Halifax's Street Network

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by DartmouthSteve

A 1974 Oldsmobile 98 begs to differ. ������

As a former owner of a 1971 Chrysler New Yorker (comparable in size to your Olds), I have to say that these were easier to maneuver than a modern SUV. The visibility from the cabin was great, and you could see all 4 corners of the car. Compensate for its longer wheelbase and you’re fine. Modern SUVs have poor visibility, including wide A-pillars to facilitate air bags, and are more challenging in some ways due to the bad sight lines.

That said, driving is less of a skill to be mastered these days, and more of a chore that interferes with social media participation…

[DartmouthSteve]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

As a former owner of a 1971 Chrysler New Yorker (comparable in size to your Olds), I have to say that these were easier to maneuver than a modern SUV. The visibility from the cabin was great, and you could see all 4 corners of the car. Compensate for its longer wheelbase and you’re fine. Modern SUVs have poor visibility, including wide A-pillars to facilitate air bags, and are more challenging in some ways due to the bad sight lines.

That said, driving is less of a skill to be mastered these days, and more of a chore that interferes with social media participation…

Absolutely. I was mostly joking.

We have a VW Atlas Crossport (the smaller Atlas) because we only want one car, but need something to confidently tow our teardrop travel trailer. It seems huge to my wife and I, but it is nowhere the size of some of the beasts on the road.

And to points made earlier, this is the first car I've had with a camera of any sort. In my 40ish years of driving I never needed a backup camera. Our VW has them everywhere. It's like driving a space shuttle.

[JET]

Originally Posted by DartmouthSteve

Absolutely. I was mostly joking.

We have a VW Atlas Crossport (the smaller Atlas) because we only want one car, but need something to confidently tow our teardrop travel trailer. It seems huge to my wife and I, but it is nowhere the size of some of the beasts on the road.

And to points made earlier, this is the first car I've had with a camera of any sort. In my 40ish years of driving I never needed a backup camera. Our VW has them everywhere. It's like driving a space shuttle.

What type of teardrop?

[DartmouthSteve]

Originally Posted by JET

What type of teardrop?

2020 nuCamp T@G Boondock XL.

[JET]

Originally Posted by DartmouthSteve

2020 nuCamp T@G Boondock XL.

Got our t@g xl (non boondock) in 2019.
Towing with a Sportage (2017), need to upgrade, thinking of a hybrid Rav 4,
The vw must tow nicely.

[DartmouthSteve]

Originally Posted by JET

The vw must tow nicely.

It does.

We are definitely overcompensating on towing capacity, but our 11 year old Santa Fe's engine gave out on a trip to Five Islands last summer, so we are a bit gun shy. Plus, we usually keep our cars for 10+ years, so we wanted to have the extra towing capacity if we ever get a larger camper.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by DartmouthSteve

Absolutely. I was mostly joking.

We have a VW Atlas Crossport (the smaller Atlas) because we only want one car, but need something to confidently tow our teardrop travel trailer. It seems huge to my wife and I, but it is nowhere the size of some of the beasts on the road.

And to points made earlier, this is the first car I've had with a camera of any sort. In my 40ish years of driving I never needed a backup camera. Our VW has them everywhere. It's like driving a space shuttle.

Sure, you have to get the vehicle that suits your needs, and you can only buy what is offered. The vicious circle of an industry that needs to offer what people want, have to predict 5 years in advance (development time) whether it will be the right vehicle for the times and that the fickle market will not have gone in a totally different direction after you’ve invested many millions to put it in showrooms. SUVs are “in” now, so they are the safe bet for manufacturers. We’ll be stuck with them for some time until some other configuration becomes the “must-have” to keep up with the Joneses…

On the topic of towing, it’s my opinion that manufacturers’ advertising has convinced people that they need way more towing capacity than they really do, and nobody wants to commit to a vehicle that doesn’t get the job done. I recall many years ago seeing people tow trailers with vehicles that would be considered too small to tow with today. It was more common than the other way - your Olds 98 might be towing a huge Airstream, but a compact sedan or small truck would have been fine for a teardrop. Different times, and everybody wasn’t in such a rush all the time. We really don’t need to go 0-100 in five seconds while towing a trailer, though that seems to be popular opinion now… JMHO.

[JET]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Sure, you have to get the vehicle that suits your needs, and you can only buy what is offered. The vicious circle of an industry that needs to offer what people want, have to predict 5 years in advance (development time) whether it will be the right vehicle for the times and that the fickle market will not have gone in a totally different direction after you’ve invested many millions to put it in showrooms. SUVs are “in” now, so they are the safe bet for manufacturers. We’ll be stuck with them for some time until some other configuration becomes the “must-have” to keep up with the Joneses…

On the topic of towing, it’s my opinion that manufacturers’ advertising has convinced people that they need way more towing capacity than they really do, and nobody wants to commit to a vehicle that doesn’t get the job done. I recall many years ago seeing people tow trailers with vehicles that would be considered too small to tow with today. It was more common than the other way - your Olds 98 might be towing a huge Airstream, but a compact sedan or small truck would have been fine for a teardrop. Different times, and everybody wasn’t in such a rush all the time. We really don’t need to go 0-100 in five seconds while towing a trailer, though that seems to be popular opinion now… JMHO.

From 7 years of towing my teardrop over Smokey with my Sportage, I do feel a tad under capacity, and hope again this year that I make it there and back OK.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by JET

From 7 years of towing my teardrop over Smokey with my Sportage, I do feel a tad under capacity, and hope again this year that I make it there and back OK.

That tends to put the lie to the urban myth that Hyundai/Kia engines all blow up real good. They had a year or two of a bad run of that some time ago but the reputation remains even now.

[ArchAficionado]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That tends to put the lie to the urban myth that Hyundai/Kia engines all blow up real good. They had a year or two of a bad run of that some time ago but the reputation remains even now.

Consumers have long memories! My father swore off ever buying a GM car on the basis of his Dad's 1978 Olds being a POS.

That being said, hyundai/kia's cars of the last <5 years or so offer great value for the money, as some people still view them with suspicion. I and many friends own these cars and think highly of them.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That tends to put the lie to the urban myth that Hyundai/Kia engines all blow up real good. They had a year or two of a bad run of that some time ago but the reputation remains even now.

Reputations take many years to build, can be destroyed quickly and will take many years to restore again. Luckily for them, their EVs are doing well and people will move on from the IC engine failures and fires (and the electrical fires will be forgotten along with them).

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by JET

From 7 years of towing my teardrop over Smokey with my Sportage, I do feel a tad under capacity, and hope again this year that I make it there and back OK.

Hope you enjoy!! 👍🏻

[JET]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That tends to put the lie to the urban myth that Hyundai/Kia engines all blow up real good. They had a year or two of a bad run of that some time ago but the reputation remains even now.

I had my first Sportage for twelve years.
My current 2017 Sportage has done well under duress.