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I live in Michigan and I'm thinking about buying a new car soon. The trouble is the cars I "want" aren't really practical in Michigan winters (LOTS of snow and wind and ice on the roads) and I don't know a ton about cars to begin with. I'm also one of those drivers that gets really stressed out driving in these conditions.
Can someone recommend me a cheap vehicle that handles well in the snow, gets decent gas mileage (25 mpg+) and usually clocks in at under $8000 for a decent condition? Also, it needs to be off the ground a bit since we get big snow drifts. Does such a unicorn exist?
your best bet is to just buy a 1997-2001 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) and use it as your daily driver it may not meet your 25MPG but you can get a one in very nice condition with low miles in $8K rage that will last you a decade of harsh winters if you take care of it properly
I live in Michigan and I'm thinking about buying a new car soon. The trouble is the cars I "want" aren't really practical in Michigan winters (LOTS of snow and wind and ice on the roads) and I don't know a ton about cars to begin with. I'm also one of those drivers that gets really stressed out driving in these conditions.
Can someone recommend me a cheap vehicle that handles well in the snow, gets decent gas mileage (25 mpg+) and usually clocks in at under $8000 for a decent condition? Also, it needs to be off the ground a bit since we get big snow drifts. Does such a unicorn exist?
The best car for snow driving is the one with high quality snow tires.
The best car for ice driving is the one with high quality studded tires.
Now if you are driving over un-plowed roads....
The best truck for snow driving is the one with high quality snow tires.
The best truck for ice driving is the one with high quality studded tires
Driving in the snow is more about the tires and the driver's skill. If driving in the snow and ice concerns you spending time in a snow covered parking lot can teach you a lot about how cars drive and slide in snow. The more time you spend sideways and sliding the quicker you will become comfortable with it.
Subaru and Volvo have the best AWD systems for snow and ice. You will not achieve your petrol usage rates with either. Almost any 4x4 or awd vehicle will perform better in these conditions than rwd or fwd. Keeping in mind, nothing will help you stop better. AWD/4x4 will only help avoid getting stuck and somewhat help avoiding a loss of control (skidding/sliding).
You next best option is pretty much any vehicle with top quality tyres designed to accommodate snow and ice. While front wheel drive vehicles are better at not getting stuck in snow, or pushing out in icy conditions, they are much more difficult to recover from a loss of control of the vehicle. So, which is preferable depends in part on whether you are good at regaining control and whether your preference is to avoid loosing control or to be able regaining control once you lose it. Personally my preference between the two is to drive rear wheel driver vehicles with added weight in the rear and studded or top quality winter tyres.
Even with 4x4 or AWD vehicles, a good winter tyre will make a considerable improvement. You need to choose carefully however. According to testing, very few winter tyes actually provide any benefit. Those that do are excellent, the rest either provide very little benefit or none at all. Do not choose by price. More expensive winter tyres are not necessarily the better performing ones. Sine you probably lack the capability of doing your own testing, you can find some good information on the world wide web. Start with the test reports at Tire Rack. Then look at other neutral or quasi neutral sources. Reports from tyre manufacturers or sellers of a specific brand are useless.
The best car for snow driving is the one with high quality snow tires.
The best car for ice driving is the one with high quality studded tires.
Now if you are driving over un-plowed roads....
The best truck for snow driving is the one with high quality snow tires.
The best truck for ice driving is the one with high quality studded tires
Driving in the snow is more about the tires and the driver's skill. If driving in the snow and ice concerns you spending time in a snow covered parking lot can teach you a lot about how cars drive and slide in snow. The more time you spend sideways and sliding the quicker you will become comfortable with it.
Thanks, but I've been driving in Michigan for a looooong time. I've always had crappy, low powered cars with bad tires. I need a car that can make it through snow drifts and unplowed roads because my area isn't very good about keeping roads plowed after a snowstorm. I also do a lot of country driving where the wind drifts are a huge issue, with big ditches on either side. Not a lot of room for sliding sideways, you know?
I live in Michigan and I'm thinking about buying a new car soon. The trouble is the cars I "want" aren't really practical in Michigan winters (LOTS of snow and wind and ice on the roads) and I don't know a ton about cars to begin with. I'm also one of those drivers that gets really stressed out driving in these conditions.
Can someone recommend me a cheap vehicle that handles well in the snow, gets decent gas mileage (25 mpg+) and usually clocks in at under $8000 for a decent condition? Also, it needs to be off the ground a bit since we get big snow drifts. Does such a unicorn exist?
10 year old Subaru wagon or toyota rav4,
10 year old ford ranger 4x4 (low 20's mpg)
MPG over 25 is a tall order for something that does well in the snow
An autotrader search just turned up 79 vehicles within 200 miles of Detroit (not sure where you were in MI) that are 2004-2012 models, AWD/4WD, <75k and selling for $8,000 or less.
Included in the list:
'06 Escape with 45k
'06 Mercury Mariner ~60k
'07 Jeep Liberty with 68k
'05 Chev Trailblazer with 33k
Fuel economy should be close to what you want in these types, depending on the driving and the engine in them, and they will offer a practical choice. You just need to identify what you like and what meets the needs. They are out there though. Another option is to find something you like and then expand the search nationwide. I have found vehicles sell in some areas better than others and what you want may be significantly less if you look outside the upper Midwest. A cheap one-way ticket and drive it home if you find one you like.
Get a Subaru and winter tires. You'll go anywhere.
depends on how much ground clearance the OP needs which is why I suggested the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) but if the roads a regularly plowed before the OP drives on them in the morning then a subie is also a great choice
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