Vehicle Recommendations that aren't Subaru/Toyota/Jeep?

[aap1201]

Hello All!
Long time reader, first time poster. Thanks Bill for hosting such a wonderful site, & to all of you for the info here!
So my Honda CR-V finally died after 510,000 miles, & I’ve been looking at getting a new car. I’ll mostly use it to head up into the mountains and occasional long road trips, but as you can see I hold onto my cars & drive them to death so I’m going to purchase a new or late model car.

My two brothers work at different car dealerships: one sells Hondas, the other sells Ford & Mazda. Both of them can help me get a superb deal (I’ll donate a small portion of my savings to the site however they’re from Florida and know nothing about driving in the mountains.
I’ve narrowed it down to the following cars:
Mazda CX-5 (2013-new)
Ford Escape (2011-new)
Ford Edge (2011-new)
Honda Ridgeline (2011-2014 used)
Volvo XC70 (a friend from out-of-state offered to sell me their 2013, but I have no idea how it performs compared to the rest)
Ford F-150 (2012-new)
What do y’all think?

I’ve already ruled out the standard 14ers.com responses of Subarus, Toyotas, & Jeeps; my family’s had terrible experiences with them & won’t try again, plus I won't get a deal they way I would on a Ford/Mazda/Honda. Of the above vehicles, which ones do you think will perform the best heading to trailheads or dealing with snow? I’m sure the Ford truck will be best, but they’re expensive to purchase & don’t have the best fuel economy. I’m not looking to do any serious off-roading up lake Como or bouldering, I’m automatically going to upgrade the tires, & I always carry a shovel & emergency supplies. Essentially I’m looking for whatever will equal or exceed a Subaru when it comes to AWD performance without the stereotypical “Colorado” look. I'm also not interested in making any upgrades or changes aside from tires; it's a car, not a house.

In short, does anyone have one of the above cars or know how they perform on some of the rougher mountain roads?

[AyeYo]

Only one I'd even consider is the Ridgeline. Buying anything made by Ford (which includes the Mazda) is like setting the money on fire. The XC70 might be decent if it's not out of warranty.

[CO Native]

Ridgeline would be my pick out of that list as well.

[Dakota]

Looking at my Consumer Reports 2016 buying guide, they would discourage you from all but the Honda and Mazda in your listed year ranges. I do take Consumer Reports with a grain of salt, but you clearly have experienced the reliability that a Honda can potentially provide.

Your options to me are very different. Full size pickup vs small SUV? I have always had full size pickups because I can utilize them for my personal hobby's. I have also found convenience in my wife's Jeep and Outback.

I will say going up narrow, rough mountain roads with a shorter and more narrow wheelbase can be more enjoyable in my opinion. It can be a challenge to get trucks turned around sometimes and feel sketchy meeting cars coming in the opposite direction.

I'm with the others, Ridgeline. My mom had one and loved it.

[Jon Frohlich]

Only one I'd even consider is the Ridgeline. Buying anything made by Ford (which includes the Mazda) is like setting the money on fire.

Mazda is no longer part owned by Ford. That ended in 2010. Our Mazda 3 is a great car and our next small suv will likely be a CX5. Out of that list I'd either go CX5 or Ridgeline.

That said, a 4runner is still the right answer.

[Cruiser]

Aluminum ecoboost quad cab f150 with a camper shell ftw!

[David Allen]

I have a 2015 F150 crew cab with topper and a 2.7 L eco-boost 2 wheel drive. It is an excellent replacement for a full size SUV, plus the bed is 5 1/2 foot long so you could sleep in it if needed. Surprisingly it has a lot of power for passing and I often get more than 25 miles per gallon. It is a full size truck and I wouldn't attempt some of more difficult roads. It would get to the lower trail-head in some easier cases, like Sneffels and South Colony Lakes, and from Lake City to the trailhead for Red Cloud/Sunshine for example. I would not attempt Cinnamon Pass and Engineer Pass in it. A 4 wheel drive lifted version might be a different story, but you give up fuel economy for every day use.

I have gotten great reliability with Ford pickup trucks and SUV's. I passed a 2001 Escape on to my kids and it now has over 240,000 miles on it with just routine maintenance. My RV is on a Ford E450 super duty chassis and it has nearly 150,000 miles on it.

However, I tow behind my RV a Jeep Wrangler 4 door that I reserve for use when I am in Colorado. I don't use it for anything else much because I know the reliability issues that Chrysler products are famous for, so I don't want to put a lot of everyday driving miles on it.

[paul109876]

Based on your choices given I would go with the Honda. I work for a automotive supplier-" we make bearings for cars- CV joint bearings, transmission bearings ect.
Honda by far as the most strict quality requirements ( and can be a pain in the ass for a supplier) but is excellent for the consumer.

Look at approach and exit angle on the vehicle, wheel clearance and suspension ect. MY 2011 Kia Sorento has been great!!! But the suspension is way to stiff.

Take a test drive on a bumpy dirt road.

Maybe rent a model you are thinking about buying for a few days and run it through the wringer.

[RobertKay]

I use a VW as my daily driver but also have a pickup. Pickups can do essentially anything a car can do but the reverse is not the case. There are times when only a truck will work. If you are going to only own one car, buy the Ford. And get the 3.5L Ecoboost motor if you enjoy performance, decent MPGs and better resale value. The Ridgeline is a pretend truck.

FWIW, an unreliable vehicle in today's Consumer Reports would rate as extremely reliable only a few years ago. And, if the Ford should break down you will be able to get it fixed almost anywhere and the repairs are cheap. There is a reason why the F-Series have been the best selling vehicle for over 30 years and best selling truck for over 40 years. You can't do that by selling junk that no one wants. I own/have owned Fords, Chevys and Dodges and find them all near enough to be equal but I prefer the look of the Fords. Plus, the rest of the cars on your list aren't cool.

[zcolumbine]

I have a 2012 Ford Escape that I bought when my dad was working at Ford. Family discount is a great deal. I have been through some pretty good snow storms going between Grand Junction and Denver. Never had a problem. I have also been up in Ouray area on the roads to get to Sneffels with my car. I did not take the road up to Yankee Boy due to having my dogs and not wanting to test the limits of the car with them in tow. In my Expedition I made it to the trail head for Sneffels, so I knew it gets kind of intense!

If you can get the stick or the 4 wheel drive, I think you'll have more control options. I would pick one of those over my automatic AWD. I bought new and was limited to one of last 3 on the lot. So no 4 wheel drive.

I hope this helps!

[SkaredShtles]

If you are planning on keeping this vehicle for the really long haul I would recommend avoiding the turbo in the F150. Get a normally-aspirated motor.

[Yukon Ron]

I own a 1997 Eddie Bauer Edition Ford Expedition. Small V8, fixed everything that could be fixed, and, knock on wood, it runs very, very, well with 189,000 miles. It has great clearance, hauls a lot, and basically has been able to get me where ever I have wanted to go. I got a Yak and a cage rack on the roof. This is the best vehicle I have ever had, for camping, climbing, hiking, off road and all things out of doors. Kayaks, Bikes and gear, no problem. She ain't pretty, but then again, it ain't about looks, she is a beast of vehicle, been to hell and back, and ready for the second trip.


FYI - Ford F150, from 2002 to 2014 will have corrosion problems with the aluminum components. If corrosion is not a problem, go for it. The hoods are suspect due to the aluminum alloy they used during that time. They changed the Alloy December 2014.