What car should I buy?

[jadesmar]

I need a car but having never owned one, I'm not sure what sort of questions I should be asking or to whom they should be directed.

Purpose:
Commute to work (40 km/day in very snowy conditions)

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing and/or insights to offer on the process?

[Jedo the Jedi]

Don't buy brand new. It isn't worth it. At the least, go two years old.
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[Quailman]

Make sure it has front wheel drive.

[Jedo the Jedi]

This also might help.
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[Zag]

[Dragon Phoenix]

Compare the km per liter (or miles to the gallon) between various candidate models - with this commute you will consuming a lot of gasoline/diesel (or gas/diesel) and prices will only go up further.
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[Courk]

www.kbb.com lets you put in different things you want in a car and will show you models that match what you want.

[Nsof]

Safety is very important. especially if you drive others. Cars have safety metrics.
Insurance is also going to be a cost.
Fuel is a big unavoidable cost over time.
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[Jack_Ian]

If it's your first car and you don't have much experience driving, expect to get a few dents and scratches.
My first car was a clunker, and I spent a lot of time working on the engine etc., which gave me a lot of valuable experience.
If you expect to be driving 40km/day though, then reliability may be more of a concern for you.
Rather than buy one in a showroom, you might consider hiring a mechanic and bringing them to an auction house. You can get some really great deals that way. If you have a friend that's a mechanic, then it might only cost you a good meal.

[itisally]

Nothing beats having a good mechanic to look over a used car.

Also, consider buying from a rental company. We have a Hertz lot here. What is nice about that is that they are diligent about regular maintenance on their fleet cars so you are less likely to inherit problems. But still get the car fax, take it to a mechanic, decide what features are needs and what are wants before you get to the lot.

Also remember to haggle, walk away once and go research that car. What are similar models in your area going for, what is the bluebook on it or, if it is new, what is manufacture suggested retail vs. cost? Start low and then work up to what you really want to pay.

It may also help to have financing ready through your bank first, this puts you in a position of power because you know what you can spend, and what your payments can be going in, and it takes away a salesman’s tool.
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[jadesmar]

I found out that insurance will be like $100 a month on an Accura.

I also found out that www.kbb.com doesn't really apply to Canadian cars.

I found out that Jeep Wranglers can come with really big tires that would probably be very functional in any snow storm. But has a poor "litres/100 km" value.

I wonder if I can get a winch on the front, but I'd probably end up with the jeep up a tree like in "The Gods Must be Crazy".

Litres/100km can also be represented in square meters for fun (and profit?)

[itisally]

Just remember 4 wheel drive is not invincible, in ice 4 wheel drive is just a 4 wheel slide... slow steady and no sudden movements.

We had a jeep for a while and loved it. It sure ate gas, but it was easy to work on too and was great in the mud. We also had an Explorer for awhile too. Gas was a little better, the engine had been rebuilt and it was good in sloppy weather. But In Eugene it is mostly slush, ice or water on the roads, not packed snow. Tires are going to make a big diffrence for those things.

My ex had a subaru Legacy (4 wheel drive) that was wonderful in snow (he lived in the hills) and was pretty good with gas. It also sat 5 easily so it was good on trips. But that was a long time ago.

This is going to be tough to balance for you if you need a more rugged vehicle.
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[The Potter]

I personally try to buy used Subaru, Toyota, or Nissan cars. They all do well in the wintertime and will last a long time with just a little maintenance.
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[Nsof]

[Jedo the Jedi]

I'm not sure how helpful this is, but maybe it is worth looking at.
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[jadesmar]

Might be a 2009 Prius.

[jadesmar]

[Thok]

[jadesmar]

[Zag]

[Jedo the Jedi]

^ Agreed.
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Paragon Tally: 18 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[jadesmar]

[Dread Pirate Westley]

[Something about dyslexia] First achievement: Car.

[The Potter]

2nd dyslexic car achievement: circles.
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[Pablo]

Subaru Outback. Great all wheel drive engineering. I had one and loved it. I got rid of it because it was a tad too small. I'm 6-3 and was comfortable in it, but no room to spare. If you're taller than that or more than 200# or so, you may need something bigger.

They last forever, so you can probably find a good used one with lots of life left in it.
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