Cheap Reliable AWD or 4WD

[Duck Vader]

Ya ya ya. I know.

Anyway, this isn't for me. It is for Danielle. I have told her repeatedly her Kia Soul with FWD and great tires that she has does wonders in the snow. It did better than my truck with 4WD last winter.

Anyway, she is saying if Yakima gets another winter like it did this past year she definitely wants either AWD or 4WD and I don't think I will be able to talk her out of that. She loves her Kia but gets crazy high anxiety driving it in snow. She insists that something AWD will help at least with the anxiety side of it.

She is looking for something older that if something wrecks into her or she into something she won't care. Wants to be able to toss it around and not worry. Something cheap as it will be used primarily in the winter only and something easy to work on as well as reliable. Nothing full size since she will be driving it and has to be automatic.

I was thinking and older Rav4 or CRV. She kind of wants an older wrangler (pre fiat years), but reliability on those is suspect having owned many jeeps myself.

Anything else besides those I should be considering?

[Chris GTO TT]

Pre CVT non turbo Subaru with MLS head gaskets. Once you fix the head gasket issue correctly they are basically bomb proof (except for rust, but that’s not normally a west coast problem)

[Duck Vader]

Thought about that.

[Chris GTO TT]

Seriously an old Subaru on snow tires is an absolute tank in the snow (not a Russian tank )

[alienviking]

[quote=""Chris GTO TT""]Seriously an old Subaru on snow tires is an absolute tank in the snow[/quote]

Bayraktar TB2 has joined the conversation.

[Chris GTO TT]

[quote=""alienviking""]Bayraktar TB2 has joined the conversation.[/quote]

i said not Russian :ick:

[Jeff V.]

Maybe look for a 2011-2016 Kia Sportage with AWD. My mom has the 2015 base 4 cylinder with AWD and she loves it. Hasn't had a single problem with it in over 60k miles. It gets up and moves too. I initially thought she had the turbo version. I really like driving it.

[DCIV]

Honda CR-V. Period. /thread.


Coop

[vr4]

[quote=""DCIV""]Honda CR-V. Period. /thread.


Coop[/quote]

Just keep up on maintenance.


Awd will possibly make it worse for her. She will get confident, drive too fast, and slide off the road. With the fwd and nervousness she will stay safe.

[Duck Vader]

Not just nervous. Full blown anxiety that stops her from driving period. She was having to Uber or rely on coworkers for rides.

[Chris GTO TT]

Order her a set of dedicated snows on different wheels regardless of what you get

[Duck Vader]

I will be.

[Duck Vader]

Hence also cheap. Looking at under $7500 or so if we can pull it off and get something decent.

[Duck Vader]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 98623b6166

[Chris GTO TT]

Yeah that’s the era, up to 2009 or so depending on when Subaru did the redesign.

[Duck Vader]

Danielle pretty much has her heart set on getting an older Subaru Forester now for her winter beater.

She had a couple of questions. Mainly at what mileage is too much and we should walk away, and what are some common things we need to watch out for besides head gasket issues, and how much is too much to spend on these things?

Some that she has found on facebook/craigslist that she has liked:

https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/ctd ... 38910.html

https://wenatchee.craigslist.org/cto/d/ ... 13380.html

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 49d8be529b

She really wants a blue one if possible, but that isn't a deal breaker. Needs to be an auto.

[DCIV]

Middle one if I had to buy one.


Coop

[Chris GTO TT]

Agreed middle one but only with documents proving the work was done.

[Jeff V.]

See if they'll throw in a few flannel shirts to start off her new wardrobe.

[DCIV]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]See if they'll throw in a few flannel shirts to start off her new wardrobe.[/quote]

Naw, needs the hair cut as well.


Coop