Wagons and SUVs?

yea the trunk is pretty small, and it has sort of a funny shape which makes packing kind of awkward. i dont do a lot of cargo transporting. just light weekend camping gear for two, and thats about it.



i'll tell you though this is the perfect ride for someone like me who lives in Boston. i need to have AWD and some ground clearance for the winter months, wants a big vehicle to be comfortable on long road trips, but likes to rip around curvy back roads in NH & VT when I'm away. LOTS of fun.
 
gchristopher9 said:
yea the trunk is pretty small, and it has sort of a funny shape which makes packing kind of awkward. i dont do a lot of cargo transporting..
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Well, that kida goes for most sporty SUVs, at least the ones we looked at. My wife and I were kinda revved up about a Cayenne Turbo, and a fellow Beauceron owner we're pals with hauls hers around in one, but she only hauls *one* dog and I often have two (and sometimes we've even had a third one).



When it comes to hauling dogs plural, let alone one or more in a crate, the fun-to-drive SUVs (and most wagons) just don't have the space some of us need. If that's *not* an issue there are a whole lotta cool choices these days.



I no sooner start to think the DenaliXL is too big when something occurs that makes me think I'm lucky to have the extra room. Sure is a *TRUCK* IMO though.
 
It just about never fails to make me smile to see a dog or two or three in the back of some sort of truck. They should be standard issue IMHO.



Thanks too Accumulator, for the encouragement on the black paint front.
 
I test drove the FX35, it was pretty nice, but wasn't any more sporty than what I've got really. Definitely a step up in build quality from mine though. Could be fun to mod. The EX35 seems pretty cool too, a little sportier, a little smaller. The FX50 is sweet, but I can't afford something like that sadly.



The C30 is cool too, but isn't it FWD only?
 
XRL said:
The C30 is cool too, but isn't it FWD only?
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You are right about that. I'm getting it anyway. I did one of my test drives the day after a 10 inch snowfall and made a point on going on some untended roads. It did just fine, even with th stock all-season tires. I also checked in with current C30 drivers in snowcountry and they all seemed impressed with the FWD Volvo's comfort in snow. At most, they suggested getting some good snow tires. I'm sure there will be a few days when I miss my CX-7s' AWD and high clearance, but I am willing to make that trade to get the C30.



But as I recall now, since FWD is deal breaker, then the C30 is not the right choice for you. (I had also forgotten you were in Florida!)
 
Accumulator said:
UpNorth- +1 on the "get snowtires" idea ;)
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Thanks Accumulator. That purchase is a definite yes. I even ordered 17" wheels rather than 18s to give me more options on that count. (I also hope they'll last better and cost less to replace than the low profile tires that fit the 18s.)



I'm all for doing what you can to avoid accidents.
 
UpNorth- Yeah, I'm all in favor of sensible shoes for daily drivers :xyxthumbs



I was just reading about a magazine's long-term Audi S8 with 35-series tires...they went through a fortune in replacement wheels and tires (like ~$6K in one year) and IMO if you can't get around on public streets with reasonable-profile tires you're doing something wrong.



I remember when 50-series tires first came out, seemed like my wife and I were bending rims left and right. Not like they're maintaining the roads much better these days.
 
Yikes. $6k on wheels/tires would be a real budget buster. :down I sometimes think potholes have a magnetic force that draw you towards them as you try to steer away. But that S8 story is ridiculous.



With our city's growing budget problems this year, they really slacked off the snow removal on the last storm. I can only imagine how unresponsive they will be to pothole reports.
 
UpNorth said:
With our city's growing budget problems this year, they really slacked off the snow removal on the last storm. I can only imagine how unresponsive they will be to pothole reports.
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Yeah, same story here :( We have many areas where it's simply impossible to avoid all the potholes...I'm trying to remember where the worst areas are (and discover them in the Yukon) so I can avoid them in my Audi. My (older) S8 only has 45-series tires, but those don't offer much cushioning either.
 
Doesn't the R Design come with some big brakes? The 17s will clear the brakes? I'm sure you checked into all that and stuff, but just to play Devil's Advocate.



The C30 is a cool little car though. The upcoming Focus ST is a very similar car. I've just got an aversion to FWD, I don't like how it feels when you drive it hard into corners and such. But down here in Florida, AWD is very nice to have in the rain.
 
Xrl, I'm all for having devil's advocates. On this one I'm good. The 17s are a factory option .



I agree about both the C30 & upcoming focus, they share some genes.



I understand too your concern about FWD not feeling the way you want in corners. There are rumors about volvo releasing an AWD 300hp version of the C30 in a limited edition, targetted mostly at the european market. That would be an amazing car I'm sure, but I'm not holding my breath. People say there is a prototype out there, but in this market, with Volvo itself up for sale, and Sweden offering loans tied to meeting environmental goals, who knows if it will make it into production. If it is planned for 2010, we all should know soon.



My sister lives in florida too and you folks do get some rain for sure. Some of my most harrowing drives up here have been in the rain, not snow, so I totally get wanting AWD there too, especially if you like to enjoy your driving. Good tires of course make a huge difference. (I love my Nokian WRs.)



Anyway, it's good that you have the luxury of time to make your decision.
 
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