AWD's! Need to pick one for the winter!

I'm looking for a quick car preferably one with a salavage title. This winter I'm going upstate for college an I drive an Rx7 \/ ! So I'm looking at the following Subaru WRX/2.5 Rs, Audi A4/S4/A6/A8 and any other Awd Sedans really. Any suggestions...

I would pick a 2005 Legacy 2.5GT if you find one salvaged. My second choice would be the WRX. I like the Audi S4's but my dad is a mechanic and he isn't really fond of Audi's. I remember one of his customers was looking at an A4 2.8 Quattro and my dad told him not to buy it but he did and a week later it was in my dad's shop. I forgot what happened to it but I remember it was expensive.

Guess what I voted for!

I would go with a subaru.

i'm not entirely sure if you need to get a whole new car for winter driving.
does where you are (going) allow use of snow chains?

i'm not entirely sure if you need to get a whole new car for winter driving.
does where you are (going) allow use of snow chains?

Nah, +Rwd + light car + 20+ inches of snow ain't a good idea. Also my car has 45k miles on it, It's mint an N.Y uses TONS of salt. :frown:

if you are on a budget then a Subaru if not a bmw.

ah yea ny i remember when i lived there my dad would have to get a new exhoust every winter cause the salt would eat right though it even it cleaning it off.

FWD are pretty good in snow, and MUCH cheaper.

ah yea ny i remember when i lived there my dad would have to get a new exhoust every winter cause the salt would eat right though it even it cleaning it off.

Lol ya...

I'm just going for something cheap an then fix it up at my friends bodyshop at the end of the winter an sell it off for more. I Can't wait to get my first real beater! I had a 1996 auto ford windstar Lx before my 7 lol.

you could try a gsx eciplse fix it up and sell it to some 17 yr old kid who thinks it might be bad a$$

^ The reliability is not too good on those Eclipses.

You can say that again, my cousin had nothing but problems with his '95 GSX. He traded it for a 1991 SE-R and now he doesn't worry about breaking things when he races.

[QUOTE=jcsaleen]Lol ya...

I'm just going for something cheap an then fix it up at my friends bodyshop at the end of the winter an sell it off for more.

realiabity it should be able last 6-8 months

and besides it's winter when would you race in winter? and besides if i had a rx-7 i would rather race that then a gsx

Celica All Trac Turbo (200hp) and AWD

http://alienc.netcentre.ca/gallante/celica/celica90.jpg

aren't celcia's way over priced though

aren't celcia's way over priced though

I think they go for around 7k in great condition

Audi's quattro awd works amazing in the snow. But it all depends on your price range. Although they are a bit more expensive, you can find a decent A4 for under 10K.

Are you just considering AWD cars? Or have you thought of FWD? If the roads that you will be traveling on will mostly be salted and plowed (i.e interstate, US/state highway) then you wont have much of a problem getting traction with FWD. They're a lot cheaper too.

Audi isn't known for reliability, but I trust Quattro more then anything for snow. I'm not a big fan of AWD BMWs. If you drive a 330i and a 330xi back to back you'll never want to go back to the xi. I kinda like the new Subaru Legacy 2.5GT, but they can be about as expensive as an A4 2.0t.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look for a good FWD car with traction control.

Option 2 is this...

Right now some guy wants to trade his Evo for my 7 an 2k cash. 303 AWHp 301 awtq dyno's full exhaust intake an ecu (HID package). His car has 56k miles mine has 46k :(

http://myspace-942.vo.llnwd.net/00184/24/93/184253942_l.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/p9551cdd056364b4c6955ed0a227897b9/ee074fcf.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/p93791050268ed2d6a35f7102df096153/ee074f9a.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/pf28792854705909c5419d0b6ee1e54ae/ee074f76.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/p7482957842216954d0d4a10877f5f175/ee074f3d.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/pf31d0b71adb1c67170ae6c0e21ce0709/ee074ef4.jpg

Shit guy's I'm really on the fence with this I know if my 7 goes I'll never have on in that good of condition again. :frown:

Celica All Trac Turbo (200hp) and AWD

http://alienc.netcentre.ca/gallante/celica/celica90.jpg
Now hows he gonna find one of those? :screwy:

Now hows he gonna find one of those? :screwy:

I might ;)

what are you looking to pay?

what are you looking to pay?

Depends really I WANT to pay 1-2K for a beater but I'll go as high as 4500 or so. I want to modify the 7 over the winter I have a garage an everything, assuming I keep it.

I have a thing for 7s too. they look amazing, and sound even better. I wouldnt trade for the evo, but thats just me. Unless you really must.

I have a thing for 7s too. they look amazing, and sound even better. I wouldnt trade for the evo, but thats just me. Unless you really must.
My thoughts as well... This is tough man. His 03 has more miles then my 93 7! That's whats really holding me back + I know more about rotors than cylinders lol.

^ Then keep it. There are very few people who know enough about rotarys to keep them in good working condition. You deffinatly sound like one who respects his car, and i think that if you just keep the 7 and get an older FWD car, you would be better off.

Option 2 is this...

Right now some guy wants to trade his Evo for my 7 an 2k cash. 303 AWHp 301 awtq dyno's full exhaust intake an ecu (HID package). His car has 56k miles mine has 46k :(

Shit guy's I'm really on the fence with this I know if my 7 goes I'll never have on in that good of condition again. :frown:
Don't do it.

agreed, keep the rx-7.

Now hows he gonna find one of those? :screwy:


yea they are rare, but if you can get your hands on one they will make an excellent winter car, very reliable. then if you fix it up, like he was talking about, you can turn around and sell it for a killing because there are alot of people who would pay good money for a nice alltrac, me included if i had alot of money lol.

I would nix the AWD and get an escort or cavalier. Its going to be cheap, mine were not the nicest cars out there but they were never in the shop and they were both very cheap. Anyone who thinks AWD or 4WD are great for driving in the snow clearly haven't driven in the snow. Gaining traction in the snow is one thing, but stopping once you have momentum is another (if only AUDI would install parachutes). Keep the RX7 and get a cheap frontwheeler.

^ Exactly

Depends really I WANT to pay 1-2K for a beater but I'll go as high as 4500 or so. I want to modify the 7 over the winter I have a garage an everything, assuming I keep it.

Get a snowmobile! LOL

Seriously, what about a 4x4 Truck like an early 90's Toyota or something of the like?

I might ;)

Than perhaps you can also look for an Isuzu Impulse RS. It might not be as powerful at 160hp, but with a 50/50 weight distribution, Lotus tuned suspension, slightly lighter in weight as well as usually a lower price tag it is a car worth looking out for.

Other good winter beaters I may recommend a new or used if speed is not an issue Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape considering they both have far better fuel economy than any other SUV. There is also the Isuzu Vehicross which is purely unique as well as being one of the few aside from a Landrover or Jeep that can go way offroad with ease but still maybe a bit out of the price range you want. And if you want something a bit more speedy thus sportier and cheap as well as winter road worthy one there is the Isuzu Axiom as well as the Mitsubishi Outlander.

I know you might be shaking your head with the fact that they are SUVs but considering it is hard to find a Impulse RS and Celica All Trac let alone in decent condition as well as your average decently priced Audi very high on mileage these may present a good imbetween choice price, mileage and perhaps even performance wise, and with another gasoline price scare coming around you can probably fetch one of these at a great price and even though the gas mileage impact on those are minimal compared to other SUVs you won't see much of a difference compared to driving a FWD car at fuller throttly during winter or if you are still concerned with fuel economy even more than performance there is the Suzuki Aerio SX. Its either that or getting a Subaru.

yea, i agree with burntgauge, a 4x4 90s tacoma, nissan, or even a ranger would be a good idea. everyone could use a good truck as well as a car anyways.

Option 3... is get atv an try not to get arrested!

I like it!

Don't trade ur 7 for the evo. As tempting as it is to you (i'd do it in a heartbeat, cause i know nothing about rotors) you'll regret it for years. I like the option of a truck or some cheap rav-4ish vehicle. My mom had an old ass toyota truck that was real rugged and survived 10 winters in minnesota, till one fine spring day with no snow, her e-brake broke and crashed into a schoolbus off her driveway. I'd go with the truck, jack it up a few inches and throw on some big ass tires.

Oh, almost forgot

make sure it's a manual tranny, cause you can use the engine to slow down in ice.

Also my car has 45k miles on it, It's mint an N.Y uses TONS of salt. :frown:

45K miles!?!?!? I'm so jealous! Where the hell did you find such a low mileage 3rd-gen.? You mind if I ask how much you paid for her?

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Yeah, I definately wouldn't drive the RX-7 in the snow. Have you considered a Mazdaspeed-6? They are AWD, turbocharged, roomy, fun to drive, and I think they look better than the Subaru's.

JC, I'm not kidding, if you trade your 7 for that Ev-boe, I am going to get on a plane to New York and shoot you.


Anyway, there's no such thing as a cheap AWD car. Subarus and Audis are both not overly good at high milages. Though I reckon if you can find a 1994ish 100 2.8 Quattro, it would make an OK beater, I've had a friend take his up past 350,000 kms

No joke, after about 100,000 miles with AWD, your tranny and driveline have probably put up with as much abuse as they're gonna take. At lower miles, though, Subarus are just fine.

I don't know anyone in their right mind who would trade their RX-7 for an Evo.

RX-7 is rare and legendary > evo u can go get at ur locoal mitsu dealer.

Get snow shoes for winter, save up and mod ur FD come the spring :-D