So take all the seats out. The AWD Ecoboost Flex would be just about perfect now that I think about it. Not much ground clearance but it would do everything else on the list quite well.

9/13/2013 10:08:23 AM

Since price is no option, tell me how that's better than a Mercedes Benz GL350 BluTec?

9/13/2013 10:13:00 AM

Quote :

"I'm seeing 14-18 mpg for the diesel excursion and 250"

you might be looking at 7.3 motor, which typically needs a programmer to get better numbers. with the 6.0 and no programmer I was able to get 20-21mpg highway with a motorcycle screwing up the aero by sticking out over the cab. with a programmer I probably could have gotten 1-3mpg more

[Edited on September 13, 2013 at 10:24 AM. Reason : you can get the gas V10 and possibly have a lower tco now that regular gas is cheap again]

9/13/2013 10:24:27 AM

Quote :

"now that regular gas is cheap again"

LMAO.

Uhh, where do you live?

9/13/2013 11:11:25 AM

^^^again just poking around here

The dimensions are almost the exact same. Optioned out the GL weighs almost 1000 lbs more than a flex . If you opt for the diesel in the GL then you are gonna eek out 26 mpg on the highway (saw one guy report 28 on a forum). Pretty damn good, but from a money perspective I doubt there is much difference between that and a 24 mpg gas engine. But the diesel is a full 1.5 secs slower to 60 than the Flex. If you opt for the V8, you aren't going to break out of the teens in mpg. the only advantage is the GL has an expensive ass option for a low range transfer case and some other "off-road" goodies that most people are never gonna use, and isn't a requirement for this road trip.

I've never sat in either of these cars but it looks like you are paying an almost $15,000 premium for better stitching in the leather seats if you opt for the GL. Not worth it.

[Edited on September 13, 2013 at 11:17 AM. Reason : arrow]

9/13/2013 11:17:09 AM

I did a 3500+ mile cross country trip in 2011 in E92 335i. To me the single most important thing on a trip like that is the comfort and lumbar support of the front seat. Second is wind noise and suspension. Those are the things that will make you tired when you do 8hr/day for 2 weeks.

5/7-series, E/S-class, Audi A6/A8/S8 all have excellent seat ergonomics. Volvos and Saabs also have great seats. Not sure on domestic side? Upper end caddys?

[Edited on September 13, 2013 at 1:09 PM. Reason : f]

9/13/2013 1:06:41 PM

^^you seriously saying the only difference between a Ford and a Mercedes is the seating material?

REALLY?


btw fun conversation.

9/13/2013 2:42:38 PM

I've never sat in a Ford with adequate lumbar support. I'm not sure if that's because I'm tall, but I've never thought they were very good. Oddly the best Ford seat I've been in was not any premium trim levels but the base level Ford Ranger truck I borrowed from my brother with vinyl seats (~2010 MY)

9/13/2013 2:50:18 PM

relevant:
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/in-defense-of-minivans-1303739049

9/13/2013 2:54:36 PM

Quote :

"^^you seriously saying the only difference between a Ford and a Mercedes is the seating material?"

I'm saying, given this application, the Mercedes offers zero advantages to the Ford Flex but costs at least $15,000 more.

9/13/2013 4:10:10 PM

http://cars101.com/ for dimensions & hatch measurements for Subarus



A- angle from lower left to upper right of gate opening 50"
B- length to back of seats, with seats up 40.25"
C- height of gate at opening, angled from top out to gate lip 34"
D- length to console/stereo 110"
E- length to top of rear seats folded flat 66" (not to the back of the front seat)
F- height of gate at opening, straight from top down to floor (a few inches inside the gate lip) 30.5"
G- angle from inside lower left open storage bin to upper right cargo area by rear cargo area window 61"
H- height, floor to ceiling in middle of cargo area 33.5"
I- lip to back of wheel well 17"

> Back of rear seat height from ground when folded flat is 28.5", measured at the rear door
> Cargo floor height at gate 28"

> Moonroof- interior opening 30.25 x 15.5" (see images above and below)


A- width along base of gate opening- 39.5"
B- length of the angles from inside left rear corner open storage bin to far right by wheel well 59.5"
D- width between wheel wells- 43"
C- width into open storage pockets- 55.25"
E- width of driver rear seat- 16.5"
F- width of passenger rear seat- 26"
G- length of the angle from inside left rear corner open storage bin to far right by the passenger seat 63"
H- width along middle of gate opening- 44.5"
I- width at top of wheel wells- 51.5"
J- width along top of gate opening- 39"

> Back of rear seat height from ground when folded flat is 28.5", measured at the rear door
> Cargo floor height at gate 28"

[Edited on September 13, 2013 at 4:48 PM. Reason : for the new outback]

9/13/2013 4:46:09 PM

oh man, this thread is great. it reminded me minivans exist. honda odyssey fo sho

9/13/2013 7:02:56 PM

so we've all picked out cars, what is the shortest amount of time you think you would need to go cross country and where would you go?

9/15/2013 1:22:21 PM

^I need a few min to figure out what route cross country I would take before answering that question

Quote :

"I'm saying, given this application, the Mercedes offers zero advantages to the Ford Flex but costs at least $15,000 more."

Spending 8-12 hrs a day in the vehicle, you really think you'll be more comfortable in a Ford Flex instead of enjoying the lap of luxury in a Benz? Superior sound system, superior seats, superior HVAC, superior NVH, superior steering, superior ride all for the Benz.

[Edited on September 16, 2013 at 2:21 PM. Reason : k]

9/16/2013 2:21:37 PM

9/17/2013 2:07:30 AM

that thing doesn't get 20mpg

9/17/2013 9:07:42 AM

its a sprinter chassis, it probably does

9/17/2013 9:17:24 AM

i've owned a sprinter, it got about 17-18 mpg on diesel and did not have the weight and additional cross sectional surface area of an RV body.

[Edited on September 17, 2013 at 9:27 AM. Reason : 17-18 on typical interstate driving]

9/17/2013 9:27:01 AM

We did a month-long roadtrip in a rental Ford Flex, which cost same to rent as a sedan but seated 6 people + luggage and provided some ground clearance and an AWD (we did a western loop in January, so it did come in handy quite a few times). You could definitely sleep in the back of one with the rear seats folded. We though of buying a vehicle for the trip originally, but with as many people as we had, renting turned out to be less of a hassle and quite affordable.

9/17/2013 1:21:27 PM

sienna > odyssey > flex

my '09 sienna will do 22-23 mpg city and is comfy as hell. If you have someone to switch driving with you, you can sit in the 3rd row, recline it, and throw your feet up on the 2nd row chair folded over.

1st class like a bauce

9/24/2013 6:55:48 PM

One more thing to consider, sleeping in a vehicle for more than a couple nights is no fun.
1)If you want to do it to save money, you have to find a place where it will be free, you won't be bothered by the PoPo but will still be safe. IE Walmart parking lot. Not the most scenic place to spend the night (and probably the evening)/ Wally's world does have some super cheap pre-made eats, such as Amish macaroni salad and fried chicken. If you are really on the budget and your trip doesn't include many national parks, this is probably the cheapest and most boring way to go.
2) If you are thinking to stay at campgrounds and want to sleep in a car to avoid pitching a tent, which is a bit more scenic and social way to travel, but i would just pack a tent if you are going in the winter. Unlike the Walmart parking lot, you can't idle a car to stay us the heater or A/C
3)You can find a motel and crash for 35-$50/night. Same or just a little bit more than a campground fee, but you get a shower and a coffee in the morning.(bring your own good ground coffee for a grand experience). Also a better chance to bring a woman home for the night, if you stop on one of those towns that do have one or two bars. Well, one of you guys will have to take one for the team and sleep in a car in that particular case.

9/25/2013 3:11:48 AM

why would sleeping in a car be colder than sleeping in a tent?

9/25/2013 8:58:56 AM

Regarding Flex vs. GL, the GL would probably be more enjoyable to drive (ignoring for a moment the fact that I don't like SUVs) but the Flex is longer and probably has a much bigger floorplate, so it would be a better place to sleep.

9/25/2013 12:54:57 PM

Quote :

"i've owned a sprinter, it got about 17-18 mpg on diesel and did not have the weight and additional cross sectional surface area of an RV body. [Edited on September 17, 2013 at 9:27 AM. Reason : 17-18 on typical interstate driving]"

Then you don't know how to drive a diesel with efficiency in mind. I got >20mpg out of an f250 6l diesel that weighed at least 1 ton more.

9/26/2013 1:01:26 PM

oh, so you drove an entirely different vehicle with a different engine and gearing and very different cross-section and know how much my fuel mileage should be? awesome, thanks.

[Edited on September 26, 2013 at 1:17 PM. Reason : seriously dude?]

9/26/2013 1:09:37 PM

So my coworker's elderly mother has a Toyota Sienna that she no longer drives, my coworker remembered me talking about this and asked if I was interested in buying it. (I don't know anything about it yet except that it is only "a few" years old)

tl;dr I may be doing a cross-country adventure in a Sienna

3/26/2014 8:39:02 AM

sounds pretty cool!

3/26/2014 9:15:02 AM

e39 M5.

3/26/2014 3:08:39 PM

61 galaxie 4 door efi

3/26/2014 9:32:29 PM

if you luck out, grandma's sienna may be AWD

3/26/2014 10:13:40 PM

Just got the details, its a 2006 Sienna XLE Limited with 70k miles. Not AWD, but it has every option (including TV/DVD in the back) which I don't need but it helps with resale value. Still undecided, its practical but damn its ugly.

3/27/2014 9:41:48 AM

if you get an element dont get the 5 speed. Kansas is a bitch at 4k rpm.

3/31/2014 9:33:41 AM