Best car to chase in?

[Brandon Molyneaux]

I currently have a Mercedes ML55 AMG with 4WD. I am going car shopping soon because it is falling apart (it's got 106k miles on it, and for those who don't know, European cars start degrading fast after 100k miles, and benz cars are quite expensive to fix).

In your opinion, what SUV/car/van/dominator is the best to chase in and why? I'm not only opening up a discussion, but I am also getting ideas of what to get for my next car.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

If you plan to chase out west where dirt roads are going to be present, the you need something for that sort of driving condition, IMO. 4X4 with off road or similar tires. Getting stuck would not only annoy other chasers trying to get around you but it could put you and others in immediate danger if a storm is approaching. I wouldn't go "dominator" style or the trend of making your vehicle 'storm proof' because you simply will draw attention to yourself from newbies, media, police, etc. Hope that helps

 

[Todd Rector]

Like @Shawn Gossman said - get a vehicle well-suited for the terrain you are chasing in. I got a Jeep Cherokee for a new chase vehicle in January, thinking it was a good choice between economy and utility (30mpg hwy, but only front wheel drive) and I managed to get myself stuck on a muddy "cake batter" road near Quanah, TX. While waiting for a tow truck to pull me out ($220!), I had plenty of time to think about how convenient 4-wheel drive would have been while I listened to the hail bouncing off my roof and watched my windshield crack. There were several painful several lessons learned that day, and I guarantee you my next vehicle will have 4 wheel drive. (also, I now carry tow straps and am installing easily accessible tow hooks for 2016)

 

[Kevin Rimcoski]

Nothing much else to add. I personally prefer AWD or a 4x4 for tje extra traction when you need it. But specific tires will be the biggest game changer so look for all terrain tires. They'll be noisy but you'll be better off in dry, wet, mud, and dirt, sometimes even snow

The other biggest player is dependant on your budget

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

I'm biased....but I recommend subaru. I've never been stuck. Non turbo subaru get 30mpg. Wagons have a ton of room, even for sleeping in.

I drive an 07 Forester XT. My mileage stinks being a turbo, but again, never stuck and have slept in back a few times, most recently camped out in goodland after eads, CO tornadoes when a blizzard hit my house.

 

[Dan Robinson]

If I could afford to purchase and pay the full-season fuel costs of any vehicle I wanted to for chasing, I'd probably go with a Toyota 4Runner.

 

[Todd Rector]

I thought long and hard before I bought my Jeep, and I looked at several Toyota models and several Subaru models. A lot of it came down to - believe it or not - how easily I could mount tablets and radio gear without impeding critical controls (like gear shift or climate controls) or blocking airbags. Everyone has different needs, but I assume most people reading this are like me - can't afford a dedicated chase vehicle - so it has to be something "family friendly" and comfortable for the 335 days of the year I am NOT chasing. In retrospect, gas mileage was more of a factor in my decision than it should have been because a single $220 tow clearly offset an entire season's worth of "20mpg vs 30mpg" savings, it's just hard to forget Spring of 2014 when gas was $3.50/gallon in much of the midwest. I don't regret buying my Jeep, but the next Jeep I own will be 4WD.

 

[Drew Terril]

Toyota 4Runner, Nissan Xterra, those types of vehicles are designed with going off the pavement in mind. I chase in a Nissan Titan myself, but I needed a farm truck first, chase vehicle second. Had it not been for that I probably would have gone for a Frontier or Xterra. It performs very well, but I get 17-18 on the highway.

The only reason that I really didn't look very hard at the Tundra was because the ones that have the pulling power that I need (the 07+) were way too expensive. Toyota trucks and SUVs hold their value, so you're going to be paying considerably higher for one than you will something else. Turbo Subarus tend to hold their value in a similar manner, and while the non turbo ones get decent fuel mileage, they're rather anemic in terms of power IMO.

It's going to ultimately come down to what you need, and if you can afford to have a vehicle dedicated to chasing, while you have another vehicle as a DD. I couldn't afford that, and needed a farm truck, so I chase in said farm truck.

 

[Mark Blue]

I currently have a Mercedes ML55 AMG with 4WD. I am going car shopping soon because it is falling apart (it's got 106k miles on it, and for those who don't know, European cars start degrading fast after 100k miles, and benz cars are quite expensive to fix).

In your opinion, what SUV/car/van/dominator is the best to chase in and why? I'm not only opening up a discussion, but I am also getting ideas of what to get for my next car.

I'm having a hard time thinking about a hand-built German motor with the mechanic's signature from the AMG factory being shot at 106K miles. If it were me, I'd invest the money back into the MB and get the service level up to snuff, so that nothing needs attention when you're done. You have to drive the car 365 days a year, minus 30 days for chasing, so the 335 regular days far outweigh the 30 chase days, if that makes sense. You could put a more aggressive set of off road tires on it for chasing, then the normal set back on once the season is over if traction is a concern.

If you really want a new daily driver please consider how you will use it a majority of the time. I've seen every feasible type of vehicle on the roads around chaser convergences, so that tells me one thing. You can chase in any vehicle you want, so the choices are limitless. You could always upgrade to a tricked out G Wagon if you have the resources!

 

[Brandon Molyneaux]

I'm having a hard time thinking about a hand-built German motor with the mechanic's signature from the AMG factory being shot at 106K miles. If it were me, I'd invest the money back into the MB and get the service level up to snuff, so that nothing needs attention when you're done. You have to drive the car 365 days a year, minus 30 days for chasing, so the 335 regular days far outweigh the 30 chase days, if that makes sense. You could put a more aggressive set of off road tires on it for chasing, then the normal set back on once the season is over if traction is a concern.

If you really want a new daily driver please consider how you will use it a majority of the time. I've seen every feasible type of vehicle on the roads around chaser convergences, so that tells me one thing. You can chase in any vehicle you want, so the choices are limitless. You could always upgrade to a tricked out G Wagon if you have the resources!

Getting the repairs for the benz would eventually equate to buying a new car. I've spent a bit over $10,000 in repairs just trying to keep it in tact and running. I did fail to mention this in the original post, but this car is 14 years old.

 

[Todd Lemery]

The only thing I can add is just to make sure it's a 4- wheel drive that is comfortable for you to drive. If you are tall you sure as hell don't want to be rocking a "smart" car. Even a short chase is probably hours planted in the seat and if you aren't comfortable, it really doesn't matter much how cool it looks.

 

[Drew Terril]

The only thing I can add is just to make sure it's a 4- wheel drive that is comfortable for you to drive. If you are tall you sure as hell don't want to be rocking a "smart" car. Even a short chase is probably hours planted in the seat and if you aren't comfortable, it really doesn't matter much how cool it looks.

Pretty much. Just a 3 hour drive to Arlington in my brother's Cruz was not very comfortable for me, even in the driver's seat all the way back. My next truck will probably have heated seats just so I can flip the heat on and loosen up my back that tends to tighten up after sitting in a vehicle for long periods of time

 

[Chris Dickerson]

I owned a 2003 4Runner (Sport Ed 4WD V8) for 9 years and put over 220K miles on it from 0. I can't recommend that vehicle enough. I had very few problems with it, and most were something that me and my roommate could do in the driveway. I'm not a gearhead, either. The brakes are about the easiest fix of any vehicle I've ever seen. The mileage wasn't the best, but it would take on all kinds of terrain, no problem. The only thing that was a real pain was when I had to get some A/C stuff fixed and THAT required the shop to take out the entire dash, so labor cost was high for that particular fix. Overall though, I found that simply keeping the fluids clean and up to level, and watching the brakes would allow me to drive that thing forever. It also has a full size spare, and the rear window drops all the way down just like the ones on the doors. Ground clearance is great, stock, and it's built on a truck chassis (unlike may smaller SUVs these days that are built on a sedan chassis). I only traded it in for work purposes to get a sedan with better mileage. I've checked online and I've seen used 2006 models for around $10K, and the price can vary up or down depending on year and trim level. If I was in a position to purchase a dedicated chase vehicle, or even a sport utility that doubled as one, the only decision would be trim level and color. Best vehicle I've ever owned.

 

[Mark Blue]

I can relate to two themes in this thread as it pertains to reliability. Having owned several German cars (over the years) vs one brand new Nissan in 2009; the Japanese engineered cars are very reliable while the German cars not so much. Our Nissan has been uber-reliable in my experience with minimal time spent in the shop. German cars require deep pockets, as they seem to go about 6 months before something malfunctions or maintenance services need to be completed.

I'd like to get an XTerra Pro for chasing as they seem to be a good fit for what we do IMHO. There are quite a few posts in this section regarding this topic based on memory, hopefully you'll be able to find them.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I've been around and around with the vehicle issue. I've chased in a Ford Ranger 2WD and wouldn't recommend RWD vehicle at all for chasing. I've chased in a F-150 4x4 with All Terrain tires and loved it. The gas bill sucked, but it did everything I needed it to, but it was hard to fit 4 plus gear. Gear would end up in the back, and would get wet in storms obviously.
My current vehicle is a Ford Taurus and is actually a decent vehicle if you stay on pavement and don't have flooding issues like we have this year. It's too easy to hydroplane.

So I've been searching for my next vehicle. What I am coming to the conclusion is this - Get rid of my Taurus and get another car of some sort for daily driving and perhaps long distance chases or vacations. Another Taurus or a Ford Fusion or some of the other similar sized sedans will probably do for this function.

Then I plan on getting an older style full size SUV, such as an expedition 4x4 off craigslist. Those things are beasts and I know multiple people who have put on more than 250,000 miles. I can just keep liability on the SUV and hail the crap out of it and not care because it's a chase vehicle and will sit most of the time.

Either way, whatever you decide I wouldn't get ANYTHING rear wheel drive or anything less than a V6 engine. Sure an inline 4 will get you great gas mileage, but there may be times your life depends on being able to gun it and you don't want the hesitation of an inline 4.