Considering only one vehicle. What vehicle would you recommend.

[skyking1]

I'm surprised about the RAV4 hurting your back. Did it have lumbar adjustment? We have a RAV4 Prime XSE which has lumbar adjustments and never had problems. Unless you are going upscale any of the high-trim levels for Toyota SUV (RAV4, Highlander, etc.) are pretty decent for hauling golf clubs.

Just did not fit. I also do not like Subaru seats. Early ones just sucked bad, later models could not go long distances.
Personal comfort is a subjective thing, if there ever was one.

 

[Chuckanut]

I would definitely get a hybrid unless you know for certain you will always be near a charging station, and don't mind waiting to charge the vehicle, especially when you are away from home. The Hybrid premium for my RAV4 was $800 back in 2020. I have earned that back due to the very high gasoline prices in my home state.(We just dropped below $4 a gallon - $3.95). Thanks to outstanding mileage, I get a 500 mile driving range out on the open road in mild to hot weather. Cold weather much below 45 degrees will bring the range into the mid to high 400's.

Driving out West where county and state roads can have signs that read "No Services for 60 miles" or more, that range is nice.

Certain Toyota models now come only as hybrids - Prius, Sienna, Camry, and the new 2026 RAV4. From what I have read they are all very reliable, though I would avoid the 2026 RAV4 since it's a redesign, and redesigned vehicles always come with a few "issues". All new RAV4's in the USA are AWD.

AI tells me that the Jeep Cherokee is also only sold in a hybrid version.

 

[Ronstar]

Keep your truck or get a 4wd crew cab F150. Need a truck for up north.

 

[street]

If you live in the north where snow and ice I would think you would want AWD or 4WD something. I got a Maverick also and I get around in a lot of snow. I have been very impressed.
I could not survive without a pickup but you may not need that box your do much pulling.

 

[Jerry1]

Keep your truck or get a 4wd crew cab F150. Need a truck for up north.

My truck is a 4WD crew cab.

 

[azxracer]

We've got a 2015 Subaru Outback with 80K miles on it. I've been considering a new car and the Subaru is at the top of a short list. The other car is a 2003 Miata. Used to be my daily driver but now it's mostly a weekend and golf car. Clubs go in the front seat. I'd say we are a car and half family. I drive the Subie unless we both HAVE to be somewhere different. Then I drive the Miata. I put about 1500 miles a year on the Miata. Most just to keep it active.

 

[skyking1]

My truck is a 4WD crew cab.

and does not fit.
We got my wife's 2002 beetle from a lady in Ballard that could not park it in her condo spot. A beetle!
She got a mini that was a few inches shorter.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Subaru also has superior AWD technology and comes standard except for the BRZ.

 

[audreyh1]

We switched to a single vehicle 25 years ago after retiring. It’s worked very well for us. We’ve always had some type of SUV.

It’s really nice having only one vehicle in the garage.

 

[brett]

When we moved to a rental condo we decided to get rid of one car. The thought was that we could rent a car any time we needed one. Never had a need to rent a car.

When we purchased a home with a 2 car garage we did buy another car. A convertable. We have two cars now. Convertable in the summer and SUV for the winter.

 

[Koolau]

Personally, I would keep both cars and park the truck on the street. I own a condo and each person only gets one parking space so couples that have two vehicles have to park one car on the street.

Even though retired I think it would be a pain to have to coordinate schedules to share a car. There’s something to be said to have the ability to just go somewhere when you feel like it.

Only significant issue we've had with going to one car (from two) is when the one car became disabled (totally dead battery). I had to get someone to bring me a battery rather than go get one. Only once in the past 3 years has this been an issue. Otherwise, we either travel together or plan our separate trips carefully. We save a bundle by ditching one car.

 

[freedomatlast]

Only significant issue we've had with going to one car (from two) is when the one car became disabled (totally dead battery). I had to get someone to bring me a battery rather than go get one.

A $60 mini jump pack will alleviate that issue.

 

[CaliKid]

We went to one car and love it overall. Yes, occasionally one of us has to change plans and/or take an Uber but overall it's great having so much garage space.

I'd just keep the Caddie. In a few years you can buy something different. You probably don't drive that much that it really matters. We have a mid-size SUV and my golf clubs do just fine in there!

 

[CaliKid]

Only significant issue we've had with going to one car (from two) is when the one car became disabled (totally dead battery). I had to get someone to bring me a battery rather than go get one. Only once in the past 3 years has this been an issue. Otherwise, we either travel together or plan our separate trips carefully. We save a bundle by ditching one car.

AAA delivers and installs them fast... at least here in Vegas. That's a great example of where I like to pay for convenience.

 

[DrRoy]

We live in MI, and went to one vehicle 6 mo. after RE. The first one was a Honda CRV. We liked it very much. We started taking month long trips out west in the spring, and found that the CRV was just a bit tight for all the stuff that we liked to have with us for the trip, plus some acquisitions that would come home. 4 years ago we switched to a Toyota Highlander Hybrid. We have been even happier with that.

 

[Koolau]

A $60 mini jump pack will alleviate that issue.

Not in this case. I had two of those jump packs (one for the car with the dead battery and one for the "retired" car). Additionally, I had a full sized DeWalt or Cat jumper battery (sealed lead acid). NONE of them w*rked on the dead cell. I thought they would but, they did not this time. I'd used them before when I let the battery run down - and they each w*rked like a charm.

 

[folivier]

Look at a Buick Enclave. I compared our 2023 to a Cadillac and our Buick is roomier and seats are more comfortable. Drive train is basically the same. Our Buick has massaging front seats which are great on a long trip. Buick is a true 3 row SUV. The middle has captain's chairs and the 3rd row is actually comfortable, meaning I can fit in it. And with the 3rd row up there is plenty of room in the trunk for your clubs. And Buick ranks much higher than Cadillac in reliability.
Ours is AWD and does great in snow at our cabin.

 

[Ronstar]

My truck is a 4WD crew cab.

I would normally say this is the perfect 1 vehicle setup. But after reading your first post again - seeing that your truck doesn't fit in the garage - I recommend getting a truck or SUV that does fit.

Our Az condo had a small 1 car garage that my truck couldn't squeeze into. Probably about the same size as your garage. But my former Jeep Grand Cherokee fit fine in my small garage. Something like a 4wd Jeep Grand Cherokee would work well for a 1 vehicle family up north.

And my Grand Cherokee did better in the snow than my current F-150. And it handled a decent load with the back seats folded down.

Lots of similar SUVs out there to choose from. Good luck in finding what works best for you!

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We went to one car over 5 years ago and never looked back. No conflicts or issues. We have leased a new one every 2 years so far. Current one is a VW Tiguan R-Line, a perfect vehicle for our requirements.

 

[Dtail]

Just one car means that it needs to be reliable with top safety rating. I would highly recommend a Subaru. I didn't read about the size, but I would go with an Ascend for size, comfort and its EyeSight technology (adaptive cruise control). We owned 4 Subarus (Legacy, Outback, Outback and Ascend), before then 3 BMWs, 1 Volvo, 1 lousy Lexus, 1 Honda and current a Cadillac Lyriq. Subaru wins hands down by all counts. Cadillac - rated the most unreliable car, stay away from it.

And just think before foreign cars took a foothold in the USA, many families aspired to a Cadillac as a sign they made it.

 

[Dtail]

Personally, I would keep both cars and park the truck on the street. I own a condo and each person only gets one parking space so couples that have two vehicles have to park one car on the street.

Even though retired I think it would be a pain to have to coordinate schedules to share a car. There’s something to be said to have the ability to just go somewhere when you feel like it.

Agree. That is why we have 2 vehicles and some use of a 3rd one if needed owned by my brother.
Plus in a household where there are daily or almost daily hobbies which are separate (Pickleball/Pilates), one vehicle would never cut it.

 

[Tetto]

Subaru Outback is the easy choice for all the reasons other folks posted. It’s a great, reliable car with really well thought out amenities. I have a 2025 Outback and love this car(technically SUV).

 

[Fermion]

I have to try a Ford Maverick some day. I keep eying that 42mpg. Our 2017 F150 gets 21, which isn't bad for a truck but it has 71,000 miles on it now. I start getting nervous approaching 100,000, just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

[bobandsherry]

I really like my 2024 Nautilus Hybrid. Has Blue Cruise, it's AWD, has plenty of space for cargo (just get cargo shade to hide the clubs), comfortable seats (did a 14 hour ride) and good legroom in front and back seats. Drop a few more bucks and you can get massaging seats. With eCvt transmission it's rides buttery smooth and being a hybrid (not plug-in) I get around 30 mpg (just good ol' 87 octane), not bad for a vehicle of this size with turbo. And the 48 inch panoramic dash is pretty slick looking.

 

[target2019]

Tagging along for the info. Smart thread.