One of the negative things that came with my new house was a very steep driveway. All along I’ve been parking my car on the street, with the expectation of having the driveway modified so my car could climb it without scraping. After speaking with two general contractors it looks like the outlook is not good for that happening.
The “low budget” option was to put some “bumps” on the driveway to get my car over the low spots. The problem with that is that 1) it will not prevent me from scraping while backing out, 2) it’s only for my car, and 3) it would be an issue when I wanted to sell the house.
The other option, which always made the most sense to me, was to jackhammer out some concrete and flatten out a parking spot. I spoke with a contractor who told me that something like that would cost around $25,000, to which I replied: “I don’t think so”.
So, the question is: do I continue to park my beloved Audi on the street, risking being hit by the garbage truck, mailman, etc (it’s a fairly narrow street), or so I sell the A6 and get something that can make it up the driveway without scraping? I’ve tried a bigger sedan that’s not as high off the ground (Ford Five Hundred rental) and it couldn’t do it. My parents’ Toyota Highlander makes it up without a problem. Yesterday I drove an Infiniti FX35 (cool car, really crappy mileage) and a Lexus RX400h hybrid (very cool, and gets 30 MPG to boot) to see how I could deal with an SUV or crossover. If Audi still had a crossover I’d buy one, but the only thing they have these days is a huge SUV known as the Q7, and I don’t want that.
I guess I need to think this one over some more.
Update: Problem solved. And it gets better mileage, too!