I picked up a 2001 Audi A6 4.2 high miles but fully optioned with spare winter tires for $5,500, great winte car

 

I second the S8 vote! Mine's a D3 and it's probably the best car I've ever driven.

 

I have another opinion..if you plan on keeping it for 15 years like the volvo, I would suggest a newer model of a less premium vehicle if your budget is 20K. If you are stuck on the stick, Jeep or Kia Sorento (probably the best unrated winter beater out there). If you are stuck on the badge, go Cayenne or X5 although a stick may be hard to find.

 

We just went through this process for a car for my wife here in CO. She has a sales territory that covers Denver - Grand Junction, so lots of snow driving in the winter.

We had an '06 X3 that was great, but a little small for the kids. The X3 was easy on the maintenance budget and was great in the snow. (BTW - we always use snow tires in the winter)
...not a stick though.

There are many Cayenne V6 models with a stick. They also do not have the coolant pipe problem.
Some of them also have nicer "upgrade" packages with PASM and other goodies.
This one is a little more $$$, but is a good example of a "loaded" '08 V6.
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...ingId=85399731

We considered that one and lots of others, but ended up buying a 2004 Cayenne S (w/PASM) with 64K miles $19,500 for a last week. We immediately did the coolant pipes for about another $1500 and scored a barely used set of Cayenne wheels with snow tires on them for about $1k, so we are all-in for about $22,000 ready for winter.

Of course, my '99 C4 has a stick and is great in snow until it is deep or deeply rutted which can happen in Denver city since they do not plow the side streets in the city.

 

You'll be happy with that. Our Cayenne does very well in the snow up in the mountains with the winter tires in place. The only car I've ever driven that felt more stable was our old Audi Allroad Quattro with winter tires. My sons each drive Subaru Foresters, and they do pretty well in CO winters too.

 

Yes, the MDX's SH-AWD most definitely raises it to the best of the best for front wheel drive based "awd" systems, F/AWD, as it were. But please note that the early MDX's used the VTM-4 rear drive system and those seem to have an inordinately high failure rate. It's currently unclear to me if the SH-AWD system was actually the solution, Acura may have very well have "derated" the Sh-AWD system's full-time functionality in order to extend the life of the driveline components.

Personally I would NEVER recommend even considering ANY front drive based "awd" system, many are there as pretent only (current WRX) with so many much more stable R/AWD systems out there in the market. The nice thing about this new electromagnetically controlled clutch system, F/awd or R/AWD, is that the owner could easily add a switch to fully open(***) the front drive, or even fully CLOSE the front drive when/if road conditions warrant.

Base Cayenne, R/awd would be my first choice. No transfer case, electromagnetic PWM controlled clutch for "on-demand" front driveline energization.

*** No undue driveline stresses, HEATING, inadvertently incured on perfectly dry highly tractive roadbeds.

 

well thats not entirely accurate. the vtm4 issue was actually an issue with the torque converter....a mapping update corrects it quite handily. dont want to even equate it with an ims issue, but i will, in terms of the hysteria shot around on the acura forums about it.

178k km and trans is as smooth as butter. id buy another '05 no problem.

 

Hi all,

Thanks for great advice. The V8 Cayenne seems to be more abundantly for sale locally than the V6 model - looking for a well-optioned V6 is a thought. Manual in an SUV not important.

I had never thought about an Audi - but why not. Great looking car although the 8 is a tad hefty for my needs. Possibly the 6. Would want 4WD in a sedan or wagon.

Acura MDX - also now on my radar.

I would even get another newer Volvo if I could get a stick. I also have an S60 (wife's winter vehicle)

Bill

 

If you could find a 2005 (I believe this was the last year they made it) Allroad Quattro with the 4.2 V8 and a manual transmission, you'd have a winner!

 

Cayenne GTS with a stick.

Subaru Legacy Spec B; it's basically an STi driveline in a more grown up package.

CTS-V


Nick

 

You have clearly not been here long enough... In the 18 years I have lived in the Raleigh area there have been many major snowstorms, some which have shut the place down for days. In January 2000 we were frozen tight for almost a week.

Few snowplows, lots of pine trees overhanging power lines, wet and heavy snow, and sunny days after a snow which just melt it enough to freeze that night; it can be bad enough here to make even the NJ transplants happy.

 

I vote for an Audi. Pick any Quattro in you budget and you will be fine with Michelin Ice tires it will go anywhere. Drive or old 98 A6 Avant through Yosemite in December and it pulled through every form of Ice and Snow. I have been told the A6 Allroad can have issues with the Pneumatic suspension but any car that complex an 10 years old need to be looked over well. The Quattro is a Front driver with full time AWD but I love the way it handed any weather any road condition. An added pulse is the quality of the interior that in our case has worn well for nearly 120000 and 15 years.

 

Audi A4 Avant or a Subaru Legacy.

 

Audi Quatro A4 love it great in snow, if it gets deep take the f350.My wifes Rav4 does the job also, she loves it smaller size. The snow hasent been bad the last couple of years but it can be bad here.

 

R32