What car to buy for mountain living?

[AdironRider]

If you are moving to a true ski town, you won't be driving over say 45mph. If you are moving somewhere along an interstate, passing becomes more important.

For true ski town I find it hard to beat a Jeep Wrangler with a hardtop. Goes anywhere, take the top off in summer, 6 speed, you can sell it in 5 years for what you paid for it. You can beat the piss out of it and not care. Chicks dig it, and you'll need all the help you can get.

[digitaldeath]

Fuckin' K-Val, man!

!!!

[mud]

Do you really want to be another knuckledragger driving a Subaru in a ski town?

Live a little, get the Hemi V8 Grand Cherokee.

[digitaldeath]

I was gonna say grand Cherokee

What about a Tahoe z71

F150 fx4

[stuckathuntermtn]

A Subaru or Toyota Tacoma is, of course, the ulimate mountain town suburban camouflage.
I have an old Suby. Don't even put snow tires on it.

And since when is altitude still an issue with cars? I don't think that has been a thing for a long time.

Cumicon. Hehehe.

[bobz]

Yes, modern fuel systems adjust for altitude; don't worry about it. And you don't need extra acceleration compared to whatever your personal preference would be on urban on-ramps. A few decades ago, mountain vehicles were some of the most gutless things around; it was only when people wanted to use SUVs for tooling around suburbia that they needed to give them good acceleration.

[frorider]

Fer crissakes, we're obviously not talking about the old days of tuning a carb for high altitude driving. We are talking about the laws of physics that dictate HP loss at altitude. A turbo 4 banger has much less % drop in power at say 8,000 ft than a naturally aspirated version.

[frorider]

I live this issue every time I drive south. Behind a semi, good opening to pass at 75 before double yellow. 4 banger suby screaming at 5000+ rpm and barely making the pass vs easy relaxed and quick pass in a turbo Audi etc.

[AK47bp]

Fuckin' K-Val, man!

YESSS!!!


Shotgun to the dick!!

[bobz]

Yeah, okay, hats off to the laws of physics. I'm saying that acceleration at altitude is just fine, as far as I'm concerned. I have no doubt that high-end performance comes in handy sometimes, but when I get delayed heading up to Tahoe, it usually isn't because I couldn't blast past one or two vehicles on an upgrade.

[highangle]

"Space...I want to eat it!" -- Gay Interpretive Dancer in silky flowing chiffon cape

I live this issue every time I drive south. Behind a semi, good opening to pass at 75 before double yellow. 4 banger suby screaming at 5000+ rpm and barely making the pass vs easy relaxed and quick pass in a turbo Audi etc.

Comparing ze UdiKompressor mit ze zwei litre Legacy vagon in 3000m doesn't seem quite fier.

But you do have a point: performance is luxury. The best kind.

[lifelinksplit]

Just make sure they throw in a black lab named bridger (insert whatever overused cliche name per different ski town). Old lady has a 2.5 outback with the 6 speed. Driven that thing places most retards can't get a jacked up truck. However like others said ground clearance is key and when it matters we take the truck. Also if you fish pulling a drifter with a subie is fine except at certain unmaintained ramps.

[KQ]

I live this issue every time I drive south. Behind a semi, good opening to pass at 75 before double yellow. 4 banger suby screaming at 5000+ rpm and barely making the pass vs easy relaxed and quick pass in a turbo Audi etc.

I have a turbo Outback. Things got quite a kick!

[skaredshtles]

I have a turbo Outback. Things got quite a kick!

Wat?!? A turbo Outback that hasn't blown up yet?

UNICORN!!

[skaredshtles]

Just make sure they throw in a black lab named bridger (insert whatever overused cliche name per different ski town). Old lady has a 2.5 outback with the 6 speed. Driven that thing places most retards can't get a jacked up truck. However like others said ground clearance is key

With our old standard-trans Outback, I always found that the worthless gearing in 1st was the limiting factor when it came to steep, gnarly terrain.

It's really too bad that Subaru didn't continue with a transfer case/low range. Hell - even a *really* low 1st gear would have helped.

[XXX-er]

easy relaxed and quick pass in a turbo Audi etc.

those cars can pass everything but the Audi service dept

[Bobby Stainless]

911 of course.

Or this.

[The Reverend Floater]

If you are moving to a true ski town, you won't be driving over say 45mph. If you are moving somewhere along an interstate, passing becomes more important.

For true ski town I find it hard to beat a Jeep Wrangler with a hardtop. Goes anywhere, take the top off in summer, 6 speed, you can sell it in 5 years for what you paid for it. You can beat the piss out of it and not care. Chicks dig it, and you'll need all the help you can get.

Truly awful advice.

[plugboots]

Yup. Chicks in tube tops with tramp stamps dig the Wrangler. Cuz yer a cowboy and all.

[The Reverend Floater]

Yup. Chicks in tube tops with tramp stamps dig the Wrangler. Cuz yer a cowboy and all.

Driving an semi reliable hockey puck on ice with no storage, no towing ability and the front impact protection of a Coors Light is definitely strong game.

... Because you never drive over 45mph in remote mountain towns.

[mud]

Golden Eagle!

[liv2ski]

As a former owner of several subarus (2.2, 2.5, and 2.0 l) my recently purchased VW Alltrack 6 spd manual has been a fucking godsend. Most of my driving is 6-8000 ft. The fat torque band makes passing easy.

The Crosstrek was better suited for highly eroded USFS road wheelin but the Alltrack would meet most people's needs.

35 mpg out of the first couple of tanks, but that was mellow 70 mph hiway driving.

Subies have that shit CVT which is an absolute deal killer for me. The Alltrack has a turbo, which is way better at altitude. The Alltrack is easy and inexpensive to chip, which gets you closer to 240hp with premium gas. I would drive the Alltrack all day long before a Subie. Test drive them both and report back.

[Skistack]

Just be sure to run studded snow tires 12 months a year to confirm your local status.

[Meadow Skipper]

Golden Eagle!

Instant-and-lifelong cred. /thread

[mcski]

There's a sweet jacked-up Samurai for sale in Tahoe City.