"jminer" (jminer)
04/11/2019 at 13:55 • Filed to: None
4
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"jminer" (jminer)
04/11/2019 at 13:55 • Filed to: None | 4
| 25 |
We’re going through an epic spring cleaning and the sportwagen makes it easier to take loads to Goodwill compared to my wife’s RAV4.
I’ve driven vans, trucks and hatchbacks but I really like the wagon. Vans are the best, but aren’t great to daily, trucks have their place as an unreplaceable shit hauler and hatchbacks are great for all around usability but the wagon is awesome combination of all of it.
Wagons Rule!
Chariotoflove
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 13:59 |
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I really like a wagon as the best combo of features for most jobs. We used one to tow the horses, pick up feed and rock salt from the co-op, etc. and then do family road trips. Our fa rrier did his work in one, just plunked his anvil in the back. Haul like a truck but drive like a car. What’s not to love?
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jminer
> Chariotoflove
04/11/2019 at 14:03 |
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Modern ones aren’t as durable as the old body on frame ones but they’re better than anything else.
Stock it doesn't handle weight awesome but I can put Tiguan springs on it so that's definitely happening later this year when I put a hitch on it.
Grindintosecond
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 14:04 |
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And I’m buying a flex this evening.......
What was difficult about that vs. this sportsv agon.
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Chariotoflove
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 14:07 |
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Yes, rear suspension on our old ones needed upgrading for serious hauling as well.
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jminer
> Grindintosecond
04/11/2019 at 14:14 |
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I meant there was a window between when we traded my wife’s flex for a rav4 and when I traded my focus for the sportwagen.
Although I can’t recommend a flex to anyone. Ours had a ton of build quality issues, transmission a nd electronics problems. I still loved how it looked and how com fy the seats were but it wasn't a great car.
This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 14:15 |
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Wag On my good man, Wag on!
Discerning
> Chariotoflove
04/11/2019 at 14:16 |
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Hmmm. The only wagon I’ve driven that could haul and tow like a truck was a caprice wagon. But it did not drive like a car. Unless your current definition of driving like a car is an 80's caprice sedan. But I would argue that a modern body on frame SUV handles better th an an 80's caprice.
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Chariotoflove
> Discerning
04/11/2019 at 14:20 |
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‘ 84 custom cruiser. It felt like a car to me. My dad fitted an air suspension to it.
I’m sure you can set up a modern wagon to tow the horses as well and still have it feel car-like. I don’t have the money to do that experiment though.
Svend
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 14:25 |
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Yep, loads of space.
660 litres of boot space, 1,950 litres with the rear seats down.
Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 14:26 |
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I don’t know what you call this thing, but I think of it as a tall Mazda3 wagon rather than a van, despite the sliding doors. Consumer Reports listed it in the wagon category and so shall I do the same since it really doesn’t fit with other minivans.
When I moved and needed a new car I went looking for a Sportwagen (preferably in brown, with the turbodiesel and manual, of course) , but the dealers weren’t dealing; they all seemed to be asking over list price. The Mazda, on the other hand, was purchased for 20% below list price, so that made my decision a little easier. The fact that I didn’t have to deal with the emissions scandal made my decision feel even better.
I’ve had sedans, but I just prefer the flexibility of a wagon, and not one that’s higher up in the air than need be. I don’t go off road and feel no need to project an artificial image of toughness, so I’m perfectly content driving a bo x on wheels.
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Discerning
> Chariotoflove
04/11/2019 at 14:32 |
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An 84 custom cruiser would ride like a cloud more than a car.
You should check out a new expedition with air suspension. Would probably feel similar.
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Chariotoflove
> Discerning
04/11/2019 at 14:40 |
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I don’t want anything that big and tall. If we were to trade in the minivan for a wagon, I’d probably start looking at Volvos.
Ash78, voting early and often
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 14:45 |
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My only practical
beefs
with the current wagons are the lack of fully-flat seat folding mechanisms
and the raked rear glass, either/both of which affect nearly every car in the segment. My 01 Passat isn’t going to make it much longer, but the interior is like an easily loaded box. Totally flat cargo
floor (~
7' long) and you never hit your cargo with the glass when closing the hatch. Pretty hard combo to find these days.
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jminer
> This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
04/11/2019 at 14:51 |
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I can’t unsee that...
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Discerning
> Chariotoflove
04/11/2019 at 14:59 |
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That’s understandable.
HammerheadFistpunch
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 15:09 |
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I really like the sportwagon, but it it wasn’t any roomier than the forester I had at the time.
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jminer
> HammerheadFistpunch
04/11/2019 at 15:18 |
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Sure, I definitely like how it drives better than the forester though .
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jminer
> Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
04/11/2019 at 15:27 |
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I’m with you and have had 2 mini-vans, they’re nice but just a pain to daily if you don’t need all that space all the time.
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Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 15:34 |
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Well, in college I had a Vanagon, and 10 years ago a Windstar (freebie) and now the Mazda. At least the Mazda is relatively small and doesn’t feel like a traditional van.
A previous girlfriend drove a Caravan, and b etween the two of us we had 13 seats total. Not that we needed all those seats all the time, but it was nice to have them, or the space, when needed.
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HammerheadFistpunch
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 15:39 |
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oh my forester was way more fun, but were talking turbo 5 speed versus turbo diesel.
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jminer
> HammerheadFistpunch
04/11/2019 at 17:20 |
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I can see that, the only Forester I've driven has been the cvt NA variety.
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Grindintosecond
> jminer
04/11/2019 at 23:06 |
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What year was yours? I learned there were a couple trouble years, ‘13 being one of them.
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jminer
> Grindintosecond
04/12/2019 at 09:39 |
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2011 limited 2WD
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Grindintosecond
> jminer
04/12/2019 at 10:49 |
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check this out. shows problems by year and why. I just thought it quite interesting. I got my ‘18 on the theory that long term building with the same parts would weed out issues, but then Toyota does great with that theory and I guess I’ll find out if Ford shares that idea.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Flex/
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jminer
> Grindintosecond
04/13/2019 at 15:56 |
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I wouldn’t count on a ford’s long term reliability anymore. I have regularly bought them for 15 years with very few problems. The last two I’ve owned (both made this decade) have been full of problems both with general build quality and long term reliability. I got rid of the flex with 115k miles on it and a focus with 101k because they would cost more to fix than I wanted to put into them.
The flex got traded for a RAV4 that my wife loves and my focus hatch for this sportwagen TDI which has been fantastic so far.