Snow capable vehicle for under $5k

[97tbird]

Why are the 2002-ish bug-eyed Subaru Impreza (WRX but not STi) so hard to find ? That would be MY perfect snow beater/dd beater.

This is the model I mean:

The 5 door sport/half wagon thing is even better!

 

[sciphi]

Look for the "Saabaru" 9-2X.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: bigdreama
Originally Posted By: Kuato

You pullin' a fast one on us, or is that someone else's Subie hiding behind your abused Civic?


No fast one here.

The Crosstrek is my wife's dd and the Civic replacement is for me. Incidently my teenage son is "between" part time jobs at the moment so everything is on hold right now.


Heh, thanks.

. Good luck with the decision....

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
You'll be floored how well 4 really good(michelin/bridgestone/nokian/or studded) winter tires work. Enough that you'll feel safer in winter tired Honda over the likely all-season equipped Subaru.



I try to make that point, but Subaru's advertising is too good. People legitimately believe a subaru on bald all seasons is better in every imaginable condition in the winter than a FWD car with snow tires.

I will continue to pass them (or stop at the stop light while they slide through) and laugh at them. My front driver with [censored] snow tires outperforms them.

The commercial that irritates me the most is the sheepish guy "We rented a cabin and a car got stuck once, so I bought a Subaru so I won't get stuck."

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: rjundi
You'll be floored how well 4 really good(michelin/bridgestone/nokian/or studded) winter tires work. Enough that you'll feel safer in winter tired Honda over the likely all-season equipped Subaru.



I try to make that point, but Subaru's advertising is too good. People legitimately believe a subaru on bald all seasons is better in every imaginable condition in the winter than a FWD car with snow tires.

I will continue to pass them (or stop at the stop light while they slide through) and laugh at them. My front driver with [censored] snow tires outperforms them.

The commercial that irritates me the most is the sheepish guy "We rented a cabin and a car got stuck once, so I bought a Subaru so I won't get stuck."


My wife currently runs an all-season equipped Subaru. It can claw its way up really difficult driveways (12" snow with large patches of ice underneath). Occasionally better then winter tire equipped vehicles sometimes since it sends power to all wheels and finds something to grip. Winter tires work well if one tire can find grip however if its on ice SOL.

Not saying Subaru all-seasons>FWD winter tires however it has advantages. The advantage is also very obvious during mud season. FWD/winter tires offers nothing!! We have driven in mud that our undercarriage is dragging(Legacy with 5" not the Outback 9" clearance) and it keeps motoring along.

 

[badtlc]

The AWD fans always seem to forget that AWD doesn't help you brake but snow tires do. Not to mention snow tires grip in icy slick conditions way better than AS tires.

 

[glock19]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
The AWD fans always seem to forget that AWD doesn't help you brake but snow tires do. Not to mention snow tires grip in icy slick conditions way better than AS tires.


The "AWD is a waste" crowd always seem to forget you can put snow tires on an AWD and it will be even better.

 

[badtlc]

Originally Posted By: glock19
Originally Posted By: badtlc
The AWD fans always seem to forget that AWD doesn't help you brake but snow tires do. Not to mention snow tires grip in icy slick conditions way better than AS tires.


The "AWD is a waste" crowd always seem to forget you can put snow tires on an AWD and it will be even better.


I have never seen someone dispute what you said.

 

[glock19]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: glock19
Originally Posted By: badtlc
The AWD fans always seem to forget that AWD doesn't help you brake but snow tires do. Not to mention snow tires grip in icy slick conditions way better than AS tires.


The "AWD is a waste" crowd always seem to forget you can put snow tires on an AWD and it will be even better.


I have never seen someone dispute what you said.


Agreed, no one disputes that point. The problem I have is that every Subaru thread becomes a debate on whether they should buy a Subaru or snow tires as if they are mutually exclusive.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
The AWD fans always seem to forget that AWD doesn't help you brake but snow tires do. Not to mention snow tires grip in icy slick conditions way better than AS tires.


For us AWD/all seasons has been more then adequate to get car moving thru some tough conditions(deep snow, 4"+ deep mud during mud season, slippery grassy fields, even ice patches).

My wife while she liked winter tires feels the $1000 expense due to Subaru using 17" rims is not worth it. She drives in whatever conditions including times the state police recommend no one on the highway as she works at hospital that is 40min drive (going 80mph) on her good days. She is an expert at driving $1000 manual FWD japanese econoboxes since 1987 with variable all-seasons.

 

[zrxkawboy]

I would certainly consider the Silverado...a pickup would be handy for other things, too. Just be sure to find out what is causing the CEL.

I can comment on two of the other options mentioned. I had a 98 Cherokee 4x4. Nice vehicle, but the 4.0 cracked a piston skirt. Certain years were apparently prone to this.

We have owned an 06 Liberty 4x4 since Oct. 08. It has about 105k miles. It has been very reliable for us, and handles the SD winters just fine. My wife drives it to work every day, and has never had a problem in the snow.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Finally.

First of all, thanks for all the responses and feedback. I really appreciate it. So after several months and countless hours scouring CL I found and bought a 2004 F150 standard cab V6 AT 4x4 that was a municipal truck and fleet maintained. It has 117k miles and runs well with good tires, ice cold AC and no rust.

My $5000 budget made it a little difficult to find anything that I would want to keep for the long term and I ended up paying $5200 for it. The reason for the budget and the truck's best feature is NO PAYMENTS.

 

[BowNisPar]

Nice, looks to be in good shape for a muni vehicle.

 

[Jarlaxle]

And well-optioned!

 

[01rangerxl]

Nice truck! I like it!

That one has XLT trim, definitely well optioned and unusual for a municipal truck from 10 years ago (now it's hard to get one without cloth and power windows/locks). The manual t-case is cool.

117K mi is nothing on one of those, and by '04 the issues with the 4.2 had been worked out. It should have a whole lot of life left in it.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Nice truck! I like it!

That one has XLT trim, definitely well optioned and unusual for a municipal truck from 10 years ago (now it's hard to get one without cloth and power windows/locks). The manual t-case is cool.

117K mi is nothing on one of those, and by '04 the issues with the 4.2 had been worked out. It should have a whole lot of life left in it.


Thanks Ranger. And you other guys too...

I really like the truck and the only thing that bothered me was the possibility or probability that this relatively low mileage truck spent a whole lot of time idleing at job sites with the AC on.

I have heard that there is a way to get engine hours from an OBDII scanner but if there is I haven't been able to figure out how to access it.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Nice looking little truck!


Looks like it might need better tires for snow, though.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: bigdreama
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Nice truck! I like it!

That one has XLT trim, definitely well optioned and unusual for a municipal truck from 10 years ago (now it's hard to get one without cloth and power windows/locks). The manual t-case is cool.

117K mi is nothing on one of those, and by '04 the issues with the 4.2 had been worked out. It should have a whole lot of life left in it.


Thanks Ranger. And you other guys too...

I really like the truck and the only thing that bothered me was the possibility or probability that this relatively low mileage truck spent a whole lot of time idleing at job sites with the AC on.

I have heard that there is a way to get engine hours from an OBDII scanner but if there is I haven't been able to figure out how to access it.

Nice find. Congrats and many many years of trouble free use!
I think Nick R played with a bluetooth obdii reader that connect to the phone. they where a few that guided him...
also see what Trav thinks about it....

 

[OVERKILL]

If it has the digital odometer you can get it to display engine hours (and piles of other cool info) with a little trick. Does it have the digital odometer?

 

[Vikas]

wow, what a great deal you got! When I looked at the pictures, I thought I was looking at very expensive truck.

How and where did you find this beauty? It does NOT look like a VT vehicle; so it must be from FL?