Advice on vehicles for winter months (Denver, Fort Collins: buying, living, price)

[HeadingWest87]

I tried to search for a thread related to this topic but came up empty handed. If anyone out there has a link to past threads regarding the same, please send them to me.

I would like your opinions as to what would be considered a practical vehicle to own in Fort Collins. I currently own a Hyundai Tiburon and I'm fully aware that I will need to sell it or trade it in prior to my move, but I would like to know if it's still sensible to own an economy or mid-size car as opposed to an SUV style. My main concern is the snow/ice.

I also must add that I will be buying used and I'm on a budget so I would be looking for something in the $8,000 - $12,000 range.

Your advice is kindly appreciated.

Thank you!

[davemess10]

What are you wanting to do with this car? Are you going skiing every weekend. Are you going to be on unpaved backcountry roads. Or are you just staying in town an heading to Denver?

If it's the later you'll really not need anything different in a car. The snow is removed pretty quickly (or melts) and with some practice driving in the snow you'll be fine.

If you're on dirt roads a lot or spending a lot of the wintertime going skiing, AWD wouldn't be a bad idea, but not completely required. I rarely had any problems with my little four door FWD car. I did grow up in a snowy place though and know how to drive in snow.

[xeric]

Originally Posted by HeadingWest87

I tried to search for a thread related to this topic but came up empty handed. If anyone out there has a link to past threads regarding the same, please send them to me.

I would like your opinions as to what would be considered a practical vehicle to own in Fort Collins. I currently own a Hyundai Tiburon and I'm fully aware that I will need to sell it or trade it in prior to my move, but I would like to know if it's still sensible to own an economy or mid-size car as opposed to an SUV style. My main concern is the snow/ice.

I also must add that I will be buying used and I'm on a budget so I would be looking for something in the $8,000 - $12,000 range.

Your advice is kindly appreciated.

Thank you!

In 30 years of living along the Front Range, I've never had anything other then front-wheel drive cars with all-weather tires. (Except when I moved here - I had a rear-wheel drive Oldsmobile which I definitely wouldn't recommend). In all of that time I've only had 2 winter-related accidents and they both involved ice (which a 4WD wouldn't have prevented). I've had one case of being unable to get out of my driveway but that was in a low-clearance car during a 100 year snow event. During another even larger snow storm I didn't even try to get out, but neither did most of my neighbors. So if you live in town, you should be fine with a front-wheel drive sedan (although moderate clearance is preferable).

[Sunderpig2]

I wondering about that too. Besides tires (the most obvious), I was thinking that oil and maybe radiator fluid might need a different mix or type in that colder area, compared to vehicles that drive in the far south (such as Florida, Texas, Arizona). Personally, I'd have no intentions of driving in the mountains during wintertime for skiing, or anything like that. Just basic year-round protection in the Front Range.

Thanks for the comments and information!

[HeadingWest87]

I don't anticipate using it for much of anything besides just getting myself around in town. So I also assume from these two responses that it won't be necessary to do the snow tires during the winter? All season should be sufficient?

Thanks again!

[Mike Weber]

I grew up here, so am familiar with driving in the snow. That being said, for many of my driving years I have driven a 2-wheel drive import pickup with all season tires and a few sand bags in the back. I would not suggest this as the best option, but seldom have I ever had issues getting around.

My last few cars have been front wheel drive sedans with all-season tires. Again, no problems unless we have a 100-year snow event like xeric mentioned.

For fluids, I have run a lighter viscosity oil in my cars in the past, but I rarely will vary the 50/50 antifreeze to water mix in my radiator.

Good luck,
Mike Weber

[sunsprit]

FWD with snow tires is adequate for all but severe storms in the area for commuting.

If you're really concerned about getting around, there's a plethora of Subie's in the area. Recent cars in good condition are well within your price range.

FWIW, I just bought a replacement for my 1995 Legacy AWD wagon in Fort Collins at a local dealer; it's a 2000 Outback Limited wagon and it was priced at under $4,000. Comparable cars (with a better detailing job) were available at the new car dealers in town at the $6,000 price point ...with a couple hundred off possible if you wanted to haggle hard enough.

[davemess10]

I never did anything different as far as fluids go in my cars. I really don't think you'll have any problems in that realm.
Unless you're heading into the mountains consistently, you won't need winter tires.

[ledjar]

I actually see quite a few Tiburons all year round on the roads so they can't be too bad in the snow.

I've lived in colorado most of my life and since i was 16 so i've been driving in the snow my whole life. I've owned both rear wheel and front wheel cars and driven them both in the snow. I've never owned a AWD or 4WD car how i have driven them in the snow and they are easy mode compared to rwd or fwd

I've owned a bunch of cars and heres how i'd rank them in the snow from worst to best.

--worst--
97' Suzuki x90 (the 2 seater suv they make) its under powered and rwd. and TERRIFYING in the snow.
00' Ford focus SE - its fwd but the car is super light
97' ford ranger FWD - The ground clearance was good but it still tended to slip a lot.
02 bmw 325ci - It was RWD but BMW's hug the road, so its not bad at all
03 Suzuki Areo - The wheels are so narrow it just cuts through snow.
03 VW GTI 1.8t - This car is really good in the snow but it can be reallllly bad if you don't know how to manage the turbo. When i first got it i got stuck in the snow 5 times within the first 2 years, now that i've had it for 100k miles Its actully quite good in the snow, its a really heavy car that helps.
93 Honda Accord EX - This is our go to car when it snows, we've never had it lose control or get stuck even in deep snow.
--best--

Other cars i've driven in the snow are the (all AWD) 09 Honda element, 05 Honda Element, 07 Honda Pilot and a 2001 Ford Escape. All of these performed far better than the accord with the Honda Pilot being the best.

Many people here drive subaru's but unless your looking at the WRX or STI or one of the Legacy models with a good motor most subarus are underpowered in my opinion.