Winter Car for ~$3k?
 

Starting to entertain the possibility of garaging my BRZ for the Maine winter...

Wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a cheapo beater that won't get me stuck.

Currently was thinking something along the lines of a ~150k mile early 2000s Subaru Forester...

Any thoughts or suggestions?

I've got an 85 Celica GT Swan edition with an LSD! Put on some gnarly tires and you'll have a blast. lol.

I buy one every winter for around that budget. I'm buying a used CRV this year. Be careful of rear strut tower rot on foresters tho. This happened to a friend at a winter rally cross event.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GI...Y=w541-h955-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ti...k=w541-h955-no

An older Subaru forester.


Hell, any older Subaru for under 3K.

Holy shit haha, noted.

I drove 2 older foresters and an 09 impreza before my BRZ. I just gravitate towards them because I know they can take the winter here well

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Miata is the answer. Buy winter tires and have fun!

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Cowards

Forester, Legacy, Outback ... any of those are tanks. Just make sure the head gaskets have been changed at some point if you are looking pre-2004. Maybe after that as well, I'm not sure where the cutoff was with the 2.5 engines. I had a '00 Legacy GT before my BRZ and it was an absolute tank in the snow, especially with Blizzaks. The only better car in the snow IMO is an Audi.

Hey man, my plan was to winter it until like 3 days ago after talking to a buddy about the salt corrosion on his WRX.

All said and done winter tires, and a winterizing anti corrosion undercoat would run just shy of 1k... I'd rather just throw 2-3k at a shit box and save myself the wear and tear.

#MaineWintersBlow

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Volvo 240, especially in the '89 - '92 year range if you can find one. RWD, very easy to work on, and you can find good serviceable ones for half of your $3k. Buy a good set of snows, and you've got yourself a tank that'll get you through quite a few more winters if you take care of it.

Meh, rust. If it rusts that bad just throw it away and get a new one. Mine is still rust free after two salty winters so I am optimistic.

By the time an 86 rusts away, figure what, 5 years of snow, they'll be what, $10k for one with normal mileage that's never seen a snowflake?

Some people do think they'll treasure this car forever, I don't blame them, but I'm with you, this thing is disposable and will depreciate for the next 10 years. Pick up someone else's 'baby' that they have to get rid of for any multitude of reasons.

Props to you OP, save the car for the second owner.

:burnrubber:

I figure if my cheap ass Lancers can last 5 years and 250K miles and remain rust free in the Ontario salt piles we call winter roads then this car should last OK as well. Unless of course Mitsubishi is known for their quality body panels and Subaru is not.


That is just my outlook though and if somebody wants to drive a beater for half the year that is their call.

Subarus are famous for wheel well and strut rust

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