Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > EcoModding Central
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 09-23-2009, 05:33 PM   #1 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
pint's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Parker, Colorado
Posts: 39

Bertha - '00 Toyota Land Cruiser
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
High MPG Winter Car - AWD? - $4K or less

I'm looking for a cheap, reliable high mpg winter car. AWD would be great since I live in CO, but not required. I need something reliable and easy to work on. I will probably put 15K on it in the next 6 months. I have $3-$4K to spend on the car, and any maintenance it needs. If not AWD I will want snow tires. I'm used to driving a fulltime 4wd Toyota Landcruiser that can go anywhere in the snow and I do a lot of work in the mountains in the winter. I know civics are cheap and reliable, but I would love something more unique! Subaru, Audi, BMW, small pickup or SUV, etc. Not really picky. Maybe I should just buy a Metro or Civic and shut up?! I can do most basic maintenance like fluids, brakes, etc.

  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 09-23-2009, 09:20 PM   #2 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 12

Chicago Suburbs Field Tech - '98 Honda Accord LX
Team Honda
90 day: 35.09 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
For your price range, their are not a lot of options, Toyota Rav4, Suzuki Sidekick, Geo Tracker, Subaru Forester, Subaru Outback are just a few that come to mind.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2009, 10:50 PM   #3 (permalink)
herp derp Apprentice
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lawrence, KS
Posts: 1,049

Saturn-sold - '99 saturn sc1
Team Saturn
90 day: 28.28 mpg (US)

Yukon - '03 GMC Yukon Denali
90 day: 13.74 mpg (US)
Thanks: 43
Thanked 331 Times in 233 Posts
depends on your priorities / typical conditions. your best fuel economy and cheapest to buy/maintain is going to be a small fwd car with snow tires. but if you often get too deep of snow for such a car then i'd refer to the previous post. while it might be nicer to have the awd and ground clearance this winter, come next summer you might feel differently about the mileage you could be giving up.

i'd say get a car, and drive the land cruiser when weather dictates. personally i prefer how a small car with narrow tires handles in the winter, and i dont break out my truck for getting around purposes unless the snow is up to the saturns airdam, or everyone is sliding around on ice and i'd rather let ppl try to smash up my old truck than the plastic saturn.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2009, 11:07 PM   #4 (permalink)
dcb
needs more cowbell
 
dcb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: ˙
Posts: 5,038

pimp mobile - '81 suzuki gs 250 t
90 day: 96.29 mpg (US)

schnitzel - '01 Volkswagen Golf TDI
90 day: 53.56 mpg (US)
Thanks: 158
Thanked 269 Times in 212 Posts
a small fwd handles waayyy more than most people can imagine, just takes practice. Also safer on slippery/icy conditions than 4x4 or rwd. And if it is small there is a very good chance you can unstick it yourself should it lose interest in the tarmac on some usually harmless corner by the field or whatever.

Keep some guiness on hand for the %0.2 of the year that you actually are snowed in
__________________
WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!!!
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2009, 11:21 PM   #5 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
NeilBlanchard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth
Posts: 7,907

Mica Blue - '05 Scion xA RS 2.0
Team Toyota
90 day: 42.48 mpg (US)

Forest - '15 Nissan Leaf S
Team Nissan
90 day: 156.46 mpg (US)

Number 7 - '15 VW e-Golf SEL
TEAM VW AUDI Group
90 day: 155.81 mpg (US)
Thanks: 3,475
Thanked 2,950 Times in 1,844 Posts
Hi,

I'll second the front wheel drive suggestion -- as long as you get 4 full snow tires. This makes all the difference. I'd recommend the ones that Chang Ho Kim won the Economy Run with:

Modified Honda CRX HF Scores 118 MPG in Fuel Economy Run | Hypermiling, Fuel Economy, and EcoModding News - EcoModder.com
__________________
Sincerely, Neil

http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2009, 12:19 AM   #6 (permalink)
Left Lane Ecodriver
 
RobertSmalls's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
Posts: 2,257

Prius C - '12 Toyota Prius C
Thanks: 79
Thanked 287 Times in 200 Posts
I've enjoyed my Legacy (AWD, 5MT) in the winter. 6" is plenty of ground clearance in Buffalo. Only a few times have I encountered snow too deep for the Subaru to plow through it, and that would be in the case of heavy, wet snow in a parking lot, or in the case of fluffy stuff in the driveway up to the headlights. So I rarely had to shovel.

Okay, it's fun in the snow, but it only got 21-29mpg pre-ecomodder, and 25-35mpg post-ecomodder, depending on the weather and the trip. Yeah, it's better on gas than your Land Cruiser, but can you get by with a Civic with snow tires? Dunno, but I think I can get by in an Insight.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2009, 12:40 AM   #7 (permalink)
(:
 
Frank Lee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: up north
Posts: 12,762

Blue - '93 Ford Tempo
Last 3: 27.29 mpg (US)

F150 - '94 Ford F150 XLT 4x4
90 day: 18.5 mpg (US)

Sport Coupe - '92 Ford Tempo GL
Last 3: 69.62 mpg (US)

ShWing! - '82 honda gold wing Interstate
90 day: 33.65 mpg (US)

Moon Unit - '98 Mercury Sable LX Wagon
90 day: 21.24 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1,585
Thanked 3,555 Times in 2,218 Posts
Seriously- who asks others what car to buy? You don't know what you want or need? You don't know that everyone who responds will tell you to get what they have?

OK then. I say get a Spitfire. It fits the budget, you WILL learn a lot about maintenance and repair, it's super low to the ground, has virtually no heater, it has zero traction, but above all else it is unique.
__________________


  Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2009, 01:49 AM   #8 (permalink)
Depends on the Day
 
RH77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Kansas City Area
Posts: 1,761

Teggy - '98 Acura Integra LS
Sports Cars
90 day: 32.74 mpg (US)

IMA - '10 Honda Insight EX
Team Honda
90 day: 34.76 mpg (US)

Tessie - '06 Acura TSX Base
90 day: 28.2 mpg (US)
Thanks: 31
Thanked 41 Times in 35 Posts
I say a Subaru Justy if you can find one.

...or

If ground clearance isn't an issue, any high-FE front driver with a good set of snow tires will do the job just fine.

RH77
__________________
“If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research” ― Albert Einstein

_
_
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2009, 09:49 AM   #9 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
pint's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Parker, Colorado
Posts: 39

Bertha - '00 Toyota Land Cruiser
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee View Post
Seriously- who asks others what car to buy? You don't know what you want or need? You don't know that everyone who responds will tell you to get what they have?

OK then. I say get a Spitfire. It fits the budget, you WILL learn a lot about maintenance and repair, it's super low to the ground, has virtually no heater, it has zero traction, but above all else it is unique.
I guess I thought that is partly what this forum is for? And everyone hasn't just suggested what they drive. I know what I want and need, however I am not willing to spend the 10K plus to get it right now. I was hoping others would share their experiences with some of my ideas and maybe offer up a few I hadn't thought of. It's smart assed worthless comments like yours that caused me to leave this forum the last time..........
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2009, 09:53 AM   #10 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Central PA
Posts: 90

Draco - '89 Ford F150 ext cab shrt bed XLT Lariat
90 day: 16.45 mpg (US)
Thanks: 12
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by RH77 View Post
I say a Subaru Justy if you can find one.


RH77
I clicked on this post to say that. Mostly cause I recently saw a beautiful specimen for sale nearby, 5 spd, awd, all original, an old friend had one with the cvt that lil sucker was fun.

  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread




Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Electric car conversion: Project ForkenSwift MetroMPG Fossil Fuel Free 1054 11-26-2024 07:05 PM
EcoModding for Beginners: Getting great gas mileage. SVOboy EcoModding Central 55 08-21-2012 12:34 AM
Increase MPG on a Town Car gone.d3 EcoModding Central 9 06-12-2010 05:03 PM
New, cheap, high mpg cars? robots4joey EcoModding Central 26 08-10-2009 06:35 PM
HP2g @ NAIAS in Detriot ( 110 mpg Car ) hp2g Success Stories 6 02-01-2009 05:25 PM



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com