Looking for new car around $45K. Any ideas?

[OrByte]

45K is too much to spend on a car that depreciates 8K as soon as you drive it off the lot.

maybe I'm just talking out my bvtt though....

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: EatSpam
SUVs are for soccer moms to haul their spoiled brat kids to the mall. Why do you need one?

Ever heard of something called "snow"?

i have. my family has a house where it snows every year. to get to it, you have to climb a super-steep road that doesn't get plowed too often and ices over when it does get plowed. if you tried to sled down it, you'd die before you got half-way down.

i drive a 15 year old Honda Accord. summer tires. a big patch of slick right down the center.

i have NEVER had a problem getting around there. sometimes i need chains. when i do, i put them on. it takes 5 minutes. they cost $30. i get 25 MPG with them on.

in fact, it was the goons in the Explorers that I was blasting past on my last trip up the hill to snowboard, with 3 inches of hard-pack on the highway and a freaking blizzard coming down. 4-wheel-drive really doesn't help much except in a few situations, and even then the advantage over a FWD with chains is slim to none, especially when you throw in the fact that turning and stopping a 3000 vehicle with chains is WAY easier than doing that in a 5000 vehicle that is on nothing but rubber and has controls that transmit no information about what the tires are doing. i know this because i've driven cherokees, CJ-7's, and Escalades, all in the snow. they don't put the power down much if any better, and when you hit the brakes, you've got either a whole lot of nothing or else a Magic Fingers ABS vibro-seat and still a whole lot of nothing.

in the summer, i strap boats to the roof and drive up fire-roads to lakes. if there's a big rock, i slow down a bit. i get 25 MPG there and back.

and yeah, if i lived there full-time, i'd buy a subaru for the AWD, but i'd still pack chains in the winter. honestly, with the rare exception of people who are towing big powerboats along with the whole family, nobody needs an SUV, and especially not a 45K daily driver. if you live in the snow or drive off-road sometimes, you really don't need one.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: tontod
I have an Audi A4 quattro, and it handles great in the snow.

A lot of snow? What about 2 feet of snow? I can drive off road, in the snow with my SUV.

i'm sure you need to do this on a regular basis, too, right?

want to post pics of the last time you did this?

oh wait. you never have. oh well.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Profile says Georgia so SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
Dude, anything SRT-8 is pure hotness in my books. Just make sure it has that badge on the back and buy any of them!

I am a 300C guy myself. I'd take that car over just about anything else. I heart the 300C.

You should see the Caliber SRT flying around my work lately. I keep trying to get pics of it, but the stupid thing is too fast and all I get is a black blur with my camera phone.

 

[arcenite]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: EatSpam
Ever hear of something called "front wheel drive"? Very easy to drive in the snow.

Front wheel drive doesn't cut it kid. I know, I've had both front and rear wheel drive cars, along with SUVs. Cars in general are a nightmere in the snow.

Only if you don't know how to drive. The ONLY advantage SUVs offer over cars are off the line traction. You aren't going to handle any better than a car if you lose traction, and you sure as hell aren't going to stop any better.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
I do, and you're dead wrong. An SUV is certainly superior to any car in the snow, but saying that you can drive like there's no snow is just ignorant.
The people who do that are the ones who have appointments with body shops after the snow is gone.

You still have to drive carefully. 4WD goes better, stops better, and basically does everything better in any kind of inclement weather, but having 4WD doesn't allow you to just flip the switch and carry on like it's sunny out.

You might not drive like there's no snow, but I sure do.

Perhaps the 4WD system in my Infiniti is superior to the ones you've experienced.

Idiotic. 4wd is 4wd. There is no "superior" just because you bought an Infiniti.
I can guarandamntee you that my 4x4 Tahoe or any actual 4wd truck is miles better in any traction-limited situation you want to try.

 

[vtohthree]

So..uh... Has any of our suggestions enlighted you at all OP? And, have you made your decision yet?

 

[wetcat007]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: Strk
People who drive SUVs in the snow like there is no snow end up in telephone poles or worse, in other cars.

Do you have an SUV and drive it in the snow?

Oh the SUV snow response... Yeah I love to see all those people driving 70mph down freeways during snow storms only to suddenly realize they don't stop any faster than every other vehicle on the road and end up in a ditch.

Not saying your one of the idiots who drives them like they have dry street traction in snow, sure if your responsible they might give you a advantage of getting out of tough spots but that's about it, and they generally stop no faster if not slower than cars.

 

[wetcat007]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
I do, and you're dead wrong. An SUV is certainly superior to any car in the snow, but saying that you can drive like there's no snow is just ignorant.
The people who do that are the ones who have appointments with body shops after the snow is gone.

You still have to drive carefully. 4WD goes better, stops better, and basically does everything better in any kind of inclement weather, but having 4WD doesn't allow you to just flip the switch and carry on like it's sunny out.

You might not drive like there's no snow, but I sure do.

Perhaps the 4WD system in my Infiniti is superior to the ones you've experienced.

If you do you shouldn't be driving, you can not stop any faster with 4WD, there's no denying it.

 

[garkon]

Originally posted by: EatSpam

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: EatSpam
Ever hear of something called "front wheel drive"? Very easy to drive in the snow.

Front wheel drive doesn't cut it kid. I know, I've had both front and rear wheel drive cars, along with SUVs. Cars in general are a nightmere in the snow.

Funny how people used to get around just fine before luxury SUVs were available. My folks lived in northern Minesota in the late '70s and had sh!tty RWD Chevy Novas. They managed to get around just fine in the winter. And it snows in Minnesota.

But how they managed without leather, fake wood trim, rear drum brakes, and the pure awesome power and status of owning an SUV, I'll never know.

truely lol, nice. its true too. This is a great topic!

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: CraigRT
Dude, anything SRT-8 is pure hotness in my books. Just make sure it has that badge on the back and buy any of them!

I am a 300C guy myself. I'd take that car over just about anything else. I heart the 300C.

You should see the Caliber SRT flying around my work lately. I keep trying to get pics of it, but the stupid thing is too fast and all I get is a black blur with my camera phone.

Caliber SRT ? Do you mean like one someone is road testing for Dodge or a magazine ? Just wondering because I'm interested when the SRT version will be available to buy ?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Tom

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: CraigRT
Dude, anything SRT-8 is pure hotness in my books. Just make sure it has that badge on the back and buy any of them!

I am a 300C guy myself. I'd take that car over just about anything else. I heart the 300C.

You should see the Caliber SRT flying around my work lately. I keep trying to get pics of it, but the stupid thing is too fast and all I get is a black blur with my camera phone.

Caliber SRT ? Do you mean like one someone is road testing for Dodge or a magazine ? Just wondering because I'm interested when the SRT version will be available to buy ?

A company near my work does something for DCX with the SRT models. They have one of each in their parking lot, other than the Viper. Lately they've been testing what I assume is the Caliber SRT, it's still completely camo'ed unlike all the other Calibers and they have been driving it up and down the street at high speeds.

Sounds awesome, though.

 

[FDF12389]

Driving in a SUV doesnt make driving in snow much easier.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage

Originally posted by: Tom
Unless you want an SUV, how about a Dodge Magnum SRT-8 ?

Same engine as the Jeep, but more car-like.

And has quite a bit of cargo room.

ugliest cars alive.

they look like hurses (SP?)

QFT, I don't get what people like about this car

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage

Originally posted by: Tom
Unless you want an SUV, how about a Dodge Magnum SRT-8 ?

Same engine as the Jeep, but more car-like.

And has quite a bit of cargo room.

ugliest cars alive.

they look like hurses (SP?)

QFT, I don't get what people like about this car

Engine

 

[FDF12389]

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage

Originally posted by: Tom
Unless you want an SUV, how about a Dodge Magnum SRT-8 ?

Same engine as the Jeep, but more car-like.

And has quite a bit of cargo room.

ugliest cars alive.

they look like hurses (SP?)

QFT, I don't get what people like about this car

Engine

And sound system is alright too. Also has lots of space.

 

[Tom]

A Dodge Magnum doesn't look anything like a hearse.

It looks vaguely like a customized chopped and channeled 55 Chevy Nomad, one of the coolest cars ever built.

55Nomad.jpg

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Tom

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: CraigRT
Dude, anything SRT-8 is pure hotness in my books. Just make sure it has that badge on the back and buy any of them!

I am a 300C guy myself. I'd take that car over just about anything else. I heart the 300C.

You should see the Caliber SRT flying around my work lately. I keep trying to get pics of it, but the stupid thing is too fast and all I get is a black blur with my camera phone.

Caliber SRT ? Do you mean like one someone is road testing for Dodge or a magazine ? Just wondering because I'm interested when the SRT version will be available to buy ?

A company near my work does something for DCX with the SRT models. They have one of each in their parking lot, other than the Viper. Lately they've been testing what I assume is the Caliber SRT, it's still completely camo'ed unlike all the other Calibers and they have been driving it up and down the street at high speeds.

Sounds awesome, though.

Have you got a good enough look at it to have an opinion about it's ride height ? I assume it would look a little lower than a standard Caliber, with some wide tires ?