First post...prospective Adrenaline buyer

[s2catzo]

Hello everyone,
I am a prospective 09-10 Adrenaline buyer....here is my story/situation. I live in Edmonton Ab Canada and I will be in need of a truck/suv for my job. I am currently driving a 07 BMW 335i with a dinan stg2 and some other goodies...see pic below. I am a BIG fan of the sport trac Adrenaline and have joined here to get your thoughts and feedback on ownership, drivability in winter and of course performance upgrades. Here are some general questions I have:

1) Have there been any common issues I should look for if I am buying used?
2) Anyone else here using it in Canadian winter applications?
3) How is the market for performance upgrades?

Other than that any stories would be appreciated...I have also been looking at Cherokee SRT8 and also Trailblazer SS....I know that the Adrenaline cannot keep up in performance with either of those 2....but price and also winter drivability is a huge consideration for me.

Cant post attachments yet....no pics of the bimmer

 

[s2catzo]

3 or more straight hours researching on this site and there is a lot of info out there...seems like the big challenge is a true dual exhaust...other than that what about ecu tunes? Anything like that out there? I see K&N CAI is out there and also some deletes for those redonculous outter strap hooks. I'm sure 22's won't be an issue as 20's are stock and there looks to be a lot of room. Also any suggestions on a more agressive rubber for the winter?

 

[NotATruckGuy]

Re: Winter Tires

When it comes to winter tires, the first thing you should know is that "M+S" has no real official meaning. Any tire maker can put "M+S" on their tires, and there's no standards body to certify that those tires meet any specific criteria. I think of M+S tires as an all season compromise. Fine for spring, summer and fall, but not what I want to have during a Wisconsin winter.

If you want serious winter tires, look for the "Mountain/Snowflake Pictograph". That logo does come with certification from the American Society for Testing & Materials. But don't head straight to the Blizzak page. Although that brand name has the best name recognition, it is no longer the best snow/ice tire available.

I bought Michelin X-Ice tires for my winter car (before I bought my ST), based on their ratings at several tire websites. I've been very happy with their winter performance. If they were even remotely close to the right size for my ST, I'd put them on it, but since they're too small I'm going to go shopping all over again. I'll look for the tire that ranks at the top in the areas of performance that's important to me. So don't take this as a recommendation; go out and look at the stats and decide what you want for your own personal preferences.

 

[bender]

S2 - the adrenalin would be the most 'livable' daily driver of the 3 you mentioned. keep in mind the adrenalin does not have any engine mods compared to a regular v8 explorer. there are exhausts, and intakes available as you said, many people on here go with a tune from henson performance. he can do great things with the 4.6. the awd does fine in the winter. it is not a true awd as it is more a control trac with no low range. (there are threads on here about that). so you will feel it kick in when there is slippage.
the 20" factory wheels have been known to corrode in salty climates, but if you are going with aftermarket 22"s that is a non-issue. UIN2IT has a very nice rig, look at some of is posts.

my opinion of the alternatives:
SRT8 - unmatched performance, but have heard the ride is aweful.
SS - very dated technology and interior.

 

[BigV]

I love my adrenalin it is perfect for what I need it for. I have a sports car so I don't need blistering speed. The v-8 with an after market exhaust and cai with tune is perfect for me. I had the wheel issue the clear coat was defective I just got four new wheels warranted so we will see if they hold up to winter.

 

[a1j7g]

i love my STA. I got the V8 awd. I added HID's to the fogs and headlights so far and soon going with either a hypertech or SCT tuner.

 

[s2catzo]

Thanks for the comments...I am definately sold, and with ford offering such great discounts on 2010's I think I might just go brand new!!But before that happens this little lady has to be sold.....If you know anybody who is interested I am offering a finders fee for anyone who brings me the eventual buyer

http://www.autotrader.ca/used_cars_....html?srcID=19&frnID=2705410&prv=Alberta&r=20

 

[BigV]

Sweet BMW to bad you can't keep it. Also Adrenalin is spelled without the "e" on our vehicles.

 

[mooret05]

I now own the Adrenalin that did belong to "UIN2IT" ...check this out! ...and check out these 22's! I have owned it about a month and love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Al5e_fUIw

 

[psycareyo]

I had a 08 STA and I loved it. I traded it for a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab Sport Hemi. I just committed to trading again this weekend for a 2010 STA V8 AWD. I live in upstate New York, about 20min from Canada. My 08 was amazing in the snow. Like a cat on velcro in a storm.


I wouldn't do a Cold Air Intake, as they all are partly to blame for tranmissiom metronics flaring. Most people with the K&N CAI reported a whistle sound or trouble sealing it on the throttle body. The SCT Xcal 3 ECM and TCM tunes by Torrie @ fastpartsnetwork.com were awesome.

The Zabeck throttle body did absolutely nothing, and was not worth the money, in my opinion.

My fav mod was the Magnaflow exhaust!

 

[psycareyo]

Mooret05,

That is a very nice rig you got. By far the most heavily modded STA ever. I remember when it was just 4 or 5 of us with Adrenalins on here and MYST.com!