At $4 per gallon, you have to ask what you really need in a vehicle.

Is it ok to be a little underpowered on the rare occasions that you have to tow, haul, etc., if its also your daily highway vehicle.

I turned in my Man Card and parked my full-size truck three years ago. I now do the majority of my hunting in my wife's old 2000 Subaru Forester which I inherited when she got a new car.

So far, I have to say that I'm liking it. It gets twice the mileage of my truck, and while I can't go everywhere in the little all-wheel-drive Forester that I could in the truck, I can go enough places to justify the trade-off. It rides much better than the truck and I can fit a couple dog crates and enough gear for a multi-day hunt. And if I need more space I'll just tow a little utility trailer or a dog trailer without much of a gas hit.

I'll still drive the truck when it's muddy or I know the roads are gonna be horrible, but it's mostly been relegated to wood-hauling duty these days.

So count me as a downsizing proponent.I like hunting out of the Subaru so well that when it does finally die I'll probably go ahead and buy another small SUV.

Hmmm. I just upsized. Taking the station wagon down the snowmobile trails and logging roads was just getting a little too sketchy. Of course, it is as they say: with a 4wd, you just get stuck further in to the woods than you would with a car.

Between me and my wife we’ve had four Liberty’s, two, and the present, of them: Renegades.

IMHO these Jeep models are perfect 4x4 SUV’s. Mileage isn’t great, but it’s not bad on the highway. Around town and in 4x4 engaged it drinks gas like a camel. This Jeep shines for hauling and off-roading while keeping gas mileage *acceptable*. I’ve found the small with the Chevy S-10 platform. Their engines and drive trains are robust and reliable. Fords, I’ve not experienced.

I’ve seen the smaller SUV’s owned and worked. The owners have constant problems with the 4x4 system. The engines are good, but over worked easily. When loaded the gas criteria is often killed dead.

Also important for me, there are lots and lots of used parts available for Liberty’s and Chevy S-10’s.

I'm really waiting for diesel engines and the 6-spd transmissions becoming available in this country like they are already in Europe. Look there for our future driving pleasures.

The problem with many of the downsized vehicles is that they actually get the same or worse gas mileage. Compare the chevy colorado to the silverado; or the toyota tacoma to the tundra.

I parked my truck years ago, the 100 mile round trip to work didn't make since when gas got to $3 a gallon. I drive a chevy equinox (small suv) now and get about 24mph overall. If I get drawn for wyoming antelope this year; we will be taking my wifes minivan.

As mentioned before, nothing beats a truck for utility but getting by on something less provides more hunting opportunities and thats a trade off I would take every time.

I drive an older Jeep Cherokee. I'd love to replace it with something smaller with better mileage but still decent cargo/towing/snow capability/etc. A Subaru or other small SUV (like the jeep in the photo) sure would be nice.

I can't downsize any smaller from my Ford Ranger, small, big enough for hogs, great when it comes to gas and can hold my bow with ease.

I WOULD NOT TRADE MY 2005 CHEVY SIVERADO EXTENDED CAB 4X4 FOR A SMALLER VEHICLE. IT DOESN'T GET GOOD MILAGE BUT IT WILL HAUL EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE KITCHEN SINK ALONG WITH 4 PASSENGERS. EVERYONE PUTS SOME LOOT IN THE GAS KITTY SO IT'S NOT REALLY A PROBLEM. MY BEST FRIEND IS A WORLD CLASS MECHANIC AND HE SAYS THAT LETTING ANY VEHICLE SIT FOR ANY LENTH OF TIME IS BAD NEWS. SEALS, HOSES, AND BELTS DETERIORATE QUICKY SO ITS USE IT OR LOSE IT. I KEEP IT WELL TUNED WITH FREQUENT OIL CHANGES AND FILTERS. LIKE THEY SAY AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.

Could somebody explain to me why driving a subaru is turnning in your man card. They are very safe and extremely reliable. Inexpensive to buy and operate. I guess I am secure enough in who I am not to worry about things like that.

Carl Huber quote "I have always found it amusing that people bit*h and moan about paying $4.00 for a gallon of gas. Yet think nothing of paying $2.00 for a small bottle of water or $3.50 for a power drink [salty water] in a camo bottle."

I hear you what you are saying Carl, but.....I buy my water for hunting trips by the case. It ends up being about .15 cents per bottle and I don't drink Gatorade or "power drinks".

BTW, I've been driving 4 cylinder cars/trucks for 25 years and I like getting 25-35 mpg and I hate giving the oil companies more than I have to.

I actually upgraded and recently bought a chevy silverado 1,500 crew cab with 5.3 and I really like it. It does use a lot of gas. I was driving a Subaru outback wagon and loved that car but the rough roads beat the crap out of it and I really got sick of replacing a set of tires everytime i popped one due to the all wheel drive. Don't get me wrong I loved my Subaru but there are certain things I due that require more power and a truck bed.

I have a 2008 chevy impala that I put a trailer hitch on, it serves all of my hunting/range needs well. I have a hitch-mounted cargo carrier to throw dear carcasses or extra storage on, and the trunk is HUGE. It's a big car too, nice looking, rated 30 MPG HWY.

I believe I could pull my 17 ft boat with it, it does have a V6, but I am hesitant to do so because of the wear it could cause on my transmission or brakes

I've been hunting at 20mpg since '02.
Dodge 1 ton dually, flatbed. Six speed standard transmission. Tough to beat Cummins diesel! Keep oil and filters changed and I'm still getting 20mpg at 315K miles!
Repairs:
1 water pump $75.
No 6 injector line $125.
315k miles and $200 in repairs?I'll pay a little more for fuel.
My longest drive is 54 miles. Round-trip! I hunt it for free other than 2.5 gallons of fuel!

I will be driving my Chevy crewcab 1/2 ton for at least two more years unless the business really takes off.
I used to hunt out of a Subaru Forester and that was one great rig. It could fit all my stuff and was more nimble than the Chevy. I'm not sure what the next vehicle will be. It will depend on whether I am still doing design build or just design. As they say "The best plan is a flexible plan". I have always liked Jeeps so maybe that will be the way I go.
I think I lost my "man card". Last time I saw it is was with the "get out of jail free" and "life is fair" cards. I'm sure it's around here somewhere.

A couple years after our second child came along we replaced my regular cab 2500 Ram with a new Honda Ridgeline. No where near as much truck, but one handy family rig, the trunk in these things are genius.

Not me!

Lets see?

Good hunting vehicle?

One you can toss your hunting hat, glasses, gloves, turkey call and a box of shells (name a few) on the dash board that gets you dar & back again

We have three toyota 4runners. They get 22mpg, have LOCKERS (!) from the factory, and cannot be stuck. In snow, mud, muck, anything. They are, I belive, the ultimate rig. With roof racks I am unstoppable.

Bring enough truck.
I'll never trade in my full size chevy.

I still use my F150, but several years ago I bought a newer one. My vehicle has to be much more than a hunting rig, it wears many hats. Towing tractors and bobcats up and down the road requires a vehicle capable of such. However, it's not as bad as my college days, when I'd pack two buddies and a deer carcass into a '68 Volkswagen Beetle. Those were the days, my friend!

Trend, yep think so. Guess I'm fortunate. I have a '97 GMC that I drive to work once a week, and use when needed. Just bought a Subaru Outback a month or so ago. Gets 28 mpg, and am really enjoying it. The "Suub" has enought room for most things, and I wouldn't hesitate to take it to the woods. Good post Phil.

Interesting comments, everyone! My tried and true hunting rig is an '84 Toyota 4WD pickup with the bulletproof 22R engine. My pride and joy though is my 1969 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser. Recently restored and now too nice to bang up, it will still go "where no man has gone before." Just don't expect a soft ride, nice music or heated cup holders.

I've got to agree with BarkeyVA right above me here. In the vast majority of situations, acquiring a different vehicle to get better gas mileage is economically inefficient. Where I am out in California, a lot of smug people drive Priuses. I delight in telling them that it's better for their wallet and for the environment to buy a used car that gets pretty good mileage and then just keep it running, rather than buying a newly manufactured car.

To that end, only the luckiest of us get to hunt enough that our gas mileage on hunting trips is a relevant factor. The real problem is when your hunting vehicle is also your primary vehicle. So unless you need a truck or SUV for your day job, it makes more sense to drive a gas-efficient little car to work every day and then buy a beat up old truck solely for hunting trips. If you're not a princess about a little rust or some dents or the condition of the interior, you'd be amazed at what you can find for about the cost of a good scope.

Sir Phil, one big advantage about your rig, you can preload it and when you get home worry about unloading it the next day or so and not worry about your gear.

All very good points and and personal comments. If I may I would just like to add two more conditions Relativity and Reality. Looking back the price of gas in the late 60's was .40 cent a gallon $2.95 in today's money. Any car I drove back then [except a VW] wouldn't break 10MPG. Then in the mid 70's there was a gas shortage and low mileage used cars went for more than they were new. Water was free unless you went to a Soda Fountain. Then it was two cents, but they put bubbles in it. Fast forward to today. You have more technically built engines that deliver high MPG in lighter vehicles. Now we come to reality. People buy large off road vehicles that never go off road. People buy light trucks to pull heavier loads. Just because there cheaper in the short run. I think it takes a cool head to know what you really need and will fill your needs. PS I'm going to post a picture of my Dad in his 1938 Auburn he bought cheap. If you saw the second Indian Jones movie the little Asian kid drove the same high powered model. The reason being gas was being rationed and denatured alcohol wasn't. He was house painter got alcohol by the 55 gal drum. I think that is were the relief lies. I saw a program with Junior Johnson who ran his bootlegging cars on a mix. He echoed what my Dad said about performance. I think that alternaive will fix a lot of our woes.

I can not see the justification in trading in a truck that is paid for for a new or used vehicle that would not be. Here in WV you need a truck to access the coverts that the ruffed grouse occupy. I can't use something with 6 inches of ground clearance unless I want to tear it all the Hades in a couple of trips. The difference between 19 mpg for my 4WD 4 door Toyota Tacoma and a 30 mpg whatever just doesn't cut the financial mustard here folks. I don't know where you guys and gals go but there are ruts in the trails and gravel on the roads. I don't want to take an extra hour to get to the locked gates and I want to be sure I get out after the hunt in the snow and mud. The Tacoma is seven years old now and tight in the front end still after 15,000 miles on Forest Service Roads. Never been front end aligned yet! There is not a unibody constructed vehicle out there that can do that without really babying it on those kind of roads.

I am not planning on downsising, right now I have a 1995 Dodge 2500 12 Valve Cummins and I am getting 23 miles per gallon. It has a long box so I can fit my ATV, or deer that I harvest perfectly. Plus I live on a farm so I have to haul cattle and other things with it. I wouldnt be able to use a car.

I was very disappointed this year when not even one light p/up was introduced with a 3lt diesel engine. If i could get the tacoma (hi-lux) king cab 4x4 i would be out of my silverado like a shot. 35 mpg and 300ftlbtq. Damn EPA meddlers.

I have been driving a Jeep Wrangler since 2008, and it's worked great as a hunting vehicle. I can get to a few places that a lot of other vehicles cant. Also, I baught a reinforced hitch and then got a 1,000 pound limit gear rack for animals, coolers, etc.

I had a Tacoma that I left behind when we moved to Norway. Gas is almost $12 per gallon, diesel is about $10. We bought a Skoda Superb diesel station wagon, which is slightly larger than a VW Passat/Audi A6. I average 58 mpg. Don't take it past the trailhead when hunting reindeer (no motorised vehicles allowed anyway)and all is right.

I have been contemplating this issue for sometime now. But I think that I am going to stay with my 2010 F-150 crew-cab w/ 5.4 V8. I am getting 17-18 mpg everywhere that I am going. I do not have to do much in-town driving, and only have a 7 mile trip to work. I have thought about getting a subaru, but I am concerned that there will not be enough clearance. If I trade for anything it will be an F-150 with a super crew cab or an older toyota 4runner. I just need to have enough room and hp to haul the dogs and all the boats and decoys.

crm3006,

Spoken like a true Sky Soldier!

WAM

My 2008 Tundra 5.7L dual cab with an A.R.E cap is used exclusively for hunting and towing. It has plenty of room for dogs gear and passengers. I tow a 35' TT to hunts and vacationing. I need this size vehicle for my lifestyle and comfort. I believe that if I would calculate my total weight of cargo and compare it to a more "fuel efficient" vehicle, my Tundra would indeed be more fuel effecient. I don't use it to go to the store or run errands. I use my '93 23mpg well kept Cadillac for that. Take a serious look at total cost and safety for your individual needs. Everyone has a different lifestyle.

We downsized from a full size Bronco to a Subaru Impreza Outback Sport and Suzuki Sidekick and also downsized from a Jayco Tent Trailer to a Dinoot. We can go anywhere and our campsite is set up in minutes even in the dark. It makes the trips less expensive so we can go out more.

No. There are a few areas where I won't compromise, and vehicle capability is one of them. I have a four-door 4x4 Tundra V-8 and consistently get 20.2 mpg highway on trips.

Strangely, my four-door Tacoma V-6 TRD PreRunner gets only 22 mpg on the highway, despite weighing 1,700 pounds less and being 2WD. I expected better mpg based on the Tundra experience.

There are other, less critical areas where I can cut spending if need be. Smart phones and satellite TV are not necessary in my book.

Hornd; Don't care who owns the plant where my 15 year old Wranger was assembled. She has 175K and never given me a moments trouble and last I looked Toledo is still in the good old USA and that means American jobs. Jeep; Just short of indestructible. Now if they ever bring back the scrambler; I will think about trading up from Wrangers.

Oh Yah: Still get 22 MPG around town. Yep you heard me right.

I hauled a buck home in the back of a Saab 900 hatchback once. I cut the lower legs off the deer and with the rear seats folded down, the deer fit inside just fine. With four studded snow tires that car would go almost anyplace I needed to get to to hunt.

My current hunting vehicle is a 3/4 ton Dodge Cummins 2WD, but my next hunting vehicle will be a small diesel hatchback. I would rather save my money for retirement.

Let me suggest the Subaru Outback. My 1997 version served as primary transportation for 160K miles as well as for hunting and fishing. It tows a jonboat well, and with a deer carrier mounted into the trailer hitch, it will take you in air conditioned comfort anywhere an ATV will take you on a hunting outing.

having owned one of Fords anemic 4 cylinders before, i would not be quick to sign up for another one. the ranger i had could barely pull itself around, let alone pull anything. besides that, it was a 20mpg wonder as well (ok, 22mpg). the 1967 Dodge Monaco i had right after high school would get 20mpg on the highway, with a 270ish hp 383 cu in big block. those days are gone, and for good reason. but i can not help but miss at least some of the power of older cars. the cure is a simple one. but no manufacturer has yet to offer it. a variable boost supercharger. linked directly to the accelerator. anything below 1/2 throttle, and no boost would be created. but above 1/2 throttle, it would make a huge difference, and for emission testing, would have very little, if any effect. in this day of computer controlled everything, it should be no problem for an engineer to put tight limits on rpm, boost, etc. assuring the engine would not turn into a rotary grenade. of course, this makes sense, so do not expect to see anything like this from an american car manufacturer. if done on a large scale, the cost would be reasonable. and of course, it would need to be an option. granny does not need the extra power to go get groceries and prescriptions.

I havent necessarily downsized just got what i could with my means. The truck i got as my picture is a 1990 dodge ram 250 4x4 diesel. It was 2k to buy, and i've spent about 2k extra fixing it up so i got a pretty good hunting/work truck for about 1/16th of what i would pay for a truck like this brand new. I use a 09 camry for my work comute, and my wifes got the 12 acadia for the kids. I hunt locally so if my truck breaks down or gets stuck im pretty much ok. If i ever start making bank enough to drive from AL to Montana to hunt up there then i'd obviously have to upsize. I dont think its what you drive i think its how you drive it. If you got a 12 point strapped to the top of a subaru or ford focus, then Awesome! I'd want to know how you bagged that big boy, not how you got the car in and out of the woods.

Mark-1 wrote:

"I recall in Germany at horse shows seeing the locals pulling a loaded two-horse trailer with a VW. Do they know something we don't?"

Yeah, most vehicles have much larger engines than they need. The original 1948 land rover series 1 had a 1.6liter gasoline I4 that put out 50hp/101lb-ft in a 2590lb package.

If it works for you and gets the job done, thats all that matters.