What kind of SUV/4WD drive should I buy?

Sub.Forester is higher than Outback from seat to roof and the amount of glass makes visibility great; my family is tall and long-legged, tho not as tall as you and we love it. Mileage stinks, however.

I've been very happy with my very basic Jeep Cherokee Sport. I'm at 100,000 miles of hard driving and have not had really any problems. I would guess that it would be fairly easy to find an inexpensive used model.

consider a 4x4 pickup, maybe? lots of folks in oregon selling used pickups in your price range...

I have a LAND ROVER LR3 and HIGHLY Recommend it. The only flaw is the gas milage. If that is a concern, go with the HYUNDAI santa fe. 100,000 mile warranty and great mileage per gallon for the current market.

I just bumped into a 6' 2" male friend getting out of his Sub. Forester. He is very comfortable and loves it for the -dirt and rutted roads and lots of snow here, but the mileage still stinks.

Hey- I'd try out one of your friends' Foresters just to see if that'll work. For what you want to do (camping, driving to the snow, fishing, road trips, sports) it really would be perfect. It's also understated enough to park in your lot at work without screaming "you guys pay me way too much."

If that doesn't work for you, I've heard great things about the Toyota Highlander Hybrid (a midsize SUV) and the RAV4.

Get the hybrid!

Audi Q7 Hybrid