Need some help from more experienced owners...I bought my car in July and plan on keeping it for a long time as a weekend driver once it's paid and I can afford a second car. It's getting to be the time where I either winterize it, or store it.
I'm willing to pay the $$ to get all the protection possible during the winter (undercoating, snow tires, etc.) but I want to hear from some owner's who kept it through the winter...Any issues? What tires did you use? Those kinds of things.
I'm also considering a beater for the winter months but I'd be pissed if I was paying monthly for a car that's sitting in storage while paying repair bills on a sh*tty car.
I'm so undecided as I see pros and cons to both. Help!
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EDIT:
Post-winter Update
Figured I should resolve this thread with my experience...
WINTERIZE!
I'm really happy with the decision I made to keep it as my DD throughout the winter...I understand that some people won't want "their baby" to touch salt or snow - but I urge you to re-consider.
This car really thrives in the snow...You thought it was tail-happy in the rain? Try it with snow tires after a fresh powder drop and you won't be disappointed. I almost looked forward to a big dump of snow just so I could take it out for a guilt-free joyride (I say guilt free because far less wear on the tires when it's snowy) I honestly had troubles getting it to spin out with the traction control on, but with sport mode on it let me do my thing. Speaking off sport mode...
I never fully understood why there was a VSC/Traction Control but when you see it in action on some ice or snow...DAMN. I can whip the steering wheel around (which would result in a crash in my old Mazda3) but as soon as the tail gets loose, you hear the nannies kick in and it snaps you right back in line. Throw it the other way? Snaps you back. It was honestly an eye-opener for me as I've never seen these systems work so perfectly together.
In a 5+ month (still not over) winter here in Ontario, Canada - I got stuck once. So did the 4x4 pickup truck next door....If the snow is so deep I can't clear it with my hood...I'm expecting to get stuck. All other snow falls, I was powering through it. Passing F150s on the highway in a tiny RWD coupe is a pretty good feeling.
Yes my car did get absolutely raped with salt on certain weeks (my Raven could have passed for a Whiteout at times) but with weekly washes costing ~$5-6 it wasn't an issue. I neglected to get coated this year as I figured the factory rust proof should be good for at least 1 season. Will be getting it done next year though. Regardless, my car still looks mint when it's fully detailed so no harm done.
So like I said - no regrets here. Can't even imagine how unhappy I would have been buying a shitty beater (+ snow tires + repairs?) all while my new FRS sat in the garage and my bank account kept the monthly payments going. Paying for something I couldn't use just didn't sound right to me.
Hope this helps a few of you on the fence for next winter!
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