Fuel Efficient Outdoor Vehicle

I want a fuel efficient car so I can make trips out to Moab, Smith, Yosemite, J Tree, etc. without breaking my bank account. I also want something that is big enough to hold all my gear and big enough to sleep semi-comfortably if the back seats are down. If you know of anything that it is possible to put a roof rack on and also very efficient that would be great. I was thinking maybe a Honda Civic with a roof rack, but it's a bit small. Thanks!

Toyota RAV4 gets like 25 mpg’s...it’s a tough bill to fit! Maybe think about saving money by not paying for campsite fees when making plans.

People can say what they want about a Prius, but I love mine. I have the 2012 standard model (the C is slightly smaller, and there is a slightly larger version that almost looks like a minivan.) I average around 45mpg and I have comfortably slept two adults and a dog in the back with the seats folded down. Even without a roof rack we had enough space for our stuff, we would just move it to the back while we drove and to the front while we slept. A roof rack would obviously help with that. It’s not exactly an off road vehicle if that’s definitely an option you need, but I’ve had no trouble on moderate dirt/gravel roads.
move had mine for almost five years and 100k miles, and with the exception of oil and tires, I’ve only had to do about $500 worth of maintenance that whole time to get some break work done. I’d really recommend considering it. 

If you want something that is capable of off-roading, my Outback has been fantastic as a weekend Dirtbag-mobile. 30mpg, 25 with a rooftop carrier. Can sleep in it with a fair bit of my gear. Will take on anything a stock Wrangler could. Cheap too. 8/10

RAV4 seats don't fold flat or at least mine don't. The folded down seats are an inch or so higher than the rear deck. There is a transition piece so its not abrupt. But to sleep in the back I would add an extra pad to the rear deck to level the two.

I've seen some Prius down some tough roads. A buddy of mine broke his going down an even tougher road (a road that gave my Jeep work). In fact this past week I saw a Prius at a 4wd-"only" trailhead. They are ugly little cars (oh dear does that require redaction? Are ugly people offended?) though; both of them. Toyota makes good, no great cars but most of them are ugly as shit.

Old style Scion Xb if you’re under 5’10”

My first one was still running strong with 312,000 miles

My current is strong at 180,000

Tires, front pads and oil changes is the only maintenance I’ve had to do.
29-31 mpg

Have lived out of them for months at a time  

If I wasn’t so cheap, I’d upgrade to a rav4. 

What's your budget?

If possible by Toyota. http://www.dashboard-light.com/ Subarus don't score well on this site because they often need engine work (head gaskets) around 100-130K miles. But fix that and the will run 200-300K.

Rav 4s are good from 2006 on. Toyota Matrix are good, like a corolla but a wagon.

Prius is great, I have a plug in version averaging 69mpg. But seats don't fold flat. And very low clearance. Can put a rack on it. Hard to beat for total cost of ownership. A 2nd generation (<2009) with low miles could be the cheapest car to own that is reliable.

Outback is great all around. But not as reliable long term as Toyota. May need head gaskets. Look on cars101.com for pictures and measurements for all years to see which ones seats fold totally flat.

Honda CRV is another option.

Transit Connect if you want enough space to live in.

Fuel efficiency is the wrong thing to look at for both cost and environmental impact. Buying an older used car will save you a huge amount of money, and most of the environmental impact of a car comes from its production, not from driving it, so buying a used car and maintaining it well so that it lasts a long time prevents a newer car from having to be produced. If you can get an old car that is also fuel efficient, great, but my guess is based on cost and environmental impact, you'd be better off buying a cerca-2000 Toyota Tacoma than a 2015 anything mentioned on this thread.

Aerodynamic drag is important for fuel efficiency, especially for highway driving. Therefore, I would avoid putting anything on the roof. A cargo box that attaches to the trailer hitch would cause less drag.

1960s Pink Ford Thunderbird.

vw jetta/golf wagon. i've taken mine all over UT, CO all while getting 30 mpg and being able to sleep in the back. underrated adventure mobile...

Cherokee Nunes wrote:

I've seen some Prius down some tough roads. A buddy of mine broke his going down an even tougher road (a road that gave my Jeep work). In fact this past week I saw a Prius at a 4wd-"only" trailhead. They are ugly little cars (oh dear does that require redaction? Are ugly people offended?) though; both of them. Toyota makes good, no great cars but most of them are ugly as shit.

Last year we saw a Prius go up to the meadows free camping at Maple. The scraping and banging was horrendous. We all commented on how the driver must really hate his Prius. 

Prius V is the way to go.  I've taken it down plenty of roads that it "never should have been down."  I've driven out to the Big Sandy Trailhead in the Winds twice, taken it down all kinds of Forest Service roads in Oregon and North Carolina...only time I ever had any trouble was trying to drive it out to the South Six Shooter...bottomed out...poor plan, I know.  Anyway...Prius V for the win!  40+ mpg and I've lived out of it for months at a time!

crosstrek or outback

I've had an Outback for quite a few years.  I am around 6ft and it is not the best for sleeping in with my wife (she is rather petite).  I have to sleep sideways and it has worked for now but I am also looking to upgrade.  Plus, the head gaskets are an issue (mentioned before) and we have a couple other small oil leaks.  I've had two and they both reacted the same way around 180k.  

I've looked in a lot of Toyota models due to the fact of reliability, they can take a beating and they are rather fuel efficient depending on year and model.  I want to be able to sleep in it for some stealth camping which is why I have been looking into AWD Siennas and Tacomas.  Sienna has decent mpg (24 hwy) and the ability to take seats out and build it out.  I've heard the AWD is pretty decent and it is very reliable.  Tacoma's have the 4wd and could probably take it down some of these shitty FS roads in WA (although, I've been able to get down almost anything with my Outback).  I like the set up of the bed with a topper because you can throw all your stinky gear in the back after a long weekend.  What I don't like is that I can't get out of my drivers seat and crawl into bed.  Especially with all the rain and moisture in the fall-spring in the PNW it is nice to not have to step outside in those situations.  All-in-all I will probably get the Seinna.

Cosmic, Tacomas are extremely capable off-road. However, unless you go 2WD with a a 4 cylinder, the fuel economy is abysmal for a small truck. 

I have several 4x4 vehicles & when I am pulling someone who has gotten stuck I always wonder what my grandfather would have thought. 

In the late 1950s & early 1960s, I drove all over the west with my grandfather. We drove roads in the desert in the mountains on sand in river beds. We never got stuck & he never owned a 4x4.

In the old days, Ships were made of wood & men made of Iron now days Ships are made of metal & we are blockheads.

It's wishful thinking to think an 18 mpg Tacoma has a similar impact on your wallet and carbon footprint as a quality 40 mpg car. Toyota trucks are among the longest lasting vehicles on the road, but no matter what you buy when you buy used someone is buying new.

I've taken a Prius down some rough roads (need to drive diagonally over bumps) and it's not pleasant. My Subaru is way more capable.

I had a 2004 Sienna for a while. Lots of room considering the mpg. Very reliable. Better than a prius off road but not great. Seems bigger than the OP wants, but if I was spending a lot of time in it and wanted to keep the $ down it would be at the top of the list.

I have a Yakima sky box. It only uses 1 mpg on my Subaru, which has factory racks. It's worse on the prius (maybe 3-4 mpg) that doesn't normally have racks and wind resistance is more of a factor.

I got an old Subaru with a 5 speed and a roof rack.  Cost me a few grand, and gets around 30mpg.  Reliable and all wheel drive works good, and easy to sleep in since it’s a hatchback.  Only time I ever have issues is with clearance on rough dirt roads.  It is the most generic dirt bag car for a reason.  Can’t go wrong with an old Toyota or Honda too, just find a wagon or hatchback so you can car camp. 

Get married and have one AWD car and one hybrid and take which car based on weather. Finding a wife is more enjoyable than shopping for a car as well or at least thats what I tell her. 

Glowering wrote:

It's wishful thinking to think an 18 mpg Tacoma has a similar impact on your wallet and carbon footprint as a quality 40 mpg car. Toyota trucks are among the longest lasting vehicles on the road, but no matter what you buy when you buy used someone is buying new.

Carbon footprint: It's wishful thinking to think your armchair economics capture the whole system. When more people buy used and maintain their cars, it drives up the value of used cars, encourages car makers to prioritize durability, and creates a better repair market. And, to be clear, that STILL doesn't capture the whole system. The economics are complicated enough that we're not going to cover all the reasons why buying used is better, which is why you should listen to actual economists instead of doing armchair economics.

Wallet: My 2000 Tundra was $2500 in 2020. A new Prius costs $25000, a $22500 difference. If we're talking half as many miles per gallon, with gas at ~$2, and 20mpg vs 40mpg, that comes out to $0.10/mile vs $0.05/mile, meaning a $0.05/mile difference. $22500/$0.05 = 450,000. How long is it gonna take you to drive 450,000 miles, and will your car even last that long? Yes, I'll probably have to buy another car before you do, but another $2500 car, which I will buy in cash just like the first one, will cost me less than the interest you'll pay on your $25,000 car, and with the offroad use a climber will likely put these cars through, I wouldn't assume that the repair costs are going to be lower just because the car is newer.

We're not going to come to any sort of conclusion here obviously, since you already committed to a position, so I'm not gonna argue further with you--people can make up their own minds.