BIG ski SUV - Page 5  

my .02

Personally I don't think you need the huge SUV. Coming from a family of 5, I grew up with them. I now own a Subaru, w/racks (no box). I live near Denver and drive to the mts. twice a week to ski. I get close to 30 MPG. The impreza (I own) prob. isn't big enough for you but I'm sure some of the other models are. I'd like you to PM w/ your reasons for not wanting a Japanese car if you don't mind. This way you wont cause a huge argument over the thread. I wont be offended with what you say, I'm just curious. If you don't want to, no worries.
I have to agree with the other members in that the thread that the idea of an H3 or Escalade is just rediculous. Since Hummer went from a military based vehicle to a civilian vehicle it has produced junk in my opinion. They are eye sores and impractical for everything other than getting attention.
If you are going to HD or Lowes and are serious about space then its obvious you should be looking at a pick up. W/ only 2 of you there is plenty of room, or get a quad cab for when you and your GF settle down and start a family. If its more for skiing, and I doubt it is by the fact you were considering an Escalade, you don't need a huge SUV. A ski rack takes care of then length issue of packing and even for a week long trip to VT there is plenty of room in the trunk and back seats for gear. If there isn't, you pack to heavy and without insulting you or your gf too much, are probably high maintanace. With that said, I grew up just south of Boston, as a family we made day and weekend trips to northern New England to ski. We ownded a Suburban, gas mileage was terrible but it got the family and gear to and from the resort safely and comfortably. Before the suburban was a volvo station wagon (very cool I know, it was tan), it had a ski rack and it also got the family of 5, yes FIVE, and gear to and from the mountains safely and with better gas mileage than the huge Chevy. Hard to believe you can't fit 2 people in something like that?

What about Audi Q7? That's a big one! Or Volvo XC90, BMW X5, the new one is quite big.
Or if you could consider a less SUV car: Audi Allroad thats a sweet car when it comes to loading gear.

You know, there's alot to be said about simplicity.

I built '72 Blazer that I drove for 8 years. Sick rig. I turned it into a ski truck. Every moving part was new. Sick interior. Sick drive-train. It even had boot heaters for camping trips.

Now my wife and I share a compact 4WD. This is easy in Japan where there are trains everywhere and roads much smaller than any SUV. A Suburban would be fricking nightmare. You honestly wouldn't be able to get across town. You'd end up sitting in your driveway with all your luggage.

I miss my hot rod garage, and will have another in the future. I can't wait to build another rig. I'm always asking my wife; What kind car do you want me to build you when we move back to the states? She could care less. I just want to build another car.

Nonetheless, I've learned how much people just plain don't need modern SUVs.

I know Ritchie said he is high-maintenance, but... if you're aware of it, why keep it up? Why insist on such poor fuel efficiency? Why insist on such an impact on the environment? The 70's are over, dude. Get practictal... express a drop of care for the rest of us who live in your world.

With all due respect, this blatant "I don't care, I can afford it, I need it" attitude is exactly what I end up defending fellow Americans against when I meet people who (quite frankly) dispise americans abroad.

Our whole nation is severly disrespected abroad. The whole Bush thing lays the foundation, but when I hear people vent about the Americans' excessive needs and lack of an ability to dedicate themselves to the Kyoto protocol, or any ambitions towards ending modern climate changes, it gets pretty hard to disagree with them.

I also know that Ritchie doesn't want this thread to turn into turmoil. And I'm not posting for that. (yes I am, let's not lie.)

I am mostly posting to say that people hate us abroad. I've been away for 5 years, and people hate us. Largely due to attitudes like this- no care to conserve anything... as long as they can take their fricking house with them while on vacation.

Modesty... is a lesson that I will admit most people I know back home could benefit from studying. Modesty, Conservation, Practicality are not terms for which Americans are described abroad.

Sorry, Rich. You're five pages into this debate. If you can't find a ski rig by now for your 11 days a year, it's time to call you out...

Let's race. The smallest carbon footprint wins...

I know you have more money than me. I also know that you are more learned than myself. Experience and finances should give you the benefit in this race. The only reason you won't win is your decisions in how you play the game.

It just hit me... Rich is the guy that sets the standard for which I'm defending other Americans while at dinners or meeting strangers on trains.

You're a fricking thorn in my side, mate. I don't even know you, but I have spent 5 years convincing people in Chile, Peru, Argentina, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Japan that most Americans aren't like you.

Sam, this is all quite noble stuff, and I'd also agree with folks overseas for the most part. They have every right to express themselves in a peaceful mannor of how they feel about Americans and what Americans do.

What I don't agree with is when they come to the USA then have nothing good to say about their host country.

Neverthless, I had the pleasure of working with a collegue from China recently. Though he is slightly higher on thje corporate totem pole and has roughly the same MBA education I do. He is a very modest gentleman with a simple and humble background. He currently shares a 500 square foot apartment with his wife and her parents and pays more for that than I do for our house. He was completely blown away by the abundance here. He ate steak every day and the highlight of his trip was shopping at Best Buy. My point is that it is easy for folks abroad to cast insults about our culture and way of life which they don't fully understand. But, given the choice and opportunity many would move here in a heartbbeat and do in scores. I try not to overcategorize others from different cultures or regions because I realize I can't fully understand their environment without being there. I can and do empathize with people that live in a land such of scarcity, and are packed in to urban areas like sardines. It is easy to see why some may be overly judgemental of American glutony. Wreaking havoc on the planet is a horrible legacy to leave the next generations, provided we make it that far.

But, other regions, particularly APAC are also responsible for a HUGE amount of this enviromental train wreck. Their full speed industrial revolution factories have little or no concern for the environmet either and are polluting JUST as bad or WORSE than American vehicles.They are destroying ground water, they are ruining children's life as being children since there are few child labor laws, and people have a short lifespan there especially because those factories are dangerous places to work. Sure, some of those factories are run by American companies, but many are not.

We're all skiing on and in equipment made in those factories or will be soon. So, the point is... Nobody's perfect. Let's just keep working on it and make change where we can. But, Im not gonna blame someone for wrecking the planet just becuase they choose to drive a greedy vehicle for a few years. There's a bit more to the problem than that.

4 pairs 5 pairs - for 11 days Hunter and K-Mart? . If you put Okemo or Flatton in the mix, you'll need at least 12 pairs :.

Either you need better skis or better technique. I never need more than 2 pairs and that's to real areas in CO, UT or BC, not Least Coast areas.

You certyainly need more racks sitting around too - only 3 with 1 NIB?

Conspicuous consumption is one of the reasons Americans are held in contempt and disdain. You could be the poster boy apparently, and are apparently proud of it.

Escalade = Cool. Ummm, no.

This guy is the posterboy for the over-consumptive American lifestyle. He will use up as much resources as he can,(just to go skiing 11 days a year) he thinks it makes him more of a man.
Remember those old ski films when four guys would road trip through the Alps in a mini-van? They somehow had more fun than Mr. "Rich" ever will. He just doesn't get it!
Low-impact man, low-impact is the way to be!

I remember heading up to Taos with a good friend that lives out there (wasn't Garrett btw, though next time I head out that way I'll certainly reach out to him). As we were booting up in the lot I lit a cigarette. He said, "ohh dude, your're gonna stink up and pollute this crisp clean mountain air with that nasty thing?".. while sitting in his Taurus

I don't smoke anymore, haven't in a very long time. But, like I said.. Nobody's perfect:

By the way, where is Nobody? I haven't seen that name around the boards lately..

Those factories purpose in life is to feed the NA consumer with "goods" that their lifestyle would apparently be lacking without.

I'm in the maritime business - the nasty polluting containerships that leave those dreadful polluting countries are coming straight across the Pacific to the US with components for those lovely SUV's for those here that "deserve" such things.

This will allow those countries to industrialize to get to the US "standard of living" that we abuse daily. Give up maybe one of the three sets of ski racks that you don't use, and take one item a day not to buy and be part of something better (or not - if your GF demands it - again - time to sack up). Or maybe one of the 5 pairs of skis that go to 1,500 vf hills could be considered excessive (?)(!).

How many will pay a premium for a widget if it was made in a minimally polluting factory? Or will give up something so as not to promote those belching factories. Doubtful it would be our hero here.

yeah, sounds like the king cab size pickup is your happy medium since you require getting building materials. i like the look of the chevy avalanche. don;t know if it;s a good vehicle or not though.

plus it still has to pass the GF test though.

and don;t forget the bags of sand or kitty litter to weigh down the rear wheels on those snowy days.

btw, who says the 4 or 5 pairs of skis he needs to travel with are all just for him? they could be for his passengers.

Cool – RR finally has YOUR approval on how he can spend his money. Glad you like the Avalanche. You do realize that the Avalanche ($45k) and Escalade EXT ($56k) is basically the same vehicle… same frame, same MPG’s 14/20, basically the same weight, basically all the same except for trim level. And, basically the same vehicle as the “full-shell” Escalade ($59k), which is actually 200lbs lighter (curb weight) and 20” shorter than the EXT or Avalanche. Is it just that you object to the Escalade because it costs more? How does what RR spends impact you?

Forgot to mention - the Hummer H2 is built on a modified Avalanche frame.

Seemed fairly clear to me.

Umm, my experience with GM vehicles and T-tops made me worry a lot when I saw the Avalanche as a concept. I'd be expecting those seals on the removable roof and cab parts to leak eventually, especially considering frame torsion when 4 wheeling. It shouldn't be an issue if you don't keep a vehicle over 2 or 3 years though. Anybody else actually drive an Avananche and switch it back and forth often? How do the seals hold up?

uh....you could read everything else I posted in this thread before you posted your witty response. obviously what this guy spends and why is no concern to you or me. I recommended plenty of other options but he does have some specific criteria-specifically American owned, ability to haul stuff from Home depot. I think pretty much all of us agree that his choices are not great but that is up to him.

I said I like the LOOK of the avalanche but didn;t know if it was a good vehicle or not. i'll take your word for it that it is not.

I'm with Drewski 180. My Subaru Outback (with Yakima basket on roof as needed) holds me, the GF (who, fortunately for me, qualifies as low maintenance) and any combination of 2 out our combined 4 kids, with luggage, skis, etc. on all of our ski trips from SoCal up to Mammoth and Tahoe. Whenever we've got all 4 kids, we just rent an untrendy, yet extremely practical and roomy, minivan (we always try to get a Sienna or Kia Sedona/Hyundai Entourage, which have excellent power and drive and handle very nicely). The Subaru and the front-wheel drive minivans do fine up in the mountains, and with cables they easily handle heavy snow conditions.

There was a great article a few years back in The New Yorker about the early days of the Ford Expedition, which was the vehicle that really started the truck-based SUV boom (the Suburban was around long before the Expedition, but the Expedition (and its more expensive cousin the Navigator) quickly became best sellers and really transformed the market and moved consumers away from minivans). Anyone interested in understanding some of the reasons for which the domestic auto industry got so far off track in its dependence on sales of gas-guzzling (but extremely profitable) large SUVs, and has fought so hard to avoid any further increases in fuel economy standards (all of which inevitably put the domestic auto industry into the toilet it now finds itself in as gas prices have gone up, sales of large SUVs have gone down, and domestic "economy" cars (on which the domestics have spent little R&D time or money due to their low profitability relative to the big SUVs) can't compete very well with their foreign rivals, should read this article.

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2...6-19969972_ITM

One of the best points in the article is how the carmakers' marketing has done so much to marginalize the minivan as a wimpy, "soccer mom" type of car in comparison to the extremely big Suburban or Expedition or (ugh!) Navigator or Escalade or (double ugh!) Excursion or Hummer H2, when in fact, on a purely objective basis, a minivan is much more practical, economical and safe (it just isn't as profitable as a big SUV, hence the carmakers' desire to convince everyone that they NEED a big SUV for their day to day living running to the supermarket and Home Depot).

My rant is completed.

SUV are mostly an image thing. as I said in the other thread, most of the SUV's out there are just tall station wagons. maybe someday an auto manufacturer will "redefine" the minivan as a fun to drive vehicle. or rather, design a fun to drive vehicle in a technically minivan form factor. disguised of course. does Mazda still make the MPV? I mean Subaru/Audi/Saab/BMW has done wonders for the image of the station wagon by rechristening them sports wagons.

driven in a few but never drove a minivan so don;t know the issues. somebody told me the steering wasn;t very exact but that could have been the vehicle(grand caravan).

drove a 8 passenger rental Pathfinder 2 years ago-on snowy mountain road to Snowbird/Alta. what a boat. handled okay but the 13-16 mpg was ridiculous.

I was wondering the same about that Mazda van last time we were car shopping and my wife used that dreaded "M" word. I dodn't see any available. A van with all wheel drive would be a good option for some. One with some adjustable hydrolic or air suspension lift for deep snow days or driving on the beach would certainly be desirable.:

As evidenced by the feedback in this thread, large SUVs are politically very unpopular and people are really trying to unload them. The price of a used premium SUV is literally pennies on the dollar right now.

[moderator hat on]
No personal attacks! Attack the concept, car, object; leave the allegations of intelligence, manhood, ethics out. [/hat off]

Pssst:
It's gotten far more personal in the best weekend warrier thread.:

How about Mercedes-Benz R320 BluTec? Almost a minivan. Heck if you want fun to drive, there's an AMG version.

You know.... I've given this a lot more thought and I've come to the conclusion that you may still be thinking too small. Yeah, you're going to need plenty of room for your stuff, but what about image? You gotta roll like a pimp, brutha!!!

How about one of these?



The flames really send the message, "That's right bitches.... Richie-Rich is in DA HOOOUUUUUSSSSE!!!!!!" Then the gull wing door opens, (you may want some dry-ice smoke coming out for effect), then you step out in a New York Giants Starter jacket carrying five pairs of skis!!! I'd recommend bumpin' "Who let the dogs out" at full volume in case anyone across the parking lot didn't notice your arrival.

Another option would be this one:



Still large enough, but a bit more subdued. It kind of sends a different message.... I think the dually's on the back kind of say "step back, son... I'll run your ass over and possibly eat your children."


It's definitely something to think about.

Those flames are phenomenal! I cannot wait to build another rig.

Richie knows I'm not hitting him personally, as evidenced by his shrug.

My statement was just as generalized as those allegations of which I referenced defending Americans against.

(Is it becoming obvious to anyone that I'm homesick? BTW, I hate my lack of space in Japan. I hate always bumping things. And I hate that in Japan I can't afford the space for a garage in which I could actually work on my car.)

My compact 4wd, however, I do not hate. I just wish it were a diesel so I could convert it to vegie. The next one will be.

The less you want the more you have.

Damn that sounds like me. : I've got a 2000 Expedition and Love it.

But I'm looking into something bigger. The Expedition is too small.


Hey R-R,

The Escalades I looked at weren't 4WD, they are AWD. They have no low 4WD.

The Suburban LTZ have a plastic fairing below the front bumper that only gives you a bout 6-8" of clearance. It would work great as a snow plow?
I'm leaning towards a Eddie Bauer Expedition EL or a Z71 Suburban. :

I love car shopping.