Vehicles

[kuan]

The only time you'll ever need a 4x4 is when you're late for work and the snowplow comes by and puts a 4ft bank of snow right at the edge of your driveway.

[GraniteStater]

If you want better gas mileage I would highly recommend looking at an AWD car as opposed to a 4WD car. AWD cars tend to have a lower center of gravity, and better handling and cornering compared with 4WD vehicles. Some Subaru cars with AWD get about 28-30mpg on the highway with the 4 cylinder engine.

[JenLee]

My daughter has a 2000 Seabring convertible and hers was a bit drafty last year; seems as though she needs a new top (previous owner had gone through a lot of car washes, maybe?).

My first car was a 1971 Pontiac Firebird with a huge engine and a very light body. I lived in rural NW MN and my job required a lot of country driving -with an automatic transmission, rear wheel drive, and fat tires. I was frequently in the ditch in the country; but even in the small towns I did okay. It just takes a bit of practice and some caution to learn how to drive in the winter; *I* don't think it's necessary to sell your car and buy a new one just because you're moving here.

The biggest problem is the TIME of year you are moving; you won't be able to "ease in to winter" like the rest of us.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by kuan

The only time you'll ever need a 4x4 is when you're late for work and the snowplow comes by and puts a 4ft bank of snow right at the edge of your driveway.

I hate it when that happens.

I think a snowblower will be my first purchase when I return.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by kuan

The only time you'll ever need a 4x4 is when you're late for work and the snowplow comes by and puts a 4ft bank of snow right at the edge of your driveway.

Hehehe... Reminds me of the Halloween blizzard of '91 or '92 -- I was working at Unisys in Eagan (MACS Building on Pilot Knob) at the time, and I'd driven all the way to work on 494 from my east Bloomington apartment in my 1986 1/2 Supra (normally no big deal, but it actually took some doing given all that snow with my rear-wheel drive and 225/50VR16 Goodyear Mud+Snows which acted more like skis than one would sometimes prefer ).

I got there, I was told the building was closed due to snow, and I headed back to my car just to see a snowplow leaving the parking lot. It had done a circle all the way around the parking area, clearing the road to the building, but leaving the whole lot blockaded by a 3-foot snow pile!!

Thankfully, the building had a little Bobcat that was moving snow around, and he was able to use the bucket to clear a path out for me (and then gently push me through).

That was a cool storm!

[bighusker]

I moved up here about 5 months ago and I recently bought an AWD Chevy Equinox. I'm in Plymouth and commute to Minneapolis so I'm sure I would have been fine with my FWD car+snow tires in 99% of situations, but I do a lot of rural driving between Minnesota and Nebraska so I like having it for those situations. Plus, it's nice having enough room to haul stuff when the need arises.

It doesn't get horrible gas milage for an AWD SUV (19-20 in town, 24-25 on the highway, which is about the same as my 17 year old Olds Cutlas). I'm happy I bought it, but it's not an absolute neccesity.

[nick is rulz]

I drive a Toyota and Ive had no problems to speak of. It all depends on where you plan to reside I suppose.