Heading to the Clagary Auto Show to try on some cars. I try on cars the way I try on shoes, I have size 14EEE feet :)

We've been driving a very basic 94 Corolla that I got in school. It's been a great car, but it has its drawbacks for longer trips. No AC is a killer in the summer, and every time we go to Sask. in winter we seem to hit a storm on the way back. Calgary's snow/melt/freeze cycles seem to guarantee plenty of ice on the streets, so I'm aiming for All Wheel Drive. A clock would be nice, the Corolla doesn't have a clock - I said it was basic. I'm looking to balance space/price/fuel economy.

So that leads to the compact SUV market - Here are some cars/suvs I'm looking to try on

Subaru Legacy / Outback
Toyota Matrix
Toyota Highlander
Honda CRV
Honda Pilot
Hyyndai Sante Fe
KIA Sorrento
Mazda Tribute / Ford Escape

If we don't buy one this year I'd defiantly want to look at the SUV Gas/Electric Highbred vehicles set to come out next year. Though I don't know if they'd be in our price range.

I took a Saturn VUE for a test drive on Saturday, it's a contender but as the driver I found my left shoulder was up tight against the door, so it's not a perfect fit. I also found the road noise to be more than I expected. On the plus side it handled well in a significant amount of snow and has plenty of cargo space - and I think it looks cool.

If you have one of these units please let me know what you think.

-Peace