If you had $2K to spend on a winter beater

[adamred]

Thanks again, good suggestions...I had one leaky ass german car for 4 years (the 911 targa) and I'm still cleaning up the oil stains from that so no ancient german metal for me...my next p car will be significantly newer....

My wife has had some sort of SUV for gosh around 12 years (2 explorers, expedition and current Pilot) I recognize their issues in the deep snow but they have their upsides as well...

My real issue with snow tires on the benz is not the drivability but the risk, my CLS was embarassingly expensive and if business wasn't so good and the accountant didn't bless it I would never buy a car that was this expensive...that said I really like it and don't want it getting crammed in the crap weather, not as much my problem as someone elses...Its just a car but you know you get used to your car...

My commute is all local roads that just don't get cleared, sometimes at all around here. If we were to get a good 8-12 inches in the morning it could be 6 PM until a plow comes through our 'hood. Conversely if we get one of those ice 1-3 inchers (like we might get tonight) we don't get plowed or salted at all, just the main roads and they can be slick as heck the whole morning commute...

Boo, hoo I know we should all have such problems, but that's my deal with snow tires...

[adamred]

Here's the daily driver by the way...you have to admit its kinda pretty....

[Eric Coffey]

Another vote for a "Scooby-Do". You should have no problem finding a late 90's AWD Outback/Forester/Legacy sedan with higher miles for around $2000.

[wludavid]

Just watch out for the 2.5 liter engines in Subies built from 1996 - 2003. They have a tendency towards bad head gaskets around 100k. Should be fine if fixed under warranty.

More info here: http://www.subaruheadgasket.com/vehicleyear.htm

[teenerted1]

Originally posted by wludavid
Just watch out for the 2.5 liter engines in Subies built from 1996 - 2003. They have a tendency towards bad head gaskets around 100k. Should be fine if fixed under warranty.

More info here: http://www.subaruheadgasket.com/vehicleyear.htm

great i have a little over 40k till i have to worry about this...otherwise i have yet to have one complaint about my 2002 impreza
Yet to get this notice from dealer so maybe i'm in the clear. will check with them at my 60k service

[kmhemi]

I have an old beater 98 S10 4wd for sale cheap but I'm in WV.

[ken_xman]

FYI- Just put snows on the benz. My S600 is a beast in the snow compared to my 2004 530 with all season pirelli p-zeros on it.

[adamred]

Hey Ken,
how have you been man? Two guys without their targas still hanging out on the board...hope to be back into one before I'm an old man...

Adam

[911boost]

Adam,

I lived in MN for 4 years with a 1995 Mustang GT as a daily driver. I got some Blizzacks from Tire Rack and it was unstopable.

I know what you mean about the other drivers, so I wouldn't blame you if you parked the winter beater. During the summer, you can just pull the battery, put in some Stabil and store it at one of those outdoor storage places if you don't want it sitting around your house.

I also drove a 1980 Subaru Station Wagon that was great in the snow, but they will be getting a little long in the tooth and rusty by now, so I'd concentrate on the mid 90's ones.

Bill

[Paul K]

+1 for the Subaru.

[Chocaholic]

Wait a minute. You drive a 2006 CLS 500 for a daily driver and you can only scrape together $2k for a winter car? That CLS is nearly 80 grand man. Could you possibly be mortgaged that deeply in the MB? Sheesh. Now you're looking for a POS beater that gets good gas mileage.

Baffled.

[lm6y]

Check out a Cherokee. I've been driving one for 6 years now with 0 mechanical problems. Be sure to take it for a test drive though. They have solid axles, aren't fast, and are real 4wd vehicles, not luxobarge status symbols. They aren't for everyone.

Plus, in the summer you can haul a lot of gear, and kids to a favorite camping, or fishing spot.

[adamred]

Yep, leaning to a cherokee...

Chocaholic, was wondering how long it would take for that question...not over my head with the benz, FWIW it is a business lease, just really don't want to spend much on a beater...the 2K is flexible, just set that at as a random cheap number...

we'll see what I can find locally, punxatawny phil is calling for an early spring so perhaps I'll just roll the dice for this season...

[stomachmonkey]

Pathfinders are great but you'll get murdered if yo uneed to do a tranny on it.

Friend of mine owns a shop and he said it's a lot of man hours to get them in and out. He charged one customer $1000 in labor alone and that was after giving the guy a break on it.

[Chocaholic]

Adam...the only reason I mention it is that you'll have an awesome and reliable ride for nice sunny days. When the weather gets ugly and the last thing you want is a side-of-the-road breakdown, you'll be driving a $2k POS.

Seems like you're setting yourself up.

[ken_xman]

Adam,
Yup, I'm still around. I am looking at getting a Boxster right now. Not like the old targa, but it will do. As for the cherokee, I have a 01 grand cherokee that has been pretty good. It has the 8 cyl, and now has 120k on it. I have just started sinking $ into it. H20 pump, heater modulator box repair- dash out for that one, oil pressure switch, shocks, sway bar end links...ect... . The wife usually drives it.

[Jay Auskin]

I've been driving a Ford Crown Victoria for the last 5 years. Get one with a LSD and put the cheapest snow tires you can find on it. The car just doesn't break, and if it does, it's cheap to fix. The $2K-$3K range cars are at the end of their depreciation curve, so sell it for what you bought it for if you don't want it in a year.

[bigchillcar]

i was gonna buy a $2k beater toyota 4x4 pickup, but they were all major rust-buckets..wound up spending over $4k and got a pretty nice ride. i agree - $2k is just about the 'entry price' for just about anything you wanna keep running.