Dear Tom and Ray:

We live up a very steep and unforgiving road on the north side of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. There are several spots that require exceptional steering dexterity. Top speed is about 2 mph! The bottom of our Honda Civic has no barnacles, and increasingly less of everything else! I could really use a few more inches of ground clearance. Can I get that by going to bigger tires? -- Dave

Ray: Geez, Dave. I doubt bigger tires will help. What you really need are bigger wheels. But I doubt your wheel wells will accommodate wheels big enough to give you several more INCHES of clearance (you only gain 1/2 inch of vehicle height for every inch of wheel diameter).

Tom: It sounds like what you really need is a different car. There are bazillions of people who are driving sport utility vehicles now who really don't need them. But you're one of the few people who actually does need one. In addition to four-wheel drive (which may not be that important to you), SUVs have higher ground clearance than passenger cars.

Ray: I don't blame you for wanting a car instead of SUV, since SUVs are inherently stupid vehicles (they're big, gas guzzling, uncomfortable, hard to get into and out of, and handle like boats -- but we'll save that discussion for another column). But because you share a driveway with Grizzly Adams, you may have no choice but to step up to something a little higher.

Tom: There are quite a few "hybrid" sport utilities on the market now; cars that have been raised up and given all-wheel drive to provide some of the advantages of SUVs without so many disadvantages. You might look at the Toyota RAV4, the Subaru Forester, or if you're partial to Hondas, the Honda CRV.

Ray: All three of those would give you full-time all-wheel drive, the extra ground clearance you need, and a vehicle that's higher but not much longer or wider than your Civic.

Tom: And, Dave, don't write to us and whine about your problems anymore. You live in the Virgin Islands, for crying out loud!

Don't get stuck with a lemon. Be an informed shopper. Read Tom and Ray's guide "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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