What Car - Utility Box v 3.0

Ok, so I've had 2 threads on related subjects recently.  One about a Kia Sportage, and another requesting ideas for Low, Manual utility boxes.

Refined criteria:

• Looking at 2006-2012ish cars
• Would like to spend less than $5K, but I can bump that up if I find the right deal
• Shooting for close to 100k miles, but will bump up again if needed.  Not interested in anything over 150k
• Boxy Cargo Area
• Not huge.  Im going to say ~176" long at most
• 4 doors
• Has a roof rack
• Has provisions for a decent trailer hitch.  By decent I mean I would prefer 2" receiver because in my experience smaller hitches suck.  Also I hate trailer hitches on smaller cars that hang way down and scrape on stuff all the time.
• Decent mileage would be nice, but I recognize that isn't going to happen.  Still, no sub 20mpg monster SUVs.
• Want to be able to replace the radio with a bluetooth android auto/carplay head unit.
• Anvil reliability

Contenders so far:

Kia Sportage/Hyundai Tucson.  Seem reliable, simple, and meet most of the above criteria.  Sportage preferred because (from what I can tell), the roof rack adjustability is way better.

Jeep Patriot seems close, but holy moly the interior is basic and awful.  I'm not looking for premium here, but wow.  Anyway, I can deal with it if everything else is right.  The interior volume is listed as much smaller than the Sportage, which I would believe.  I have no idea what the drivetrain is like in these.  Are they solid & reliable?

The XB was suggested in the other thread.  It falls down on roof rack and trailer hitch from what I can tell.  Impressive interior volume.  Reliability seems to be not great with the 2.4 based on comments.  Matrix/Vibe in the same boat.

Kia Soul - haven't heard anything bad about reliability, but again falls down a bit on the trailer hitch and slightly small interior volume.  Seems like there are roof rack provisions so I could work with that. I would consider it if the price was right.  These you can get as (very underpowered) manuals, which may present a good deal.  Looks like replacing the head unit would be difficult - not physically difficult, but its probably integrated into stuff and thus there is no truly good solution there.

What am I missing?

Escape/Tribute. Even though I'd never personally own one they meet that criteria.

What is the intended usage of said hitch?

Manual trans?  

Rare but.... The Kia Sorento was offered with a manual and 2.4L 4cyl

Sample image:

Sample interior image:

Sooo basic that this model probably does not come standard with cruise control (which would likely have steering wheel mounted controls.)  Also, just fwd if manual trans.  Six speed.  expect slow to move this big box with just a 2.4L.  MPG rating of 20/22/26 

Given the basic-ness, I would not expect one to have a roof rack.  

Driven5 said:

What is the intended usage of said hitch?

Mostly bike rack.  Possibly light towing of a utility trailer or something if needed.  Light duty stuff, I just hate how flimsy and crappy the smaller hitches are and how they hang down so low (in my experience).  

For example, I was looking for one for my Veloster and it would have to go under the center exhaust, which puts it practically on the ground.  As soon as you extend a bike rack off of that, it will drag on everything.

Sorento is a lot larger than I was looking for.

Escape/Triubte - I have not heard good things about the V6.  The 4 banger is the 2.3 or 2.5, right?  I've seen many failed 2.3s, but 2.5s are pretty solid?

No manual trans option but hitch and roof...  Have you ever seen a Kia Sedona shortie?  

Similar to Rondo size.  Oh, yeah, Rondo.  

Escape went to 2.5L for 2010 -2012.  Good choice and there was a manual offered.  

Also, early Mazda CX-5 (2013) offered manual and 2.0L

John - notice I dropped the manual requirement :)

Looks like the 2.5L Escape/Tribute sometimes lands in the price/mileage range I'm looking at.  I'll keep an eye out for these.  Very promising that I have seen many for sale deep into the 200k miles or beyond 300k.

I need to look closer, but I have found several white base model fleet vehicles going up on auction.  1 is tomorrow, and I'm not ready to jump on that yet, but it could be a very good option.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3377695658915401

Every once in a while, on my usual running route, I go past a 2007ish Ford Focus wagon.  Maroon (so many of them were that sad retiree tan color) with a manual trans.  It's the car I originally went looking for 6 years ago but couldn't find nationally and I ended up with my SX4.  They still seem about as close to perfect as need be.

In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :

I had a sad retiree tan Saturn SW2 wagon.  It was awesome.  If I could buy a car like that new, today, I probably would, but such a thing does not exist and will never again exist.

In 2010, my job decided to supply company cars rather than pay us to drive our own.  I had been driving a 1995 Volvo 850 wagon which had great versatility with my job's need to carry marketing materials to retailers.  The company cars were 2010 Ford Escapes, 4cyl, automatics.  The Escape was great a being a spiritual successor to the Volvo wagon.  The rear leg room was just as good.  The cargo area on the Escape had a slightly shorter cargo floor but what was lost in that length was more than made up with the Escape's increased cargo area height.  

I could (and did) spend at least one night sleeping in the rear of the Volvo.  I later found I could (and did) spend a night sleeping in the back of the Escape it just required removal of the back seat bottom cushion (easy, no tools needed) and pushing the front row seats forward to accommodate my 6'1" self.  In the Escape I slept with my head at the rear of the car.  In the Volvo my head was forward.  In both cases I slept with the hatch closed.  

Looks like Honda Elements are close to ticking your boxes.  I found a few for ~5K with ~120K miles.  

Outback/Forester seem to be close as well and have available manual trans in those year ranges.  

A bit smaller and you may have to look to find a lower mile one but a Pontiac Vibe fits almost all your boxes.  Available with a Manual, Toyota Reliability, Great Gas Mileage.

It barely meets your cutoff but a 1st Gen Saturn Vue.  Get the Redline for that sweet Honda V6 reliability.  

V6 Escape Tributes are good at disposing of gasoline and not much else.  My FIL had one and < 20MPG highway was not uncommon.  

Golf Sportwagen?  Every once in a while I'll see a Passat wagen around but I think they're all too old for your age requirements and frankly they're probably not that reliable without tender loving car. 

Elantra GT or whatever 5 door Elantra options exist?

nocones said:

Looks like Honda Elements are close to ticking your boxes.  I found a few for ~5K with ~120K miles.  

Outback/Forester seem to be close as well and have available manual trans in those year ranges.  

A bit smaller and you may have to look to find a lower mile one but a Pontiac Vibe fits almost all your boxes.  Available with a Manual, Toyota Reliability, Great Gas Mileage.

It barely meets your cutoff but a 1st Gen Saturn Vue.  Get the Redline for that sweet Honda V6 reliability.  

 

V6 Escape Tributes are good at disposing of gasoline and not much else.  My FIL had one and < 20MPG highway was not uncommon.  

Honestly, I don't really like the Element.  I know it meets requirements, but it is tall, narrow, and I just don't have much interest in it.

Outback and Forester are not anvil reliable.  I don't want to deal with the headgasket issues of the 2.5, nor do I want to deal with the awful gas mileage.  I do like how its easy to mod the Forester, but not worth the rest of the Subaru trouble IMO.

Vibe has the same 2.4L as the XB and the Rav4 with the oil consumption problems.  The 1zz vibes are older and beat now.  Also, not sure I would trust these after the number of people I know that have spun a rod bearing on a 1zz or 2zz motor.

IMO, the only Vue to consider is a 4cyl Manual, or a late 4cyl auto (post-CVT years).  The Honda trans has issues, the cvt is a guaranteed failure (if there are any still running lol), the L81 V6 always needs work from what I've read.  I had a 1G 5spd manual.  It had BCM issues causing the A/C to kick off but was otherwise ok.  It had an awful interior, spongy suspension (I could have fixed this I suppose), and in general made me think "I see why people buy CRVs".  It had a lot of Utility for the $ though.  If one literally fell into my lap too cheap to pass up, I might consider it, but I will not actively search for one.

Gen2 Vibe offered 2.4L but also still offered the 1.8L on low option models. The 1.8L is the one to have. 

Roof rack was popular on Gen1 Vibe but optional and rare on Gen2 Vibe

I don't think better answers to this question exist. 

Could try bumping your budget and considering a Prius V. 

Vigo (Forum Supporter) said:

I don't think better answers to this question exist. 

Could try bumping your budget and considering a Prius V. 

On a related note, how much do you know about Escape Hybrids?  Are their drivetrains pretty robust?

what about a 2012+ 2.0 Imprezza?  They're a bit of stretch on the budget... closer to $7500-$9k?  And maybe not boxy enough, but better motor, and better mileage?

In reply to ProDarwin :

I remember reading something here on GRM recently that scared me off Escape Hybrids but I can not find the source now.   From memory it was something like a common failing brake control module that is no longer made by Ford leaving only rare used hybrid only parts or some story of similar. 

What about the C-Max?  Basically a tall Focus, I think, but obviously hybrid.  I do not have any opinion on these but I know they've been discussed around here before.

Vigo (Forum Supporter) said:

I don't think better answers to this question exist. 

Could try bumping your budget and considering a Prius V. 

I'll also vote Prius V. 

Ford licenced the hybrid tech from Toyota iirc.

Escape/Tribute, at least the first gen, are some of the better values out there. Sub $2k models are often decent. We enjoyed ours a LOT more than we expected... but it always comes with the price qualifier. "Look at how good it is............. for only $1,500".

V6 MPG sucks. Watch out for the shock mounts rusting out. 

ProDarwin said:

Honestly, I don't really like the Element.  I know it meets requirements, but it is tall, narrow, and I just don't have much interest in it.

Well I can't help it if you are just plain wrong. They are function over form, and really I would suggest you take a look at one in person before dismissing them since I have yet to own a better vehicle for the criteria you listed. They are 170" of boxy goodness with anvil reliability. I have owned two, and would own one again.

Ottawa said:

ProDarwin said:

Honestly, I don't really like the Element.  I know it meets requirements, but it is tall, narrow, and I just don't have much interest in it.

Well I can't help it if you are just plain wrong. 

Sometimes I can't be helped :(  I'm not saying they aren't a good car, just not my thing.

FWIW, like the Prius V above, these things command a much higher price than the other cars I am looking at with similar mileage.

Seem to be a few 2.5L Escapes that could fit my needs.  Lots of 2.3s, but I'd like to lean toward the 2009+ 2.5 which has more power, better mileage, is equally/more robust, and a 6 speed transmission vs. the 4 speed in 2008.

The prices of the old 2.3s make me confident I can drive a $5000 Escape for ~5+ years and sell it for $3000.