Need a new car Forum

Tullstone · Post by **Tullstone** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:03 pm

Hey yall...

I dont know if this is a question for a finance expert, but I now live in Florida and drive a FWD sports coupe that will be destroyed by snow and is, I think, unfit for where I will be going to law school in Virginia. I want to get a subaru or similar AWD car that will be able to handle icy inclines and snowy turns...

I have a full ride scholarship minus living expenses at a law school so debt will not be much of an issue, but I dont want to be making payments on the car until I settle my budget at least after 1L year.

Suggestions? I will need to finance around 15k

kch3684 · Post by **kch3684** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:08 pm

Is it a stick? They do better in nasty weather. Also it doesn't snow much in Va, front wheel drive is better in the snow, and if you're worried just get good snow tires. I drive a mini, in vermont, on dirt roads, you'll be fine in VA

Tullstone · Post by **Tullstone** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:45 pm

Thanks. What do you mean is it a stick?

The Stig · Post by **The Stig** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:56 pm

have fun! hehe

but if you aren't feeling adventurous... try this

IhateFoxHunting · Post by **IhateFoxHunting** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:04 pm

It's VA, not upstate NY. You will be fine with a front wheel drive vehicle, so you will just have to find another reason in order to justify to yourself why you should get a new car

dudders · Post by **dudders** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:24 pm

There isn't a law school in Virginia that gets more than 2 ft snow/yr. I know because it's finals and I just looked it up for you.

Appalachian/Grundy - 23''
William & Mary/Williamsburg - 6''
Liberty/Lynchburg - 18.6''
Regent/Va. Beach - 8''
Richmond - 12''
UVa/Charlottesburg - 17.7''
Washington & Lee - 22''

FWD is best on snow without AWD/4x4, and as long as you drive carefully on that one week a year with bad weather, you'll be fine. I'm from a far more mountainous part of the country where it snowed 500''/yr, and know plenty of people who never had snow tires or drive beat up '92 Hondas.

Tullstone · Post by **Tullstone** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:18 pm

Yeah I love sti, but not at 90,000 mi.

Well thats encouraging news. Now I have no excuse to buy a WRX. Lets find another!!!

Tullstone · Post by **Tullstone** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:19 pm

dudders wrote:There isn't a law school in Virginia that gets more than 2 ft snow/yr. I know because it's finals and I just looked it up for you.

Appalachian/Grundy - 23''
William & Mary/Williamsburg - 6''
Liberty/Lynchburg - 18.6''
Regent/Va. Beach - 8''
Richmond - 12''
UVa/Charlottesburg - 17.7''
Washington & Lee - 22''

FWD is best on snow without AWD/4x4, and as long as you drive carefully on that one week a year with bad weather, you'll be fine. I'm from a far more mountainous part of the country where it snowed 500''/yr, and know plenty of people who never had snow tires or drive beat up '92 Hondas.

Thanks, and Im glad to be your vehicle of procrastination! And BTW, its CharlottesVILLE!!!

ResolutePear · Post by **ResolutePear** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:25 pm

You're all a bunch of wusses.

Chuck Norris drives a Viper in the snow. WITH SLICKS.

kch3684 · Post by **kch3684** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:55 pm

Tullstone wrote:Thanks. What do you mean is it a stick?

Not sure if you're serious...stick = stickshift/standard transmission as in not an automatic, downshifting on icy roads slows the car w/o using the brakes

Edit: 90,000 miles is not that high

haus · Post by **haus** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:09 pm

AWD is not needed in Virginia, I have been living and working in the Northern Virginia area for the last 14 years and I have only seen 2 or 3 days where I would not have felt comfortable taking a FWD car to the places I have needed to go (currently drive a Honda Fit, with a manual transmission). Also 90k is not that many miles, besides how much driving do you plan to do for law school? Are you not planning on living somewhere near campus?

HamDel · Post by **HamDel** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:10 pm

ResolutePear wrote:You're all a bunch of wusses.

Chuck Norris drives a Viper in the snow. WITH SLICKS.

Has ResolutePear ever said anything funny?

ResolutePear · Post by **ResolutePear** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:11 pm

HamDel wrote:
ResolutePear wrote:You're all a bunch of wusses.

Chuck Norris drives a Viper in the snow. WITH SLICKS.
Has ResolutePear ever said anything funny?

I could care less. All I care about is whether or not I'm laughing.

HamDel · Post by **HamDel** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:16 pm

ResolutePear wrote:
HamDel wrote:
ResolutePear wrote:You're all a bunch of wusses.

Chuck Norris drives a Viper in the snow. WITH SLICKS.
Has ResolutePear ever said anything funny?
I ~~could~~ couldn't care less. All I care about is whether or not I'm laughing.

ResolutePear · Post by **ResolutePear** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:17 pm

HamDel wrote:
ResolutePear wrote:
HamDel wrote:
ResolutePear wrote:You're all a bunch of wusses.

Chuck Norris drives a Viper in the snow. WITH SLICKS.
Has ResolutePear ever said anything funny?
I could care less. All I care about is whether or not I'm laughing.

dudders · Post by **dudders** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 5:49 pm

Tullstone wrote:
dudders wrote:There isn't a law school in Virginia that gets more than 2 ft snow/yr. I know because it's finals and I just looked it up for you.

Appalachian/Grundy - 23''
William & Mary/Williamsburg - 6''
Liberty/Lynchburg - 18.6''
Regent/Va. Beach - 8''
Richmond - 12''
UVa/Charlottesburg - 17.7''
Washington & Lee - 22''

FWD is best on snow without AWD/4x4, and as long as you drive carefully on that one week a year with bad weather, you'll be fine. I'm from a far more mountainous part of the country where it snowed 500''/yr, and know plenty of people who never had snow tires or drive beat up '92 Hondas.

Thanks, and Im glad to be your vehicle of procrastination! And BTW, its CharlottesVILLE!!!

True story. Property brain fart.

StillHerexxx · Post by **StillHerexxx** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:22 pm

I live in upstae ny and drive a metro without snow tires every winter for 4 years and have been fine. I think you will survive in va. If there is snow, just drive slow, easy fix.

rolandgill · Post by **rolandgill** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:30 am

Please buy ford car.

artichoke · Post by **artichoke** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:37 am

Tullstone wrote:Thanks. What do you mean is it a stick?

R u 4 real?

witorres89 · Post by **witorres89** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:41 am

Tullstone wrote:Hey yall...

I dont know if this is a question for a finance expert, but I now live in Florida and drive a FWD sports coupe that will be destroyed by snow and is, I think, unfit for where I will be going to law school in Virginia. I want to get a subaru or similar AWD car that will be able to handle icy inclines and snowy turns...

I have a full ride scholarship minus living expenses at a law school so debt will not be much of an issue, but I dont want to be making payments on the car until I settle my budget at least after 1L year.

Suggestions? I will need to finance around 15k

lol Virginia is the south, unless you meant RWD I don't think a new car is necessary

Moxie · Post by **Moxie** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:04 am

It snows in Virginia?

Hippononymous · Post by **Hippononymous** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:11 pm

Get a RWD truck and a sack. You'll fit right in.

Post by **vanwinkle** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:18 pm

The one year I was there, it snowed so badly I couldn't drive anywhere for four days. It was mostly because they hadn't dealt with that much snowfall in 300 years and weren't prepared to keep the roads cleared.

It was also because my car had cheap tires on it. By the next snowfall I had better tires on and had far less of a problem. And it really doesn't snow that often there. Even then in that epic record-setting year, it didn't snow that many times. It just happened to snow a lot when it did.

Live near the law school, plan to walk if you can't drive, you'll be fine.

northwood · Post by **northwood** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:56 pm

get a inexpensive vehicle to drive ( not a gas guzzler, low insurance premiums, etc). Now is not the time to tack on an additional monthly payment- and a FWD car is fine. A RWD vehicle is allright- as long as you have extra weight over the rear axle ( I drive a RWD pickup truck and live in NYS). Ice is your biggest worry- and sadly there isnt much you can do to keep traction. YOu need to have good tires ( all seasons are fine) and make sure your gastank is above half full if it calls for snow. Just remember to take your time, and give yourself extra space to speed up and slow down. In the winter what car you drive isnt your biggest worry- its how the other drivers in cars around you drive that you have to be careful about!

Mike12188 · Post by **Mike12188** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:02 pm

FWD does fine in the snow. I drive a RWD sports car all year round in NJ except for maybe a few days out of the winter. You will be fine in VA.

EDIT: BTW if anyone is looking into buying a RWD sports car PM for details

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