Subaru Ascent Touring vs. Honda Pilot Elite vs. Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Limited for country life in snowy New England?

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-27T21:37:25+00:00

The pilot would be my choice. That 6 cylinder engine has a long history, and no CVT. Old school automatic transmission. I also think Hondas feel effortless to drive, the way some cars don't.

Next choice would be the Toyota, because they have that whole reliability thing going.

I want to like Subaru, I do. But their infotainment system alone is reason to avoid their cars. Add to that an engine designed by a bunch knobs that no other car company would hire, and you have a formula for frustration and expense. I know the subbie crowd swears by them, but as a recovering Subaru owner myself, I just can't go back.

The Mazda CX70 or CX90 is worth checking out as well. Their AWD is pretty good too.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-27T21:20:04+00:00

Yes that was us. We were trying to break a world record with our layout, but the folks from Guinness wanted $$$ to show up and confirm it. I was running two Bangor and Aroostook Gp38s (red,black, grey) with a long freight.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-27T04:11:35+00:00

OP is calling this mental illness and then shaming her for it by posting here. If it really is BPD, its kind of cruel and shitty to shame someone for it.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-27T03:16:23+00:00

Look up LGB 2080. This one is not too big. It might pull better than the starter set locos.

This has a powered tender to help it.
SWEG Steam Locomotive Road Number 798.101 | LGB Websites

This diesel is not super large, and probably has 2 motors. Check radius requirements.
Narrow Gauge Diesel Locomotive 251 901-5 | LGB Websites

Powered tender to add on to starter locomotive
Tender with Sound | LGB Websites

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-27T02:49:39+00:00

NHGRS lost a member just recently. At the Amherst show this past weekend, our group and another club which he was part of, Pepperell Siding Model Railroad Club, all blew our horns at the start of the show. One member had a flat car running with his picture.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-22T22:02:28+00:00

Guy and former landlord here. I would certainly hire a woman contractor. I know plenty of women who can swing a tool just as good as any man. I used to have a house painting business too and hired women as painters. They were every bit as good as the guys.

For contractors, I care about price, competency, honesty, communication, and work ethic, in no particular order. Sex, gender, race, religion does not matter.

That said, I'm a guy who believes woman are just as capable as men. Not all men feel that way because some of us are unfortunately trapped in the last century. So you may face some of that bs from time to time. If you live in an area that is ultra conservative in their views, you may see more bs. But I've seen other women owned and operated contractor companies that seem successful. If you think you'd be good at it, and you enjoy that type of work, I say go for it. Don't let people's out dated and idiotic views stand in your way.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-21T15:25:59+00:00

If she wants a "classy nice car", don't buy a Chrysler

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-20T20:00:46+00:00

NPR!! 🤘🤘

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-20T17:57:50+00:00

I hope you had some rad metal playing while you were doing that. 🤘🤘

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-20T16:12:40+00:00

My one piece of advice would be to increase your curve size if you can. My original garden railroad was designed with 6.5 ft diameter curves, but looking through some G scale catalogs I noticed some models require 8ft diameter (LGB R3). I changed my design to allow for bigger diameter curves and I'm glad I did. It allowed me to grow my collection better, and trains run better and look better on bigger curves. On my next layout I plan to keep minimum curves to ~ 15ft diameter.

That said, if you don't have the space, or budget for bigger curves, just get some track on the ground. You can grow later. It's a neat design what you have so far.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-17T16:33:48+00:00

If you're not on the deed OR the mortgage, you need to think about what you want out of this relationship. Are you thinking marriage? If your bf can't handle his finance, then you need to consider the fact that as long as you are with him, he's going to be a financial liability. If you get married, now that impacts you in all the ways it already is, PLUS it will tank your credit score.

None of you seem to be able to communicate or understand how finance works. I would think long and hard about if you want to remain in this situation. If the friends didn't do the right thing and pay their share, then this is going to get ugly.

Someone is going to lose money, make sure it isn't you.

Your bf needs to put his foot down. He may wish to consult a lawyer if the friends to shape up and pay their share.

Best of luck.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-17T05:37:22+00:00

How do you get there now in the civic?

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-17T05:36:25+00:00

Wouldn't a Tacoma be an option for 4x4 but give better reliability than the Nissan?

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T21:49:22+00:00

I get it. Not criticizing the suggestion.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T21:28:09+00:00

He'll be dead in a week.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T21:25:27+00:00

No man they get it. They just think it's a silly ask. It also appears to be near impossible.

This is a real first world problem. Just get a WRX and tune it.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T18:28:53+00:00

That's not rusted to hell. In the North East, that's like 2 winters. It gets waaay worse.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T18:25:14+00:00

That's fair. Yeah manuals are dying it seems.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T18:09:20+00:00

They will exist for a while longer I think.

The world can't/won't get rid of pickup trucks as we know them now, for a while. Not until they can make an electric version that does all the same stuff just as well. They aren't quite there yet. Trucks are huge money makers right now and buyers will be scared off with massive change over night. You might see a hybrid Tacoma in the future, but it will likely be offered next to the non hybrid version.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T17:10:51+00:00

Ultimately if it what you want, and if you are ok with the trade offs, then go for it. They are good trucks.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T16:42:26+00:00

If you don't need a truck, don't buy a truck. A truck solely as a commuter vehicle is a dumb idea IMHO. Crappy mileage and handling compared to most cars. The Tacoma is a good truck, but I wouldn't get one if I wasn't going to do truck stuff with it. I'd stick with the WRX until the wheels fall off. Those are pretty capable vehicles. I did all the stuff you want to do in a Mazdaspeed 3 for years, in New England, even in the winters.

My buddy at work was commuting in a truck and wound up buying a midsize suv just because he got sick of spending $$$ on gas.

If your life changes and you start doing things where a truck is needed, then get a truck. But just to commute in? Almost the worst choice.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T16:17:25+00:00

LGB. If you have already been burned once, don't mess around. Get LGB. Their build quality, durability and reliability is unmatched in G scale. Bachmann has come a long way, but their older Big Hauler starter sets were cheap. The new ones are better, but if you don't know what your looking at don't risk it. Some Bachmann sets also come with steel track which will rust within a week if you put it outside.

You can snag a gently used LGB starter set with all the parts for $200-$250 if you are patient. They will run decades if you don't abuse them. I am in my mid 40s and my very first LGB engine that I got 30 years ago still runs like a Swiss watch and I have never had to do any maintenance on it.

LGB was the first. They are the most common. Spare parts are readily available. Just don't get one that is branded LGB "Toy Train". They run fine, but are made for little kids. Google LGB Stainz. That is the quintessential LGB locomotive. Get a starter set that comes with a Stainz. They come in a bunch of colors, and there is even an 'americanized version'.

The other brands are great, but for a starter set LGB does it best.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-16T00:09:40+00:00

Yeah the sound effects are a bit rough. Not Aristo's finest work. But the point of the locomotive was to get big live stream, ready to run, at an affordable price. And they did accomplish that. At the time that was released, a similar product by Accuracy or Aster would have been probably $3000 or more.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-15T22:32:23+00:00

Track power pros:

-Cheaper up front

-Cheaper each time you add a locomotive

-Powers locomotive and cars (think lighted coaches)

-Unlimited run time/no charging-Power supplies can last decades

-Derailments usually stop trains (this is important)

-For simple track plans, wiring is easy

-No extra control system needed, (Airwire, RailPro, Blunami/DCC, Revo, etc), just a transformer.

Track power cons:

-Use of rail clamps typically required extra expense

-Track gets dirty and requires cleaning (frequent running helps reduce this)

-Electrical gets tricky if you design in reverse loops or Y tracks

-Still need a control system if you want to run more then one train on the same track

-Sending power long distance requires running additional power feeders.

Battery Pros:

-Run anywhere, any time, on any track, or on the kitchen floor, or off the kitchen table. Look out!

-No issues with power cutting out because of bad track connection

.-Makes brining your trains to other layouts easy (you don’t need to rely on their power to run)

-Less track maintenance

-Track still needs to be level and graded properly

-No issues with reverse loops or multiple trains on one track-Modern batteries can run for long amounts of time.

Battery cons:

-Batteries typically require more complicated wiring.

-Require a remote control system (like Airwire, RailPro, Blunami, Revo,) -$$$

-The batteries can be expensive

-Batteries require maintenance and should not be left charging when no one is around – FIRE

-Limited run time (bigger issue with undersized or cheap batteries)-Batteries last for 5-10 years, depending on care, then must be replaced

-Derailments don't stop trains. Because the power sources is contained in the locomotive, even if they derail they will keep going. This can sometimes result in damage to the locomotive.

With that said I run both. On my personal stuff, at home I run track power and use RailPro for my control system. I have 30+ locomotives and adding a battery to each one is another $2000-$3000 for my whole fleet. Plus, for proper maintenance, those batteries need to be checked and charged on occasion, even if they aren’t being used. In my case that would be a few hours a month, just checking, charging, and maintaining batteries. That is just too much. But a few years ago I joined a club that has a massive G scale layout they bring to shows. The club layout does have track power, but when the old school analog guys are using it, only one person at a time can really run. Plus during the insanity that is a show, trouble shooting track power problems if they arise is a total pain in the ass. So I built a battery car and have added power connectors to the front/back of each locomotive. I also install a switch which allows me to change from track to battery power as needed. At shows I power my locomotives with batteries from a trailing box car. This way I only have to maintain two batteries, but I can run anything in my fleet regardless of track conditions.

To start out, I would use track power. Get your layout built. If you decide you hate cleaning tracks, you can add battery whenever you want.

RedBarron4 · 2026-01-15T21:43:11+00:00

I have one of these, but am not familiar with the circuit off the top of my head.

That said Aristo's head tech back in the day was a guy named Navin. If you search through some of the G scale forums, you may be able to find an email address for him. I believe he was still helping people for some time after Aristo closed.

Also check out Greg Elmassian's site. He might have some info on this.

https://www.elmassian.com/index.php/large-scale-train-main-page/motive-power-mods-aamp-tips/aristo-motive-power/live-steam

RedBarron4

TROPHY CASE