What is your ultimate winter car?

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited on studded Duratracs if you absolutely have to get somewhere. It won't be the comfiest, most refined, nor the fastest, but the locking center, front, and rear diffs means it's the ultimate factory vehicle for pure traction. The Unlimited is a bit more useful than the 2-door and the longer wheelbase makes it a bit less twitchy.

On a budget, you could just get an XJ or ZJ and throw a couple of ARB lockers in it for the same effect.

[Shlade]

My Jeep is a pretty bad ass winter vehicle.

If I had the coin I'd daily a R35 GTR

[EF9 Sedan]

Originally posted by Murray Peterson


I love my S2000 in the winter; awesome heater, limited slip, and it will happily drive through snow deep enough to make the front into a plow

I think an NA Miata would be ideal -- not too much power, although a LSD would be a nice addition.

The S2000 handles great in the winter with the proper tires. Ground clearance and accelerated wear and tear are the only drawbacks but cars are made to be driven. Cost of replacement wear and tear parts would probably be close to the cost of owning a beater (insurance, maintenance, unexpected repairs, set of winter tires)

[Redlined_8000]

GT-R or a 911 Turbo S. For now I will settle with my Golf R NDP beater.

Also if it was an Suv, probably go for the 4-Runner in pearl white If unlimited money than a G63 AMG in Black.

[ShermanEF9]

My F150 is a pretty great vehicle for winter. probably wouldn't have anything else.

[Ekliptix]

Audi RS7 on studded winters for everyday stuff.
MB Unimog for deep snow.

[Ekliptix]

But this year I'm expecting to be happy with my new winter beater. 4.6L V8 with studded 315's.

[Deetz]

for me, a new E63 wagon with some Blizzacks

[r3ccOs]

It all appears to be a toss up between Haldex, Symmetrical, and Quattro systems however on slick iced roads with elevation, I'd sooner take a vehicle with a lower centre of gravity, proper weight distribution and the right sized tires for grip with any of the above systems.

Honestly, Subuaru's are almost bar none some of the best handling AWD vehicles I've driven when compared to vehicles in their own class... something to be said about their chassis

However I have sometimes found them to be a bit light and more vulnerable to being tossed around by big ruts. (Also with almost the worst interior of any vehicle other that mitsubishi)

There is no way I'd take a part time system like in my F150 over a good AWD system with independent suspension for icy on-road conditions... though the F150 does a very admirable job, the part time system just isn't meant for high speed work and I find without it on, has a tendency to understeer. However for absolutely almost undrivable conditions (say a 2 foot overnight dump) hell yea, having big puffy snowflake rated LT tires, clearance, A transfer case and lockable diff says, get me through anything.

The last vehicle I was in that seemed to be able tackle the world was a Volvo XC70 T6... very intuitive stability system, lots of traction from the Haldex setup, plenty of grip from the gislaved tires, a good amount of clearance yet retains car like drivability and weighs just enough to not get knocked off its tracks.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

Best I ever had. Miss it.

I'd love a Civic AWD wagon as well.

I really enjoy driving old subbies with no traction as well. RS's are a blast with how light they were.

I never liked Audi's, they understeer even with new blizzaks. Too much forward weight.

I hate this tacoma, part time is a pain in the ass.

[TYMSMNY]

Porsche... and BMW X5 (not sure if it's the xdrive but damn, felt so safe and so damn grippy)

[Kavy]

Best in snow : Toyota FJ, never even put it in 4x4 for 3 winters and it didn't slip once, miss that gas guzzling blind spot rock chipped windowed machine.

Best control : 2010 sti, I drove it like it was summer and every time I slid I felt in complete control of the slides, I don't miss this car at all.

Worst : 1996 civic si. What the shit, I would park this car and it would slide out of the parking spot.Sliding through intersections was a daily occurrence.

I'll come back to how the ATS is in winter as that's the current daily but I have only put about 50km on it since it started snowing so I have no opinions yet.

[Cody D]

Back when you could buy a 964 for $15,000 it was the perfect fun winter car that nobody wanted, now that they are overpriced go buy a 996 C4, they are a blast in winter and not 997 Turbo money.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

My JDM STi wagon was really fun at Rally X yesterday. Probably one of my favourite winter cars I've owned so far but it sounds like it's dying at this temp haha.

[Boosted_TL]

I had an F10 chassis 550ix BMW with some blizzaks and to date it's been the best all round winter car for me. I assume the weight and proper awd system is what kept the planted feel.
Plus, not much beats a V8TT. Dinan Stage 3 didn't hurt either.

I now have an E90 335d with winter sport M3's, fun factor is high, but that's where it stops.

Ultimate choice, C6 chassis RS6 Avant V10TT with studs and an Inno Shadow 16.

[loweg]

Agreed, I picked up a 2000 forester sti for winter fun, put a set of a cooper weathermaster wsc on it and the control in the snow and even ice is amazing.

Also, the japanese mini trucks with a set of good winters are amazing in the snow and ice. Even just in RWD they are easy to slip in and out of control for fun. Cheap winters (tiny), but they are brutally cold in the winter, and my old sambar would even cool down at lights on the coldest days just at idle.

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
My JDM STi wagon was really fun at Rally X yesterday. Probably one of my favourite winter cars I've owned so far but it sounds like it's dying at this temp haha.

[Maxt]

Originally posted by R-Audi


Different AWD systems carry different front and rear bias... the SRT Jeep uses a higher rear bias to be sportier than your standard Grand Cherokee. There are quite a few different Audis with different front/rear bias as well, in their case its a different differential that changes the ratio. (4:1 vs 2:1 etc)

Depends if you are talking about the WK1 or the Wk2.

[AndyL]

But I'm weird like that - and I'd prefer with the woodie look

[flipstah]

Originally posted by Deetz
for me, a new E63 wagon with some Blizzacks

Omg some blonde owns a red e63 wagon in Mission, and she's Bangbus worthy.

[rx7_turbo2]

I've got an old W203 4Matic for banging around in the winter. For just everyday driving it's pretty capable. We all remember just how capable it is?

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