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What's your winter car?

lsiunsuex

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So -

-- The girlfriends son is 15.
-- She let's her kids buy their first car, by themselves, at age 15 so they can learn to drive in all weather conditions so by the time their 16, they're good and responsible. (he's driven the mustang to and from the apartment pool many times and around town with me when roads are sparse - he's good.)
-- He's been shopping / browsing for cars for months...
-- I've decided I want a winter car / don't want to drive the mustang another season in a western NY winter.
-- I won't be happy driving some old POS when my baby is in the garage.
-- I've convinced the son - if he gets a job and pays the car payment, I'll put the down payment for the car and it's "ours"
-- the few days we get heavy snow / really crappy driving conditions - I'll take the winter car. Otherwise, it's his to go to school with, work, whatever.
-- as I want a winter car and I'll allow him to drive the mustang when it's nice out - we'll "share them" I've convinced him to let's consider getting a new 2018 Jeep Wrangler. (otherwise, he wants an acura TL)

---- Opinions about current Jeep Wranglers?
---- I know they have an aftermarket as good if not better then ours - any recommendations for a tune / tuner ? Found bulldog.com - looks like the Cobb programmer.
---- A jeep is a jeep - but any other ideas for a car / small SUV with good ground clearance / AWD or 4x4 ?
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XCRN

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It is a winter vehicle and for a new driver so get something you really do not care about. I have a Cherokee that costs less than a set of used winter tires and it has been great for the winter/secondary vehicle duties. Though it is not something I take more than 50 miles from home it has not left me stranded yet. I really do not travel during the winter so this fact has not botherd me.

However when the Mustang is paid off I will probably get a newer Wrangler for the winter/secondary purpose. That was actually what I was looking for instead of a Mustang but my buddy convinced me to look at “not so responsible” vehicles.
 

Ebm

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It is a winter vehicle and for a new driver so get something you really do not care about. I have a Cherokee that costs less than a set of used winter tires and it has been great for the winter/secondary vehicle duties. Though it is not something I take more than 50 miles from home it has not left me stranded yet. I really do not travel during the winter so this fact has not botherd me.

However when the Mustang is paid off I will probably get a newer Wrangler for the winter/secondary purpose. That was actually what I was looking for instead of a Mustang but my buddy convinced me to look at “not so responsible” vehicles.
I also have a Cherokee(XJ). The unibody will give out before the 4.0 does. Hands down, the best motor that has ever came in a Jeep. If you can get over the piss poor gas mileage and the fact that they just aren't fast, I think XJs and Wranglers are a great winter driver. Other than that, I'd say any Subaru(because of AWD) would be a good choice as well.
 

SJulian10mm

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I also have a Cherokee(XJ). The unibody will give out before the 4.0 does. Hands down, the best motor that has ever came in a Jeep. If you can get over the piss poor gas mileage and the fact that they just aren't fast, I think XJs and Wranglers are a great winter driver. Other than that, I'd say any Subaru(because of AWD) would be a good choice as well.
Back in 2014 I picked up a 89 cherokee for 600 bucks still running/driving, 199k, I took it to 204k with minimal MX, using it as a woods/river bed beater and beat on it i did. Made a PVC snorkel, put the motor under water multiple times, even shut it down and got it to restart under water. Airborn, sand wash whoops, bouncing up rocky hill climbs and raced it in the stock tuff truck class at the local county fair 3 years in a row. The front dana 30 4 link mounts were ripping away from the unibody after my final tuff truck event in 2016, but that 4.0 was still running strong, managed to sell it to another more dedicated tuff truck racer for 350 bucks, he patched the front end back together and has been doing about the same things i did with it...more abuse and still running.
 
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LSchicago

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I'll probably get an 05 up Grand Caravan for winter/hauling duties. Need to haul 4X8 sheet size when needed.
 

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After going through this with 2 teenagers I'd recommend finding something for the kid with it's "first scratch". The amount of crazy shit that happened to my kids cars is amazing.

Sharing didn't work either, they never want to give up the car...always something they need to be doing that super important. On the rare times you do get the car, you'll likely find it filthy and out of gas.

My advice is to find 2 cars for the price of that 2018 Wrangler. The old TJ's wear like iron and are very simple to fix.
 

datadatum

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Move to FL - no such thing as winter tires or winter cars. :)

Seriously - no income tax either. Is it an option?
 

CCCP1999

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C6 Vette. There is no winter in FL.
 

Blue Moon

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datadatum

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11 years ago, I lived in Chicago. Drove a 2005 STi pushing 400 awhp all year round. Winter tires from Thanksgiving to spring...
 

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galaxy

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2002 IS300. It's my DD year round. Running Michelin PS AS3+. Great tire. I have a '02 F150 4X4 (lifted, super clean, super nice, etc, etc). Once they pave the roads around here and the snow gets packed down, the IS will walk circles around my truck on bad winter roads, and that's even with 16 year old electronics (drive modes). Put that thing in "snow" mode and put the pedal on the floor and the car will do what it needs to do, not what you tell it to do. Now, if they don't pave the roads it's a completely different story!

I'd absolutely love to have a FoRS with the winter tire package as a year round DD...now that would be a blast!
 
 




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