Ok, ok, everyone... So I know the inclusion of the Sprinter got everyone confused. That was a pretty random item on my list and I would be hard pressed to choose that one. It is, however, a very interesting vehicle. These and similar designs, such as the Ford Transit will eventually replace the traditional American-style full size van. They have superior capacity, maneuverability, economy, and handling.
I'm inclined against SUVs as well, due to handling and fuel economy. They do have the space and the ability to travel to slopes, though. My wife has been driving a Land Rover Discovery for almost 10 years now and it is an excellent vehicle. But it eats gas like crazy and is a bit tiring when you're flogging it along on a long trip. If you need the weight bearing capacity, it's great, and it is very very good off road. It seems like a station wagon or car-based SUV might be the best choice. It should be "big enough" but still a reasonably entertaining drive, which kind of rules out the pickups and truck-based SUVs. However, some of the car-based SUVs will be worth a look. Volvo loaned me an XC90 as a journalist demo once when I was doing an article for Slate's "Well Traveled" on Scandinavian design. I drove it through Denmark, Sweden and Finland in February, so have a good idea of its winter abilities. I liked it quite a bit, but was a little bothered by its front wheel drive bias. The front wheels would always scratch for grip for a few moments before the abs kicked in and directed some torque to the rear wheels. But that was minor. The best thing about the XC90 was the really clever and flexible rear seating set up. You could carry 4 passengers with skis (or sailplanes) down the middle and gear in the back, seven passengers with all the seats unfolded, fold all the seats and have a big flat space for cargo, 4 passengers with something long running up one side, remove seats altogether or several other combinations. A few hours carving up some rural roads in a good handling car is always good fun! I'm not convinced the Volvo XC90 or XC70 is up to that. The Audi S4 would be really sweet, if only it is big enough for unlimited sailplanes in bags. I'll have to measure it and see. With 340hp, 6 speed stick and AWD in a small station wagon, it's sure to be very entertaining indeed. But clearance might be an issue. The Allroad is just about perfect, and has the clearance, but it's a bad time to buy one, as Audi is updating the styling across the line, and Allroad is due. Maybe a new one by next year, unless they decide that it doesn't make any sense sitting in between the A4 and A6 Avants. I would also assume that they are going to do an S6 Avant, like the A4/S4, ground clearance issue will be a problem. --Jim RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off. Email sent from web based email such as Hotmail and AOL are generally NOT in text format
