i have 6k for a new car.....

[tmleadr03]

and i have pulled many many hondas, acuras out of snow banks, front wheel drive four wheel and a decent driver will do fine, however, a front wheel drive vehicle will not get you home on my commute into the mountains and over three passes,

when the honda drivers have to stop due to weather, i do not.

i will challenge you any day to a snow performance and traction contest,

when my neighborhood has 3 feet of snow in it after a blizzard it is not the hondas clearing the road, pulling the neighbors out of snow banks and plowing neighbors driveways,

Sorry, did I offend you with my statement of reality?

[sniper7]

I had my doors blown off by a Prius going up Vail pass a couple years ago.

don't you have a cavalier? just saying

[cofi]

i own a big lifted yukon with a 7.4l v8 and a winch i got winter covered

i didnt realize the pontiac vibe was a rebranded toyota ill be looking hard at those

[Ah Pook]

A car that doesn't need oxygen to run is going to do a lot better in higher altitudes than one that does.

My first trip to CO was in '81. Drove up from TX. Had a carbureted '77 Malibu. An old lady with a walker was faster than that car, on any incline.

Subaru would get my vote.

[KS63]

Subaru would be my choice. Anything AWD. Downside is Subarus in that price range will have a TON of miles on them, but I understand they are quite reliable.

[Danimal]

I just bought a jeep wrangler with the 4 cylinder and I have to say that it is an awesome fit for just about everything but the interstate. It will do 75 easy, but it's mpg starts to drop off at about 60 mph because it is about as un-aerodynamic as it gets. I also put a couple upgrades on it, electric fan conversion, air intake and swapped the throttle body for a slightly larger one and now it has more power, runs smoother and is getting close to 30 mpg. That figure will drop a little when I get through my current tank of gas though, because I am running premium gas with fuel system cleaner to clean everything out. I have less than 4k into it. If you keep them close to stock and drive sensibly the older jeeps will last for 300k miles or more, and they are great for beating around in the hills and great in the snow. I went through exactly what you are doing now about 2 months ago and this is what I came up with for the best all around reliable, efficient yet capable vehicle for living in Colorado.

[Danimal]

I forgot to add that if you are even remotely mechanically inclined, they are super easy to work on and parts are super cheap. About 1/3 of the cost or less, than that of a Toyota or Honda. Not to say that they aren't great cars, but the cost of ownership for my jeep is less than half of what my Tacoma was.

[AirbornePathogen]

I love my Jeep, have an 05 Wrangler Unlimited with the 4.0 inline six-cylinder. Been awesome for reliability, but economy, not so much. Word of advice- if you're gonna buy a Honda, avould the Accord like the plague. Extremely easy to break into, and there have been a rash of auto burglaries around the metro area lately, a lot of them targeting Accords.

[Delfuego]

Don't buy a VW!!!! I speak from experience!

I have a buddy who is a Toyota Master Mechanic that is selling his GS300 for about that price. It is in really great shape and has always been meticulously maintained.

Shoot me a PM if you interested.

[tmleadr03]

Don't buy a VW!!!! I speak from experience!

I have a buddy who is a Toyota Master Mechanic that is selling his GS300 for about that price. It is in really great shape and has always been meticulously maintained.

Shoot me a PM if you interested.

I drove mine for 90K miles with almost no issues. I spent less money and time on that vehicle then I did on my wifes Chevy.