[Confispect]

^ I was interesting in those for a while.
 
Go cart= Mini Cooper.
 
A blast to drive.

 

[roadcykler]

I'll add to the Subaru pile. Great cars that are reliable and get good mpg. They'll last much longer than any Chrysler (Jeep) product and will save you a lot in gasoline costs too. 

 

[Confispect]

^ That's what I keep hearing.
 
I've never been interested in them though.
 
They all look ugly.

 

[flyingbangus]

Yes, that is correct. Subaru has never made any production cars that will make you fall in love at first sight. They are always an acquired taste.
 
My gf hated the 2008 STi's hatchback design at first, as she had the typical american stigma of hatchback/wagon=family car. It took several snowboard trips for her to turn around and start appreciating it.
 
The concept designs for the current gen Legacy and the 2012 Impreza showed a lot of promise for exterior design, but the production cars (as always) ended up as watered-down versions. Don't get me wrong, the 2012 Impreza's design is a lot less boring than the 2008-2011, but it's still a disappointment from the concept car.
Quote:

They all look ugly.

 

 

[lbj]

Test drive a WRX and you'll forget all about what it looks like.  These are serious bang for the buck machines.

 

[Confispect]

Quote:

Yes, that is correct. Subaru has never made any production cars that will make you fall in love at first sight. They are always an acquired taste.
 
My gf hated the 2008 STi's hatchback design at first, as she had the typical american stigma of hatchback/wagon=family car. It took several snowboard trips for her to turn around and start appreciating it.
 
The concept designs for the current gen Legacy and the 2012 Impreza showed a lot of promise for exterior design, but the production cars (as always) ended up as watered-down versions. Don't get me wrong, the 2012 Impreza's design is a lot less boring than the 2008-2011, but it's still a disappointment from the concept car.


 

I know.
 
I think the most interesting thing they have is the Imperzu and the Trebeca, but in place of the Trebeca I would get Tranverse.
 
 

 

[flyingbangus]

QFT. The 2011 WRX's are amazing for 26k -- 265HP from a turbocharged flat-four, AWD, and the fender flares of the 08+ STi's. You'd have to go and hit up the Mustang and Camaro to get more powaaah for your money, but you'd need to trade AWD for RWD.
Quote:

Test drive a WRX and you'll forget all about what it looks like.  These are serious bang for the buck machines.

The Tribeca doesn't sell well because of that. Even the updated ('08 and up) Tribeca is having a hard time comparing to huge competition of SUV's. Hell, if I needed a vehicle with 3rd row seats, I'd save up for an Acura MDX.
Quote:

I know.
 
I think the most interesting thing they have is the Imperzu and the Trebeca, but in place of the Trebeca I would get Tranverse.
 
 

 
To the OP -- sorry about the OT conversations....turns out there's quite a few car nuts here in head-fi

 

 

[marvin]

OP is in a bit of a tough spot right now. There's too many dollars chasing too few good condition ~100k mile cars, especially fuel efficient ones, to get a good deal. Almost everything in that range is up a couple thousand dollars from where prices were pre-2007. Best value in your price range would be in midsized SUVs (Explorer, XTerra, etc) from the 2002-2004 time frame.
 
Otherwise, I'd find a B15 Nissan Sentra with a stick. Compact, reasonably sporty, reliable, and without the Honda/Toyota used car markup. Preferably a 2000-2001 SE or 2004-2006 SE-R variant.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I disagree, flyingbangus. The Subaru SVX is still very cool and (IMHO) underappreciated. It has issues with the brakes, but is still a very unique and well-made car.

As to the OP, you don't need a 4x4 to deal with bad weather. All you need is a FWD with a stick. I got a '95 Escort 5-speed through a couple of awful central Oregon winters. I strongly recommend the '94-'96 Escorts. You won't win any fashion shows, but they're damned near bulletproof with a stick. Mine pulled 45MPG on the highway when driven conservatively. I'd still have it save for an accident that wasn't my fault. I put 144k on it without a single repair, save for a wire that melted in the ignition. The wire was $5 and the labor was $60. It still had the original clutch and brakes when it was totalled. If you can find one in decent shape, buy it.

Old Civics , Corollas, 323s, 626s, and Sentras are good, too. But make sure to get a 5-speed. Clutches are much cheaper to repair than an auto and much, much more useful when things are slippery out. Besides, a clutch is a lot more fun to drive. Not difficult to learn, either. Put it in first, then slowly let the clutch out without touching the gas. Once you can do that without stalling, you've got it. You'll be comfortable with it in a week. After a month, you'll forget you're shifting. After a few months, you won't want to drive anything else. I've got about 250k miles on manuals now and love them.

My problem with the average 4x4 is the high center of gravity. My family has an '89 Bronco (full size) I drive now and then. It frightens me. I know I can put it on its side any time I want. That just isn't going to happen with the Scion tC I usually drive (of course it is a 5-speed).

As for older cars, I can't really recommend them as daily drivers. I've got a '71 Comet, '66 Mustang convertible and a '67 Mustang coupe down here. They're fine in Arizona. But I'd never drive any of them on snow or ice. All are rear wheel drive and fishtail even in the rain. When I was 16, I used to take the Comet out to parking lots when it had rained. It was no problem to throw it into donuts and slide around. The 302 was more than happy to do it. Though I managed to survive and the car is still intact, I'd never drive it in bad weather. Earlier vehicles are even worse. For awhile, I owned a '59 F-100 with a 292, three-on-the-tree and power nothing. Lots of fun in good weather, but I never took it out in the snow. If you go back to the 30s, you might run into mechanical brakes and other horrors. At least the '59 had hydraulic drums. If you want to drive something really old like that, you have to perform major surgery to upgrade the brakes and handling. They won't cut it in modern traffic.

Yeah, they're very cool, but get a 90s-on car for regular driving. Pick up an old one to wrench on for fun and drive when it's nice out.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

This?

LMAO pedo van.

 

[burk992]

OP, I'm not quite sure how old you are or what your budget is, but time and time again I've seen bulletproof choices in fourth to fifth generation Honda Accords (that would be, 1990-97 model years) or pretty much and turbo diesel Volkswagon you can find for cheap. The older the better, as far as insurance and personal property taxes go, of course. 
 
And I suppose, I'll add to the Scoobaru pile, just because you'll pick up so many chicks driving an Impreza... no, I'm kidding. Get an Outback wagon, be the friend that gets 25 mpg+ and can carry the whole pack around town on Friday night. Nobody cares what you're driving as long as you keep it clean, make sure the interior smells relatively nice, and won't strand everyone out on the highway in the middle of the night.
 
(Then again, disregard everything I've said - I drive a '65 Chevelle Malibu.)

 

[flyingbangus]

Agreed. Be patient, OP. It took me 2 months of searching before I found the Forester that I bought a couple months ago.
Quote:

OP is in a bit of a tough spot right now. There's too many dollars chasing too few good condition ~100k mile cars, especially fuel efficient ones, to get a good deal. Almost everything in that range is up a couple thousand dollars from where prices were pre-2007. Best value in your price range would be in midsized SUVs (Explorer, XTerra, etc) from the 2002-2004 time frame.
 
Otherwise, I'd find a B15 Nissan Sentra with a stick. Compact, reasonably sporty, reliable, and without the Honda/Toyota used car markup. Preferably a 2000-2001 SE or 2004-2006 SE-R variant.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. The SVX is very cool to have now because of the EG33 flat-6 engine, and the little fact that Subaru haven't offered a coupe since 2001. However, when the SVX came out in the early 90's, the (affordable?) sporty cars competition was very fierce -- thinking Datsun's, Celica's, Supra's, MR2's, RX-7, Silvia's, Skyline's, Evo's, etc etc. The novelty of having a front-mounted flat-6 engine can only do so much....
 
I also still don't think the SVX is love-at-first-sight, but looks are subjective.
 
Quote:

I disagree, flyingbangus. The Subaru SVX is still very cool and (IMHO) underappreciated. It has issues with the brakes, but is still a very unique and well-made car.
 

 


 
 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Oh, come on. The SVX has always had an exotic car coolness. I loved them when they came out and still do. If I had to deal with inclement weather, one would be at the top of my list. It hits 120° down here (112° today), but AWD wouldn't be too helpful.

I had and loved a FC3S RX-7 for a few years. Great car, but it drinks gas like a V8 and not something I'd pick for ice and snow. Though when gas was under $2/gallon, I had a great time throwing it through twisties and running it up I-5 with the cruise set at 120.

 

[marvin]

Quote:

The SVX is very cool to have now because of the EG33 flat-6 engine, and the little fact that Subaru haven't offered a coupe since 2001.

 
Nah, it's definitely the windows. Glass everywhere. It's an effect that's even more impressive these days as cars increasingly resemble pillboxes from a visibility perspective. Besides, the EG33 is downright antiquated at this point and the auto tranny only constraint doesn't do the SVX powertrain any favors.
 
 

 

[flyingbangus]

Oh, wasn't aware it was THAT cool. Then again, I was a very young kid when the SVX actually came out, so....yeah haha!
 
Quote:

Oh, come on. The SVX has always had an exotic car coolness.

 
Oh right, the driving in a fish bowl factor. Is that a factor that makes you love the car at first sight, or something you appreciate more and more as time goes?
 
Quote:

 
Nah, it's definitely the windows. Glass everywhere. It's an effect that's even more impressive these days as cars increasingly resemble pillboxes from a visibility perspective. Besides, the EG33 is downright antiquated at this point and the auto tranny only constraint doesn't do the SVX powertrain any favors.