Fun to drive car less than 10,000 ?

[Shakerhood]

I got my 1999.5 Audi A4 2.8 quattro 5-speed for 9200 dollars with 72k miles. It's got 200hp 210lb ft. torque I absolutely love it. Its pretty quick and soo much fun to drive with a Bose stereo 6-cd changer, heated seats, heated mirrors, heated door locks, heated windshield washers, power everything and wow in the snow its just a beast. It gets around like nothing i've ever driven in the snow. No problems with it yet but i do know they aren't cheap to work on.

quick little snow drifting video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pt9bw3HnGDo

Thats a good looking Audi you have there! I always liked the comfy Seats in the Audis and VWs after a long drive.

 

[kevin2m4]

lincoln town car. i loved mine and was great in the snow. bring all your friends. great for the drive in too.
could probably find a descent bmw 328 for under 10k that would be fun...
previous gen 7 series bmws seem to go cheap as long as they arent black. look lika pimp.
lincoln mark 8 would be fun. dunno about the snow tho.
2 door v6 accord would work well too. just make sure the lower front ball joints dont have play, and the timing belt water pump has been done.
lincoln ls would be cool. i love em, and you can get the v6 with a manual.
ex cop car crown vic? jus throwin it out there...

 

[25thmustang]

If you guys think rwd cars with equivalent tires to fwd cars handle the same in bad weather, you are out of your minds. Only way you can come to that conclusion, is lack of experience.

I wouldn't think someone from NJ would have a lot of foul weather driving experience. I have spent a few solid winters in NJ and they just don't see the snow seen up north. I have driven many cars in the winter, my 4cyl Mustang with 245/50/16s was probably the worst as it had an open differential and the wide tires, but my 89 when I drove it was fine, never got stuck or stranded!

 

[ninety15.0]

hahaha lack of experience huh...maybe NJ gets a little bit of snow but thats nothing like upstate NY, central MA, and northern Maine....the places i live(d). I think i probably had more deep snow driving experience while i had my permit than you have had your whole life in NJ. RWD with good tires and weight in the back is more than sufficient. You will get any place in a proper RWD car than you would with FWD. dont care what you say.

 

[2000xp8]

My point was not experience in snow in general. Experience in snow in both fwd and rwd.

Try leaving the house in 8 inch's of snow in a rwd car, then try it again in fwd.
Ya, maybe your rwd works fine on plowed roads, how about the non plowed roads?

You guys are misinterpreting me saying that rwd is impossible, i know possible, i've done it, but it's still no where near as efficient as fwd.
We had a little turbo shadow, that thing cut through snow like a hot knife through butter, same with our SHO taurus. Also ran little to no chance of sliding out in cold wet rain, which everyone knows can even happen in a 4cyl lx.

My thoughts are that everyone should be driving awd daily in bad climate states.
NJ is not the worst, but it's not great either. Funny thing, i go skiing in NY, places that probably get quadruple the snow we do, and you never see any rwd only cars, why is that?

 

[25thmustang]

We have a 300-400 foot long uphill driveway...

Cardomain is down or I would show you.

It is NEVER plowed, and only shoveled after the storm. We have countless RWD vehicles and always seem to manage to get them unstuck and up the driveway. I had a friend bring her car over and it ended up snowing a good amount. We tried for a good half hour and couldn't get her FWD car out. I ended up driving her home in my 5.0 (go figure).

The reason you aren't seeing RWD cars, is merely because people use the same mentality as you do and feel safer in FWD. Not to mention most FWD crs come with skinnier tires which aid in snow driving, and most RWD vehicles (BMWs, Caddys, etc...) come with wider sometimes even Z rated nice weather tires. A competant driver, with experience, weight in the trunk and good snow tires will be fine in a RWD vehicle... as well off as a FWD vehicle similarly equipped.

 

[bloopbloob]

My point was not experience in snow in general. Experience in snow in both fwd and rwd.

Try leaving the house in 8 inch's of snow in a rwd car, then try it again in fwd.
Ya, maybe your rwd works fine on plowed roads, how about the non plowed roads?

You guys are misinterpreting me saying that rwd is impossible, i know possible, i've done it, but it's still no where near as efficient as fwd.
We had a little turbo shadow, that thing cut through snow like a hot knife through butter, same with our SHO taurus. Also ran little to no chance of sliding out in cold wet rain, which everyone knows can even happen in a 4cyl lx.

My thoughts are that everyone should be driving awd daily in bad climate states.
NJ is not the worst, but it's not great either. Funny thing, i go skiing in NY, places that probably get quadruple the snow we do, and you never see any rwd only cars, why is that?

+1.
I live near the rockies, in alberta. We get tons of snow every year. a RWD vehicle, of any type, is scary as **** on an icy highway if you're trying to get somewhere in a hurry. I'd take a fwd car for the snow over a rwd only vehicle any day.

 

[ninety15.0]

I absolutely agree that FWD cars are easier to drive in the snow...and 25th is right...most FWD cars have skinny tires and most RWD cars have wider tires.

However the Original Poster wants a FUN CAR that is also good in the snow. Which brings us to the point that 25th and I are trying to make....A RWD car with GOOD snow tires will go anywhere that a FWD car will go. Not to mention for the other 8-9 months of the year it will be much more pleasurable to drive.

On a side note....driving a RWD car around in the snow can be quite a bit of fun....and will make you a better driver in the end.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

The most fun I have had driving a car was my 91 notchback. That car was ready for the scrap pile, and when I hit the road after I finished it, I felt like a million bucks. I have well well under 10,000 in that car!!

 

[TurboJoeD.]

I had pretty good luck with my 00 audi 1.8T Quattro. I did have a timing belt break, so had to replace the head. But, I ended up getting a little bigger turbo and buying a diagnostic tuning program--and worked on it a little my self. It was fun to drive and the luxury and fit and finish was superb. Parts can be pricey if you don't have a supplier and always always avoid the dealers.

 

[25thmustang]

Thats why I said a good driver in a RWD that is set up for foul weather (Good tires, weight out back, etc) isn't any harder to drive than a FWD car.

Also to note, ice changes everything. A sheet of ice and FWD, RWD, AWD, your all in trouble!

 

[kevin2m4]

the snow at the end of my driveway is over the roof of my roomates sante fe..
my preference in snow is rear wheel, as understeer scares me

 

[sunil6784]

FOr those with the audis... I like them, but reliability and cost of repair scare me. Any problems with these? How hard are they to work on?

 

[RS200]

FOr those with the audis... I like them, but reliability and cost of repair scare me. Any problems with these? How hard are they to work on?

Air bag modules fry, $2500 fix. Control arms like to bend (frequently) since they're aluminum. Light bulbs pop weekly. Look out for complete electrical meltdown as well.

 

[25thmustang]

FOr those with the audis... I like them, but reliability and cost of repair scare me. Any problems with these? How hard are they to work on?

Mines a 2003 with 57,000 miles so I haven't had any of the bad issues yet. I heard Audi improved in the 02 or so model change, but have no proof of that. My car has eaten a LOT of light bulbs, like easily 4-5 in the 7000 or so miles I have owned it. I also have a bumper to bumper warrenty up to 100K miles, and I am sure the car wont be with me that long.

My roomate had a 97 or so A4 with the 2.8 and blew the motor in that. A few friends had older ones and other than electrical gremlins (I hear they all have them) noone complained to me about them. I heard rumors of sludge build up in the 1.8Ts, but again noone I knew had that issue.

 

[Shakerhood]

Air bag modules fry, $2500 fix. Control arms like to bend (frequently) since they're aluminum. Light bulbs pop weekly. Look out for complete electrical meltdown as well.

New Ford Trucks have Aluminum Suspension Components, if a Full Size Truck can survive with them then a car surely can too.

 

[fordguy87]

mines a 1999 a4 2.8 and i've had it for 6 months and 11,000 miles so far and no problems at all. No blown light bulbs or anything.

 

[25thmustang]

Just detailed mine... another light is out, but the tail lights take about 5 minutes to change. One screw and one plug and all the bulbs can be replaced.

Don't mind the crappy camera, should have better pics soon!

Also brother snagged this one for a little more than $10,000. I think he paid $12,000 it's a 2001 A6 with a 6 speed 2.7 twin turbo, 75K miles, heated front/rear seats and just got the 18s on it today!

 

[QUICK91LX]

I have recently discovered Saab. Research on the web has determined that they are kindof a hit-or-miss car. Some people have great luck and some are just plain junk. I am likely going to pick up a 2004 9-3 Linear for a DD soon. I took it in on trade at the dealer where I work and I was very impressed by it! Great turbo power, rail-like handling, all the power goodies, sharp looks too! Since I work there I get the hook up on price, but 2000-2002ish 9-3's can be had for under 10k.

This is what the car looks like...

 

[fordguy87]

Just detailed mine... another light is out, but the tail lights take about 5 minutes to change. One screw and one plug and all the bulbs can be replaced.

Don't mind the crappy camera, should have better pics soon!

Also brother snagged this one for a little more than $10,000. I think he paid $12,000 it's a 2001 A6 with a 6 speed 2.7 twin turbo, 75K miles, heated front/rear seats and just got the 18s on it today!

those 2.7T's are nice and can be made fast a computer chip from APR and it'll be at 317 horsepower and 390 torque but ive read they stock K03 turbos like to go out around 100k miles its just luck how long they last. But when they go out its like a 5000 dollar bill because the motor has to come out to change them.