The move towards crossoverfying everything has had the added benefit of making some cars a little more versatile than they used to be. A lot of this comes down to the increased storage area and accessibility of a large hatch as opposed to the trunk that was common on so many sedans.
Some people can purchase multiple cars to fill each niche and I envy that capability. I’d love to have a sports car for sports things, a truck for truck things, a luxury car for nights out on the town, and a 12-passenger airport van when I need to move children around. Instead, I’ve got an older BMW and a newer Honda CR-V to cover as many of those jobs as I can.
What if you can have just one vehicle? What’s the Swiss Army Knife of cars? What’s the one vehicle to complete every task?
This question comes via Crank Shaft, who also has an answer:
I recently realized that the Pacifica Pinnacle is probably the most versatile, bang for the buck, unmodified vehicle you can buy. It is luxurious, handles well, is loaded with tech, has a remarkably tight chassis for having two huge sliding doors, has a more than enough power, seats seven, comes in AWD, has a towing package, can be converted to a cargo truck that will carry 4x8s on the floor, etcetera. I get that there are a million different perspectives, but I don’t think anyone could name a more do-it-all unmodified vehicle on sale today. Can either you?
Having driven one of these it’s hard to argue with him. It even has fancy pillows. How many cars come with fancy pillows? I’ve also slammed more gear into a Pacifica than would somehow fit in a U-Haul box truck. The physics are astounding and Crank Shaft even sent an image over to show how he does cargo with his:
What do you think? Can you beat that?
I don’t need QUITE as much space as a minivan, and I require rather more fun behind the wheel, so for me my Mercedes or BMW wagons are the perfect Swiss Army Knife cars. In particular the BMW, it’s big enough to haul a reasonable amount of stuff, comfortable for long trips, can tow a reasonable amount for a suburban homeowner, and is perfectly happy belting down the Autobahn, a windy backroad in Maine, or around a track while it’s lovely n/a I6 sings Wagner at the top of it’s lungs. The Mercedes is bigger (and a 7-seater if you need room for a couple extra sprogs), has AWD if you care about such things (I don’t) is faster in a straight line but nowhere near as much fun. It’s also a boring automatic.
Sadly, if you must buy NEW the Mercedes is the only choice currently, and only in ruined and stupidly Outbacked All-Terrain form. We live in the worst timeline.
Probably a Maverick. It can truck, it can seat 4, 5 with littler ones, it can get over 40mpg for daily commuting, it can fit in parking spots, it won’t break the bank.
I once hauled an 8foot pipe in my Lexus Ct. Fully in the cabin too. I’d like to see that happen in a maverick lol. (I do like the maverick though.)
It can be done with the rear sliding window option.
It has the adapters and the tailgate can go down halfway to haul longer, or just do over the cab if you want, but yeah the bed is a bit tight.
You have the right idea but unfortunately the back seat space is minuscule in the Maverick. You aren’t fitting any kids that are in car seats back there. Hell they’re a tight fit at best in all the midsized trucks too. I swear it’s all a ploy to make customers buy more half tons…I’m considering a truck as my next vehicle and need it to be able to do dad duty but I genuinely don’t want to deal with a half ton because I live in DC and they’re just comically huge these days. As a result I’ve looked at a bunch of the dimensions for “smaller” trucks and you’d be very surprised how little interior space a lot of em have…
Just get a bed cap and put the kids back there like when I was young lol.(joking, our parents were not the most cautious people.)
Hi. Maverick Owner Here! Kid in carseat fits, but only on the passenger side with the seat moved up a bit. 5’5 wife fits just fine in the pass seat, and not far enough forward to block pass side window (unlike my Mazda3 hatch).
My wife is about 5’7 and we have an 8 month old, a doggo, and we are planning on a second. Unfortunately the Maverick probably isn’t going to work for me as a result, but I do love them.
I have an almost 5yo and almost 2yo. I went from a ’13 F150 crew cab to a ’24 Colorado, thinking the rear seat space would be fine. It was terrible! I made it 6 months before I couldn’t take it anymore, took the hit and traded it in for a ’24 Silverado crew cab.
I can’t overstate how much easier it is living with a full size truck. Plenty of room in the back for 2 car seats and an adult to sit comfortably, with room under the seat and tons of floorboard space for diaper bags, groceries, etc.
Ironically, the Silverado gets better gas mileage and I find it easier to maneuver/park than the Colorado.
This is why I’m probably just going to wind up with a Land Cruiser or 4Runner. I want to potentially try to make a midsized truck work (I like the Canyon in particular) but the interior packaging on all of them is so goddamn bad. Like I said above, I half think that manufacturers intentionally do this to try to upsell people to full sized trucks.
I just don’t really think I need that much towing and hauling capability and the size of the damn things in crew cab spec is absurd to me. They’re just too goddamn big. Half of them also come with ridiculous off-road packages that lift them even further and make the fuel economy even worse.
If I was a contractor, farmer, etc. and lived out in the country or exurbs I’d love a full size, particularly with the Baby Max. But as a mental health professional who lives in the city they’re just too much for our needs. If they shrunk them by 15-20% I’d reconsider.
And you’re right about the Colorado gas mileage wise…how is it so bad? Efficiency was one of the goals of downsizing to the turbo max and if what I’ve read is true most people are getting mid teens in the real world. I got about that when I was driving around an 04 Suburban for years with the small block V8…
Is this the most versatile? Probably not. That being said, I call my Maverick the swiss army knife of cars. Does it do anything particularly well? No. In a pinch, though, it is incredibly useful. 1500 lbs of pavers? No problem! Need to tow a small trailer? Got it! Need to go down a logging road? Been there! Need to power something? The in-bed charger has arrived! It’s an awesome trucklet, but a bigger truck/van is more useful.
Just to be a jerk, I’ll add to this by saying that I bought mine in May of 2020 with a $5k rebate and $5k dealer discount so it was an absolute steal. It was actually less expensive than real out the door prices for lower trims. It didn’t make sense, but I knew a good deal was to be had so I jumped on it. COVID then screwed with everything so I certainly got lucky with the timing.
Bought my Limited PHEV used and have averaged about 30mpg over the past 2 years with all the aforementioned benefits otherwise. Agree 100%, do anything vehicle, 5/5, would buy again
Nissan… CVT car. Xtronic. That thing. The usual spiel.
Sorry, long day of continuously varying my transmission.
You sound tired. Are you in the Copart NYC taxi?
I did mention I’d be attending the latest meetup in the van!
Our 2017 Pacifica seconds this. I upgraded the radio last week so I have CarPlay (it also has Android Auto, but who cares?) so the one glaring oversight has been addressed. Stow-N-Go seats so you only have to lug the middle of the second row anywhere. Gets the job done.
Yes it is an awesome vehicle to shove material or people in. That makes it a vehicle that is great for stuffing products or people in it. What about it makes it a vehicle good for any job. Track car? No. Date car? No. Business car? No. Long range cruiser? Maybe but I’m not a fan of the situation up straight school desk chair for 12 hours of driving. Long range gumball rally? Just no poor mph. What is it good for but stuffing equipment or people in like a cheap ass airline? So I rate it very low on everything vehicle.
Date car? Maybe past your 30s and have kids/other person has kids. From the male perspective I’ve learned the most important thing about a “date car” is that it is clean and smells pleasant. Pull up in 100k luxury car full of tobacco butts and fast food crumbs and your odds will plummet.
Why not a business car? Or do you mean “showing off your wealth to impress/suck up?”
Track car? You’d be surprised. I hooned my Pinnacle once and was shocked at what it could do. Shocked! I hung and rung that fucker out and it hung on.
Date car? Fuck yes, and fucking in back more easily too.
Business car? Absolutely! It’s almost a limo it’s so nice and comfortable.
Highway miles? You’re kidding, right? I guarantee you’ve never driven one or you wouldn’t say that.
Now I don’t know about you, but I suspect most people use their cars to shove material and other humans into. As you say, it’s awesome at that.
The ‘school desk chair’ is far better, to me, then either of my wife’s BMWs, which are more like a go cart with your legs more straight out in front. Fun to drive…for not a very long time.
2 hours in those, I need a break.
I always rent Pacificas (hybrid if I can get it) for long road camping/vacation trips with the family because it fits and hauls everything and everyone, and I can sit and drive for hours and feel great at my destination.
In the 70’s you’d get a big old Ford wagon complete with wood cladding and rear facing 3rd row seats. Today, you just cannot beat a minivan if you want the swiss army knife of cars. The Chrysler is the best with the stow n’ go but you’d best keep up on your maintenance.
Maintenance doesn’t matter when ALL of the hybrids (’17-’23) have a transmission that not if but when will short internally and leave you stranded. There’s a whole extended warranty campaign for it
The 9HP in the gas vans isn’t much better, every dealer in my area says to ‘just learn to live with the 4th gear clunk”
Van for most life. Borrow friends truck for towing.
I put a face cord of wood in the back after that picture was taken. Alas I was too tired to take the after photo. 4′ x 8′ x 1/4″ High Density Poly Ethelene sheets from Menard’s really are tough. Three sheets of it made my luxury van as tough as any pickup bed.
Thanks Matt!
You want a powerful vehicle that handles well on the twisties.
You need a vehicle that will carry 5 adults and two big dogs – but can also handle hauling home finds from estate sales and Facebook Marketplace.
You want safety and comfort in spades.
You feel the need for the peace of mind of AWD.
And you don’t want to be embarrassed when pulling up to the Country Club for business on the links.
May I introduce you to a Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic Wagon?
Or for those who desire an excess of power – a CPO E63 AMG Wagon.
Some of us prefer a vehicle that won’t put us in the poorhouse.
A pre-owned one is no more costly than a new Jeep Grand Cherokee.
And based on the way Stellantis is building their vehicles lately – an E450 shouldn’t cost you more to maintain properly.
Why benchmark it to a GC or anything by Stellantis? How about a nice Toyota?
Toyota:
You want a powerful vehicle that handles well on the twisties.You want safety
and comfort in spadesAnd you don’t want to be embarrassed when pulling up to the Country Club for business on the links.Fine, Lexus then. Whatever.
???
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/1999-2001_Toyota_Crown_Estate_Athlete_Four.jpg/2560px-1999-2001_Toyota_Crown_Estate_Athlete_Four.jpg
Oooh, sweet longroof!
Sounds like a Subaru Outback is needed. The official car of my stealth wealth friends who have to street park.
The top trim Subarus have damn nice interiors and come in real colors too. I’m almost tempted to look at the new Forester hybrid in green over brown but I already know that it’s not going to offer anywhere near the driving verve that I’d prefer…
My personal cars are manual and TBH the CVT isn’t as terrible on the latest Subarus either (far better than the DSG my employers had on their Skoda).
I recommend try one of the Toyota hybrids to get an idea about the next subaru range (same tech I believe). I think the Subaru Hybrids are going to be really (think RAV4) popular so might be wise to order early.
They’re actually a bit different! They use the 2.5 liter boxer and maintain their symmetrical all wheel drive system so they’re not e AWD like the Toyotas.
Good point. I was more thinking of how the ICE / Electric engine and transmission work together. On the corolla hybrids I’ve driven its pretty faultless. Be great to see how Subaru engineer this. I think it will be more spritely to drive than the power numbers will show.
Jacked up Subarus are not particularly entertaining to drive.
XT Forester would politely like to disagree.
My RAV4 Prime is by far the most utilitarian vehicle I’ve ever owned, even more so than my previous Highlander Hybrid.
Hear me out
Enough EV only range for 90% of needs
Great fuel economy (37mpg) for longer distances
Actually seats 5 adults
Can haul over a dozen garden soil bags no problem
It regularly tows our HF trailer loaded with motorcycles like its nothing
Comfortable
Safe
Reliable
302 Horsepower
Does snow well
Does rain well
Does minor offroading well
Does highway driving well
Where do I put a mattress?
If you never tow and never drive off road of any kind, it is quite hard to beat a minivan with a good folding seat design.
If you tow or go offroad, but never haul dirty stuff or haul said dirty stuff in a trailer, Tahoe/Suburban.
If you tow heavy, offroad, or commonly haul dirty stuff, quad cab pickup, mild lift at best, a few years old before bedsides got as high as they seem to be now.
Yeah, my versatile is going to be a lot different that other’s versatile. Then you have to factor in convenience fuel economy comfort performance price and many other attributes. I landed on a midsized truck but most others wouldn’t
Honestly it’s probably the GM BOF full sized SUV of your choice. You can tow, they work in all climates and will hold their own off-road if that’s your thing, you can haul a ton of people and their stuff, and they’re all probably good for 200,000+ miles if you take good care of them.
It’s this or a crew cab long bed truck.
I say this as the owner of a minivan, they are great at many things, but the low ground clearance and low towing capability/payload hampers them in a way that trucks aren’t.
There’s very little that my van does *better* than my truck, other than hold more than 5 people (not necessary for me) and get better fuel economy (not relevant to the question at hand).
Being more economical is definitely relevant to the question at hand.
Don’t agree.
It’s an important consideration to the overall question of what to buy (that’s why I own a minivan to begin with) but the question itself is simply about versatility. And nothing does it better than a large truck or large truck-based SUV.
Versatility also includes fitting a budget.
Feels like a reach – it can also mean how versatile the powertrain is if we’re going to split it that way.
Even so, most minivans start $38-40k and are rated 22 mpg combined. A simple base F-150 or Silverado starts around $37/38k for a regular cab, rated ~20 mpg combined with the standard engines. Move into a larger cab so you can actually carry people, still in the low/mid 40s, throw in the Ram and Tundra there too.
Sure if you can comfortably afford those. Taking the idea further a G wagon Mercedes or Hummer A1 Alpha might be the ultimate in utility for someone with a big budget but those trucks may as well not exist for someone who can *only* afford a $38k truck.
Is the $38k truck less affordable than the $38k minivan?
Probably. There’s insurance, gas, road tax, incentives, dealer greed, etc to factor in too.
Actually doesn’t seem to be – gas, as mentioned, MPG estimates are pretty close. Incentives and dealers, we both know this would actually be heavily in favor of the truck and the incentives that get piled on. Insurance has a lot more variables although dabbling on insure.com put estimated premiums in my state for a base Ford on either side of a Sienna or Carnival, an Odyssey runs lower. YMMV.
And all this to say I personally would probably even go van myself. I just don’t think the truck is such an illogical answer.
As you say YMMV.
A base 2WD truck bought by a contractor or a rancher who uses it daily for hauling and towing? Absolutely makes sense.
A six figure full sized luxobarge 4WD V8 crew cab purchased by an urban cosplay cowboy/tough guy who lives in a tiny apartment and tight street parking on a five figure salary who never leaves the city and never tows but insists on leaving a ball in the hitch for *reasons*? Not so much.
Sure, but that sounds like projecting a different scenario (or two far ends of the spectrum) on to the question. Budget/affordability are nowhere near the top of the second guy’s concerns, and a minivan doesn’t sound like a rational choice either for him even if it costs half of that pickup, even if he really really really likes minivans. If he were submitting to be on a “what car should I buy?” versatility doesn’t sound like it’s among his top 3 needs.
Unless he also really really likes helping his friends move. Because they’re surely going to ask.
You are right, a new minivan probably isn’t a good answer for buyer #2 either. I wouldn’t recommend any new car for an urban apartment dweller with street parking. Maybe a 3+ yo hybrid.
Nobody who is going to get a Hummer EV (or H2) will cross shop a basic Silverado WT.
The price difference is TOO VAST.
I am curious to know the price difference between a Silverado WT w/4.3 V6 vs a Hummer H2 in 2003, both brand new.
The price difference is not the point. The fact its even an option for someone with enough money is the point. And why not both? If someone is choosing a H2 or EV for themselves they might be diehard GM fans and also get a basic Silverado for their kid.
I dunno what the actual transaction prices were but the MSRP of a std cab Silverado in 2003 was $20,031 vs $48,455 for a base H2
Rich people are likely going to use the Hummer EV as a toy , maybe some offroading.
As for the Silverado, most beaters or examples at the hands of college students are usually older models. This is true in the case of Qatar, though some local kids do get newer single cab Trail Boss trucks…
I think 48k would be very low for a base H2. I think maybe more like 50k plus…in 2003.
My Silverado was cheaper to insure and register than my Wife’s CX-5. I imagine a minivan would be the same case. Trucks are cheap to insure for some reason.
Maybe that’s part of their appeal.
The $38k minivan sure is a helluva lot more luxurious and nice to spend time in than the $38k truck.
I’d rather look at the van interior and live with it day to day too, yes. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a base truck, but now they all have the power features standard, and everyone has big screens and even wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, I don’t know that it’s quite the gap it once was.
Some would find a base truck’s hard plastics and vinyl seats & floors to be the greater luxury if it could be had on the van too, lol.
I assume you don’t live in an urban area? The Big Battle Wagons can get a bit ungainly around town.
Again, there are downsides to them that are not captured in the word “versatile”.
Not saying a crew cab truck is perfect for everybody in every situation, but for a single vehicle that can do it all, I feel they are better than vans, speaking as someone who owns both.
Fair enough. 🙂
You know how it is around here. If a van doesn’t work perfectly to fit the narrative then we change the narrative to better fit the van. If you don’t want a van you have character issues. A van cannot fail, it can only be failed. Etc.
This guy gets it!
I do find it funny when people come in my replies trying to sell me on a minivan.
Guys, I agree with you! I paid good money for a Toyota Sienna that sits in my driveway right now! It replaced another Sienna I had before! It’s a great car, I love it!
I also own a crew cab Super Duty.
I think I’m a bit qualified to speak on which vehicles are capable of more tasks. If I say my truck can tow and haul better, or that it doesn’t matter to it’s versatility that it cost more upfront, that isn’t me trashing minivans!
In Qatar I see a ton of these SUVs…second only to Land Cruisers for a good reason..
I can borrow a vehicle from work anytime I need one so my practical needs are less. Tow a boat? We have a fleet of 3500s and Kenworth T270s and T370s. Bulk material? Those kenworths have dump beds. Building materials? 6×10 flat beds make it easy.
Unless you have to tow heavy weights frequently a minivan is very practical. Frequent heavy towing you’ll need something body on frame. But that twice a year dump run with a home Depot trailer? You’ll be fine with your whatever.
I’d have to say a 3/4 ton crew cab with a removable camper shell.
I had a lifted Toyota Sienna AWD and it was great. The interior space of a minivan can not be beat. You can fit 10ft trim pieces from the rear hatch up through the front seats.
I sold it for a F150 crew cab due to one reason…its lack of towing capacity. I have a cap on the back and while I can’t throw 8ft boards inside like I did the van, its better for carrying gasoline, chainsaws, and other random things that may leak.
No wrong decision, just need to prioritize your wants/needs.
Our other car is a CRV, so thats what we drive when headed into town and parking is a challenge.
But can you stand up straight in it like you can in a Ford Transit or Mercedes Sprinter?
Can you tow 4500lbs or more with it? Can you carry up to 15 passengers with it?
So from that perspective, I’d say the only thing that outdoes something like a Pacifica are the full size passenger vans like the Sprinter or Transit.
They suck in fast-food drive-thrus and parking garages otherwise the are awesome.
You can still go through drive-thrus when you own one of those large vans.
Easy Peasy!!!
/jk
6. Profit!
Sprinter was my #1 choice. Before Sprinters were sold in North America I used an E-350 as my one go-to vehicle.
If you live in an urban area and need to parallel park, a Pacifica makes more sense. I know from experience that many private lots in downtown Boston will refuse a full-size van.
“many private lots in downtown Boston will refuse a full-size van.”
I wonder if those same lots would accept bro-trucks. Do they?
Nope
As long as that dealer is Paul Sherry Conversion Vans, absolutely! Full size vans have room for lots of people, room for cargo, towing power, the ability to stand inside…
The only thing they’re missing is proper safety ratings. Whoops!
…in which case, sadly, half-ton pickups are probably the next-best, although I’d never own one. I have no need for the uncovered area, and even with a cap, it’d still not be climate-controlled or easily accessible from inside.
Agreed we have 3 big dogs so pick up trucks are out of the choices.
Safety shmafety… It looks safe, therefore it IS safe!!
/jk
As I own a Voyager with Stow N’ Go, I would have to agree. It’s pretty great at everything other than being fun to drive. And even then at least it’s quick.
It hauls sheet goods with ease. It makes for a great camper/lounge space. It’s super comfortable and relatively quiet for a giant brick. It’s reasonably efficient on the highway (not so much in the city). And of course, it hauls people in comfort.
I’m going to say something crazy that will make me many enemies. Although you obviously gave the right answer, a basic half ton pickup has been incredibly versatile for me, even though I live in Brooklyn. I bought a 2013 F150 supercrew with 255k miles on it to do work on a house upstate, and I’ve fallen in love with having it. Picking up furniture, mulch, appliances, topsoil is something I can’t do in an SUV or minivan. It’s so much easier to get up skiing than dealing with a rack or chucking wet skis and boards in the back of an SUV. Mileage is def a bit lower than my Telluride, but honestly not -too- much worse. Easily seats six with the front bench seat. My dog likes it way more than the SUV. Kids too, and even my wife is coming around. The body is pretty beat, so I can street park without anxiety. I’ve had to tow excavators that I couldn’t with the SUV. I’ve pulled shrubs and small trees out of the ground that I wouldn’t dare try with my Kia. I think most people who buy trucks really don’t need them, but honestly they are pretty versatile. Now that most of the big work is done on the house, I’m going to sell it, but man, I will miss how easy it makes everything.
I can’t beat this arguement.
No enemy here. There is no hate for a pickup truck when used safely and responsibly to do truck things.
“Picking up furniture, mulch, appliances, topsoil is something I can’t do in an SUV or minivan.”
I don’t know why you think this. I’ve had no problem moving major appliances, furniture, mulch, topsoil, construction waste etc in a Mazda5, which is even smaller and lower powered than a typical minivan.
I once carried a full-size refrigerator in a Honda Fit. The hatch wouldn’t shut so I needed rope and an orange flag but for a task I’d never done before in my life (I’m 50) it worked ok.
I love my Fit. It may not be the most versatile, but might just be the most intelligently designed for its intended purpose.
I was able to fit a 14 cuft standing freezer in my 5 with the door closed. That might be the upper limit though.
Yeah, you can def carry a lot in a wagon. I had a 240 DL that moved me across the country a couple of times. But it’s way tougher to pull up to the landscaping center and ask the guy in the skid steer to fill the back of a wagon with a yard of mulch. And if I didn’t have the truck, I’d have had to make like 3 trips from Sag Harbor to the mid Hudson Valley to get the 2 sets of patio furniture I bought at auction. Anyway, a minivan or wagon is way more -practical- than a truck for like 99% of people. But for versatility – IE, how many things it can do – a late-model half ton crew cab checks a lot of boxes.
A lot of boxes but not 99% of boxes.
The most versatile I’ve owned was probably my Taco but the most functional vehicle I’ve owned that I actually enjoyed was my WRX wagon. I’d trade my current car in tmrw if Subie brought back the wagon.
Chevy Suburban diesel. Yes, you can buy one right now. It’s a gigantic cube on wheels, it will tow almost 8000 lbs, its unloaded driving range is over 600 miles (!), it will do okay off-road, and you can luxe it up if you so choose.
Praised be the Baby Max
This is indeed a very good alternative, but the cargo space just isn’t the same.
GM interiors are also kinda iffy. I was genuinely surprised how well they did with the Pinnacle. It’s pretty tony inside.
I agree, and I would rather drive the van.
I’m also (still) a diesel fan, and it’s surprising how many people forget about the light duty GM diesel, so I throw out comments about it when appropriate.
I almost bought a diesel Tahoe last year as a more capable tow rig. I want a Baby Max so very badly. I have a TDI and love it so much.
It’s like GM’s B58. Just a little marvel of a straight 6. I’d love to own one but it just wouldn’t make sense. My commute is less than 20 miles round trip, I only put 6-8,000 miles on my car every year, and as of now the only towing I’d be doing is jet skis. Basically I’d have to deal with all the downsides of a diesel and not really reap any benefits other than power and fuel economy.
Slash if the internet is to be believed short tripping a modern diesel is a death sentence. It would take some real convoluted enthusiast math for me to ever own a Baby Max, but I do love them and admire them from afar.
Our fleet is a Wrangler Unlimited and a Pacifica AWD and they have been extremely reliable no problems for the 5 year old and 100K miles minivan and very few issues with the 13 year old JKU with 170K on it.
In my opinion, I would not include any minivans with not easily removable or stowable middle seats.
Pickup Trucks without toppers/caps and only tonneau covers are just oversized sedans.
My jeep is just the right size and capabilities. I can haul 5 people , 2 canoes and three large dogs. It can tow enough.
the van has a 42×42 steel/crash rated dog kennel in the back and we can still put up both middle seats as needed.
Both have roof racks with crossbars.
They meet all our needs and hobbies.
We never need a pick up truck because we have a small utility trailer that lives under our deck and carries much more than any new pick up truck bed.
And for gross stuff like gas cans we have 2 hitch baskets that live in the shed one folding and one not.
First choice that comes to mind: the Miat…Chevy Express.
A Miata and a utility trailer. Yessssss!!!
I like the answer a lot, but would also honorably mention Odyssey if you want it to last more than 50k miles without headaches 🙂
Also, there’s something to be said about the slightly lower trimlines being a better balance between cargo and people. My third row panels are pretty beaten up, and I’ve never had the patience or forethought to build protectors like Crank Shaft has up there…pretty slick!
No AWD, either, but for me that’s more of an annoyance and not actually dangerous.