Purchasing a new car in the fall

[Kitdy]

You said Audi earlier on, now Legacy?

[clutch-monkey]

lol, i didn't even know they existed til recently. never sold here (because AWD is over-rated..see?)

[Kitdy]

i thought you could get E30's with it, but an e46 might be right up his alley, second hand prices should be okay at the moment?

BMWs do hold value well here but E46s should be within his budget.

Looking at Auto Trader for Ontario I've got 330ixs ranging in price from from $12k for a 2001 with 174k km to $35k for a 2005 with 58k km.

Selection in the Maritimes I'd expect to be much worse than in Ontario however and I don't know how prices will vary out east.

[Ferrer]

lol, i didn't even know they existed til recently. never sold here (because AWD is over-rated..see?)

Do you have actually ever seen snow...?

[LTT]

Lots of good options here and I'm just going have to go out and drive alot of cars. And here's to hoping that I can find a gem in the pre-owned section of Audi/BMW/Infiniti

[Waugh-terfall]

Mazda CX-7 AWD GT


That or as Ferrer mention the Volvo V50 T5AWD


Don't forget, in the current economic climate, you should be able to bag some good deals

[cmcpokey]

Mazda CX-7 AWD GT


Don't forget, in the current economic climate, you should be able to bag some good deals

thats my wife's car. very nice. i approve. only issues are the satnav sucks, and there is no trip computer.

[Ferrer]

And it's an SUV.

[wwgkd]

Do you have actually ever seen snow...?

Well, with the right tires you don't actually need awd for snow. In a lot of cars all seasons work, or you could switch to winter snow tires for a little extra grip depending on where you drive and what they keep the roads like. But if awd is in his criteria, then we may as well stick to that. But I agree, if you're not going off roading, no need for awd, and if you are, be a man and get a real 4wd system.

[Ferrer]

Well, with the right tires you don't actually need awd for snow. In a lot of cars all seasons work, or you could switch to winter snow tires for a little extra grip depending on where you drive and what they keep the roads like. But if awd is in his criteria, then we may as well stick to that. But I agree, if you're not going off roading, no need for awd, and if you are, be a man and get a real 4wd system.

I stil remember when we went to Sweden years ago. Our front wheel drive Volvo S80 managed alright with studed tires. And we even crossed a frozen lake.

[wwgkd]

I stil remember when we went to Sweden years ago. Our front wheel drive Volvo S80 managed alright with studed tires. And we even crossed a frozen lake.

That must have been fun. I've always wanted to do that, but I've never found a frozen lake I trusted enough. I did spend some time in a flooded then frozen parking lot, but it's just not the same.

[clutch-monkey]

Do you have actually ever seen snow...?

i've seen snow..in pictures..it's that white stuff right? mountain dandruff

[whiteballz]

If I ever drive on snow I can see the headlines "Driver rolls car onto frozen lake during snow-fall, still manages to catch fire"

[Pando]

I stil remember when we went to Sweden years ago. Our front wheel drive Volvo S80 managed alright with studed tires. And we even crossed a frozen lake.

On flat surfaces it's usually no problem, but
add some icy hills to the equation and four wheel traction is a big plus.

I guess what I'm trying to say it depends on where you're going to drive in the winter time. Cities and main roads or on the country side. Obviously two sets of tires is needed regardless.

[wwgkd]

Well, where I live is pretty much all hills and you should see the assortment of cars we get. Many cars that you would never expect have no trouble at all. My friends GTI is actually one heck of a car in the snow, except where clearance becomes an issue and he starts pushing a pile of snow with the front end. AWD definitely adds something, but it's not necessarily required for winter driving and often adds a false sense of security.