best used car around $20k?
 

I am currently in the market for an used car, my budget is going to be around $20000, and im looking for a decent RWD/AWD thats going to last me 2-3 years.

here are a couple choices i currently have in mind

2004-2005 BMW 330ci
2005-2008 Subaru Impreza WRX
2005-2008 Subaru Legacy GT
2005-2007 Audi A4 2.0/3.2 Quattro


i'm leaning towards the BMW atm because i've driven a 2006 323i for 3 yrs and i love the way it handles. however i've had a terrible experience driving the RWD 323i with summers on in the vancouver winter. it got stuck on the street outside my house for theentire winter(ya i know.. it was dumb). i live in winnipeg now and i drive a 2008 MDX, it handles perfectly w/ all seasons. but i dunno how well a RWD would do w/ all seasons.

wrx


04-0 330ci's are around 25k though. with around 80k km

WRX


S2k

I would take the 330ci off that list unless you consider high maintenance/repairs as part of a "best used car"

My family drives a MDX as well with all seasons, good in the snow, as you've mentioned.
My car is RWD with almost brand new (90%) all seasons and I don't go out at all in the snow...it's pretty much useless!

wrx all the way

if I'm living in Winnipeg
I will only have AWD vehicle in mind.
Go with any Subie or keep your MDX

Take that Bimmer off your list~

malibu. I say it because the executives decided to go dollar to dollar.

oops that puts it over the top. To me I cant tell the difference.

WRX, get the 06 year. Has better components than an 07.

why would u even try to drive RWD with summers on in the winter...
if u get dedicated winters on RWD, it'll be fine.

First of all, while I agree that the 330 will be a bit more costly to own than the two Subaru's, overall it's a drastically better car than the other three. I test-drove the A4 and G35 extensively before settling on my BMW, and there really is no comparison. The 3-series BMW is THE benchmark for practical luxury sports vehicles. It rides like it's on rails (as you would expect from any BMW), it's got reasonable power (better than the Legacy, both Audi models and equal to the WRX), and it looks fantastic.

I drove my 330 in the snow for a month last year (on all-seasons). When you turn the traction control off, it's manageable... no worse than any other RWD car. That said if I lived in Winnipeg I'd be a bit concerned about the December to March months when snow can really accumulate quickly.

If you were in Vancouver, I would say you'd be crazy NOT to get the 330ci. But, if you're really in Winnipeg and will battle snow five months of the year, the WRX seems like a better option.

:thumbsup:

acura TL

wrx will suit you well in that case.

WRX

WINNIPEG HERE AS WELL!!! woot!

I drive 98 GS400, RWD, no problems in winter both sides, good snow tires are must, but of course if you live in Burnaby or something it's harder, but I got up last winter no problem....

Winnipeg is easy, not much point imo to get AWD as streets are plowed very quickly and it's as flat as you can see, Vancouver's winter demands more AWD, and much more common sense. I saw MUCH more snow ON THE ROAD in Vancouver/Richmond than I ever saw in Winnipeg, I scrape all over the bottom on the snow in Vancouver with a mildly lowered car, as the snow plowed up and no one plowed the roads... good for me for drifting all over the place. lol

Dude, Richmond have how many snow plowers and salt/sand dispense trucks? 7 in total? when Winnipeg saw tiny bit of snow falling you'll see battalions of huge equipments rolling all over the place 24/7. I saw within 3 blocks from my friend's house to mine, there's at least 14+ machines working at like 3am in the small streets... max you go by without plowing is 2-3 days in smallest streets... In Richmond, Cambie road wasn't plowed for a whole week or so.

All season = no season, get a set of winter tires on OEM or winter wheels, and get a set of summer wheels and tires.

in your choices I'd get Leg GT, only problem is the weak 5 speed, if possible get spec B w/ 6 speed. or get a auto since the Legacy is more sedanish than WRX, auto's great for daily lazy driving... easy to tune/mod as well as less prone to problems of German vehicles.

330ci, why go backwards? 323 is fine just the way it is...?

dub-bah-you are ex


fking jet lagging...........

I was thinking WRX even before i opened the thread,
But legacy GT is great too, nicer interior, less of a heat score, and IMO better looking

Vancouver streets were WORST last winter. At least Burnaby city knows they are hilly, Vancouver city works was pretty much oblivious to the fact that many smaller roads were inaccessible and was not plowed for the whole season. LOL.

Driving in the snow sucks no matter where you live... mostly because of other drivers... but it's WAY worse in Vancouver because everything thinks they can do it on all-seasons.

If you don't have winter tires... get the fuck off the roads.

Get a set now.. they're easier to find and you won't be screwed like last year, when you decided to wait til the last minute and couldn't find any.

Legacy gt!

yup..legacy GT

ya our block had to pool money together to get our street plowed....

get the wrx... AWD and lowest maint cost out of all your choices. dont even dare look at the a4

LOL wrx maint cost is still pretty high, although next to an audi & bmw, then yeah...

$20k... what about importing from the US? i just took a quick look on ebay and a 2004 model will fall under $20k cdn, minus additional costs for shipping and importation. i'm assuming you know how much maintenance costs are like for a bmw since you mentioned driving one for 3 years.

audi a4 2.0T