We have moved into a new house with a steep driveway. We have a Mitsi Outlander and a 2010 Corolla. The Corolla bottoms out at the end of the driveway and has done about 220k so we are looking at replacing it with a car that has better ground clearance and a higher driving position as with kids it’s easier to strap them in the higher Outlander than the Corolla.
We don’t need another SUV and we don’t need 4wd but struggling to find a higher hatch or wagon that would fit the bill. Anything SUV shaped seems to be 2-4K more expensive than its hatchback equivalent. Case in point Outback vs Legacy
Does the MB have any recommendations? Budget is $10k
pico42,
Feb 13, 5:15am
Buy a hatch or wagon and lift it?
monaro17,
Feb 13, 5:16am
You would be looking at something along the lines of a Suzuki SX4 (or later named S-Cross). I believe they have slightly higher ground clearance, however I could be wrong.
Unfortunately for you, it does sound like due to the break over angle of your driveway you may well be hamstrung to an SUV type vehicle solely for ground clearance.
curlcrown,
Feb 13, 5:17am
Many of the SUV cars come in either two or four wheel drive and the two wheel drive ones tend to be cheaper but will still have the advantage of the ground clearance.
bill-robinson,
Feb 13, 5:20am
subaru forrester
monaro17,
Feb 13, 5:21am
Not practical with modern electronic safety systems. Raising the centre of mass would play havoc with sensors
franc123,
Feb 13, 5:27am
Surely a 2WD RAV4 would do the job? I know it's got a bigger engine than probably what's desirable but that's a compromise you may have to live with.
amasser,
Feb 13, 5:27am
Can the dip, or hump, in the driveway be fixed?
sw20,
Feb 13, 5:34am
Probably cheaper than buying a different car too.
marte,
Feb 13, 6:08am
Audi Allroad has adjustable ride heights.
tygertung,
Feb 13, 6:34am
Mitsubishi RVR? Might be a bit older now though.
bazfan,
Feb 13, 7:25am
Thanks for the posts. It’s a shared driveway with 3 other houses and they all have utes or SUVs. All those are good recommendations but as it’s a SUV type car I can’t find any under 10k
I’m thinking a Dualis but have not read good reviews of their CVT reliability and owners here in NZ don’t seem to service the CVT here
msigg,
Feb 13, 7:51am
RAV 4 would be better than the duallis, with toyota you have reliability, or you could go Honda crv we had an older one of these that lasted till 260 then sold, no problems, or smaller like jazz just go to the dealers and take a few different ones for a drive and call into your property and try.
tamarillo,
Feb 13, 10:07am
Ground clearance is A factor but overhangs and angles of front and back also factor in. Some normal height cars have shorter overhangs and manage fine. Wondering about a Mini, they’re not high but have tiny overhangs so angles might mean it doesn’t scrape.
kazbanz,
Feb 13, 10:09am
Bazfan-Throwing ideas at you here. 1) Subaru exiga 2) Mitsubishi Delica D5 both may be the answer to your issue. BUT equally it might be an idea to get a price to flatten out the last 3.0 m of your driveway. From a financial point of view that might be less expensive given then you can buy a "normal " vehicle
stevo2,
Feb 13, 11:22am
I was going to say the exact same thing. If your spoiler or rear valance are scraping, then simply look for a car with short front and/or rear overhangs. Either that or buy an SUV.
poppy62,
Feb 13, 2:02pm
Mercedes B180. quite a few to choose from in your price bracket 2010 on. Really well equipped, easy access and short overhang. Worth checking out.
s_nz,
Feb 13, 2:35pm
Most sources had the ground clearance as 134mm. Basically the same as the 135mm of the current corolla hatch.
poppy62,
Feb 13, 2:41pm
Check the Overhang, which could be the clearance factor. Other choice would be the Citroen C5 with the Adjustable suspension height.
s_nz,
Sep 14, 4:48am
@bazfan
Is you corolla high centering or scraping a bumper?
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