Rodeo replacement: which way should i go....

Hey guys.

Currently driving a 98 4x4 v6 5 speed rodeo and the wife and i are considering crossing to the dark side and purchasing our first new car.

I have a mixed list of vehicles i'm interested in buying, and would appreciate any kind of feedback or opinions on the vehicles considered. We don't have any special requirements of a new car, however 4x4 or awd is a must as we live in a ski area.

1. Toyota Tacoma extra cab.

2. Nissan Exterra / Frontier extra cab.

3. Subaru Outback, Impreza, Legacy, Forester

4. Honda CRV

5. Toyota Rav4.

I know that all the vehicles are quite different in their intended audience and application, but i see strong points that draws me towards each of them. It would be nice to go down the tacoma, frontier, exterra route purely so we can continue to explore the surrounding area (eastern sierras, death valley etc). I'm also pulled towards a subaru as numerous friends have them and love them, get decent fuel economy, have great awd traction, and are fun and fast (wrx) and reliable. The CRV/RAV4 route is more the wifes preference but they do have good resale value, get decent mileage, and have great reliability history.

Anybody here own any of these vehicles and care to comment????

Thanks,

NEIL.

If I had the money I'd totally go for the Tacoma, but opt for the TRD Package if you can afford it on the 4 door. Last I checked the Frontier still had drum brakes in the back, not acceptable by my standards. I just purchased a 2002 Impreza WRX a few days ago and love it! Though if you have children I would not recommend it as the back seat is tiny. I think the Rav4 would be fun with the V6 and 4WD. Not fond of Honda myself.

Check out edmunds.com and consumerguide.com for professional reviews and detailed information.

my wife and i are looking to these days.she drives a 2000 rodeo v6 we are looking toward the gmc acadia/saturn outlook twins.they hace great space and good power and towing is the same as my rodeo.ther is also the buick enclave that is part of the family but i think the gmc as the best looks.her you go on more to choose from.

If you want the absolute best return on the investment, the Tacoma (or even the new Tundra with the 5.7 L V8 :-D ) will have the best value out of all of the above in 5-10 years.

If I were forced into ONE vehicle, it would be the Subaru Forester. It's just really versatile. Engine is proven. AWD. Mileage beats the SUVs. Just love my Jeep too much!

Have owned an Xterra - newer one; LOVED it.

Currently own a 4-door Tacoma TRD, '04 - absolutely love it! Even better then the Xterra, BUT, it's not as roomy as the X or my 1st gen Rodeo.

However, the newer Tacoma's are even roomier.

Personally, coming from one that lives in very hilly, snowy terrain - it would be a high ground clearance vehicle any day over a lower clearanced vehicle, drive-train aside.

Personally, my taste would be for the Xterra '05+yrs; 00-04's are gas guzzlers, have small radiators that cause the truck to overheat easily, and other minor flaws, or the Tacoma newer or older version, just stay away from the '01 automatics - had a glitch in the overdrive.

I got to test drive a few vehicles yesterday that were on my list.

First drive was a work mates new forester xt. Awesome power, nice build quality, and massive moon roof which concerns me over time especially living in the snow without a covered parking spot! Seemed like a really versatile vehicle and the awd system is far superior to the CRV and the Rav4. 1 downsides are the thrist for premium gas.

2nd vehicle was another friends 6 month old Tacoma extra cab with TRD sport package. Really nice for a truck, very refined, quiet and smooth. Very impressed, although didn't expect the 6 speed to be as notchy. NOTE: The new tacoma has drums on the rear, and i'm told the new frontier is the only midsize to have discs on the rear. The tacoma also requires premium i'm told. WTF!

We don't have any kids and plan on never having any, the big bloated CUV/SUV route seems less desirable. I'll keep looking and researching!

NEIL

If a train ran over my amigo right now I would go with a used: Frontier quad cab. The resale on them is pretty bad, hence it is a deal if you are buying it used.

Here's ours.

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa264/Feverramblin/BreckenridgeIceSculptures2007055.jpg

It does require use of 87 octane; but our Rodeo only runs on 87 too.