Does anybody have a winter Beater?
What is it? Is this a sane thing to do?

So far my Mini has done OK in the snow but I don't want it to be killed by my stupidity or by another drives car that has no business on the road in snow...

If I were to get something it be for next winter and would be either a:
1) 4x4 Jeep Comanche with the 4.0 I6
I've seen them for dirt cheap and I love straight 6's and I'd think parts would be cheap as it's a Cherokee and off roaders are crazy about them. Plus it's a truck I could haul thing that don't fit in the Mini

2) An early 80's Audi 4000 Quatro. I had an 84 & 85 2wd version in high school and I'm nostalgic. Plus I know how they break.

How stupid would it be to keep one of these just for snowy days. Would you be crazy enough to take either of these old cars on 7hour drive for an annual ski trip?

 

I actually have a 98 Jeep Cherokee for a winter vehicle. I had a 96 until some crazy lady T-boned me and totaled it, so I upgraded to a 98. Its a great little SUV, really easy to work on, parts for it are everywhere, great in the snow, reliable, my dogs love it and it was cheap!

My MINI never sees snow and for what its worth nor does Denver anymore.

 

Subaru. I've got a WRX wagon and it is ridiculous in the snow/sleet/ice/whatever. Not to mention, the amount of control you have, in winter weather, while driving through your side window is awesome......all on a closed circuit with no traffic, of course.

I'm sure you could find a 90s subaru in decent shape for a reasonable price that you could beat around in.

 

Go for the Audi, definitely.

I use my MINI year round and it does excellent in snow, thanks partly to good snow tires.

 

I'm also on the Subaru bandwagon. I picked up a '98 Impreza RS for the winter. It is unstoppable!! We have had several 8"+ storms and the car just laughs at the snow.
If it came down to the Jeep or the Audi, I snap the Audi up.

Just my .02

 

Here's an idea. Since the MINI goes so well in the snow... use it in the winter and get yourself something really snazzy for the summer. For example... MINI convertible, Miata, S2000, Z3 or Z4.
Now your talkin... really neat cars year round.

 

The MINI is my snazzy car, but getting a classic something to restore may be a better use of my space then a beater.


Admittedly even with all seasons the mini is pretty good in the snow but after the storm I drove to work in yesterday I'm thinking it might be nice to get something that I wouldn't care if somebody hit me in. (It just takes that guy behind you not stopping fast enough )

I also looked on eBay last night and people are putting surprisingly high ($3000 range) on old Comanches!


I have a 1 car garage (it's just me in my house right now), How do you store a winter beater without looking like white trash? Car cover? Garage Tent?

 

I bought a '99 Honda Civic a while back as an all around beater. It's better in the snow, and I can park it anywhere in the city without having to worry about it. It's nice having another car around that I don't care about.

I don't even have any good pics of it, you can see most of here in the background. If you closely you can even see a nice dent on rear quarter panel, from where someone hit it while it was parked downtown. That alone proves it's value to me, it's a sacrificial lamb.