I said "bite me" out loud when I heard the "not the best looking" part. :o ;)



Anyway, it sounds like a good choice to me. It's obvious that you like SVT products, and I doubt the Focus would let you down. It's amazing how much you can fit into one of those things with the flat-folding rear seats - it's like a van when it's converted.



Plus, stock for stock, it's probably a little faster than the average vehicle on the road, and will out handle practically anything you'll come across. Not to mention it'll out brake a Carrera 911 :)
 
Ive heard the handling and braking are "amazing" for its price. I used to own a 3 door ZX3 a few years ago and I do prefer the 3 door look, but the 5 door is more practical. HEy at least they dont have that awful front end on the new Focus', YUCK! Was it just the 02's that had the surging and rough running in cold problems? Also, how is the MPG on your 5 door? I want something that will get 25-30mpg.
 
LightngSVT- Glad to hear you've decided to keep the M3.



Ah, the eternal question: "what's the best dog hauler for me?" :D I debate trying something new for this all the time. I almost always have two dogs, both in the 80 lbs. and up range and I end up driving the dog hauler more than any other car because it'll need detailed anyhow and the good cars are always clean.



Those Mazda 5's sound intriguing, but I suspect it's basically a smaller version of my MPV and I don't think you'd like driving that all that much. Plus, I hear they were all subject to a recall. I dunno, I don't think I'd buy the first year of a whole-new vehicle. And to be honest, the build quality of my MPV is lousy. It's sorta like the "smallest, coolest minivan" which is sorta damning with faint praise, huh?



Assuming you don't use a crate or two (one of my current dogs travels in a crate), I'd look into a small station wagon. Some of the best vehicles I've ever owned (as in, most fun to drive, most overall practical too) were small european wagons that I used to haul the dogs.



The Focus SVT 5-door sounds like it might be a good choice. I'd also check out offerings (new and used) from BMW, VW/Audi, and maybe even Volvo. I suppose Subarus too, but I didn't like either of mine.
 
I tend to biased, but if I was looking for a dog-hauler/daily-driver in Michigan, I'd be looking at older Subaru Impreza wagons, Outback wagons, or Foresters that fit whatever I was willing to spend.



Like I said, though, I'm biased. Cut me and I bleed Rally Blue Pearl. :D



Tort
 
Tort's advice is probably spot-on. I'm just prejudiced since I got my first Subaru (a '94 or maybe '95 Outback, nothing but trouble, really got a bad one) right after my all-time best dog hauler ('87 VW Quantum synchro wagon) and right before my second best ('95.5 Audi S6 wagon). My dogs outgrew the WRX wagon and my wife and I just never clicked with that car.



I will say that in side-by-side (literally, we were fooling around one snowy morning) comparisons with identical Blizzaks, the VW/Audi AWD worked a lot better than the Subaru AWD. But then the German cars cost a lot more too and it's not like the Subie didn't get you there or anything.
 
Accumulator,



The Audi setup's a Torsen diff, yes? Very good stuff, but as you say, $$$. Was your WRX a stick or auto? The manuals are just 50/50 through a viscous coupler, but the autos do some nifty tricks via the software and electronically controlled clutch packs. I'd be curious to put a manual and auto Subie with similar tires against one another in the snow just to see how much extra traction, if any, the tranny ECU can wring out of the AWD.



Too bad your first Subie was lemony-fresh :( I've owned an SVX, now my WRX, convinced my gf to buy a Forester, and I have my heart set on a Legacy GT wagon for my next ride.



I may someday stray from the Subaru make, but I'll be damned if I ever own another car with only two driven wheels. :D



Tort
 
Tort- I used to say that about never driving a 2WD car again, but well....



The Outback was a stick, and the local dealer was utterly incapable of dealing with the defective pressure plate it came with :rolleyes: They said they'd "never seen a manual one of those with problems before". I finally told them what to do and said I'd pay for it if that wasn't the problem- it was and warranty covered it. The WRX was an auto (had to buy an auto because of knee problems at the time of purchase), which was probably about 80% of what we disliked about it. The combination of tight torque converter and turbo lag made it literally scary for us to drive, just too slow compared with what we're used to; we couldn't pull out into traffic without too much :nervous:
 
Accumulator said:
The combination of tight torque converter and turbo lag made it literally scary for us to drive, just too slow compared with what we're used to; we couldn't pull out into traffic without too much :nervous:
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Yeah, that'll do it. I think the turbo lag has been minimized somewhat with the move to the 2.5 liter bottom ends on all of the turboed Subarus now; the extra displacement allows for a bit more off-boost torque. I've driven turbo cars for so long I don't mind the lag much (I've gotten used to putting power down in corners *much* earlier than with anything naturally aspirated).



Besides, to steal another member's tagline, the turbo lag is so the V8s have a fighting chance. :D



Tort



P.S. Taking the WRX to KC for a dyno tune on the 19th. I'm currently running an "off-the-shelf" map for my car that's supposed to make around 315 hp; I'm hoping they can lean out what appears to be a very fat fuel curve and pick up some horsepower (and maybe some mpg, too).



(Sorry for the threadjack . . .)
 
Subaru WRX Wagon

Subaru Forester XT





Either are quick, handle nicely, AWD, look good, and will hold the pups :).
 
I have a 50lb dog that I haul around in my Saab 9-2x (Impreza Wagon clone). Granted, I keep the rear seat up, but I can't imagine having both a 50 & a 160 lb dog back there at the same time. I beleive the Mazda & Focus are about the same size as my car. You may actually need a midsize instead of a compact.
 
I can fit both of them and myself into my Contour SVT. To bad there isnt and Audi S$ wagon or BMW M3 wagon, now that would be the best of all worlds!
 
Accumulator said:
Tort- I used to say that about never driving a 2WD car again, but well....



The Outback was a stick, and the local dealer was utterly incapable of dealing with the defective pressure plate it came with :rolleyes: They said they'd "never seen a manual one of those with problems before". I finally told them what to do and said I'd pay for it if that wasn't the problem- it was and warranty covered it. The WRX was an auto (had to buy an auto because of knee problems at the time of purchase), which was probably about 80% of what we disliked about it. The combination of tight torque converter and turbo lag made it literally scary for us to drive, just too slow compared with what we're used to; we couldn't pull out into traffic without too much :nervous:
Click to expand...



I drive a 4EAT wrx, and the only thing you need to do to loosen up some bottom end and spool up is a new up-pipe. about 180$ and 60$ labor to install it allows for lower spool-up in the rpms, and much better torque response in getting there.



but anyways, try a Legacy GT wagon. 5EAT and a 2.5l motor. :bounce
 
When my wife was looking I tried to get her to look at the Legacy Gt / Outback but she didnt want to for some reason? Not ideal, but Im going to check into leases for the new Ford Fusion, I4 5 speed (you cant get a stick in the V6 models yets???). Roomy, great mileage, unique (for now) looks and if Detroit follows typical scenarios there will be rebates and great lease incentives already.
 
Kanchou said:
I drive a 4EAT wrx, and the only thing you need to do ...
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Heh heh, *now* I find out :D But if I were buying now I'd just get a stick. It was really weird for me having a small wagon with an AT, just not what I was used to. Now that my knees don't bother me that much I'm gonna stick with a stick in some kinds of cars.



LightningSVT- Get an Audi S4 wagon. We almost bought one last summer...they're really nice, we just need something bigger for our dogs. Sounds like you'd get by just fine with one though, and they're really, really nice. Not cheap, but nice.
 
Accumulator,



You are an Audi Guy! I am in the same situation and am looking at getting an Audi Allroad.



I drove an Infiniti FX45 this weekend, and I didn't like it at all. I'm thinking an Allroad is about the right size. Of course, an A6 Avant might be a better buy, but I like the idea of the "Go Anywhere" allroad, plus you can put all sorts of extras on it as it uses the same basic 2.7 twin turbo as the older S4.
 
SamIam said:
I am in the same situation and am looking at getting an Audi Allroad..
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Just make sure that a) you get a good one, and b) you like how it drives. I had an Allroad for a long weekend, took it back to Stoddard the next Monday and applied the money towards the A6 4.2 (which they *also* bought back, due to drive by wire issues). The Allroad's combination of turbo lag (and I'd had a number of turbo quattros before, knew and liked the breed in general), the tiptronic, and the drive-by-wire of that particular car made it something I couldn't stomach. Too bad because it seemed like a perfect dog car on paper. And DBW issues kept me away from the S6 wagon too. In fact, DWB issues have me sorta :nervous: about Audis in general these days. Never should've sold my '95.5 S6 wagon, it was great....live and learn.



Interesting that you didn't like the FZX45. I considered looking into one but the dogs wouldn't fit.
 
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