Christian J

I've had a good few months using my 911 as a daily but Boston winters are not going to be kind and I think I'll go with something cheap. Let's say $13k limit. My winter commute is no fun. Max posted speed is 30mph and home to office is about 6.5 miles. There's not much traffic in the morning but evening is typically stop & go almost all the way. Potholes emerge, parking spaces are poorly shoveled out and before long every car looks awful. Factor in the likelihood of a texter punching me at a light and you can see why it's time to park the 911. So, what to get? The ideal would be a compact diesel SUV with a good stereo although that doesn't really exist. The truth is any fwd econo car will do, especially with Nokian snows, but I'm not excited at all by a used Fit. I don't want monster repairs so no aging euro luxury cars (amazing how cheap 7 series can be). I love quirky cars and am thinking Nissan cube. Wife likes the Mini Countryman but I think it's bloated and the fiat 500 is and not yet cheap enough. Thoughts?

Jjm4life

I'm in Boston too.

Jeep Cherokee xj. Spend 6k on it and you'll have a rust free bulletproof jeep. Don't worry about the odometer just buy on quality (like anything else). The 4.0 is legendary.
I just picked one up and forgot how much I love these things. Already put and 3 inch lift and 32s on it, with smoked lenses all around and led headlights. You can street park it and never car as they look better with battle scars.

Wanna drive mine? You'll be sold

Ninja edit... I had a 500 Abarth. Garbage in the snow even with snow tires. Such a great car though.

Christian J

Damn, you're right. But I already had one. It was red and was stolen in Charlestown (of course). Would need a Bluetooth stereo and shocks. Maybe you can go back...

u7t2p7

Bostonx3; dumped my new BMW 3 series (hated the electronic steering) and picked up a nice mid mileage MY04 VW R32 for $12k. It's AWD, great performance, awesome seats and aggressive factory exhaust. Lot's of guys here have owned one and with good reason. Kind of like a "baby S4."

Jjm4life

You can always go back...
Great car for sure. I'd almost hate to "ruin" it in the winter

Obie1

2006 Jeep Wrangler "LJ"
This was a limited 2 year run of the previous body. They had an extended cab which helped with balance around corners and helped with the overall look of the truck. You can actually pack luggage and carry passengers at the same time. Bullet proof engine. Summer time convertible fun. Bigger wheels and a 2.5" lift and you might even want to choose this truck in the summer. You don't need to be afraid of high miles. Last but not least, they will hold their value better than almost anything else you could choose.

I recommend this model since you still can't get into the newer body Wrangler (JK) for $13k.

Obie1

2006 Wrangler LJ

P-daddy

I picked up an old Jeep Grand Cherokee for 2500. Spent 1000 on maintenance/minor fixings to pass inspection. It's unstoppable in the snow. Park anywhere. Tackle any terrain AWD

Kannif

Hard to beat a TDi (older 05+) with the auto being stronger, though I prefer a manual. Thinking AWD though, truthfully a legacy GT from Subaru has the majority of that with a good stereo and mileage with minimal repair costs.

Mike J

I have been beating on a used Honda Ridgeline for the last few years - it cost me $14K CAN (like $11K USD), and has zero issues, all I do is change the oil when indicated. Typical Honda, just start and go, and lasts forever. Quality is better than the Jeeps and VW products IMHO. Full 4 door, seats in the back flat fold, and it has the large underbed trunk and a bed - and can haul full sheets of plywood no problem. Only problem is it's quite generic and ugly, but that makes an awesome beater - and it even fits in parkades

Mark Knop

Just looking to get some lockers on my Bug out vehicle.

_snowbird_

I drive an '04 Audi S4 and LOVE it with 8cyl engine and Quattro. Great torque and power delivery, but fuel economy sucks for short haul driving.

You could find a decent used one within your price range.

boman993

Subaru Impreza, Outback, or Legacy on a set of studded Hakkapeliitta tires. Boom done. Only issue you'll run into is, you'll be the only one getting into the office if there is another Snowmaggedon this year...

/thread

David A

Sold my BMW for a Jeep, love it, it's really great to have an easy and simple daily driver.

dpizi

I have had 4 VW GTI of various versions. All were pretty good winter cars that are fun when roads are clear. When we do get snow in the south it pretty much shuts things down. Last time we got about 7-8 inches and I was one of only 4 out of about 20 people who made it to work.
Dave