As grandpa is going to be footing the bill, and you are not yet of an age where you can afford your own wheels,  so with that in mind, how about a small engined car that does 40 or so MPG (i.e cheap to run) than a V6 or V8 that will burble along at 15 to the gallon.

Matt

If you can find a Mitsubishi lancer evolution I would go for that.  I love how it dives over ice and snow.

Definately look at new cars with excellent economy, and start/stop technology.

A friend of mine recently bought himself a brand new Audi A1, which can reach 100MPG at times. It runs diesel, but because it's German, it actually works.

To be honest, I'm looking at a similar Audi, or even a plug-in hybrid such as the BMW i8 for a few years time.



In relation to your problem... Look at economical cars with smaller engines. A decent four wheel drive or adaptive drive system is available on a lot of modern cars. An older, heavy, car might struggle on ice in comparison. And a massive engine will not aid traction on ice.

Just received this months Practical Mechanics. Nice article about the Chevy Sonic. Basic price, $14,000. It comes with either a 1.8L or a 1.4L Turbo and does a million miles to the gallon. Also at 14 grand, that leaves you plenty left over to increase your comfort level.


Matt

Nah. No peel p50.
Advantages:
You don't pay congestion charge,
No one would ever want to steal it,
You can take it into your job
Disadvantages:
Cannot go out with friends,
No going on dates etc 
It drinks gas like mad .
It spews out smoke.

But hey you save at least 23,500. for other stuff.

hyperpep111 wrote on Aug 10^th, 2011 at 5:29am:


And no reverse gear, but a minor inconvenience compare to no friends, no dates, no life........

Matt

If you are living in snow and ice conditions I would recommend a front wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicle.  A mustang or camaro will kill you in the winter.   I'd say go with a 4 wheel drive truck.  You have hauling capacity and off road capability.  Plus you can score some free beer hauling stuff for people who drive tiny save the planet cars. 

-BigTruck 

BigTruck wrote on Aug 10^th, 2011 at 4:48pm:

Hybrids are a joke... and the ones in the USA are even worse compared to what we get in Europe.

Everyone who calls himself environmentally conscious when buying a Prius or whatever other hybrid should spend a week in Norilsk before signing the contract, as that is the place where the majority of your battery components comes from.

Ok that was the rant
Now the advice: check which garages you have in your area, especially if you are going for a Subaru... most universal garages dont have a clue with anything non-standard (trust me i have experience and paid the price).

Saab's are good in snow too, as are Volvo's...

Everyone is forgetting the main point......What is the vehicle being used for?
If it's for getting to school/work with little or nothing to carry then something compact and economic will surfice.
If it's to be used for work and carrying moderate amounts of equipment then an estate (Station Wagon to our US members) might be a sensible option or a small truck/pickup/van.
If it's for carrying loads of people  about then once again the estate or a larger saloon car or MPV.
Take into account extremes of weather then decide if 4x4 is necessary .......!
Also take into account the experience of the driver before strapping them into some growling snarling high powered donor maker.
It aint rocket science.

..or, like me...

Ride a motorcycle, with everything carried in a giant Haversack on my back!... ...!

Paul.... ... ...!

Transporting the new Refrigerator/Lawn Mower, etc, back home, is always a bit of a problem... ...!

eno wrote on Nov 15^th, 2011 at 1:08pm:


.... ... ...!

Been there...done it...had loads of them since the 1950's... ...!

'trubble is, modern motorcycles are not designed to have Sidecars fitted to them nowadays....(no attaching lugs)
..(in fact it invalidates the warranty if they are fitted).
...also they now take up the same amount of room on the roads as motor cars, in modern traffic jams!

I just get wet and cold, (with a brave smile on my face), on my solo Motor-bike... ...!

Paul....Zero Parking Fees!......!

Strategic Retreat wrote on Nov 17^th, 2011 at 3:39pm:


...A small Van/Pick-up truck... ...!

General Purpose!

Paul... ...!

Forget all this fuel economy stuff, the first thing that he should consider is reliability - and for your price range, this actually rules out most European and American auto manufactures.

So if you want a sensible car, go get an AWD CR-V. It's economic and unbelievably reliable. It's also not underpowered, hauls just fine, and the steering is surprisingly sharp, so it's surprisingly fun to drive.

But if that's not your cup of tea (it wasn't mine), here's what you should stay away from that people haven't mentioned:

1. Rally cars. This includes the Evos and WRXs that people above me mentioned. Granted they are very fun to drive, but they make you look like a rice burner and you're just asking for high insurance premiums. I can take more than 80% of the turns here in Springfield, IL at 40+ MPH in my F-150 (5.0L with limited-slip diff). That is excessive even in my book and there is absolutely no reason why you need to do better. So there is absolutely no reason why you should own a rally car.

2. V6 muscle cars. Nothing wrong with them per se, but I would NEVER pay for a brand new one, let alone a used one. Those things have awful resale values where I come from, so I would recommend staying away from them.

3. Vans of any sort. They are not cool and I would not even wish them onto my enemies.

4. Sub-compacts. They're excellent city cruisers, but nothing short of a plastic death trap on the freeway.

5. The RAV-4. I rented one recently and wanted to drive it off a cliff. It made me lose my will to live.

So now, if you want something very cool and under $25,000, here are my suggestions:

If you're grandpa is paying cash (and this is important, because financing on these cars will be VERY VERY EXPENSIVE):

1. 2009-2010 F-150 (New or slightly used). I did a walk around last time I was getting my oil changed, and they're going for pocket change. I think you can get a SuperCab XLT 4x4 for just around 25k if you negotiate well. Two caveats though. First, don't get the ecoboost, its only 1 mpg better than my 5.0 and you only get that at low rpms (so if you tow or drive with a lead foot, it goes away), the torque boost is impressive but not worth the $3000 that they want over the 5.0, and most importantly, its unproven so repair costs can run you bankrupt if Ford didn't get it right. Second, these trucks will run your insurance through the roof, I'm paying 1,300 per 6 months with AAA.

2. A Toyota Tundra. They're slightly cheaper than than the F-150 and slightly more reliable. However, Toyota is much less likely to budge with the price and because its not Detroit, I want to kill it with fire.

3. 7-10 year old premium Mustang. You can easily find a Mach 1 or a GT500 at Ford dealerships. Go for one with low miles and has been babied. You can get a '03 Mach 1 with low miles for about 15k, so they're well within your price range. These cars have already gone through most of their depreciation hill, so the cost of ownership should be fairly low. However, you have to pick well to get a well built one and I will kill you personally if you drove it in the snow.

$25,000.... ... ...!
...+ running costs...

Blimey!
That's more money than I have been able to save in a lifetime! (77 Years)... ...!

I can see now why I ride a Motor-bike!... ...!

Paul...Meep-meep....Wet, Cold, and Wealthy!.....!

Ivan wrote on Nov 30^th, 2011 at 1:48pm:


A Urinal, complete with a Sidecar, is definitely the way to go!... ...!

http://www.ural.com/