Best Car to get through Medical School

[0Complications]

what about a good deal on AWD, for those of us who have rough winters?

If you're looking for a good winter AWD winter car I would say a Subaru Outback hands down.

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[lisichka]

If you're looking for a good winter AWD winter car I would say a Subaru Outback hands down.

what about suburu tribeca AWD?
it wouldn't be 17,000$ though, but around 35,000$?

 

[pntgrd]

"Or the Pontiac G6 which is a sporty yet roomy sedan that is cheaper than the Malibu and doesn't look as cheap inside (chevy likes to use cheap plastic paneling)."

I was suggesting the new Malibu if she wants a new car. The old one is fine but boring inside. The new one on the other hand has been deemed as having the best interior of the mid-size sedans (camry, accord, fusion, malibu, altima, mazda 6, sebring, and whatever the korean models are)

 

[pntgrd]

Oh yea, Subarus are also really good cars if you live in a snowy place that go overlooked.

 

[0Complications]

what about suburu tribeca AWD?
it wouldn't be 17,000$ though, but around 35,000$?

I think a Tribeca is more money than you want to spend, both to purchase and to fill up the tank.

 

[lisichka]

If you're looking for a good winter AWD winter car I would say a Subaru Outback hands down.

outback is an AWD sedan, but if the road is snowy, curvy, and icy, only an AWD SUV can make it through. once i was in a situation like that, and sedans (AWD or no) were not able to drive at all. SUVs and trucks made it through great. so in a way an AWD sedan is a waste of money, unless it is a truck or an SUV. (from my subjective experience)

 

[0Complications]

outback is an AWD sedan, but if the road is snowy, curvy, and icy, only an AWD SUV can make it through. once i was in a situation like that, and sedans (AWD or no) were not able to drive at all. SUVs and trucks made it through great. so in a way an AWD sedan is a waste of money, unless it is a truck or SUV.

Ummm, no. A Subaru is great snow car. If you're on ice it doesn't matter if you have an 18-wheeler you're going to slide, so that shouldn't even be a factor. If you are going to live where you have a lot of ice you should look into studded tires or chains. I have seen Subarus get around in snow that many SUV's can't get around in. SUV's today are designed for luxury and space not real conditions. People buy them because they like them. If you can't drive a Subi you can't drive most SUV's.

 

[Lshapley]

outback is an AWD sedan, but if the road is snowy, curvy, and icy, only an AWD SUV can make it through. once i was in a situation like that, and sedans (AWD or no) were not able to drive at all. SUVs and trucks made it through great. so in a way an AWD sedan is a waste of money, unless it is a truck or an SUV. (from my subjective experience)

When I visited UVM, everyone was driving subarus up there. They actually made jokes about when the first real snow of the year hits, the sides of the roads are littered with SUVs. If I end up going to UVM, we are going to buy an AWD subaru. When in Rome...

 

[lisichka]

Ummm, no. A Subaru is great snow car. If you're on ice it doesn't matter if you have an 18-wheeler you're going to slide, so that shouldn't even be a factor. If you are going to live where you have a lot of ice you should look into studded tires or chains. I have seen Subarus get around in snow that many SUV's can't get around in. SUV's today are designed for luxury and space not real conditions. People buy them because they like them. If you can't drive a Subi you can't drive most SUV's.

i see, good to know. i thought since SUVs are elevated, they can get through snow better?! i was wrong i am def. going with outback then.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I've been thinking about a Kia because of their high depreciation and relative reliability... anyone know if this is a good idea?

I thought about buying a Kia Spectra, but they got pretty poor ratings from IIHS for their safety. I went with a civic instead because of that.

 

[Lshapley]

i see, good to know. i thought since SUVs are elevated, they can get through snow better?! i was wrong i am def. going with outback then.

Higher center of gravity => more likely to tip over. Hopefully you won't be driving through 3 feet of snow where ever you go, so the wheel clearance won't matter one bit!

 

[Enthalpy430]

Used BMW 3-series. If you know some basic repair skills, they're excellent. Mine has 181,000 on it, of which I've put on the last 50K, with no major repairs. I paid $3500 for it, and would do so again in a second.

I was going to suggest a 3 Series BMW as well. The drivetrains are bullet-proof and even if you get a sedan, they handle amazingly well.

Like others have said, if you need AWD, go with a Subaru. Although, I would suggest an Impreza over an Outback, but that's just personal preference.

 

[0Complications]

Higher center of gravity => more likely to tip over. Hopefully you won't be driving through 3 feet of snow where ever you go, so the wheel clearance won't matter one bit!

And even if she is, as long as it's not "heavy" snow she can just plow through it with her Subi.

 

[cofcemt]

I was going to suggest a 3 Series BMW as well. The drivetrains are bullet-proof and even if you get a sedan, they handle amazingly well.

Like others have said, if you need AWD, go with a Subaru. Although, I would suggest an Impreza over an Outback, but that's just personal preference.

So true! Have a friend that got a 95 M3 (100000 miles) for about $5K in 2003 and loves it. No major repairs, other than the tires, which the Z-rated ones he gets are like $150/tire. Such a sweet car!

 

[The Doctor]

Considering that a good portion of the next decade of your life will be spent in a hospital or studying, you probably won't be driving as much. Also, you may find yourself moving around to different apartments in different cities or needing to pick up things for your home. For this reason, I got a jeep grand cherokee laredo right before going off to college. Its gas mileage is, of course, sadly lacking - 21 mpg on the highway; however, having the extra carrying capacity of an SUV as opposed to a car is very helpful during this time. The jeep engine and design is tried and true and typically is free from major problems (though there are some quality control issues on electrical components). Safety rating isn't as great as it could be, though.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I got my 2 door 5 speed chevy cavalier for 6000 bucks gets 35 a gallon, and it hasnt had any problems in the 5 years ive had it
"knock on wood"

 

[PreMD86]

Considering that a good portion of the next decade of your life will be spent in a hospital or studying, you probably won't be driving as much. Also, you may find yourself moving around to different apartments in different cities or needing to pick up things for your home. For this reason, I got a jeep grand cherokee laredo right before going off to college. Its gas mileage is, of course, sadly lacking - 21 mpg on the highway; however, having the extra carrying capacity of an SUV as opposed to a car is very helpful during this time. The jeep engine and design is tried and true and typically is free from major problems (though there are some quality control issues on electrical components). Safety rating isn't as great as it could be, though.

Talk about buying the whole cow for a cup of milk...
It can't possibly be less cost effective to rent a uhaul when you need to move?

 

[Phenol312]

I test drove an s2000 today (belonged to a friend)...it was blissful. It doesn't seem like it would be outstanding when the weather got foul though.

by the way...if you're going to keep this car through med school/residency 4wd/awd isn't the best thing to have. Just speaking from personal experience here. In addition, most people can handle basic repair work on FWD/RWD ... on AWD something like changing a clutch can be more than a days work and could even cost quite a bit too.

More parts = higher chance of a breakdown. Simple RWD/FWD on a four/six cylinder = lower repair costs because less things can snap/break/wear.

And think about it if there is more than 4 inches of snow on the road
a) where are the plows?
b) why would ANYONE be on the road in this?
c) you're looking at maybe 5 days out of 365 to me, personally, it doesn't justify the added costs of awd.

Not to knock on subaru but as good as they are they have their problems but this is usually only on turbo models ... but who wants an NA WRX anyhow

I think I'll be looking into a 350z next...nice torque, traction/skid control for wet weather, not half bad looking in black and can be found for under 20k with under 30k miles with remainder of factory warranty

 

[lisichka]

I test drove an s2000 today (belonged to a friend)...it was blissful. It doesn't seem like it would be outstanding when the weather got foul though.

by the way...if you're going to keep this car through med school/residency 4wd/awd isn't the best thing to have. Just speaking from personal experience here. In addition, most people can handle basic repair work on FWD/RWD ... on AWD something like changing a clutch can be more than a days work and could even cost quite a bit too.

More parts = higher chance of a breakdown. Simple RWD/FWD on a four/six cylinder = lower repair costs because less things can snap/break/wear.

And think about it if there is more than 4 inches of snow on the road
a) where are the plows?
b) why would ANYONE be on the road in this?
c) you're looking at maybe 5 days out of 365 to me, personally, it doesn't justify the added costs of awd.

Not to knock on subaru but as good as they are they have their problems but this is usually only on turbo models ... but who wants an NA WRX anyhow

I think I'll be looking into a 350z next...nice torque, traction/skid control for wet weather, not half bad looking in black and can be found for under 20k with under 30k miles with remainder of factory warranty

what is FWD/RWD? four or front wheel drive?
and is there any difference between a four wheel drive and and all wheel drive?

 

[Phenol312]

what is FWD/RWD? four or front wheel drive?
and is there any difference between a four wheel drive and and all wheel drive?

o wow...im sorry i forgot i was on SDN and not an automotive board.

FWD = front wheel drive
RWD = rear wheel drive

4wd is what you would find on an old ford bronco power is sent to all four wheels all the time

AWD is when all four wheels have hte capacity to receive power but the setup of differentials shifts power between front and rear wheels depending on which have the best traction. In some cars you can lock a 50:50 distribution for instance in an STi. However, in a car like the ford fusion awd it is front wheel most of the time and power is shifted to the rear wheels as needed.

 

[Lshapley]

And think about it if there is more than 4 inches of snow on the road
a) where are the plows?
b) why would ANYONE be on the road in this?
c) you're looking at maybe 5 days out of 365 to me, personally, it doesn't justify the added costs of awd.

I think it depends on what part of the country you go to school. You are right on if you are going to school and doing your rotations in the mid-atlantic region, but maybe not for New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Colorado.

 

[pntgrd]

While I pushed used cars, if you want a new small car, get a Nissan Versa 5 door, or if you can wait a bit, the Saturn Astra should be awesome.

 

[div0t17]

I've got a sweet subaru outback, and live in an area with plenty of snow. I laugh when I see people spinning their wheels and sliding all over the place while I'm plowing through. It is the best car I've ever driven in snow, by far. AWD is a necessity in the snow, plus it cuts down on car insurance costs.

 

[45408]

Side airbags. I suspect it's pretty hard to find a '90s car with those. It's actually hard to find an economy new car with them.

They may be a valuable safety feature, but I guess it's a calculated risk. We should all have radon/CO/smoke detectors in various rooms in our houses, and an automatic sprinkler system in your home would be a great safety option, but most of us don't have that, because I think it's pretty unlikely that my house will burn down.

That is wrong. Standards are a lot higher now with now standard or mandated features that didn't exist back then such as vehicle skid control, side and head curtain airbags, better crumple zones, airbags that adjust to the weight of the passengers...

They may be more safe than an older vehicle, but I don't recall people dying in record numbers in the late 90s in automobile accidents.

 

[maestro1625]

and no, I'm not kidding. they're dirt cheap, handle snow with ease and can haul anything you need them too. You just gotta put up with the ugliness.

(though the best car to have is none at all... yay urban areas).