Vehicle Questions

[TheZach]

Ok, its time to look for a new vehicle... I have been lookin for awhile and I'm kinda lost here so I thought I would seek the oppinions of the more experienced people. I live in an apartment, and as everyone knows slumlords don't like antennas so I'm going to be putting a lot of my equipment in the vehicle instead and am hoping to do a console mount - to keep the crap from sliding around and getting damaged and it just looks nice too.

The question I pose to the ever wise batwing labatories is what vehicles should I keep my out for that are relativley easy to install a console and radio equipment in, and have really decent gas milage? I don't want an SUV, but am hoping for a 4 door car. I'm not picky about the car manufacturer.

[thebigphish]

With gas prices @ 4.00/gal, i would worry about the fuel efficiency LONG before i even worried about ease of installation of radios and the like. Anything can be made to fit anywhere, remember that, within reason. YMMV.

I'm starting to like the impalas more and more, as i see them.

SUV? Ford Explorer.

[TheZach]

It would just be my first radio install in a vehicle and I just want to find one that would be relativley easy... with gas milage? So you would recomend an impala?

[radiokid]

I have a 2000 Buick Lesabre. I am the first to admit, that car is not fashionable at all. But, I put a 14" havis sheilds console, with W7 Astro Spectra, Kenwood D700, and a Yaesu 857. Also have an W3 Astro Spectra in the car too. I found power was easy with the battery underneath the back seat. I have all my antennas permanently mounted, two in the trunk, three in the roof.

I get an average 27+ mpg on the highway. Has cheap insurance since average age of Buick driver is 65. Plus I have room to haul stuff or even 4 people comfortably.

[motorola_otaku]

The 9c1 '00-'05 Impala is, hands-down, the easiest install I've ever done, and that includes Crown Vics, an Explorer, a Dodge Charger, a Dodge Neon, and a couple of others I can't think of atm. All your power wiring is already run for you (unless you have 100W radios in which case you'll want to run 4-gauge straight from the battery), you can completely gut the interior without affecting anything critical (like airbags *gives Dodge the middle finger*), there are multitudes of chassis ground points inside the trunk and passenger compartment, and you have a wide variety of consoles to pick from (my personal recommendation is for a Havis-Shields Consolidator on a Trackmount base.)

Now as far as gas mileage goes... I have an '04 9c1 with 70300 on the clock, well-maintained, with no check lights or anything malfunctioning (that I know of.) I get, on average, between 320 and 350 miles out of a 16-gallon tank (well, it's spec'd at 16 gallons.. I only seem to be able to get 14 or 15 in mine.) You do the math. But then, I also tend to drive fast too.

edit: Oh, also, I have install pics up on Hamsexy.

[TheZach]

Oddly enough I have a friend in the local fire department and they are getting rid of there Impalas in favor of Yukons for running rescues.... perhaps I should inquire.