MPLS winters on cars??? (Minneapolis: debt, condo, work)

[Iraqvet]

How hard are the Minneapolis winters on cars? Does everyone's car rust out within a few years? It is worth having an Audi, BMW, Lexus, etc. in MPLS or do most residents have a "beater" for the winter. I'm just wondering because if you go to most of the southern cities, Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, etc., the people who have money usually go out and buy nice cars. Is this the case in Minneapolis?

[Slig]

Roads are salted in the winter in Minnesota which is really hard on your car's exterior. What is especially bad is that it's a real challenge to wash your car in sub-zero temperatures which is common in January and February. As a result, winter takes a serious toll on car exteriors, rust develops, etc. The best advice I can give you is if you have a nice car store it in the winter. If you don't have the storage space or the money to afford two vehicles, don't drive a nice car.

[Haver]

Most people with nice cars store them for the winter. It's not just the salt and rust, either - cold starting a car that's been sitting at work in subzero weather for 8 or 9 hours isn't doing it any favors.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Mpls. has fewer high end cars; mostly because of the culture. The weather doesn't help their numbers. There are nice cars, their owners mostly realize that they will rust out after about a decade. I suppose most people never hold on to a car over 15 years (unless you are really into autos) anyways; at least in my experience.

[Thegonagle]

Some of the wealthiest people I know own the most ordinary cars.

My boss at work is worth millions, and drives an eleven year old Ford to work every day from his Kenwood Park condo.

My best buddy's parents are debt-free and retired after having sold their successful small business. They own a 10 year old Honda and a Ford mini-van.

Owning a cabin on a lake "up north" is a higher-priority status symbol than an excessively expensive, soon-to-be rust bucket to a lot of people around here.

[Slig]

people around do have a point A to point B mentality. If you wanna go all out here you buy a new ordinary car as opposed to a used one.

[Simple Living]

You can always get your car treated for rust protection, including the under-side of your car. Car washes will wash this area, too. These aren't assurances, but they're helpful.

[whitechocolate86]

My relatives who used to live in Minneapolis...said there were these heating mechanisms that you could hook into your car...wherever I move to, I wanna get a new car...preferably a good looking hybrid (Camry)...isn't there away to protect it...don't they sell coats to protect the paint and aren't there ways to heat your car while it sits in the cold?

[Thegonagle]

The way to protect the paint is with a coat of wax every few months. That's the same as anywhere. Engine block heaters haven't been an every-day necessity since carburetors went bye-bye in the late eighties. Modern fuel injected engines (in proper repair, of course) will start easily down to 20 below or even colder.

Sure, order the cold-weather package, which will include a block heater, but it will probably be quite rare that you actually need to use it. (The cold weather packages usually also include a bigger battery, which is a good idea.)

[whitechocolate86]

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

The way to protect the paint is with a coat of wax every few months. That's the same as anywhere. Engine block heaters haven't been an every-day necessity since carburetors went bye-bye in the late eighties. Modern fuel injected engines (in proper repair, of course) will start easily down to 20 below or even colder.

Sure, order the cold-weather package, which will include a block heater, but it will probably be quite rare that you actually need to use it. (The cold weather packages usually also include a bigger battery, which is a good idea.)

So, would my truck bought in Texas need to be modified for Minnesota?