'Cold weather' car

[SuperHero]

I might need to move to CO next year for work, and was thinking of replacing my daily driver. For those of you who drive in snow regularly during the winters, what are your recommendations?

Just to narrow down the list:
- Preferably Japanese > European > American
- No Volkswagen/Audi (fool me once...)
- Price range: $20,000 - $30,000
- NO SUVs!!!
- Something decently roomy.
- Drives, handles well
- Available in manual
- Driver is early 30's and single. Need something suitable for age and marital status

I've been looking at the following:
- Acura TSX: Like the looks, drives well, great reliability and value, but how does it handle in the snow?
- Saab 9-2X: Mechanically identical to the Subaru Impreza, but looks better w/ better warranty. AWD. Kinda small
- Subaru Legacy: Probably get the wagon. Roomy. AWD. Kinda "old person" looking though

Any other suggestions?

 

[96 Buff]

If it's front wheel drive and has anti-lock brakes, you'll have very few problems in the snow.

 

[washparkhorn]

96 Buff is right. I assume you will be working on the Front Range (Denver, Boulder, Ft. Collins or Colorado Springs) - which is just a nice way of saying the desert plains of Colorado. We have regular snow, but it doesn't last on the streets (or ground) for long. On the snowy days, a front wheel drive car is fine. Even a rear wheel drive is okay if you have stability control.

Suburus are very common here, along with Saabs and Volvos. The Acura is less common, but would be fine for most of the weather we get here. I would add the Volvo S40 to the list, and even the BMW 325, if want a little bling. If no bling is required, the dull Suburu is fine.

The driving conditions here are not all that different on the plains. Driving to the mountains in the winter requires more, but for an urban commuter buy what you would buy in Texas.

I have a 300 HP rear wheel drive sedan with stability control that I can drive probably 360 days of the year. For the five days I can't, I have an AWD mid size SUV that my wife drives and we drive to the mountains. I only drive the SUV in Denver on the few days we have heavy snow and the plows can't keep with the snow - which is relatively rare.

 

[The Dog]

I would advise Audi but you already nixed that.

go subaru.

 

[SuperHero]

IF I move, it'll be to the Denver area with convenient access to the airport. Most driving will be urban, but I have a feeling there will be a lot of trips into the mountains to hike or ski.

Another one I thought about was the Volvo V50. The thing that irks me with Volvo is how there is no apparent logic between their engines, FWD vs AWD, and transmissions offerings.

Dog,
My Volkswagen experience hasn't been catastrophic. Yes, it's gotten me over 100,000 miles, but little issues like cracked hoses, window regulators going out, having to clean a butterfly valve regularly because of poor design... etc., just tick me off. I should ask my brother-in-law's sister to see how she likes her A4 Avant. I'm hesitant, but not completely ruling it out since I think it looks the best of any wagon out there.

 

[Macanudo]

Subaru Forester XT. That's what we bought in May before moving up here. Technically, it's a SUV but's more of a wagon. Lots of good stuff: heated seats, huge sunroof, 6 disc in-dash CD player and heated mirrors. Great cold weather car and fun to drive. There's also the Legacy and the Outback whick come in wagons and sedans.

 

[hornian]

My sister used to drive Volvo in the snow. Never fel safer in my life than riding in that tank.

 

[Mrmyke709]

I would go with the Subaru. We've been looking at the Forester for the missus.
She might even let me drive it on the beach.

 

[CleverNickname]

Next time you are in Colorado, especially in more rural or high altitude areas, note what everyone is driving. If its not a truck/4wd-SUV its a subaru. Decent cold weather equipment options, all-wheel drive, and fuel economy more reasonable than a blazer. But I'm a fan of wagons in general.

 

[TaylorTRoom]

I love my SAABs and have driven them in adverse weather many times. I have had a '93 900S, '95 900, 'and now a '99 9-3. The first 2 were totaled by a dump truck and full-sized dually (walked away from both).

 

[tbone]

I know you don't want an suv, but I had (still have) a great 4wd old school Tahoe when I lived in Denver. It was great in the snow and mountains. And it could obviously haul tons of ****. I paid $16k for it with only 36,000 miles.

 

[accuratehorn]

67 Volkswagen Beetle. Nuff said.

 

[washparkhorn]

On second thought, skip the 300hp rear wheel drive car. It was slick as hell this morning in Denver (and didn't look like it would be). I feathered the gas, brakes and steering all the way to work. I should have driven the AWD SUV.

The subarus are very popular here and work well in our conditions. Take a serious look at them.