What to look for in a winter beater?

I need a winter beater. It snowed the other day and the FR-S is awful in snow, plus the salt they use around here is a death sentence.

So I need a cheap winter beater. I've been trolling Chicago and Milwaukee's CraigsList for sub thousand dollar cars. I'd prefer $500, but the extra money might be offset by maintenance costs to bring the 500 dollar car up to specks.

I really want a manual car. If it was a car, a wagon would be ideal. Maybe something I couls run rallycross with. I'd also go for a small truck. That way I can use it to haul things in the summer.

These are a few of the cars that peaked my interest.

94 Ranger

92 Legacy wagon

93 Prelude<a

99 Saturn

96 Prism

91 Corolla wagon

98 Ecsort wagon

I'm not really sure that I have an answer for your question, but that is not a 99 Saturn. At the newest, it's a 95.

Tires, anything with snows is the winner

That 99 Saturn is more like a 91-95 or they used the wrong photos for the ad. I like Saturns because they are cheap but beware the sedans are soul sucking. Wagons are mucho better.

Go Ranger add sand ballast in bed, working defroster and 4 snows.

Milwaukee's list

98 S-10

99 Corolla

96 Prizm

91 "Toyota"

02 saturn

Older Subaru legacy, outbacks and foresters can be had for dirt cheap these days, and easy to find with manual transmission. IDK about $500, but I certainly see them in this area (DC, which is overpriced) pretty regularly for under $1500. Both are unstoppable in any winter weather with good tires.

aussiesmg wrote: Tires, anything with snows is the winner

QFT just came here to suggest this. At your price-point, new tires could equal or exceed the purchase price. If you can find something with low-mileage snow tires that aren't more than a couple years old, you'll do far better than anything else - regardless of which/how many wheels are driven. Otherwise, budget for snow tires.

Snows are definitely in the cards. I suppose I'm asking which of the adds seems legit, like which one feels like it wouldn't let me down the first week I own it.

That Legacy is rocking Firestone Winterfoce snows.

i usually go with whatever is dirt cheap with cheap parts. salt is going to murder it anyway. I personally prefer rwd because well donuts are fun!

The name of the game is something that won't break and force you to drive the car you are trying to save. If it were me I'd go with the Subaru, but part of my winter need is getting me to ski resorts in the worst of weather.

The best option is not a new car at all. It is wheels, snow tires, and an unlimited car wash pass. If you want to save some cash, just put snows on the factory wheels. The car wash package is the best thing ever though. For $22/mo I can get my car washed every day. My car wash has indoor golf too, so I can have some fun while they wash it.

I work at 4am, so most roads are not plowed when I leave. Busting snow is a concern. I'm leaning toward the Legacy. Would make a nice rallycross car in the summer. I found a place nearby that's parting a 91 wagon out. The Winterforce tire in 185/70R14 is about $55.00 from tireRack, so it is really a $700 car.

My wallet is quivering.

I saw corolla and prism. I came in here to say that. They might rust, but the 5afe cars will run past your grandkids.

You should probably factor in a timing belt job on a cheap Subaru.

I imagine the older A engine Corolla/Prizm does well in snow, the 98+ ZZ engine models aren't that great by FWD car standards because a 1ZZ weighs about 100lbs less than the old motor. It won't go through deep snow, it will climb on top of it and get stuck. Mine on snows will go anywhere, as long as it's not too deep.

The Saturns don't work well in deep snow. The front-end is so light mine kept riding up then breaking through. Plus the headlights would catch the snow and make you blind. I did like how the snow going over the hood shot right over the windscreen without building up.

I ended up putting sand bags into the passenger wheel well to get around in the winter. adding weight to a front wheel drive is suck a pain.

In reply to Kenny_McCormic:

We have a '96 Corolla on new Altimax Artics(although we've not tried them in the snow yet). I'm surprised by how well these cars hold up rust-wise compared to most others the same age. With ~250k on ours it's definitely held up well over it's life.

The subaru looks decent, the only things I would be concerned about are 1, if it needs new cv joints in the front (or anything that involves separating the outer cv joint from the hub), it is not uncommon for them to ge so tightly stuck that they won't ever come out. Also, if you have to do the timing belt you have to replace all the idlers, etc so its at least a $200 job.

A '92 Legacy EJ22 is at least going to be non-interference. A timing belt, idlers, tensioners and water pump job is still a good idea. I feel like auditioning the car before putting that investment down might be a decent idea in this regard.

The big benefit of the earliest Legacies is that there's copious availability of interchange parts from the Impreza. That eventually goes away, but honestly not until like the mid-00s. Winterforces are a good tire too, very popular at rallycross.

From the pictures alone it looks like the wasted-spark coilpack and plug wires are probably not in awesome shape, so you might want to expect some poor running until that's taken care of. EJ22s sound like violently abused tractors when they're cold as well, so don't have a heart attack when it does that.

If you're not planning on wrenching on the underside of the car, early Legacies are one of the few cars I can think of that Corrosion-Free or Fluid Film underbody treatments actually help. Those subframes rotting through are usually what ends them in the junkyard.

Absolutely check the inner dogleg and rear strut towers for corrosion holes, especially considering the stoved-in nature of the rear passenger door. Holes in this area seriously compromise the chassis.

I like the Subaru as well, +1 on the tires on it

ssswitch wrote: If you're not planning on wrenching on the underside of the car, early Legacies are one of the few cars I can think of that Corrosion-Free or Fluid Film underbody treatments actually help. Those subframes rotting through are usually what ends them in the junkyard.

I spray my vehicles underneaths with used motor oil. It soaks into the rust and seems to stop it during the winter. It also helps bolts and nuts come out easier.

XJ?

i don't know if snow tires are as big of a deal as everyone says they are... i've never ever had snow tires on anything in my 25 years of legally driving, and i've only been stuck in the middle of the road once- in my 93 Lumina... on a 3 foot snow drift in the middle of an intersection- and i've never lost control and gone into a ditch... i did a pair of 360's at 45mph in my 79 Mustang on a perfectly straight stretch of road once, but i wound up somehow going in the proper direction and never stopped moving..

i did put some slightly used Winterforces on my Camaro for some gravel road and frozen lake hooning last winter, but i never used it for commuter duty with those on it..

as to which car to get: the cheapest one with the best battery and hottest heater..

In reply to novaderrik:

Once you've run good snows, you'll never go back.

Not AWD, but designed and built where the snow makes Chicago look puny.

Volvo 245 with 4 snows. I drove them for years in MI winters and never got stuck, or even felt out of control.

Rwd, snow tires, manual trans. Rallyx come spring