[RWebb]

an idiot killed my Subaru Outback, which I used for:

1. winter trips over the pass to go back-country skiing

2. daily driver (esp. in summer as it had A/C)

3. bad road car (could not reach everything I want or need to get to, having only 8" of gnd. clearance)

So, what should I get???

a. another Outback
- I miss having a sunroof - you can find them on used Outbacks, but they are rare
- the car is boring & I hate the 4 cyl. tractor motor throb - again you can get a 6 cyl. but hard to find
- gas mileage is not all that great

b. used BMW ix or xi 3 series wagon
- poor gnd. clearance
- much more fun to drive

c. smallest Volvo XC wagon - would have to buy new
- poor gnd. clearance
- has to be nicer than a Subaru
- not sure re this or BMW in terms of drive syste

d. Toureg - spendy, seem to have poor reliability??
- but it does have the air shocks to alter ride ht. gnd. clearance

e. Jeep Grand Cherokee - 2011 Model year
- has the air shocks & goes up to 10.7" clearance - or you can set it down to ~~ 7.5" for hwy use
- reliability seems greatly improved in 2009, 2010 over older MY's
- will get me where I need to go
- spendy
- not clear how fun to drive it would be


* the BMW biases me towards a more fun driver at some hit to "go where you need to ability"

the Jeep GC solves the latter problem entirely, but not sure re the other issues

the BMW SUVs do not seem to have much ability off hwy, nor does the VW Tiguan

thoughts?