What to buy -> car abroad

[dr. d]

buy japanese. they are generally better built.

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buy japanese. they are generally better built.

[Egan101]

When I went to the US for a long work assignment, one of the key considerations was getting a vehicle. I had limited options as I did not have a solid credit history even though having been to the US a couple of times before. I went out looking for vehicles that fit my limited budget. A lease is out of budget. Resale value of midsize and compacts are a bit high. Newer CUV's are also a bit high. FWD is a good all-year vehicle as some studies suggest that FWD does better in snowy conditions compared to RWD but AWD is better. In months with heavy snowfall, a vehicle with high ground clearance is advisable. So, I found myself a used Ford Expedition. Resale value is dirt cheap due to its high fuel consumption but it has AWD, high ground clearance, can easily seat a number of people (though not my concern that time), and I had the extra space to carry big stuff to fill the apartment we got (no need to rent U-Haul trucks). That 4.6L V8 truck (my daughter calls it the "big black bear") served me well for 2 years in Illinois. I had the confidence to ride out a foot of snowfall if the need arises. It even came handy when I helped out my Filipino teammates carry house stuff when they had to join a few months later. Parking is a challenge though in tight spots when I go to downtown Chicago. I had to live with its high FC but it is a small price to pay for all its purpose. I understood then why most common Americans have a big pickup truck or a mammoth SUV as it was primarily used as a family hauler or something to tow big things or buy equipment or load up for a month's worth of grocery.

Did I mention that it is one tough truck? I once experienced a slide, losing all traction, on dry powdery snow and the truck went out to the ditch beside the road. The truck just bobbed along, automatically engaged its 4x4 (my usual setting is AWD), went thru all the mud in the ditch, and we got back safely on the road. That taught me not to try drive again in dry powdery snow.