simon-n-Suzanne

Strange questions I know ... I'll separate for ease!

We've been in Calgary for a week now and O/H is still buying buffalo wings everywhere we go trying to find the best ones! In order to prevent his waistline from expanding unnecessarily can anyone recommend the best ones in calgary?

Also we have been searching for a 7 seater SUV (hope to spend lots of time skiing after very heavy snow fall and just know friends from the UK wont hire their own blardy car!!!!!). Anyway we are now totally confused as to what to look for. Thinking an 06 or 07 for about $15000 is this realistic and if so what type?

charlottyb

I have no idea about the wings!
But we drive a 2006 Volvo XC90 and it cost $28000( plus tax)so not sure if that is any help either, sorry!
Anyway, I love our SUV. It has 7 seats, huge boot, and all mod cons!! But it was more than you want to pay. Oh, and we have had it a year now.
Good luck with the search.

jericho

You can probably get a used (2006/07) vera cruz for around $20k.

Although, seems excessive to get a 7 seater the for week or two a year you'll need it. You can hire a car for about $150 a week...

airbornesapper

We have a 2006 XC90 AWD also....I agree, a great vehicle.....heavy on gas around town but no worse than others. It comes into its own though on the highway with better than average fuel economy.

By comparison, my last truck was a Chevy Colorado Crew cab...I miss the convenience of the SUV/Pick-up combo, and expected I would, so I bought a small utility trailer. The Colorado was just as crap around town on gas mileage.

Word to the wise on XC90s if you go that way...stay away from the T6 model (crap transmission) and you will be fine....and I would make sure the vehicle has good documentation...Google XC90s or look at edmunds.com for good info.

http://www.edmunds.com/volvo/xc90/2006/review.html

Editors' Rating 7.6/10

Consumer Rating: 8.8/10 (85 reviews)

If you buy a 2006, it will be too late to get a dealer extended warranty (either from Ford or Volvo)...so you will have to look at 2007 or newer...

Buying any used SUV, I recommend one owner, with evidence of meticulous maintenance or I do not touch it. If you buy a Volvo from Volvo or Ford they can pull the service history, at the very least check the vehicle service book. The Ford extended warranty is cheaper than the Volvo one (Ford owns Volvo) and for all intents and purposes it is the same policy. Don't pay more than 3800 for the Ford, 80,000KM/48 month....for Volvo add on another 600bucks.
But what do you get, new vehicle peace of mind on a vehicle that is 3-4 years old. My warranty has a 100 buck deductible, other than that it is same as new coverage.

My next SUV will be a BMW X3, possibly an XC60....with below average KMs and 3-4 years old with manufacturer extended warranty. These things can be expensive to fix. If you don't take the warranty, keep back 4k if you can and put it aside (SUV rainy day fund, which hopefully you won't use).

If something goes wrong the bills are never small, not my experience but I am a realist . If you can't afford to fix a large SUV...don't buy, as that is an expensive way of obtaining a paper weight.

As for wings, I want them banned...

G77

I have a Ford Freestyle - made the mistake of getting the first production year of it and had some teething issues with it, but generally it's a nice car, just get a decent warranty (I didn't)!

You should be able to pick up a nice one for $15k, they've now been rebranded Taurus X.

You could also look at Ford Explorer's, as these are available in 7 seats, but harder to find....

agr

Bloated SUV: 20,000 km per year at 11 mpg = $4k+ fuel
2WD regular car that will work just fine all year round with winter tires: 20,000 km at 33 mpg = about $1.5k fuel
Fuel saving: $2.5k
Full size SUV rental = $750 per week + insurance
Fuel saving buys 2-3 weeks SUV rental per year.
Reasons why this is a conservative figure:
1. Fuel will get more expensive
2. The SUV will cost more than the car in maintenance
3. SUVs will plummet in secondhand value when fuel gets more expensive
4. Your visitors won't visit as often as you think, and when they do, you won't spend the whole time on the road
5. If your visitors are too timid to rent their own car, they won't be interested in off-road trips in the SUV, so you'll get by with a minivan that's cheaper to rent
6. The rental agreement won't allow you to take the SUV anywhere that a minivan can't go anyway.

lmartin999

I have the same feelings about SUVs

TheThornes

Hi, welcome to Calgary although, technically, I'm not in Calgary but just outside in Cochrane!

Anyway, I too am no help insofar as the wings are concerned.

I'm no real expert on cars either but I drive a Toyota Sienna. I know Toyotas have been getting some bad press lately but I love it. I've had mine for a little over a year now and it was about 3 years old when I got it and within the price range you mentioned. I haven't looked into it but wouldn't be surprised if you can pick them very cheaply at the moment!

They come in 7 or 8 seater options. Mine has 8 seats and had a larger boot capacity than most similar size vehicles we looked at.

My husband has a Ford F150. He bought it new so not sure what they sell for second hand but it has 6 seats and a bigger towing capability if you're thinking of having a trailer or anything later on.

Anyway, hoping you're liking Calgary. We love it over here (been here 16 months now).

Steve_P

What they said ^^^^^^.

Trophy

Damn Prius owners



Not bothered about the wings, but will be looking to buy an SUV in around 3 weeks time.

Kev

Steve_P

Close (really close) but no cigar, thanks for playing.

Trophy

Okay, damn Toyota drivers then

laidback4

We've got a Dodge Journey which five seats plus a further two that pull up from inside the trunk space when we require them, a bit like the Vauxhall Zafira that we had in the UK except it will seat 7 adults rather than just kids in the back. We bought it for similar reasons to the OP, but I didn't like the idea of a minivan but liked the flexibility, so it offers the best of all worlds. It was a year old when we bought it last November for $21,000. You might get a slightly older one nearer your budget.

jimf

We looked at quite a few 7 seater minivans and SUVs and in the end went for the minivan.

Of the SUVs the Pilot/Pathfinder/Explorer just don't offer the internal space that the equivalent minivans Sienna/Odyssey/GrandCaravan do. To get better internal space would have meant a Yukon/Sequiola type vehicle which just seemed OTT and pricey.

For the budget you have in mind I think you'd get a GrandCaravan but probably not a Sienna or Odyssey. I doubt an Explorer would come inside that budget either. You can get a 4WD drive Sienna but they have run flat tyres which I would avoid.

We got the Odyssey in the end which I'm pretty happy with. I think a Sienna would have been okay also. Just been stuck the once this winter and that was my fault and without winter tyres. Winter tyres are on the list for next winter.

Oink

Top man, that’s a great project. Buffalo wings are the only major and worthwhile culinary contribution North America has ever made to Western civilization.

Hot Wings Canada