Whats the highest quality suv (small-med) that takes regular gasoline?

 

I can't speak for the specific use of gasoline for each of these, but I can tell you that you're probably better off not basing your decision on what type of gas the vehicle will use. In Vegas, the difference between regular and premium is usually 20 cents a gallon. At the current prices, let's just call that around a 8% cost increase in premium over regular, hell just to worst-case it, let's say that your cost is 10% over just to account for fluctuations.

So let's say that the vehicles you're looking at get around 20mpg. Let's say you're paying $2.79/gallon for regular. That would make your cost per mile about 14 cents. Now let's say you get a vehicle that needs premium, which you pay $2.99/gal to get. If you take a similar vehicle that usually gets around 20 mpg and drive it just a bit nicer to get 22 mpg out of it, your cost per mile is (rounded up) right back at 14 cents a mile.

Just somthing to figure into your calculations. In my opinion, you'd be better off considering each vehicle by itself and deciding if it will in fact incur extra costs over any other like it and if the car itself is worth the extra cost. I understand the need to save money on gas these days, but by arbitrarily limiting yourself to only cars that use regular gas, you might prevent yourself from finding a car that maybe needs premium, but that in the end you would like much better than the cars that do fit into your scope now, and you might miss out on this better car without even reaping the intended benefits that you hoped for by imposing the limits to begin with.

That being said, there aren't many SUV type things that I like that much, and I don't really know about their required fuels or how much you can spend and if you can get a new car or need to go used, but I'll try to point out a few that might be a start.

Isuzu Axiom - Not really a hard-core offroader, but a decent sized four-door thing with butch looks. Been on the market for a while now so used ones are readily available.

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4dr - Brand new, but a really neat looking thing. Kinda has a mini Defender 110 look going on. Useable space, unlike the regular Wrangler, and still has the freedom of the open top/no top, full doors/half doors, windshield up or down, and so on that you'd expect from a Jeep, which could be fun. $20k and up.

Suzuki Grand Vitara - The perrenial favorite for budding soccer moms everywhere. Small, car style chassis, rides like a mid-size sedan, and don't look too silly.

Land Rover Freelander - Yeah, laugh it up all you want, I bombed one of these goofy little things halfway across the whole Mojave once, and despite it's cute little look and it's Teletubbie reputation, it is the most capable compact SUV I've ever been in. Very small, and did I mention that it's tiny? Anyway, it's little. And small. Still a blast though.

 

Hundai (spelling) Santa Fe

 

He meant Hyundai, and, SS, I'm pretyyu sure KB was angling for info on NON-Hybrid SUV's, although your info was some of teh most concise, well-thought-out, best-spelled posting in recent memory.

I agree with you, to a point, on teh Freelander, but maybe you can clear my thinking... Many years ago ('01-'02-ish), on an extended TTAD (Temporary Tour of Active Duty and/or Temporairily Traveling Around Drunk) I had a Freelander for a couple-3 months, or so. It IS small. But, the thing I remember MOST VIVIDLY was teh horrendous ergonomics!!! Nothing, and I mean NOTHING was where I wanted it to be when I reached without looking. Not teh radio controls. Not the High-Low lever. Not the seat controls. NOTHING! Well, OK, the steering-wheel, gas-clutch-brake pedals, and teh actual seat... Oh, and teh sun-visor. But, I'd almost SWEAR that, even after almost 3 months of driving that thing around, I cudn't find schitt w/o looking, first.

...Do they still have that, as a feature?

 

Unless I'm losing my mind, I didn't think anything I posted had anything to do with hybrids. None of the trucks I mentioned are hybrid and the mpg vs octane thing was only talking about being a bit lighter on the loud pedal, not getting a hybrid. [8D]

 

No, no, no... I'm sayin, you started out talking bout types of gass, and I believe he was more concerned with that it be gas only, not high-test vs. that crap normal poeple use... Or, maybe e was talking about a truck that runs on that crap nrmal people use vs. premium... I'm... Ummm... startin to understand how Avant80 feels. [&:]