Best car to chase in?

[robert gilstrap]

Oh wow I feel the same about my audis. Damn fast took me all over the Midwest! I did lack room in the back seats though so that kinda sucked. And good man! Iv never owned a auto transmission those turbos are hard to beat, I would catch boost at about 2900 rpm and thank you for the welcome! Seems great I already love it!!

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[Meric Reese]

Has anyone chased in a Jeep Wrangler? Looking for your opinion. Here's my situation:
I'm in Omaha, and I'm not a hard core chaser. Would rarely go out more than 200 miles, only when storms get close to home, mainly for photography and a little thrill. I get about 330 miles on a tank at highway speed, so gas mileage isn't really a factor to me. I'm not looking to drive so close to the storm that I'll be in danger, but I also know there is always the scenario of going down the wrong path at the wrong time...

Pros:
4wd high and 4wd low, virtually unable to get stuck in most places.
Excellent visibility from inside the cab in all directions.
Soft top softens the blow off big hail. Even if a hail stone gets thru, it's cheap to replace.
The major spot for hail damage is the hood, which is also easily and cheaply repairable and replaceable.
Wide open cabin makes it easy to have mounting places for equipment/electronics.
Things are allowed to get wet on the inside.
Light bars for good visibility both me and others on the road. Nothing illegal, but good bright lamps.
Standard full size spare, not a donut.

Cons:
Short wheel base, susceptible to rollovers.
Soft top acts as a sail in high winds.
20 mpg (but again not chasing far)
Acceleration not the best, but torque is great.
In the event of an overnight, susceptible to equipment theft.

Thanks for your thoughts.

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[Jon Strebler]

I would suggest for people to not overthink about which vehicle you chase in. If the thing is reliable and can get you from point A to point B then go ahead and chase in it. You don't need 4wd, especially if you only chase occasionally. Having 4wd or awd will obviously help on some roads and in certain situations, but without it you can just avoid bad/muddy roads and minimize that shortcoming. I had a Prius as a rental once and it did just fine for chasing.

 

[Michael Towers]

Has anyone chased in a Jeep Wrangler?

Soft top softens the blow off big hail. Even if a hail stone gets thru, it's cheap to replace...

Even though the Wrangler has a lot going for it in terms of accessibility the soft top models would pose too great a risk for me to even consider it as a chase vehicle. If hail gets through it might be cheap to replace but the potential for injury would render the cost factor irrelevant. Get caught in a wicked core of baseballs with minimal protection overhead at best? No thanks. Then there’s the lightning threat, with a soft top you have no Faraday cage and consequently no protective shell from lightning. Also remember that the threat from lightning exists well away from the storm so chasing from afar still carries some risk. There’s also the chance other cells may erupt and put you in harm’s way so avoiding hail and/or lightning may be difficult if not impossible. Personally that’s not something I’d care to risk and my chasing style would make a soft top even more prohibitive, instead of chasing from afar I like to get up close to the action and I wouldn’t even consider doing so in anything other than a hard-topped vehicle.

 

[Matt Ashworth]

I've chased in probably a dozen different makes/models ranging from sedans to hatchbacks and SUVs. My personal favorites tend to be the smaller/compact SUVs. Fairly decent fuel economy, plenty of room for both people (front and back) and equipment, and they are still generally able to handle ditches and other less-than-idea driving conditions better, particularly with regard to dirt/muddy roads. Plus having a full spare tire would have helped in a situation or two that I've been in...

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

I carry a full size spare in my roof basket during the season. So (1x) full size outside and a space saver under the hatch floor. Certainly doesn't help gas mileage, but at least if I get a puncture, I can swap out fast and still have full speed capabilities to get to home or a tire shop.

 

[Meric Reese]

Then there’s the lightning threat, with a soft top you have no Faraday cage and consequently no protective shell from lightning

Good point, I didn't think about that. Thanks.

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[Michael Towers]

Good point, I didn't think about that. Thanks.

No problem, better to read it here than come to the realization under the storm! Odds are extremely low that it would be an issue but personally I’d feel too vulnerable to take the chance.

 

[Royce Sheibal]

Four Wheel Drive Pickup or bust. 4WD is mandatory for gravel / hardpack roads in rural Nebraska during heavy rains, and pickups have a smaller profile to weight ratio than SUV's and jeeps for surviving crosswinds from inflows and RFD's. We managed to take on a pretty nasty ghost train a couple years back without a lot of issues thanks to said smaller profile. Pickups also have more vertically aligned windows which make them less likely to shatter from falling large hail than slanted windows on other vehicles (All bets are off if your hail is moving sideways, which is terrifying).

Pro-tip: Make sure your bed-cover is well secured or it may have issues if you catch a 100mph tailwind like we did in Beaver Crossing, NE in 2014. Ford F150 has been our chase vehicles for years now, but she's seen a lot of miles and may be retired this year... looking for a new gladiator to throw into the arena in coming years.

 

[B. Dean Berry]

I have used second-generation Ford Explorer-related platforms since 2006. These trucks are cheap and parts are readily available. This generation covers the 1995-2001 Ford Explorer, 1993-2011 Ford Ranger, 1995-2003 Ford Explorer Sport, 2000-2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, and 1997-2001 Mercury Mountaineer. Having owned a few iterations of this truck, I personally think that the 5.0L V8 AWD option is the best. This combination is found most frequently on 1997-2001 Ford Explorer XLT models and Mercury Mountaineers. It gets good enough mileage, considering the age and that it's a V8, but it offers superior control, plenty of power, with the added bonus that they can be found anywhere for $1500.

 

[Kem Poyner]

For me I would rather pay a little more for gas and have piece of mind that I can get out of any road situation. I chase in a 2006 Ford F150 4x4. I also have a shell on back that I can sleep in if I have to. I have been stuck in some really scary situations more than one when I used to rent cars to chase.

 

[ScottCurry]

I am resurrecting this thread for the purpose of saying, "Thank You" to everyone who posted and contributed. I killed my old car on Friday after driving through some deep water caused by rapidly melting snow. I got water into the engine, and my car stalled. After getting a quote for repairs that exceeded the cost of the car, I decided it was time to purchase a new vehicle. So I read through this thread to get recommendations on a new vehicle.

Based on the recommendations in this thread, I decided to purchase a 2008 Ford Explorer 4x4 with the V8 engine. Let me just say that gas mileage sucks. But other than that, this thing is a beast. It has a much higher ground clearance, so standing water shouldn't be an issue anymore. It also has 4x4, which will hopefully keep me on the road and away from guard rails (see attached picture). It seems like every season, hail or snow caused me to go off the road at least once in my old FWD car.

So thank you to all who contributed and helped me decide on a new vehicle.

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