Dog hauler / sporty daily driver?

[LightngSVT]

I have decided to hold onto the M3 for now. I think my wife played me by buying a black on black vehicle knowing how I am about clean cars. Because her last car was the dog and "stuff" hauler, so now my Contour SVT has become the dog hauler. Not the best considering I have a 50# and a 159# dogs. I was contemplating selling the 'Tour for a small wagon or something, but I want something along the same lines driving wise. Id be looking in the 10k range since itll be a daily driver too.

Mazda Protege 5 wagon
Focus SVT 5 door (not the best looking, but should drive like the 3 door and still be able to handle dogs.

Any other ideas?

[HomicidalSloth]

Originally Posted by LightngSVT

Focus SVT 5 door (not the best looking, but should drive like the 3 door and still be able to handle dogs.

As a 5 door SVTF owner, I have to admit I said "bite me" out loud when I heard the "not the best looking" part.

Anyway, it sounds like a good choice to me. It's obvious that you like SVT products, and I doubt the Focus would let you down. It's amazing how much you can fit into one of those things with the flat-folding rear seats - it's like a van when it's converted.

Plus, stock for stock, it's probably a little faster than the average vehicle on the road, and will out handle practically anything you'll come across. Not to mention it'll out brake a Carrera 911

[LightngSVT]

Ive heard the handling and braking are "amazing" for its price. I used to own a 3 door ZX3 a few years ago and I do prefer the 3 door look, but the 5 door is more practical. HEy at least they dont have that awful front end on the new Focus', YUCK! Was it just the 02's that had the surging and rough running in cold problems? Also, how is the MPG on your 5 door? I want something that will get 25-30mpg.

[Accumulator]

LightngSVT- Glad to hear you've decided to keep the M3.

Ah, the eternal question: "what's the best dog hauler for me?" I debate trying something new for this all the time. I almost always have two dogs, both in the 80 lbs. and up range and I end up driving the dog hauler more than any other car because it'll need detailed anyhow and the good cars are always clean.

Those Mazda 5's sound intriguing, but I suspect it's basically a smaller version of my MPV and I don't think you'd like driving that all that much. Plus, I hear they were all subject to a recall. I dunno, I don't think I'd buy the first year of a whole-new vehicle. And to be honest, the build quality of my MPV is lousy. It's sorta like the "smallest, coolest minivan" which is sorta damning with faint praise, huh?

Assuming you don't use a crate or two (one of my current dogs travels in a crate), I'd look into a small station wagon. Some of the best vehicles I've ever owned (as in, most fun to drive, most overall practical too) were small european wagons that I used to haul the dogs.

The Focus SVT 5-door sounds like it might be a good choice. I'd also check out offerings (new and used) from BMW, VW/Audi, and maybe even Volvo. I suppose Subarus too, but I didn't like either of mine.

[TortoiseAWD]

I tend to biased, but if I was looking for a dog-hauler/daily-driver in Michigan, I'd be looking at older Subaru Impreza wagons, Outback wagons, or Foresters that fit whatever I was willing to spend.

Like I said, though, I'm biased. Cut me and I bleed Rally Blue Pearl.

Tort

[Accumulator]

Tort's advice is probably spot-on. I'm just prejudiced since I got my first Subaru (a '94 or maybe '95 Outback, nothing but trouble, really got a bad one) right after my all-time best dog hauler ('87 VW Quantum synchro wagon) and right before my second best ('95.5 Audi S6 wagon). My dogs outgrew the WRX wagon and my wife and I just never clicked with that car.

I will say that in side-by-side (literally, we were fooling around one snowy morning) comparisons with identical Blizzaks, the VW/Audi AWD worked a lot better than the Subaru AWD. But then the German cars cost a lot more too and it's not like the Subie didn't get you there or anything.

[TortoiseAWD]

Accumulator,

The Audi setup's a Torsen diff, yes? Very good stuff, but as you say, $$$. Was your WRX a stick or auto? The manuals are just 50/50 through a viscous coupler, but the autos do some nifty tricks via the software and electronically controlled clutch packs. I'd be curious to put a manual and auto Subie with similar tires against one another in the snow just to see how much extra traction, if any, the tranny ECU can wring out of the AWD.

Too bad your first Subie was lemony-fresh I've owned an SVX, now my WRX, convinced my gf to buy a Forester, and I have my heart set on a Legacy GT wagon for my next ride.

I may someday stray from the Subaru make, but I'll be damned if I ever own another car with only two driven wheels.

Tort

[Accumulator]

Tort- I used to say that about never driving a 2WD car again, but well....

The Outback was a stick, and the local dealer was utterly incapable of dealing with the defective pressure plate it came with They said they'd "never seen a manual one of those with problems before". I finally told them what to do and said I'd pay for it if that wasn't the problem- it was and warranty covered it. The WRX was an auto (had to buy an auto because of knee problems at the time of purchase), which was probably about 80% of what we disliked about it. The combination of tight torque converter and turbo lag made it literally scary for us to drive, just too slow compared with what we're used to; we couldn't pull out into traffic without too much

[TortoiseAWD]

Originally Posted by Accumulator

The combination of tight torque converter and turbo lag made it literally scary for us to drive, just too slow compared with what we're used to; we couldn't pull out into traffic without too much

Yeah, that'll do it. I think the turbo lag has been minimized somewhat with the move to the 2.5 liter bottom ends on all of the turboed Subarus now; the extra displacement allows for a bit more off-boost torque. I've driven turbo cars for so long I don't mind the lag much (I've gotten used to putting power down in corners *much* earlier than with anything naturally aspirated).

Besides, to steal another member's tagline, the turbo lag is so the V8s have a fighting chance.

Tort

P.S. Taking the WRX to KC for a dyno tune on the 19th. I'm currently running an "off-the-shelf" map for my car that's supposed to make around 315 hp; I'm hoping they can lean out what appears to be a very fat fuel curve and pick up some horsepower (and maybe some mpg, too).

(Sorry for the threadjack . . .)

[G35stilez]

Subaru WRX Wagon
Subaru Forester XT


Either are quick, handle nicely, AWD, look good, and will hold the pups .

[Mark77]

I can recommend the Volvo V50, i love mine, very practical and handles great.

[Corey Bit Spank]

Wait to see how the Dodge Caliber will be?