Recommend a Hybrid SUV?

[dirtybiker]

Please be sure to find "original origin" paperwork, the Region a vehicle came from
can make all the difference to how good it will treat you long-term.

[Queen K]

Yes, we understand a vehicle from out East will rust out a whole lot faster than anything from BC. We did look at a vehicle with Ontario origins, briefly.

CarCheck, is an incredible document. We could not believe the detail on it. And not for nothing, buying a vehicle privately now just seems scary.

Here's the vehicle. Test drive. Will you take my offer. Ya? Here's the cash for keys. No history, no nothing.

[Jflem1983]

Yes driving a new truck has its advantages. However the thousand dollars a month in payments is stupid . Wish I kept my 2014 . Don't let the dealership take u for a ride

[GordonH]

I never buy used vehicle without my mechanic (not there's), does bumper to bumper pre-purchase inspection. I they say it's been done, I say not until my own trusted mechanic give me his opinion.

[Glacier]

Yes, we understand a vehicle from out East will rust out a whole lot faster than anything from BC. We did look at a vehicle with Ontario origins, briefly.

CarCheck, is an incredible document. We could not believe the detail on it. And not for nothing, buying a vehicle privately now just seems scary.

Here's the vehicle. Test drive. Will you take my offer. Ya? Here's the cash for keys. No history, no nothing.

The roads are salted to hell in the Okanagan. Every single night for the first 10 days of this month they were laying down salt on the highway. I'm sure they were doing it all though the winter months as well, but I never noticed until March when I started going home in the middle of the night. It was a complete waste of money and vehicle repairs because it didn't even snow the next morning. I would hazard a guess that it's as bad as Ontario.

Here's an interesting example of salt. My one brother lives in Horsefly, BC (east of Williams Lake). The other lives out west of Williams Lake toward Anahim Lake. Now, they do not salt the roads in the western half of the Chilcotin because the highway is seal coated, so my one brother doesn't have to deal with salt. Both have the same vehicle (same model and year), but the one in Horsefly looks at least 5 years older because of the salt damage.

If you want to buy a car, get one in Washington State because they don't salt their roads at all, even in the cold parts of the state. I would also say the Chilcotin or the Yukon might work too where they hardly use salt, but they'd probably have high mileage. Vancouver is another good option, but the Okanagan is not.

[Queen K]

Sorry I thougth they used something else. DAMN, my car is probably ruined by now.

[Ub2]

Queen, I agree with a lot of the posters good advice they have given thus far.

I wouldn't worry too much about your car, unless it is already showing signs of rusting.

In Kelowna and area they use magnesium chloride, which is still in the salt family, but if you wash your car fairly regularly and especially flush your fender wells, your car will fair a lot better than vehicles in the prairies and down east.

My brother in Regina has a Honda ridgeline, and it is rusting and only five years old. My wife has a 2005 12-yr-old acura TL bought here in Kelowna and is absolutely rust free. The length of the winter and constant freeze-thaw cycles have more to do with rusting than surface de-icers in my opinion.
http://www.cityparkcarwash.com/magnesium-chloride-on-roads-and-how-it-effects-your-vehicle/

As to hybrids, a friend of mine bought a second hand Cadillac escallade hybrid, a $100,000 plus vehicle , and proved to be a maintenance nightmare, costly piece of junk, and would concur with the opinions of the posters on hybrids. He ended up buying a straight-up gas Tahoe.

So I have to ask, how many k's do you drive? Because if it's between 10,000 to 20, seeking a fuel sipper is nice, but may not worth the effort, and diesel options can be a very pricey option, plus you have to be careful when fueling up controlling drips and spills.

If I may ask, what would be your price point, new or used?

[Queen K]

I'm going to come clean now and finally announce that I did indeed buy a vehicle. I'm not publishing what it is here though.

I did test drive enough vehicles to seemingly last a lifetime thougth. I hate car shopping. It would have been less painful if I had started ages ago instead of waiting for the cars engine to explode on highway 97.

When I wrote the original headline I naively thought we'd all stick to hybrids and know what? I might buy one yet, just for work, where I am able to put on 20 to 65 kms/day. Nature of the job. High kms is me.

[Ub2]

Actually 20,000 kms is about average, sound like that's where you are.

I'm happy to hear you've got your purchase over with, too bad you had to lose your engine.

[Queen K]

I'm actually devastated. The Subaru took us on more mountain high roads than I can list out all in one sitting.
I might buy another one yet just for those adventures and keep the new baby for regular driving.

[Bsuds]

I might buy one yet, just for work, where I am able to put on 20 to 65 kms/day. Nature of the job. High kms is me.

Sorry but that's not that high. When I was working I would average over 200kms per day. Some days way over!

65kms would have been a slow day for me.

Glad you found one you like and hope it works out well for you.

[Queen K]

I wasn't just including my work in "high kms is me." I am including the multiple and well documented road trips I take, all the time, all over the Province and Alberta. Glacier and JLives and Lady t all have a good idea what I mean

[Bman]

Queenie I found that spare wheel, I put it by the garage door. Come grab it anytime.
Enjoying the Skoda?

[LANDM]

Queenie I found that spare wheel, I put it by the garage door. Come grab it anytime.
Enjoying the Skoda?

I was betting it was a Lada Niva

[Queen K]

Diesel sent me the keys to a Smart Car, said it was time to up grade.