Winter adventure [Archive] - MercuryMarauder.net Forums

Joe Walsh

07-10-2009, 09:41 PM

So I've come full circle.

I'm finally settling on a winter car.

http://www.youtube.com/v/PrSdchWmri4

It all started when I was looking, with my Dad, for a winter Car/Truck/SUV.

We started out testing a Ford Explorer, back in 1998. A couple of them and a Dodge Durango, the old style, in between. They were new and very expesnive, compared to what they are now. They were nice but all lacked that something that prevented us from buying one, and the price was a problem as well. The Durango especially as we had a moron of a saleman who just didn't know what he was talking about and couldn't sell a car period.

Any how I went off looking for a Mercury Mountaineer only to find that Mercury was pulled from Canada and all the Mercury places only sold Explorers.

As we looked around my sister suggested we look at a Subaru. Never having had an inclination to ever think about a Subaru I looked them up on the web and was surprised at what they offered. They had just swtiched totally to AWD and were just bringing out a new crossover the Forester. Looked kind of like a mini Jeep Cherokee.

Anyhow we found ourself down at the Subie dealership, Centaur Subaru, it is an ex Fiat place with a small lot tucked along a main road. At the time they had all their cars parked along the road with customer parking just behind the rows of cars. No dedicated customer parking.

Anyhow we had our first female and best sales person ever selling us on the Forester. We liked what the showroom had and decided to try a test drive. We hopped in the Forester, it was a white 98 L base version, Dad and I up front and Darlene in the back. There was a Honda minivan parked behind us and we were wedged in tight in the row of new Subies. As we got in a guy came running over tapped on the window and said to wait he would move his minivan. Darlene just finished telling me to drive straight ahead as I also pointed out we were trapped between a 3 foot snow drift and the minivan. I told this guy it wasn't a problem I was going straight ahead and he just stared at me. He quickly moved his minivan. Darlene told me not to worry and to give it some gas and go for it, straight ahead. I wasn't sure but heck it was a test drive and not my Forester. I popped it into drive gave it some gas and promptly launched the Forester over the sidewalk landing on the main road having completed my first ever jump in a car, cranked the wheel and sped away down the snowy road. ( later I checked the tire tracks and they just ended at one side of the sidewalk and that big pile of snow) :)

We cruised down Mcleod Trail (the road) and turned into the hilly side streets in the area. Darlene suggested taking a back alley, which in anything else I have ever owned I would have been backing down as it was deep snow and ice with deep grooves in the frozen gravel. The Forester however had no problem, I first ran up the hill then as my momentum was sapped away I gave it some gas and at first crawled then powered my way up; no problem. The back side of the hill was a bit more tricky as the Anti lock brakes pulsed all the way down until we arrived at the bottom, and turned back onto Mcleod Trail. After that I was impressed, and we went for a drive in the industrial area of town. Winter roads were no problem, the All season tires were not great but the Forester plowed right along as if on rainy summer roads. Power was good for a winter car/crossover but not exciting. I tried and looked for several off road areas and even took a detour through a side field just to see how it would drive thorugh deeper snow. 12 inches no problem. Darlene answered our questions and on the way back to the dealership asked if we wanted to try something a bit more difficult. I was game so she said turn here and turn there and as we came to a dead end she said jump the curb and drive towards the rail road tracks. I wasn't too sure aobut this as the field was in terrible shape plus it had an extra foot of snow on it. But away I went crawling over the curb and up to the rail road tracks. Then I turned down the tracks and about 200 yards down the line was a level crossing that would let us get back on to the road (high field road). I was driving on the slope about 45 degree's fighting the wheel in 6 inches of loose gravel and 12" of snow keeping the Forester up near the tracks on a side ditch along the fence of a business that backed upon the tracks. There are small trees in the ditch and it was a tough drive. Something I would never have atempted in anything else i have ever owned. I would have gotten stuck just getting there. So as we plowed through I was thinking this Forester is great. The dealership was just up the road and while it was below zero C it wasn't that cold and not too far to walk back if I got stuck so about 50 feet from the level crossing I paralled the tracks and stopped on the slope.

We started to slide sideways down the slope and I immediately regretted my stupid idea. I held the brakes and watched the snow and then the gravel pile up on the side of the Forester right up the drivers door till the base of the window had gravel showing on it. I thought this is it, we crawl out the pasenger side doors and walk back.

Darlene then said in a calm voice. Give it some gas. I did and we drove out no problem. Amazing.

Drove back and parked it and went inside to buy our new Subie. Well something happened and we had to delay for a couple months and in the end didn't get a new car for several years. 2004. That was when I bought my first Subie. Not a Forester. I wanted an XT but got a good deal on a Legacy sedan instead. XT was too expensive.

Here I am now, pricing out a 2004 Forester XT, now a third of the new price and I think this will be my new winter car. I know everything that there is to know about these Foresters. I have driven 2 XT's over the years, as fast or faster than a Marauder and a blast in winter. besides it is kind of fitting that it only takes me 11 years to buy a Forester I think i've waited long enough to be sure, this is the next car for me.

Will I keep my Marauder? Maybe; maybe not.

I'm sorry Aren, I didn't even read this ridiculously lonnnnnnnnng post.

I got to the; 'we started out testing a Ford Explorer, back in 1998

That's when my suspicions were confirmed about how lonnnnnnng it takes you to make a decision.

I'll read the rest of the thread when you sell your Marauder in 2016.

Maybe you can supply us with a 'Cliff notes' version...?

BTW: I guess that the Lithium isn't working too well?....:dunno: