Inspired by Urambo Tauros’ recent string of drafts they published, I decided that I’d publish the drafts that have been sitting here since... 2017. It’s an unfinished draft, so don’t expect much.
I’ve had multiple opportunities to drive different vehicles, ranging from a late 90s Jimmy to an almost mint condition fully loaded 2010 Escape. With my current runner being a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback wagon, it does most everything I could ever want from it. It gets me from point A to point B, has enough grunt to get out of its own way, and survived a deer that decided it was going to run out of the woods in the middle of a cold winter’s night. (I’m lucky that it hit the A pillar, and not my brand new windshield that I had just replaced due to it getting whacked by a rock from a tractor-trailer that had no mud flaps.)
Soon, there will come a time when I want to upgrade from my Legacy and/or it no longer becomes feasible to fix. I have a lot of issues with it, mostly related to driver comfort. Even with the seat as far away from the pedals as possible, I still end up cramping my legs very easily. The cupholders get right in the way of everything if I want to use the cupholders. Any passengers I might take along in the rear bench are cramped as a result of anyone in the front pulling back to make room. With all of my family members and friends being 5' 10" (1.8m) or taller, there is no such thing as comfort in my vehicle, aside from maybe the passenger (but they get to suffer from the passenger footwell not being the same shape as the driver’s.)
Mechanically, the vehicle is in okay condition. The 4EAT shows its age, especially when it’s cold. The entire car vibrates somewhat vigorously at a halt while in drive or park. The headlights don’t put out the light they should, even after new bulbs, new lenses, and a proper realignment of the headlights. The EJ25D drinks oil like Ol’ Benny down the road drinks six-packs of beer - it’s gone before you even think about it. By the time I get an oil change I’ve essentially done one by myself simply by losing the oil. (I have a sneaking suspicion it’s the oil pan gasket leaking, but I need to do a few more experiments.) Author’s note: It was the #2 piston crank bearing turning into Swiss cheese.
Enough about my Legacy, though. It’s time to throw down a few candidates I keep coming back to consider.
The Criteria
These criteria are not 100% set in stone - that is, I am willing to sacrifice some of these if it means I get a vehicle I am happy with and does exactly what I want it to do.
- Must seat 5 passengers comfortably (luxuriousness not required.)
- Must pass the “washing machine” test - that is, can it fit a large, bulky object in its cargo area?
- Must have at least 20mpg fuel efficiency at its absolute worst (city driving in the dead of a New England winter.)
- Manual transmission preferred.
The Contenders
Each vehicle will have some bullet points about it underneath it, and a small description of what I think about the vehicle.
Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari (SWB)
Pros: Can be had as either passenger or cargo van variants, optional 4WD, V6 is no slouch, towing capability, SWB and LWB options.
Cons: Wallowing handling, poor fuel efficiency, no manual, blind spots, early 2000s GM interiors are awful.
The Astro seems like the perfect marriage of plenty of features a young driver could ever want. Rear-wheel drive for screwing around in empty parking lots, cavernous space in the back to fit anything you could ever want to put in there, and plenty of space to put everyone into so you can go on a road trip to God knows where. My only issue with these vans are the fact that you really can’t extract any efficiency from them, the awful handling of GM trucks/SUVs from the era, and the interior. Don’t get me started on the silly omni-stalks, either. They’re a frustrating case of what happens when you try to put too many controls into one place.
Chevrolet S-10
Pros: Small and maneuverable pickup. 4-cylinder engine available for greater fuel efficiency. Manual available. Pickup truck versatility.
Cons: 4-cylinder models are rare. Manuals are also rare. Many of the similar misses from the Astro apply here. 4-cylinder model sacrifices towing capability. 2-door model sacrifices passengers.
Every single time I see a single-cab S-10 with the 6 foot bed, I want to grab it right then and there and take it home with me. This is essentially the perfect truck in my eyes, as it’s small, lacks major blind spots in single cab form, and has a 4-cylinder option with a manual transmission. If I were to get one of these, I’d have to put a bed cover on, however. Truck caps are kind of ugly, and add excess weight anyways. Bed covers look a lot cleaner. The unfortunate thing is that a 4-cylinder manual is essentially a double unicorn for S-10s in New England. Most are V6-powered and automatic, which at that point I might as well get the Astro.
Note: I would also consider Ford Rangers. However, 4-cylinders with manuals are just as rare for the Ranger as they are the S-10, and Mr. Regular is right about the Duratec V6 being soul-suckingly underpowered. I drove a 2002 Taurus with either a similar or exact V6 and it took its sweet time to go places.
Subaru Legacy (2000 or newer, wagon)
Pros: Incredible storage space in a sedan’s footprint, handsome looks, relatively modern vehicle, Subaru AWD is undeniably awesome, manual available.
Cons: Fuel economy still takes a massive hit due to the AWD system, manuals force full-time AWD, anything newer than 2005 seems to be rare and highly expensive.
Okay, I might be a little biased considering I drive a Legacy wagon already, but these are the best things that Subaru has ever produced for the mass market, period. I could care less about your WRXes or what have you - this is where it’s all at. Subaru only produced these wagons until about 2008, when they were finally killed off as people flocked to the Outback for extra ride height. While I would take an older Legacy Outback, I don’t think I’d get an Outback after it was split from the Legacy nameplate. The Outback’s front fascia is ugly and feels like it tries too hard to be cool and hip when in reality it’s just plain disgusting. (Actually, maybe I should have reserved “plain disgusting” for Nissan’s crossovers. Oops.)
Subaru Forester (second generation or newer)
Pros: Boxy body lends itself to good storage space, slightly more compact than a Legacy wagon, sport models look extremely sharp, manual available, Subaru AWD.
Cons: Most available Foresters have the lower-trim appearance packages, requiring modification to get closer to the appearance of the sport trim that nobody’s letting go of. All-time AWD with a manual. Poor fuel economy strikes again.
The cube Foresters are probably my favorite, especially post-facelift. I’m not as big of the fan of the blob Foresters due to their body style (however I’m still happy Subaru offers a manual on brand new Fozzies, thank you Subaru of America.) The cube Foresters seem like the most logical choice of what to get next if and when I do move on from my Legacy. I would prefer a Legacy wagon, but the Forester is far more accessible.
Scion xB
Pros: Literally just a toaster on wheels. Efficient 4 cylinder engine. Timeless mid-noughts look.
Cons: First gens are impossible to find in good shape in New England. Any that are in good shape are being sold for well above their real value, or have been tastefully modified to the point where it’s incredibly expensive to clean it up.
When the Scion xB first came out, as a child, I kept begging my mother to buy one of these. Unfortunately, buying a brand new xB was not an option for any of my family members, and so we missed out on having probably one of the quirkiest modern Japanese cars to ever set tread on our soil. The second generation xB doesn’t do this cube justice, as it packs on the pounds after having an American diet, and looks just as fat and pudgy - however they are a bit more accessible.