Cheap winter car - coping in snow vs. lost value

[menousername]

Hi All


debating a cheapish stop-gap to get me through winter while I work out what I want long-term

Trying to balance up likely coping ability in the snow vs. likely loss incurred during the purchase and trade out value of this brief period of ownership, should I trade out in the early summer next year

FYI - I live in south east, so do not anticipate full on snow


- a3 quattro at 5-6k

- a4 quattro at 5-6k

-s4 quattro at 8-9k

-x5 cheepie 3.0 at 7-8k

-for some reason I have in mind a cheap rx8 based on how many bargains there are, and maybe locate some winter tyres

Thoughts?

[CYMR0]

Cheap A6 Allroad at £3k?

[Sir_Dave]

Why not simply buy winter tyres for whatever you have now?

[menousername]

also your thoughts on which would likely hold its value the best

cheers

[menousername]

already sold it

[ad551]

Sir_Dave said:

Why not simply buy winter tyres for whatever you have now?

+1

A Quattro might (might) get you moving on snow, but it won't help you stop or turn on ice, which is what you really want. Winter tyres will do that.

[menousername]

actually good point, where I live although not as badly impacted as North, they never grit the roads

last two winters on the trot I have had to abandone my 330ci and hope it was in one piece when i returned

im looking at cheap x5s, but they are not really my thing, but I think they will cope best and hold their value best?

[Captain Muppet]

menousername said:

FYI - I live in south east, so do not anticipate full on snow

I spent the winter of 2011 commuting through the south east. My invincible winter hack was a 1992 MX5 on winter tyres. I bought the car 5 years ago and I can't have lost more than £200 a year in depreciation.

While I was working/living down there I also got to use a Focus Diesel and a Civic 1,8 petrol, both on OEM tyres. Neither was ever stuck or had any issues at all with the snow or ice.

[Dominicc01]

menousername said:

actually good point, where I live although not as badly impacted as North, they never grit the roads

last two winters on the trot I have had to abandone my 330ci and hope it was in one piece when i returned

im looking at cheap x5s, but they are not really my thing, but I think they will cope best and hold their value best?

Yep, that's right - the X5 has a brilliant reputation in adverse conditions. Those ultra low profile tyres on the 19"s are st-hot in the snow..... have fun!

Also, no need to worry about them holding their value. You'll be far more concerned about your broken gearbox, diff, suspension and all the other excellent features of the X5 which recur frequently and ruinously.









I'm afraid that the X5 is neither "cheap" nor a "winter car".

[kentmotorcompany]

What you don't want is something perceived a "proper 4x4" Land Rover/Toyota Land Cruiser/JEEP or similar. They have big seasonal swings in price, especially if the weather is bad.

Something quattro is a good shout, or Subaru Legacy/Outback/Forester. A car with AWD that is perceived as a more "normal" all year round.

If you can find one, an Audi A4 Cabriolet Quattro would be a good seller in spring/early summer and might be quite cheap now.

Also to minimise your "lost value" try to sell privately so you don't buy at retail and sell at trade.

[Gruber]

In a similar position to the OP, I spent £1600 on a brilliant old Merc estate and £100 on a set of nearly new winter tyres. Perfect!

(I might also spend £50 on a pair of snowsocks and a fiver on a new bobble hat, just to be super-prepared)

[billywhizzzzzz]

Agree that a FWD hatch with winters would be great - but not the nicest. An S4 avant on winters would be much nicer (I have one). Avant shouldn't lose much in value (unlike saloon)

[PaperCut]

...just get a Defender.

[billywhizzzzzz]

PaperCut said:

...just get a Defender.

Much as I love them (Defenders - I have two) they won't be nearly as good in winter as a normal car on winter tyres

[ImpossiblyDaft]

Just get something FWD with winter tyres! Get AWD if you want but its not exactly important.

You certainly don't need a 4x4 though from the sounds of it. Doing a quick search the proportion of 4x4s in Woking is the same as in Kiruna, which is just insane.

Personally I'd just get a cheap Volvo 850/S70/V70, they're just such snug places to be when its cold.
If you're set on some form of AWD though, Subaru Legacy perhaps? Anyway, I'd say there's no point spending more than about £2k on the car if you're only going to keep it 6 months.

Get something with 16in wheels at the largest, that uses common tyre sizes - that way you'll save a load of winter tyres.

Edited by ImpossiblyDaft on Tuesday 30th October 22:07

[New POD]

menousername said:

a cheapish stop-gap to get me through winter

- a3 quattro at 5-6k

- a4 quattro at 5-6k

-s4 quattro at 8-9k

-x5 cheepie 3.0 at 7-8k


Thoughts?

Astra mk3 at £0.6K

Seriously you typed "CHEAP WINTER CAR" and then suggested cars costing twice what most people spend on a family car, for all year round use

[fido]

Yes, an Audi would be nice but not exactly budget. An old Honda CRV - not sure how good they are in snow though - but pretty reliable.

[g3org3y]

Dominicc01 said:

Yep, that's right - the X5 has a brilliant reputation in adverse conditions. Those ultra low profile tyres on the 19"s are st-hot in the snow..... have fun!

Also, no need to worry about them holding their value. You'll be far more concerned about your broken gearbox, diff, suspension and all the other excellent features of the X5 which recur frequently and ruinously.


I'm afraid that the X5 is neither "cheap" nor a "winter car".

Is that not in large part to low profile summer tyres on huge alloys?

I suspect with slightly smaller rims on proper winter tyres the X5 would be a very capable winter car.

[Dominicc01]

g3org3y said:

Is that not in large part to low profile summer tyres on huge alloys?

I suspect with slightly smaller rims on proper winter tyres the X5 would be a very capable winter car.

Yes but the OP isn't intending the car to be a "keeper". I didn't get the impression that he was intending to invest more cash in smaller rims and winters, he just wants a stop-gap which will get him through the winter.


BMW specifically advises not to drive an X5 on standard wheels & tyres in winter weather conditions, and recommends purchasing smaller wheels with winter tyres.



And that still doesn't make an X5 "cheap" or remotely bork-free.

[billzeebub]

billywhizzzzzz said:

PaperCut said:

...just get a Defender.

Much as I love them (Defenders - I have two) they won't be nearly as good in winter as a normal car on winter tyres

but so much more interesting and smile inducing I would say.