Buying a car, do I neee a four wheel drive?

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BDkP87

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BDkP87
Jun 27, 2019 47 Comments

Need to buy a new car. I have a BMW 328i but it is only rear wheel drive and I have had it for 3 years. It affects my ability to go to Tahoe during winters. I was thinking of buying or leasing a new car.

Should I buy a reliable car like Camry or Subaru which is fully loaded or buy something like Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC, Volvo XC60 or Porsche Macan?

I am trying to limit my monthly payment under $450 apart from gas and insurance. Overall I don’t want to spend more than $750 including gas and insurance on a car.

TC $450K

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TOP 47 Comments
  • Valassis / Eng
    GNu002

    Go to company page Valassis Eng

    PRE
    Microsoft
    GNu002
    You can get any of those for 450/month assuming you have enough down payment. If you don't have 50% to put down at that TC you should be able to get there quick. If you can't get there quick then maybe a more modest car really is appropriate.

    Don't lease.
    Jun 27, 2019 27
    • Oath
      Atinlay2

      Go to company page Oath

      Atinlay2
      I promise more people have heard of Oath (Verizon Media), than whatever Flowcast is.
      Jun 28, 2019
    • Flowcast
      lulll

      Flowcast

      lulll
      Is that like a wannabe oauth?
      Jun 28, 2019
  • FWD is just as good as AWD in winter in 95% of situations unless you go balls deep in snow or have to climb steep slippery hills. But even in those situations winter tires or chains are the most important.
    Jun 27, 2019 0
  • eBay
    eyxitsjtj

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    eyxitsjtj
    How about renting an AWD or FWD vehicle when you want to go to Tahoe during winters?
    Jun 27, 2019 2
    • Yelp
      BDkP87

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      BDkP87
      OP
      Will be about the same as owning a higher end car. On an average a 4wd for a weekend would cost almost 250. If I go atleast 5 weekends/year that is equivalent to additional $100 in monthly payments. At that point I might as well pay higher and buy a luxury 4wd.
      Jun 27, 2019
    • Cisco
      IFTL14

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      IFTL14
      It does not make much difference if you are driving AWD. in snow the snow chain makes a huge difference. Either put snow tires which I don’t recommend unless you live in snowy areas or use snow chain.
      Jun 27, 2019
  • Google
    əๅɓoo⅁

    Go to company page Google

    əๅɓoo⅁
    Subaru is AWD and is cheap and reliable.
    Jun 27, 2019 3
  • For winter driving, snow tires matter much more than drive. AWD without snow tires does not provide much more stability than a RWD with snow tires. The only edge you may have with AWD is when you are stuck in a ditch. You got two more wheels turning than RWD or FWD. On icy/snowy road, AWD alone cannot save you. It is because when the rubber loses traction, all bets are off. It does not matter how many drives you have.
    Test drive these cars and pick one you like. There are plenty of good choices. If you live in CA, you rarely need AWD.
    Jun 30, 2019 2
    • Yelp
      BDkP87

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      BDkP87
      OP
      How expensive and Difficult is it to swap all season tires with snow tires? Or can I just use snow tires as regular tires for my car?
      Jun 30, 2019
    • If you are talking about swapping just the tires, a set of snow tires costs about $600 to $800 depending on the sizes and brands, plus installation and storage. If you want a set of tires/rims, it is more expensive (at least $1000). Running snow tires in all seasons shortens the snow tire's life. Also, you will not get the performance of your car was designed for.
      Jun 30, 2019