SMALL snow cars - Page 2

I like the looks of those C30s. For thier small size I'd expect better mileage though.

Yeah, but at least you still get the extra cost.

One small snow car:

wanna see something funny? (Actually, it's not funny.)

You know those rigs that get ripped off? Yeah, those ones. Down the street.

They get sent abroad. Why? because the U.S. customs doesn't check outgoing shipments of vehicles' registrations. Why would they?

Furthermore, how would a foreign country check on the validity of those registration papers?

Get it?

Spend some time abroad and you'll see entire dealerships selling very nice full-sized SUVs for what seems to be really ridiculous prices. If you stop and think, it'll register.

Here's a site http://www.publicauto.net/Carlist2/list2.html they actually advertise. I walked by a beautiful H2 today with chromed-out 19s. this is rural Japan, rice fields. I walk that route everyday. (First of all, if you live in Japan, you know how much bigger an H2 is than any road. Second of all, When you live where I do, and walk that road on a daily basis, you notice new things. He didn't order that rig from the Hummer dealer. It's like growing-up in and walking through Compton and spotting the new Benz... without the gangster attributes. Just this fancy car in front of one of those apartments.)

I see it all over the place; 40K SUV's sold for around 20K. They have left-side steering wheels and 17" wheels... in Japan. It's so blatant, it's pathetic.

Tragically, the buyers honestly don't know those cars are stolen.

There is no way one could send an Escalade (for example) to Japan and sell it for 20K. Meanwhile, you'll see them for sale on the lot, because it's saturday.

I went to a dealer to purchase a '57 Chevy HardTop on the Lot. I scoped it out before talking to the dealer. (I know hotrods, I've built them.) This was a perfect body, sick interior, and new crate-V8 selling for 3 thousand dollars.

That was my tip-off.

when i came back, after spending an afternoon asking questions about why the numbers on the block didn't match the numbers on the frame, it was gone and the dealer had no idea that I had had a conversation with him just a week prior. (wink... wink)

"What Chevy?" He played it off like he didn't remember me telling him I wanted to buy it.

Stolen rigs come here. Just so you know. They're no longer parted-out in hack-shops, guys. I can spot them like a fricking eagle. Why? Style, rims, paint, size, etc.

Hip-hop does not infiltrate the 20k/year and under crowd.

"American gas prices are making them send their cars abroad."

uh-huh.

If someone ripped off Richie-Rich, they would be able to outfit an entire small village with all of the useless material crap that he has amassed from driving his monster SUV to Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and the Mall every day for his material gain consumer lifestyle!

Crowded highways, congested parking lots, smoggy air, $4.00/gal. gas....
..... Yeah Richie, you should go buy a BIG car. Now that would be a great idea at this time in history!!!! You are so smart!

Can someone recommend a 4wd sedan. Not AWD, 4WD.

Must:
Get at least 25 MPG Highway
4 door
Decent power - not looking for a race car but I'd like to be able to do at least 75 up a pass.

AMC Eagle, true 4wd, gets 27mpg hwy, last produced in 1988. Shares many components with the Jeep Cherokee (84-01), so mechanical parts should be easy to come by new....thats if you are into older cars.

Im sorry but THIS is pretty epic

Nope, you can rig it to run on french fries:

If by 4WD you mean a 4x4 lock, then I think the AMC eagle might be one of the only sedans ever sold in the US to meet that requirement. Nothing on the market right now does.

The Subaru Impreza or Legacy with either the manual transmission or one of the automatic versions with VTD (includes a limited slip rear axle in the legacy, I believe) will both offer you a standard torque split of either 50/50 or 45/55. So, while it's not a 4x4 lock, you do get a much better setup than a cheaper "FWD until it slips" type setup.

How do you define 4WD vs. AWD? Low range transfer case?

Audi 4000 (and probably 5000 as well) had manually locking center and rear differentials. Does that count? The car wanted to tear itself apart if you tried to drive it on a dry road with the diffs locked.

Yes

I have an old beat up Honda Accord Coupe and it does really well. I put some high quality all weather tires on it during the winter and it is pretty fun to drive.

IT can be pretty zippy in the snow. We have a large SUV for when it dumps more than the accord can handle or if I need to haul some additional equipment.

either that or I take the city bus to resorts, it is big but doesn't cost me jack.

Weren't the ones produced in 1988 rebadged Renaults?

Hey! How about my Audi? Handles beautifully in snow, Nokian tires, speeds up a hill no problem.

And you'll make SO many friends at the repair shop. Gosh, I'd hate to part with the car because I love it so, so much, but anything to help out a friend!

Phil, that was hella sweet.

I had a 1984 Subaru GL hatchback that was 4WD. In 4w low it could go just about anyplace I had the balls to try and take it. I lived in NY at the time after grad school (1993), and would drive into Manhattan and park it just about anywhere. I would frequently break clutch cables in the damn thing though, and have to drive it home without the clutch...not much fun starting it in second gear at a red light. Once the cable broke just as I got over the Whitestone bridge with three whitewater kayaks on top...thankfully I was almost home. Bounced many kayaks off the hood of that thing on shuttles too!

No true 4wd cars made anymore afaik. Me like my Forester with snow treads on for winter though.

I don't know if you are rolling your eyes at your sarcasm or that to which you reply.

Nonetheless, my old man drives a 2008 full-sized Dodge cummins converted to veggie oil. He towed his boat and his garage over the sierras when he retired and began building log homes.

You can still use standard diesel, by the way.

Those of you with diesels that don't run veggie, or at least a mixture, are beyond me.

Alfa Romeo not in the USofA?

Rubbish!

Here is (or rather was) my beautiful Guilia Super (beloved by the Italian Polizia) snapped at Alpental circa 1983....skinny tires, LSD (Limited Slip Diff) twin Webers and a little rust! The heater (il rescaldamente) left something to be desired when being used in the mountains, in winter, or whenever the ambient temp plunged below 40F!

I'm still driving my 1998 Audi A4 Avant. Studded Nokian Hakkapelitta tires on all four wheels. If I spend time on the interstate (not often) I can get 29-30 MPG, 23 MPG going up and down the mountain all winter. Manual transmission makes up for any lost power with a 190 HP engine. Got 137,000 miles on it. Have had some bumpy repair patches, but now that I've abandoned the damn Audi dealer, it's been running great and actually gotten FIXED when I've taken it in.

Ski pass through and split seats pretty much means that without a box on the top we can handle three (sometimes four) people depending on what equipment hogs they are.

Not the Eagle vehicles that looked like the ones in the video. You are thinking of the Eagle Premier.

In that case, good luck.

Infiniti G35 X. AWD. 24 mpg highway. Very fun to drive. Ski passage-way thru the trunk thingy.

Tell me about that dog!!

Honda Civic. My husband drove one of the old "tin can" models for years, bought it for $150.00 sold it for $175.00 5 years later with almost 500k. Made it up Snowbowl road everyday of 96-97, slid once down by the mailboxes after he spilled some coffee or something. Ran nothing more than all season radials on it and our 4wd SUV sat in the driveway all season, it was too top heavy, slid all over the place. I have heard great things about the newer Civics too and get almost as good of gas mileage as a hybrid. ( Although they have a hybrid also ) The Prius also will make it up Snowbowl road FWIW. But the Honda gas model will do 75 up a pass.

Another vote for the Subarus here. When it snows it's the only car I drive. Traded in a 2005 WRX for the new STi wagon recently, before that had Outbacks and have never, and I mean never gotten stopped because of the snow. I drive all over Colorado to get the good snow and regularily go past Escalades, F350's, rear wheel drive cars. Absolutely the best all weather cars I've ever driven. On top of that, they don't break down, they get good mileage (depending on how big a hurry I'm in) and the STi is just freakin fast.

I'm liking the STi so much I doubt I'll drive my other car much even during the summer

94 Geo Metro with studded snow tires all the way around. Never had to use chains, 36 mpg (automatic). Skiis fit in between front seat. Put a new motor in it couple years ago for $1000. (that's "one thousand")

3 cylinder powerhouse! Only have to pedal on the really steep slopes! In the parking lot I open up the glove box and throw everything on the floor like someone already broke in. Of course, no one comes within 100 yards of this car. But I'm thinking I have one of the smallest snow cars.

Lada Niva.

U no u want it.