December 24, 2008 E-MAIL PRINT

Cruise to ski country

by Tony Chamberlain/

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (photo: Jeep)

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (photo: Jeep)

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Back in midsummer, I looked at the coming ski season and wondered, with $4 gasoline, if we’d be seeing ski resorts installing their own tanks. The last time this was seriously discussed was during the mid-'70s gas crisis, but that was more about availability than price.

But here we are, in some magical lull of sub-$2 gas, a bright spot in the gloomy economy, and of course bound not to hold forever. But at least we can take those two tankful trips this winter without the extra stress of octane-awe prices.

The question is, What are we getting there in?

A couple of stories ago I was waxing amorously about my Subaru Outback — actually, my third, this one the L.L. Bean 3.0-liter, 6-cylinder wagon. In fact, I think I presented this as just about the only option for serious mountain and winter drivers.

An overstatement, of course.

A good ski buddy of mine, WillyG, who is a professional automotive reviewer in a major newspaper, provided me with a list of excellent options for winter driving.

"You might think your ride is pretty special," he said to me dismissively one day this week, "but you might not if you had a family of six to transport to the mountains."

Actually, my tome that day was on the glories of all-wheel drive, which has all the news value of talking about how much topsails improve a Clipper ship’s performance in light air.

But WillyG’s list of the finest winter cars begins at the economy end with the Suzuki SX4. "This is not one of those old, little death boxes," WillyG insists. "Don’t let anyone tell you it’s a Yugo."

Goodies like AWD, stability control, ABS brakes and GPS added to a solid frame and decently powered (145) 4-cylinder engine makes this a fine package in the under-$20K range.

The list includes the Outback, all of which are fine winter cars, ranging from the 4-cylinder, 2.5-liter, 170-hp to the 265-hp, 6-cylinder boxer engine. All have AWD with stability control and ABS brakes. GPS is optional, and power has nothing to do with the model’s winter ability. Prices range from $25K to $31K.

► Honda CRV — The roomiest car in this class has a 166-hp, DOHC, 4-cylinder engine that can really take a load to the mountains. And it’s full of the kind of quality that makes Honda a huge winner. New this year is the GPS navigation with back-up camera.

► Dodge Journey — Larger yet, with a 235-hp V6, this medium crossover wagon packs in lots of kids and gear, while it tames the nastiest Route 16 conditions, but you must order the six-speed tran with AutoStick — the only way to get AWD performance.

With a moderate package of goodies, this car can be a pretty decent bargain in the low-$20K range.

The rest of his list includes the Mitsubishi Evolution in the small-car category, the Saturn Outlook, Chevy Suburban with its mungo carrying capacity, Ford Escape, Toyota Sienna AWD, and WillyG’s own favorite choice: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

"This is still a wild, tough ride," says WillyG, noting that the two-window greater depth of the Unlimited makes a huge change over the standard Wrangler.

"You can trick this baby out," he says, "so it will climb Mount Kilimanjaro, with or without snow."

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