[Shotimes] RE: advice for selecting a car for parents

[Ron Porter]

Again, minivans and many SUVs have a lot of space when you fold the seats
down.

It's when you need to carry people and luggage that they don't work as well.

Off the top of my head with a few friends: Two ford guys with Explorers, a
Mountaineer, and an Expedition (each get 2 Ford company cars a year). Each
have two daughters who like to bring a friend. One guy has a cottage that he
goes to. Not enough space for stuff with 4-5 people. Other guy with the
Envoy. Wishes he still had the full-size van, as having two kids, and one
being a hockey player on a traveling team, space is limited.

My first CV experience was in the early '90s. Four guys going on a 3-day
golf outing. All of the golf bags, luggage, beer/booze/stuff fit in the
trunk (except a small cooler up front with us.....by choice!!). Plus, it had
decent power for passing on two-lane roads (it was the dual-exhaust
200-something HP engine).

Except for the good towing capability with passengers (which all three
buddies above need), SUVs and minivans are not as roomy as it seems when you
must have all the seats up.

Ron Porter

-----Original Message-----
From: Beisler Jonathon [mailto:Jonathon.Beisler@HCAhealthcare.com] 
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 12:16 PM
To: Ron Porter; Shotimes
Subject: RE: advice for selecting a car for parents

I agree with you for the most part, but the nice thing about the MPV,
Odyssey and now the Toyota is that the rear seats fold flat into the floor.
So there is a heck of a lot of room just behind the middle seats.  The Envoy
and their sister classes are really high and don't have a lot of storage
space because they have to make room for the spare and the axles.  You've
got IRS on the Legacy, right?  MPV is solid axle too, but there isn't much
to the rear suspension and the spare is under the passenger side in the
middle row.  As far as the Astro/Safari's if I needed to transport my family
and a boat or trailer, that would definitely be my choice.  Rear wheel drive
and actual towing capacity.  I never thought I'd say this, but SUV's just
don't make a lot of sense to me, and *gulp* I'd prefer a minivan for
passenger transport.  I remember several years ago at a company meeting when
I was the designated driver and we have a Safari; that thing had some power
and liked to go sideways!  Needless to say, I was not the designated driver
for long.... :P
JB

-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Porter [mailto:ronporter@prodigy.net]
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 11:28 AM
To: Beisler Jonathon; 'Shotimes'
Subject: RE: advice for selecting a car for parents


I'm talking about the car with the seats up not everything folded down as
when you carry people & luggage. From what I have seen, virtually every SUV
and minivan is pitiful for luggage space in 5-passenger mode. Don't even
think about carrying a toothbrush in the 7-passenger models. In
passenger/luggage mode, the CV has a LOT of capacity

We were driving to/from Grand Rapids in my buddy's new '05 Envoy yesterday.
With the seats up, I'll bet that I can pack as much (if not a little more)
into the back of my LGT wan than can be held in the Envoy, and he agrees. We
have already had four sets of golf clubs in both vehicles. This is when we
noticed the packed-to-the-roof MPV yesterday, and it opened up the
discussion again.

BTW, my buddy has had full-size vans for years (traded in a GMC Safari for
the Envoy) and has a '96 Astro that he will keep forever. He said that he
will buy another used Astro when this one dies. He has a 21' boat to pull,
plus a small trailer with all of his band equipment.

Ron Porter

-----Original Message-----
From: Beisler Jonathon [mailto:Jonathon.Beisler@HCAhealthcare.com] 
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 10:08 AM
To: ronporter@prodigy.net; Shotimes
Subject: OT: advice for selecting a car for parents

Ron,
Now, I like the Legacy wagon as much as the next guy, my mom owns one and I
like to drive it, but it does not have more luggage space than an MPV!  Lets
not make the guy feel bad about his purchase!  I own an 2002 MPV, my brother
in law had a 2000 and he drove it for 140,000 miles and with just oil and
gas additions.  As far as the #s the MPV has 127 cubes vs. 68 for the Legacy
and 22 for the CV.
My MPV's not a truck, but I can haul 10 ft pipe, and even 4x8 pieces of
plywood in a crunch, that's on the inside.  They have to be on their side
and completely blind me to the right, but that's what spotter AWA's are for!
40 more horses wouldn't hurt, but we've put 50,000 trouble free miles on
ours, save the recalls and stereo problems.  Of course, even my 3 year old
daughter likes the 12 year old SHO better. "Daddy drives fast!"
Just had to defend the wife's ride!
JB


"MPV......

We just passed one on the interstate this morning. Husband & wife, two kids
in the back, rear luggage area packed to the headliner, and a big fiberglass
luggage box on the roof.

I'll bet the CV has more luggage space, as does my Legacy wagon."