Better winter beater?

[csdineley]

Hey guys

This winter is my first, back in the Northeast in a long time. And my Mother in Law yet me use her old ('03) Subaru forester for it. Since my Squarebody is only 2wd. And I'd prefer not to introduce it to road salt if possible.

So anyways, tax return season will soon be upon us. And I thought maybe I should try to pick up a winter beater for next year. I was thinking a Squarebody Suburban 4x4. Or another Subaru.

So my question is do you guys think a Suburban will do better or worse then a Subaru for winter driving?

Thanks

[Matt Man]

What is your budget?

[csdineley]

About 3-4 thousand

[tommy217xxx]

I would guess better only b/c it sits higher. Also more power.

[csdineley]

My only experience with a 4x4 in the snow was an 89 Bronco 2 and it sucked. So that has me a little worried.

[MalibuSSwagon]

Trucks are mostly bad in the snow because of weight distribution. Some sandbags in the back helps. I daily a 95 Caprice in the winter, great with snow tires.

[Firebirdjones]

The little bronco II's are very light weight and short wheel base. That would naturally be a little squirrely in the snow.

Very similar to many jeeps we had living back east. They got around in the snow fine but you had to man handle them a bit. They were always too skittish in the snow for my wife to be comfortable driving them.

The full size trucks were always better in the snow for us. Much heavier, longer wheel base, it was more stable and sat a little higher off the ground. With a good tire on it, they would go anywhere we cared to try.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by MalibuSSwagon

Trucks are mostly bad in the snow because of weight distribution. Some sandbags in the back helps. I daily a 95 Caprice in the winter, great with snow tires.

Suburbans would be a different story.

My duramax is a crew cab 4x4 and scales 7,000 lbs. You would think being a pickup truck with a bed it would affect it's ability, but I didn't find that to be the case. I just had it out in the most recent snow storms we had up here in the mountains of AZ and it does fantastic. The weight of the truck combined with the really long wheel base keeps the truck very stable. I had to try pretty hard just to get it to slide around. Jump on the throttle and it just takes off. Doesn't even have an aggressive tire, just Michelin AT's. I didn't even bother throwing extra weight in the bed.

[Wasted Income]

I've daily driven suburbans and tahoes/yukons in the snow when I lived in Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan where we got 200+" of lake effect snow annually. SUVs do not require weight in the back to do well in the snow. EDIT: Got tree'd by Firebirdjones. If you're looking for a 'burb, I'd suggest a 92-99. IFS for a nice ride, shift on the fly t-case with no hubs to lock or unlock, and the bulletproof TBI 350. You should be able to find a decent example that's in your budget.

I also agree with firebirdjones...my duramax is a beast in the snow. I prefer driving it in sketchy conditions to both my jeep, and my wife's AWD suv. I've been daily driving a crew cab duramax trucks for over 10 years, and have never once put weight in the bed (they've all been 4x4)

[Wasted Income]

Here you go

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5441648949.html

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5441287797.html

[MalibuSSwagon]

Sorry I would figure Suburbans would be great in the snow just don't have personal experience. My 92 Custom Cruiser wagon (Caprice) is fantastic in the snow. First year I owned it was when I still living with my parents, it had cheap all season tires on it and it was plowing thru a foot of snow up a steep hill with issue. I was shocked as I figured the all season tires and RWD would suck. But 52/48 weight distribution and 4500+ curb weight makes a difference. That one gets to spend winters inside now, and my current beater is a 95 sedan. I was worried about the less weight over the rear wheels so sprung for snow tires, and after a few storms completely confident. Great car and fun to drive, plenty of sideways action to be had but completely stable when need be.

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by MalibuSSwagon

Sorry I would figure Suburbans would be great in the snow just don't have personal experience. My 92 Custom Cruiser wagon (Caprice) is fantastic in the snow. First year I owned it was when I still living with my parents, it had cheap all season tires on it and it was plowing thru a foot of snow up a steep hill with issue. I was shocked as I figured the all season tires and RWD would suck. But 52/48 weight distribution and 4500+ curb weight makes a difference. That one gets to spend winters inside now, and my current beater is a 95 sedan. I was worried about the less weight over the rear wheels so sprung for snow tires, and after a few storms completely confident. Great car and fun to drive, plenty of sideways action to be had but completely stable when need be.

That's what I'd be driving. Big, comfortable, safe, stable, rwd w/weight over the rear. Plenty of them out there and cheap.

[tucsonjwt]

Used Subarus are pricey, but you know how they handle in snow. If you want fuel economy you will have to stay with a small vehicle, or a 6 cylinder 1/2 ton truck.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by MalibuSSwagon

Sorry I would figure Suburbans would be great in the snow just don't have personal experience. My 92 Custom Cruiser wagon (Caprice) is fantastic in the snow. First year I owned it was when I still living with my parents, it had cheap all season tires on it and it was plowing thru a foot of snow up a steep hill with issue. I was shocked as I figured the all season tires and RWD would suck. But 52/48 weight distribution and 4500+ curb weight makes a difference. That one gets to spend winters inside now, and my current beater is a 95 sedan. I was worried about the less weight over the rear wheels so sprung for snow tires, and after a few storms completely confident. Great car and fun to drive, plenty of sideways action to be had but completely stable when need be.

You're right about that, I've done the rear wheel drive car thing in the snow for years. Believe it or not I daily drove a V8 Monza with a 406/4-speed as my winter beater back in Ohio. It wasn't too good in the snow But I've done what you described, putting studded snow tires and weight in the trunk of a couple of Camaros we had, and my father used to do that with rear wheel drive G-body grand prixs and buick GN's. It works well enough and it gets you around pretty decent, but you have to know how to handle the snow. Really deep stuff gets tricky. It's not something my wife or son will even try to do so it's been 4x4's ever since. Eventually got tired of the whole snow thing and moved to AZ. Now we just drive further north and visit it when we want to.

[Burbnasty]

Best Winter beater I have ever had has been a 94-96 9c-1 caprice,
Heavy Duty suspension, external trans and oil coolers
The Lt-1s have rev limiters and if you get stuck you can usually spin your way out.
Posi rear and weight in the truck go along way, the spot lights are nice to have as well.
Our winters are rough up here, and if you want to not get road salt on your nice cars, a retired police car is a good choice.

I have always said
"front wheel drive makes a bad winter driver a better winter driver,
and rear wheel drive makes a good winter driver the best driver"\

Its like having four wheel steering

[lilpoindexter]

A 4x4 S10 would probably be in your budget. Subarus are amazing, if you can find a decent one in your price range. If you can travel a little bit south, you could probably get something out of the rust belt.

[tucsonjwt]

Originally Posted by Burbnasty

Best Winter beater I have ever had has been a 94-96 9c-1 caprice,
Heavy Duty suspension, external trans and oil coolers
The Lt-1s have rev limiters and if you get stuck you can usually spin your way out.
Posi rear and weight in the truck go along way, the spot lights are nice to have as well.
Our winters are rough up here, and if you want to not get road salt on your nice cars, a retired police car is a good choice.

I have always said
"front wheel drive makes a bad winter driver a better winter driver,
and rear wheel drive makes a good winter driver the best driver"\

Its like having four wheel steering

Reminds me of the "Quadrasteer" GM had on some of their pickups in the early 2000s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrasteer

[cadillac_al]

I seem to really like my girlfriends Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. Those things plow through any snow and really give me a lot of confidence to drive them anywhere and much much more comfy than my K15. The older ones with the straight 6 are super dependable.

[Chevy_mud_truck]

There was a guy that lived in Beckley wv a few years ago had a suburban lifted with 35" bfg a/t and that thing was a tank I've seen him pushing snow over the bumper pulling trucks and car out of ditches and never did get stuck

[rpone605]

I have owned multiple subaru's. They are tanks in the snow and not hard to work on. All you need for snow is the right tires.

Watch out for the 2.5 motors from 98 and up. Some of them had head gasket issues. If you can swing it try to get your hands on a 02-04 wrx. They have the bulletproof 2.0 in them.

[blazer2007]

Originally Posted by cadillac_al

I seem to really like my girlfriends Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. Those things plow through any snow and really give me a lot of confidence to drive them anywhere and much much more comfy than my K15. The older ones with the straight 6 are super dependable.

I have a 89 jeep cherokee just for the winter and it is awsome in the snow,paid 1500.00 for it 7 yrs ago,has 300,000.00 K,s on it now and have little maintenance money invested and there are really good jeep forums to fix them.

[TrailerTrash]

i had a 94 Subaru Legacy awd wagon. automatic with like 220k on it. i bought it for $700 drove it for 2 years and only ever had to replace the o2 sensor. got about 20mpg. then i sold it for 800 when i got a nicer car.

it didnt have alot of "get up and go" but it was a beast in the snow. i had it in light snow so deep i couldnt open the door and it trucked right on through it. and it had awesome heat. i miss that car but it was such a pile of poop lol

im not saying i would prefer a subaru over my K10 but they are completely different. a subaru will get you decent fuel milage and as said above they are fairly easy to work on plus easy to come by.

[slotard]

Originally Posted by rpone605

I have owned multiple subaru's. They are tanks in the snow and not hard to work on. All you need for snow is the right tires.

Watch out for the 2.5 motors from 98 and up. Some of them had head gasket issues. If you can swing it try to get your hands on a 02-04 wrx. They have the bulletproof 2.0 in them.

just about all Subaru 2.5s have head gasket problems

[csdineley]

Great the Subaru I'm driving has the 2.5 in it. And I doubt they have ever had a work done to it.

[tucsonjwt]

Late model Subarus have some excessive oil consumption issues (see Consumer Reports) but they are likely out of your price range anyway. I have heard that some late model Jeep parts can be pricey, unless you can find a good oem retailer online.