I took possession of my 2010 Subaru Forester yesterday. The whole process of finding a vehicle that will meet most of my needs while being a bit greener than my previous one (a 2000 Chrysler Voyager) has not been without its frustrations – and compromises.
First, let me say that I loooooved my minivan. My reason for buying the minivan had nothing to do with being able to carry lots of passengers. Rather, it was my perfect drives-like-a-car-but-functions-like-a-truck vehicle. When I got it, I had the dealer take the back seats out and store them. I loved the big flat cargo area and the two sliding side doors that can carry ten or twelve bales of straw for the garden. I loved the visibility through all those windows. I loved that it can tow my little utility trailer and fit four 36” dog crates (though I never have need for more than two now). And I loved that the flat floor extends all the way up to the dash so it can accommodate 8’ lumber with the back hatch closed. (Not that I carry lumber a lot, but it’s a nice feature when I’m putting together new garden beds or other garden projects.)
My Voyager’s biggest drawback? Only about 5” of ground clearance. For the past few years, maybe four or five times a year, I’ve been visiting a place in the Adirondacks where the roads are dirt and the rocks are plentiful. Needless to say, a minivan is not ideal for these situations. Dirt roads are an obstacle course because the underside of my Voyager actually had somewhat more clearance out near the wheels and less in the center, meaning if I picked my route carefully I could have a “clean” trip. I could try and avoid the rock completely, which put me at risk of getting into softer sand on the “shoulders” (such as they are), or I could try and actually drive over the rock with the wheel on one side or the other. The trick came when there were two rocks spaced in such a way that you had to choose which one was the greater evil. I can say I had lots of clean trips over the years – with nary a clunk or ping. I actually became pretty adept at these maneuvers, with only the occasional ding from a small flipped stone, but it was always somewhat nerve wracking.
So, given the age of my trusty Voyager (with some pricey repairs looming) plus the dirt road issue, I decided it was time to look for something more suitable that wouldn’t involve too much compromise on my “loves”. And I wanted something that was a little more environmentally friendly and gas efficient. It wasn’t easy.
First, all minivans were out. None of them, not even the top-rated Honda Odyssey have more than 5” of ground clearance nor are they any better on gas than my Voyager, which for the last year had been averaging 18.2 mpg. (Yeah, I track my mileage.)
Pickups were completely off the list. No way will my dogs ever ride in the back of a pickup, cap or not (if I could even get them up in there.) I know people do this, but even with crates I’m just not comfortable with it – nor is it air-conditioned.
So that left some kind of SUV – or something called a “Transit Connect”.
The Ford Transit Connect is a smaller vehicle that’s sort of a cross between a commercial delivery truck and a minivan. It’s been available in Europe for about six years now and its claim to fame is its maneuverability in narrow alleys, tight city parking and that sort of thing. It’s billed as the ideal small business vehicle, but because of its flat floor, large cargo area, sliding side doors, better ground clearance (8”) and improved gas mileage (about 20% better than the Voyager) I gave it serious consideration. Unfortunately, every report I found on it said it was somewhat underpowered, which is probably why I found no mention anywhere of any towing capability. However, it’s a neat vehicle (I did look at them on a Sunday with no salesmen around) and if Ford is smart, they’ll start offering them with a beefier engine and some amenities that would make them useful as family cars and for some unconventional uses like camping, and dog-showing. They are offering an all-electric version starting in 2011 and I understand that cities are eagerly adopting them for their taxi fleets. But it wasn’t the right vehicle for me.
So with the Transit Connect off the list, I was left with SUV’s. Given that the Adirondack location in particular is pretty remote, reliability is important. So off I went to Consumer’s Reports website where I found that their top-rated SUV was a small one, the Subaru Forester. It has room for two dog crates in the back (if I get the slightly narrower versions made by Midwest Kennel), can tow up to 2400 lbs., the back is flat behind the back seats and almost flat with the back seat folded down. I can probably get four bales of straw in it and if I need more I guess I can always use the trailer. Eight foot lumber would have to go in diagonally and stick out the front passenger window. It also has 8.7” of ground clearance, but alas, no sliding side doors. Can’t have everything, I guess.
Given my environmental concerns (and especially since the BP oil catastrophe seems to be dragging on with no end in sight), I also hoped to find a vehicle that would be at least somewhat better on gas than my Voyager. Like most of my past cars, I will probably keep this one for at least ten years and with peak oil looming I didn’t want to confront increased gas prices with the so-so fuel efficiency of a minivan. Although not stellar, EPA ratings for gas mileage predict the Forester should be at least 20% more efficient than my Voyager, and it comes with PZEV (“Partial Zero Emission Vehicle”) as well. Partial Zero seems sorta like a contradiction in terms to me but the idea is that when you first start a car – within the first minute or so is when it pollutes the most – this PZEV feature cuts these first start emissions and makes the car much less polluting. I believe it was first developed to meet California’s emissions standards, but several Eastern states (including New York) have now signed on. The brochure makes an interesting statement about PZEV: It achieves such cleanliness and efficiency without the negative environmental impact required to manufacture many vehicles with battery-based drive systems, and without compromising performance and versatility. Something to think about. We seem to be moving toward electric cars; wouldn’t it be a shame if we ended up with more pollution, not less, as a result of battery manufacture?
The whole process of settling on a suitable, versatile, more enviro-friendly vehicle points out how difficult it’s going to be to “green the fleet” in the ways that will be necessary if we’re to confront the environmental crises before us. The requirement for larger vehicles that can haul some cargo isn’t going to go away. Not everyone is going to be able to settle on a tiny, 100 mpg econobox to meet their needs. We have a long way to go, but I’m satisfied that in this purchase, I have made some progress in the right direction; I have shrunk my carbon footprint and even decreased my personal dependence on oil just a little. Every tiny bit helps!
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