Hey all you Colorado car guys...need your input! (job, invest)

[b.adams]

The subaru's are really amazing in the snow. The low center of gravity and AWD makes them great. I personally don't think CRV's are real great in snow. I had a 4WD Element for a while (based on CRV) and it was terrible. I don't reccomend any vehicle which has "auto-4WD", because they only go into 4WD after detecting slippage ... and by that time, your already doing donuts ... not food. I have never done so many donuts (as I did an that darn Element)! My wife drives an Odyssey minivan and its only front wheel drive, but it is very good in the snow. Never had a slide or spin in it ... even in conditions where my Element was donut-ville sliding everywhere. Usually the registration goes like this: 800, 500, 400, 350, 300, 250 ... for the first 5-6 years. I'm generalizing for a $25-30k car here.

If you drive a 60's era pollution mobile, then figure $15 per year. So much for promoting lower air pollution, Colorado.
Why encourage new cars that pollute less, when you can reward the gas guzzlers and make us all waste money on Ethanol based fuel that gets worse mileage. Thats sort of the mentality of Colorado laws.

[alexis2005]

Thanks so much for the great tips guys. Hey, High Altitude, if you see some woman sliding off the Evergreen Pkwy then you will know I did not buy the 4WD! LOL! No, but thanks for the tip on the Rav4 as I was looking at that model also. And thanks b.adams for the registration info. It costs $90 to register my vehicle here and that's not changed since the day I bought it! One year I paid $115. Tha's been the highest I've paid.

[Mike78613]

Alexis2005 - Also check your auto insurance for Colorado vs Texas.

I played w/ online free GEICO quotes and to find out, Texas rates are about $80 less then if I was to pay in Colorado. So car payment full coverage insurance will play a roll in what type of car / coverage you will need.

[High Altitude]

Cars are expensive to own in Colorado. I thought CA was expensive until I got here. I couldn't believe registration cost me more. I like to keep my cars for a real long time so it doesn't really matter.

[wankel7]

Originally Posted by b.adams

The subaru's are really amazing in the snow. The low center of gravity and AWD makes them great. I personally don't think CRV's are real great in snow. I had a 4WD Element for a while (based on CRV) and it was terrible. I don't reccomend any vehicle which has "auto-4WD", because they only go into 4WD after detecting slippage ... and by that time, your already doing donuts ... not food. I have never done so many donuts (as I did an that darn Element)! My wife drives an Odyssey minivan and its only front wheel drive, but it is very good in the snow. Never had a slide or spin in it ... even in conditions where my Element was donut-ville sliding everywhere. Usually the registration goes like this: 800, 500, 400, 350, 300, 250 ... for the first 5-6 years. I'm generalizing for a $25-30k car here.

If you drive a 60's era pollution mobile, then figure $15 per year. So much for promoting lower air pollution, Colorado.
Why encourage new cars that pollute less, when you can reward the gas guzzlers and make us all waste money on Ethanol based fuel that gets worse mileage. Thats sort of the mentality of Colorado laws.

Ah who cares about trying to regulate cars anyways...when a big ol jet takes off out of den burning 10,000lbs an hour worth of kerosene..kinda makes a 1965 buick riviera insignifiant

[Mike78613]

Colorado State emissions are strict also. So don't expect to drive a Smokey exhaust fumes automobile. I am glad here in Austin they are finally doing the same w/ the emissions testing.
Get the POS cars out of here!!

[b.adams]

As the son of my father, who collected 1966 mustangs (maybe 8?) for many years ... and who drove one to work as an executive of a top colorado company with over 10,000 employees ... I can tell you old cars have been a part of my life. So I'm not against people with classic cars.

But my point was that Colorado does nothing to encourage us to move up to a less polluting, lower emissions vehicle ... the way the current vehicle registration is set up. If anything, they encourage the opposite. We never paid more that $12 per car to register those old stangs ... and that worked for our frugal family.

We were also grandfathered in when the emmission testing came ... so we only had to do emissions test for the first <x> years, when it was a $5 test on every street corner. I don't recall, but I think they concluded those early tailpipe tests were sort of worthless (??) ... and the older vehicles didn't have emissions controls on them to adjust (I think).

[CTC]

Originally Posted by High Altitude

Cars are expensive to own in Colorado. I thought CA was expensive until I got here. I couldn't believe registration cost me more. I like to keep my cars for a real long time so it doesn't really matter.

hmm, but my CA insurance was almost 1k more a year in CA for the same car (alas the ill reputed Mitsu MS Sport)

but back on topic : We now have a 2006 Outback 2.5 xt (turbo). That thing kicks butt in the mountains-the turbo just keeps feeding oxygen to the engine. Hills are no issue-you could set the cruise for 80 on Vail Pass if you want (not that I ever have). You will pass every gas guzzling SUV in sight. My wife commutes from gypsum to edwards (there is a lot of snow up here during the winter) and really likes the traction (w/ snow tires)

just get rid of those stock Bridgestone Potenzas, and are one of the lowest rated tires ever-I could tell you stories about them in the rain-much less snow/ice

Oh yeah on the really deep days, I prefer our '98 4 Runner with Blizzaks. 2 wheel drive suvs are very hard to sell here in CO..my inlaws tried to sell their 2wd Durango for months and only got a nibble...and a MS Sport yikes!!!

Trade it in, don't even try to sell it

[wankel7]

Originally Posted by CTC

hmm, but my CA insurance was almost 1k more a year in CA for the same car (alas the ill reputed Mitsu MS Sport)

but back on topic : We now have a 2006 Outback 2.5 xt (turbo). That thing kicks butt in the mountains-the turbo just keeps feeding oxygen to the engine. Hills are no issue-you could set the cruise for 80 on Vail Pass if you want (not that I ever have). You will pass every gas guzzling SUV in sight. My wife commutes from gypsum to edwards (there is a lot of snow up here during the winter) and really likes the traction (w/ snow tires)

just get rid of those stock Bridgestone Potenzas, and are one of the lowest rated tires ever-I could tell you stories about them in the rain-much less snow/ice

Oh yeah on the really deep days, I prefer our '98 4 Runner with Blizzaks. 2 wheel drive suvs are very hard to sell here in CO..my inlaws tried to sell their 2wd Durango for months and only got a nibble...and a MS Sport yikes!!!

Trade it in, don't even try to sell it

Dude, I took my turbo RX-7 up 70 from Arvada and it was great! I could hear it spooling up....I was able to run 90 up the mountain...so much fun passing

[Daskuppler]

What does everyone think about a fwd Audi TT in the snow with awesome all season tires? (I'm looking at about $800-$900 worth of rubber).