is Dodge Nitro a chick car?

[pontius]

I MUST have a new car. my car is 10 years old and is about to fall apart. it's embarrassing to drive it to work (it's an Explorer in case anybody was wondering).
my wife *thinks* that she MUST have a new car. and she thinks it MUST be a Ford Expedition.
so, we're going to trade her car (a Yukon) and sell my Explorer to the first illegal alien that comes along and wants to buy it. but to get two new cars for a manageable payment, mine is going to have to be cheap.
these Dodge Nitro are pretty dirt cheap. to me, they look kind of cool, but something about them looks to me like a "chick car". does anybody else get this vibe? does anybody have one or have any opinions on them? I know they are fairly small, but is the size comparable to an Explorer? I can get a 2008 for around $12,500.
the only other choice from this particular car lot is a Jeep Patriot. which is kind of cool. and it's 4x4. but it's about $2500 more and some Jeeps don't have very good reputations.
that's all.

 

[crypt keeper]

IMO yes they are. The base model really is. They scream soccer mom who wants to be cooler than a Minivan. Unless you get the Srt Model with the all wheel drive turbo engine. They are sweet little tuner cars. I would get the Jeep. What about a used Wrangler 4 door with low miles and warranty? They are awesome in the summer. Take the top off and all 4 doors. Small lift kit 35 inch tires. Its a man truck IMO.
For $15,000 is what you wanna spend you could do way better than the nitro.

 

[pontius]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3148199
IMO yes they are. The base model really is. They scream soccer mom who wants to be cooler than a Minivan. Unless you get the Srt Model with the all wheel drive turbo engine. They are sweet little tuner cars. I would get the Jeep. What about a used Wrangler 4 door with low miles and warranty? They are awesome in the summer. Take the top off and all 4 doors. Small lift kit 35 inch tires. Its a man truck IMO.
For $15,000 is what you wanna spend you could do way better than the nitro.

what would be better for $15000? I have 2 small children (a newborn and a 3 year old), so I have no need or want for a convertible Jeep.

 

[crypt keeper]

In a few years that new born will be 3 and that 3 year old will be 6. They will love it. Plus they come with a hard top option. Im just giving you an idea.
For $15000 new or newish? truck guy or suv guy?

 

[aw2x3]

I don't think they're "chick cars" at all. I'd pick one up and wouldn't think twice about it.

 

[cranberry]

Nope, doesn't look like a chick car... unless it's like only knee high or something.

 

[pontius]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3148203
For $15000 new or newish? truck guy or suv guy?
$15000 for 2007 or newer. SUV or truck. if it's a truck, it has to be crew cab. and imho, small crew cab trucks (like the Chevy Colorado) are way overpriced. and I like the convertible Jeeps, but they are overpriced too imo. though they do seem to hold their value well. but a lot of Jeeps, particularly the Wranglers, have reputations as being lemons.

 

[mantisman51]

Nitro is a Jeep Liberty in Dodge clothing. A tough little SUV. But, the v6 model gets bad fuel mileage. Whatever the EPA sticker is-forget it. They get 15-18 mpg city and 20-22 mpg highway. But, heckuva little ute.

 

[crypt keeper]

Im not a new car guy. Im a new bike guy not cars. They have no resale value anymore and the warrantys are amazing now a days. You would be hard pressed to find a full sized truck crew cab for 15K The Nitro with some tasteful mods could pass as a decent suv. It just screams old guy trying to be cool IMO.

 

[reefraff]

Originally Posted by mantisman51
http:///forum/post/3148218
Nitro is a Jeep Liberty in Dodge clothing. A tough little SUV. But, the v6 model gets bad fuel mileage. Whatever the EPA sticker is-forget it. They get 15-18 mpg city and 20-22 mpg highway. But, heckuva little ute.
How did you get that kind of mileage out of a Liberty? The wife had one and we got rid of it right before gas prices went on that crazy spike. The thing got maybe 17 on the highway but it didn't give up any problems.
If I were looking for function as far as hauling the kids around I would look at the 2 wheel drive ford escapes, they will pull around 30 on the highway.
For cool looking I would look at those Toyota FJ's or whatever they are, nice looking ride and the price wasn't that bad.

 

[dragonzim]

Get the Nitro. Definitely more of a guy car than the Patriot.

 

[mantisman51]

Manual tranny w/v6. But the sticker said 26 highway.

 

[aquaknight]

To be honest, I don't see why you're interested in a small Crossover. If your wife is getting an Expedition, you basically have your 'truck' needs covered with that. I could understand if you need a truck with a bed to haul dirty stuff, but you can't do that in a Nitro. A mid-size sedan has more ******** space, and probably has more usable space in the trunk then the Nitro's hatch.
Its just that I don't see why. My parents are the same way, and it bugs the crap out of me. We have 3 SUVs. My Dad has an Envoy, my Mom a new Suburban, and they have a 2001 Suburban I use to haul the dogs to the creek in. I could understand if like you both work for a boat company, and both need real SUVs to tow boats at different times around or something. But my parents don't, my Mom works from home, and my Dad occasionally tows something.
I guess I'm just a traditionalist with cars. If I seems like I'm prodding or whining, I apologize. If you just want basic point a to b, car that isn't going to get you laughed at, it's fine. I'm a car-guy, and I just can't see pedaling around in a overly heavy/painfully slow Nitro. I would get something fun and fast (really can't get luxurious with a 2008 under $15k). But the top probably would be a 2008/9 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. Yea, if an ******** panel is hard, or rattles, DGAF. It's a beast, 0-60 in 5 seconds, only car under $40k that has launch control, and is an animal around the racetrack. (Smoked some serious jap rice, and a C&D shootout, Evo's, S2000, Lexus IS F);
CarAndDriver 2008 Lighting Lap results (PDF)
http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezfl...5d3c4cd280.pdf

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/3148247
To be honest, I don't see why you're interested in a small Crossover
Some people, myself included, are just not car people. I've only owned 2 cars in my life. Everything else has been a truckSUV of some sort and I can't see that ever changing at this point.

 

[mantisman51]

Nitro isn't a cross-over.

While it is a unibody, it is on a truck-based chassis, not a car platform. Which is why the mileage is so much less than cross-overs. Toyota Pretenza er Venza is a perfect example, as are the myriad Lexi. The Nitro has towing capability and a real 4wd is far better in a snowy climate than awd. Plus, if someone wants to explore America's great outdoors, they can handle the axle busting dirt roads and trails where the pretenders would be left spewing fluids from the drivetrain of the fragile car-based pretenders. Add to that decent on-road ride comfort and it is no mystery why they are popular. Having had 3 crumb-crunchers, I can attest to the pain in the back of stowing kids and cargo in ankle high compacts. BTW, the soon-to-be-dead Caliber may be uglier than sin, but it would be better for families than the tiny soon-to-be-dead Cobalt.

 

[egill]

Toyota 4-runner. We have a 2008 v6 SR5 4wheel drive and it has plenty of power. Wife drives mainly that but I don't mind taking it instead of my 06' eclipse.

 

[reefraff]

Originally Posted by mantisman51
http:///forum/post/3148378
Nitro isn't a cross-over.

While it is a unibody, it is on a truck-based chassis, not a car platform. Which is why the mileage is so much less than cross-overs. Toyota Pretenza er Venza is a perfect example, as are the myriad Lexi. The Nitro has towing capability and a real 4wd is far better in a snowy climate than awd. Plus, if someone wants to explore America's great outdoors, they can handle the axle busting dirt roads and trails where the pretenders would be left spewing fluids from the drivetrain of the fragile car-based pretenders. Add to that decent on-road ride comfort and it is no mystery why they are popular. Having had 3 crumb-crunchers, I can attest to the pain in the back of stowing kids and cargo in ankle high compacts. BTW, the soon-to-be-dead Caliber may be uglier than sin, but it would be better for families than the tiny soon-to-be-dead Cobalt.
4 wheel better than AWD? Get serious. Only advantage to 4 wheel is you might get out of a ditch better if you slide off the road but as long as you are on the pavement AWD is far better.

 

[mantisman51]

Egill, we're talking $15k or so. New 4runners are $30k+. And your 6th sense is not wrong. I, a former Toyota tech, despise the over-glorified rice burners.

 

[mantisman51]

Notice the conditions I mentioned reef? But, awd is till sub-par, in my snow experience. I am originally from Idaho and had to deal with the white-sh*t too much. That's why I'm still digging the desert.

 

[reefraff]

Originally Posted by mantisman51
http:///forum/post/3148465
Notice the conditions I mentioned reef? But, awd is till sub-par, in my snow experience. I am originally from Idaho and had to deal with the white-sh*t too much. That's why I'm still digging the desert.
Then you should be familiar with the conditions of western Montana. I drove for a living there and ice, snow, whatever 4 wheel drive on the pavement is next to worthless unless you happen to be breaking out snow drifts or plowing. The wife had one of the cool transfer cases in her Liberty 2 Hi, 4 Hi, 4 Lo and all wheel drive. Covered all the bases there.