Ok, so I have a 1995 Eurovan Camper. They are 40K new. I got it far cheaper but it's still a little pricy on gas, etc. It's in great shape. I have it listed for 14, 500. I got a guy wanting to trade me a 2000 Audi A4 Wagon (not sure if it's the 4 or the 6 cyl) straight up. Unfortunately I have a lean on it so working the paperwork would get nasty. The insurance on the Audi is a little pricy for me too...dammit. My sister has an A4 and it is sweet. I'm really looking for a xterra/frontier kingcab or a forester. Which should I get? Thoughts? Towing not really an issue because if I sell the Hawk, I'm going to get another 125 with a little trailer. Just from a gas mileage/value/quality perspective, which one? Any input is appreciated. Thanks
My wife wants an Frontier. I can't argue with her, either. It's a rommy, comes in bunch of diffrent confirurations...and if you get a wild hair up your ass, you can even get the supercharged version. The only thing I'd watch is the paint finish. I've heard that Nissan had some finishing problems with them. Something to do with being bought by Ford... As for relaibilty, my '91 Sentra is about bullet proof. Besides the chronic clutch problem, which I think is due to the previous owner being a dumbass...the car has been really good. I've tried to break it plenty of times. All in vain... I don't trust Subaru's. They're only car that's worth a shit is the WRX. Audi's are great, but have you checked the local service dealership mechanic flat rate, or the parts cost...???
The nissan will run good and last, but last time I was buying a small truck I looked at the mileage and price of a nissan and ended up with a 99 silverado king cab. It got 22 mpg on the highway and could tow anything reasonable. Had a v8 and was roomy. I got it for 21k in 99. The nissan would have cost me at least that much and the mpg #'s were worse and it had a smaller engine. I would have been pissed if I had done that instead of a full sized quarter ton. The silverado was nice enough that the guy I sold it to came back about a month later to thank me again. He had cut his fule bill from his s-10 and it worked much better for his landscaping work No more small cutsy trucks for me.
Hey man, keep the Eurovan. Once you get rid of it, you will regret it. They are one of the most versatile vehicles on the road. If you need cheap transpo, buy some UJM bike for $500 and ride instead of drive.
Mike, Is the Duc all sorted out? Are you going to Cycle Jam? I have a guy that wants to buy the Hawk. Let me know. Yeah, the Audi deal isn't going to happen. Insurance is too much and labor/parts are too expensive. I would keep the van. I love it. The only thing is....I'm paying over 7% interest and it's a 7 year loan!!! ouch. And I paid 15K for it....not smart. But I can fit a bike in it....haha.... We'll see.
A4 not good at all for towing. stick with the camper or a truck. Ya the A4 is a nice car but not to functional for a racer. I am looking to sell my lexus for that reason. LExus actually has a disclaimer that you viod all warrenties on there cars if you tow something with it. Audi might be the same way
and IIRC the Avant (sportswagen ) only comes in the V6... as for the Frontier...if you plan on towing anything get at least the V6 (the supercharger isn't worth it IMHO but some people dig it) if you are going to do any towing...My 4 banger King Cab has problems pulling hills with just a bike in the back much less with a trailer on the tail (take a look at hp and torque numbers...both peak around the 5,000rpm mark...and the torque curve isn't very broad)...and consider the smaller full size trucks, my fronty gets 26mpg or so on the highway and the full sizes aren't much worse than that...my dad's V6 4x4 fronty gets 18mpg or so on the highway which is on par with a full size. Great trucks otherwise, I've put 60k miles on mine so far and am happy with it, it does what I need it to do and I paid 10k for it when it was a year old and had 10k miles on it. (it's a 2000 king cab)...If I had it to do over again (with the knowledge I would have a good paying rather secure job ) I think I'd get a Xterra V6 and pull a trailer with it. *shrug* send me a pm if you want to know anything about Froniters, I've researched a thing or two about 'em.
I found the same thing to be true when I was looking. In my mind it boils down to your option of an underspec'd engine in a smaller truck and an overspec'd engine in a full sized. The engine in my Silverado rarely breaks 2000 rpm and has gotten consistent 20.5 mpg on the highway the last 60K (has 115K on it right now). One thing to consider is that even some smaller trucks/SUV's don't weigh considerably less than the full sized. The Xterra is a great example and explains the poor fuel economy. Another consideration is 4x4 or not. I chose 2x4 and have never regretted it. I simply calculated the operating cost and the choice was clear. People make a big deal about the snow but the reality is that in the south the town will shut down if a 2x4 can't get around in the conditions. Of course, this assumes you live close to town. If I lived in a rural area I might not have made the same decision.
