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Need Car advice. About to move.

10K views 25 replies 11 participants last post by  black00betty 
#1 ·
OK. Here goes my drawn out story. Lol. I will be moving to Chicago in the next few weeks from Tupelo, Ms for a job that requires me driving ALOT(40k+) of hwy in the state of Illinois and Wisconsin. Not only is it a huge cultural shock, but also the climate is a bit different also. My Fusion is an 08 FWD SEL V6 with almost 40k miles and has all the bells and whistles. I absolutely LOVE my car. BUT! I don't really know how well it will cope in the Nasty Northern winter weather they have in Illinois. So! My next purchase after I get a house/apartment will be a new car if need be. I have a few months to debate the choices, since it doesn't get bad until around the end of Oct. or Nov. And my car may be OK to use in the Icy stuff, but I'm kind of afraid to wait and see. :shock: The only snow we got in MS. this last year was gone within a few days. And my car did "OK" so to speak. But did have a little problem starting out a few times, and ABS kicked in WAY to much. I don't know how much new tires would make a difference, but I just replaced the crappy Michelin Pilot's last month with some Hankook H727's. SO! Should I wait and see if my car can cope? Or should I bite the bullet and get a new ride with AWD? I was planning on buying a new car in spring anyways, but wasn't planning on moving up north. Money is not a huge issue as long as it's a logical choice. Nothing over $25K would be ideal though. I will definitely miss my Fusion, as I would probably give it to my little brother if I did get a new car. I told him that if he did get my car, I would be watching him like a hawk, and that he better keep it as nice as I have it now. You don't Even want to know what I told him I'd do if he wrecked it. LOL. So I'll probably have to keep him in line. :slap: Also I will be spending alot of time in the vehicle driving, and I would prefer something larger than a Fusion for my equipment I'll be carrying. So as I realize a Hummer or Jeep Wrangler would be more than enough to get me through the ice :tank:, a Lincoln Town Car would be the ideal interior for comfort, size, and ride quality. :lol: But since they don't make a 4x4 Lincoln Town Car, I guess I would have to find a good medium somewhere. :) So let me know Some suggestions on what kind of car/SUV I can get at a reasonable price, reasonable to good MPG, and reliability. I've seen ofcourse what Ford has to offer, but would also like to look outside the Ford box so to speak. It doesn't have to be new, but I won't go below an 08, and also I don't want to "downgrade" so to speak. I would like to have most nice extras that my car has. Ex: Heated seats, powerful motor, and a nice look to it. Thanks guys! And Wish me Luck on my new job! This is the biggest step I've ever taken in my entire life. :( Thanks for the help!
 
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#2 ·
Dude..yer gonna freeze to freakin' death up there!! Not to mention you'll have to learn the language. As for the vehicle? I got nothin'. Good luck. :cheers:
 
#3 ·
Definitely just wait and see how your Fusion does (buy snow tires!). Also, you want to wait and see if you really even like this job before you go spending dough on a new car.

Having said that, almost any compact SUV can be had with AWD, leather, etc. Find a couple that you like on paper and go test drive them.
 
#4 ·
[quote author=fatabbot link=topic=193701.msg4074297#msg4074297 date=1311101706]
Definitely just wait and see how your Fusion does (buy snow tires!). Also, you want to wait and see if you really even like this job before you go spending dough on a new car.
[/quote]

True Dat Fatabbot! lol. I believe the new job is gonna be a good thing though. And like I said, I have until closer to the end of the year to decide. If its not meant to be, oh well. But until then, I'm gonna put back a little for a good down payment. And vehicle wise, I kinda like the looks of the Mitsubishi Outlander. But! A used Volvo XC90 is a freakin nice option too! Other than that, I haven't looked at anything else.
 
#5 ·
I live in Central Illinois, about 3 hours from Chicago. Last winter we had about 18" of snow dumped on us and my Fusion got around great with the Eagle RSA's on it. Now I have lived here my whole life and am very comfortable driving in our winter weather. I would get a set of snow tires on it and see how it goes.
 
#6 ·
[quote author=platinumsc7 link=topic=193701.msg4074450#msg4074450 date=1311110907]
I live in Central Illinois, about 3 hours from Chicago. Last winter we had about 18" of snow dumped on us and my Fusion got around great with the Eagle RSA's on it. Now I have lived here my whole life and am very comfortable driving in our winter weather. I would get a set of snow tires on it and see how it goes.
[/quote]

Thanks platinumsc7. More than likely I will keep my car through the winter. Seeing that my brother will not get his licence until next May anyways, my car would just be sitting in my parents garage for 5 or 6 months without anyone to drive it. Lol. And now that I've thought about it more, I had really crappy Michelin Pilots's on my car the last time it snowed here in Ms. The new Hankook 727's I put on my car last month, made the Fusion into a new car again! These tires are frikin awesome! With the Michelin's I had, the tires would spin horribly even on dry pavement when I would punch it. These Hankooks on the other hand might chirp a second, but will quickly grab the road and go. I'm not sayin I wouldn't ever buy a Michelin again, I just had a bad experience with the last set I had I guess. I really think the Hankook's might be OK for my car to work well in the snow and icy weather. And they improved the ride and sound level inside the car as well. I swear my car is riding twice as good now with these new Hankook's I swapped to. And also, my job won't require me to really start driving alot until about the end of February or so. So really all I'd be driving is about 40 miles a day until then. And maybe the most wintry weather will be gone by that time also. So we'll see. I know for a fact I'll buy a new car around May though. That's gonna be my brothers 16th BDAY present from me that month. I always had to work hard for what I got as a teen, and I missed out on alot of stuff because I didn't have a mode of transportation when I was in HighSchool. My little brother is a straight A student and would do anything for anyone. So for me to be financially capable of giving him a fully decked out Fusion for his first car makes me proud. I just don't want him to half to go through what I did. He deserves it. I mean heck! He had to put up with me for 16 years. :pokey: I have faith that this Fusion would take him through college and beyond as long as he takes care of it. I wish I had a nice car like this in High School. I'd had any girl I wanted! HAHA :lol:

But even now knowing now that I'm going to try and hold off for a few more months. I still would like to have some input on another car. Now that I'll have more time to save up, I might be able to spend a little more on a car. Keep on giving me some ideas! Thanks!
 
#8 ·
The Hankook H727s are excellent in the snow. You picked the perfect tire. My dad runs them in NW IA. I'd try it. It may be a mild winter. One never knows? I lived in ND for the first 23 years of my life. Most of that time was spent driving a fwd (very light) car -- with crappy tires. I got around fine. I also lived in WI for 4 years -- driving fwd and rwd. We got around fine. They are pretty good treating the main roads --unless you have to drive in the remote-rural places.

I love my AWD MKZ, but with the crappy RSAs, it's probably not much better than a fwd with snow tires, or very-good all-seasons. Good tires will make a world of difference.
 
#9 ·
used subaru sti :eek:


or jeep cherokee beater for the crazy stuff and subaru sti :)
 
#10 ·
[quote author=koreySE link=topic=193701.msg4075021#msg4075021 date=1311175458]
The Hankook H727s are excellent in the snow. You picked the perfect tire. My dad runs them in NW IA. I'd try it. It may be a mild winter. One never knows? I lived in ND for the first 23 years of my life. Most of that time was spent driving a fwd (very light) car -- with crappy tires. I got around fine. I also lived in WI for 4 years -- driving fwd and rwd. We got around fine. They are pretty good treating the main roads --unless you have to drive in the remote-rural places.
[/quote]

Thanks KoreySE. I went up a size also on my tires. So that may help alittle also maybe?! I was running stock 225/65 r17, but am now running 235/65 r17. They give the wheel wells more of a filled in look too. My car came with the Carbon 3d body kit when I bought it. And the 225's just looked too small for my car with the kit. Not to mention it scraped every driveway entrance pulling out. lol. I was actually just going to buy a set of Sport wheels we had here at the dealership, that were new pulloffs(86miles on em) that had the factory eagle rs-a's, but was afraid I would lose ride comfort. Sure the wheels look frikin' Sweet. But the factory wheels look nice enough for me anyways. And I'm not one to be known for driving like a 21 yo either. :smokinamd: So more tire roll wasn't gonna bother me that much, but to my suprise isn't that noticeable. So instead of getting bigger wheels, I got bigger tires Instead! Boy am I glad I did! The ride improved dramatically! It's almost like a Lincoln or something. Lol. And I knew that Ford was using Hankook on alot of there new cars, so I decided to give em' a try myself. For my use, Comfort and Quiet were top choice for my wants. Tire Rack Reviews sealed the deal for me. The 727 Hankooks took top honors in Comfort, longevity, and warranty coverage(100k). So I guess now it's just a waiting game. Will my Fusion track on ice like a tank? or Slide like a slab of butter in a fryin' pan? Guess if all else fails, I'll get to test the Airbags! Haha

And on the new vehicle stand point. I looked at an 08 XC90 Volvo and an '07 X5 BMW yesterday afternoon, and decided that is something similar to what I'm looking for. A more upscale Midsize SUV with Luxury, Good interior space, and a powerful Drivetrain. And they're both available with AWD too. So my next question is, Are a Volvo, BMW or something similar(Lexus maybe?), a good vehicle? Or should I keep looking elsewhere? I've got a few months to decide. Thanks guys! :wavey:
 
#11 ·
[quote author=dick.breakey link=topic=193701.msg4075111#msg4075111 date=1311179591]
used subaru sti :eek:


or jeep cherokee beater for the crazy stuff and subaru sti :)
[/quote]

Wow! I swear you can read minds. haha. As it is true that I would LOVE a late 80's Jeep Cherokee with fake wood on the side, I need something a little newer. Lol I've always had a fancy for a wood sided Cherokee. But at 13 mpg, it doesn't look too good for my traveling needs. lol. But Good idea though! That would be perfect for beating around town in.
 
#12 ·
thats why you keep it in the garage till you need it for the deep stuff and drive the sti around the rest of the time. youll easily get better than 13mpg's :)

i had an 89 cherokee 2 door, red, and i miss it dearly. stupid faield relationships are why i dont have it anymore. i vote for my option
 
#13 ·
As someone who grew up where it doesn't snow and moved to where it does a lot.... you will be fine.

1) it's flat in Chicago, elevation 597 feet, meaning you won't have to deal with severe inclines/switchbacks/mile long downhill roads.
2) get some better all season/winter tires
3) don't drive like an idiot, FWD can go very well unless it's ICE
 
#14 ·
I've driven RWD and FWD cars here in Canada in ice, snow, snow storms etc. with no problems.

You don't need awd to drive in ice and snow, basically you just need to change your driving habits. Winter tires will help a bunch, tirerack.com has some awesome videos with all-weather tires vs winter tires.

Get a set of winter tires and see how the Fusion does, my sister in law has a FWD fusion with winter tires and says it's like a ski-doo.. the car plows through everything, and my girlfriend has a focus with no problems.

When the first good snow fall hits drive around in an empty parking lot and practice sliding the car and stuff. That was you will be more used to it when your car does slide out on you.
 
#15 ·
Ok. Will do. BUT.... I think I might have found a vehicle. It's something I don't have to buy right now, and will probably wait until winter to buy if I did go that route. My best friends great grandmother past away a few years ago, and left her house and belongings to his dad. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I remembered when she past away, she had a couple of vehicles locked in the garage. I forgot about them being locked in there. One is a 1989 Chevy Beretta GT white w/red interior, with only 13k miles on it. That's right, 13K! The other car is what I have my eye on though. It's a 2005 Chevy Tahoe Z71 Maroon with Leather interior. I LOVED that truck when it was new. I couldn't tell the miles on it because the battery was dead(digital). It can't have anymore than 15-20k miles on it though. I remember when she bought it new in 05. She kept saying that was the last one she was gonna buy before she died. She was right! We walked out there last night and took a quick look at both of them. I asked him, and he said that I could buy it if I really wanted it. I guess they were just gonna let it rot in the garage like they are doing with the Beretta. But I want yalls opinion. They would have to figure out what it was worth first anyways before I buy it. He thought about $13-15k. What do you guys think? Should I just let this one slide by? Or should I look into it more. Its been in a closed Garage since 2007 and has about 2 inches of dust and cobwebs on it. I opened the door and it looks like NEW. One of the tires is almost flat because its been sitting so long. 4 years in a stuffy garage is a long time for a car. Is there a possibility it would have any major problems from sitting so long without being driven? I know it's my decision, but tell me yalls opinion. Thanks
 
#16 ·
Immediate things that come to mind: electrical bugs(turn signals, light switches etc.), dry rot tires, oil breaking down, fuel in fuel tank, fuel filter, very dry top end(oil), coolant, brake fluid, and atf. All things I'd change before it was a dd if it had been sitting more than a year or 2.

Take all that into account and subtract from what they're selling for in the area and it wouldn't be a bad deal I think. Say goodbye to gas mileage though haha.
 
#17 ·
[quote author=dick.breakey link=topic=193701.msg4078857#msg4078857 date=1311642519]
Say goodbye to gas mileage though haha.
[/quote]

Exactly. I gas stays about $3.50 and you're going to be driving a lot for work without any fuel/mileage reimbursement, find something else.

Quite frankly, I do not like driving trucks of any sort on ice or snow. Higher center of gravity and greater inertia aren't your friend.
 
#18 ·
True Dat! 15 mpg is about as good as those things get I think. lol. And you're right. I didn't think about all the stuff that can go wrong with a car if it sits to long without running. I remember last fall we had a lady bring in a 96 Taurus. Her mother bought it new with the intention for it to be there business delivery vehicle. The car only had like 8k miles on it when they retired and sold there business. It had been in a warehouse at a boat ramp under a tarp ever since. I've got pictures of it somewhere I'll try to post. That thing was like NEW condition! BUT! That car never did run right. As soon as they got it running, they had to replaced the entire fuel system. Then, the headgasket blew. Then, the radiator, water pump, compressor, etc had to be replaced. It was just one thing after another. SO YES. I will definitely take that into consideration the time its sat without being ran. I guess when I really get to thinking about it. I'd rather have a car with 40-50k miles that is driven daily, than a car with no miles that has been sitting for years. I might just let this one slide on by. Like I said before, I'm probably not gonna buy a vehicle until spring anyways. Oh well. :dunno:
 
#19 ·
I think you will be fine with your fusion. When commuting, I usually trusted my FWD car versus my Explorer if getting out of a drift wasn't my objective.

Are you moving to the burbs or downtown? If you are downtown, there is not much that will help you. Some streets remain unplowed for days.

This will be my first winter with low-profile Goodyear RSA's so I really don't know what to expect with the tires.
 
#20 ·
The Fusion will be fine and it will be waaaay better then the Beretta. TCS and stability control are amazing in these cars. You won't have a problem. Also big heavy SUV's are great at acceleration and deeper snow bc of awd/ 4x4 but remember in the winter the biggest worry is stopping. A big truck has a lot more weight thus carries a lot more momentum then your Fusion. Being a 4x4 gives it no advantages when it comes to stopping on dry or ice.

With all seasons in my old 99 Cougar (fwd) was fine on ice but jumping into my girlfriends 2010 Focus is a day and night difference. I was shitting my pants when she would take corners on ice just because I knew my Cougar couldn't do it.

If you really are worried, invest in some winter tires and enjoy your fwd ski-doo.
 
#21 ·
As someone who lives in MI, my advice is just get a set of snow tires if you're worried. Snow tires will easily give you as much traction as an AWD car on all-seasons. This is my first FWD car, both of my previous two were RWD and I never had any trouble getting around in winter. I run Dunlop Graspic DS3s which are one of the lower ranked winter tires and I drove through several blizzards on them. Now if you want an awesome tire get a set of General Altimax Artics. If you love your fusion I see no reason to get rid of it.
 
#23 ·
[quote author=Black00Betty link=topic=193701.msg4092680#msg4092680 date=1313303939]
This is the first time I've heard of someone being worried about a fwd car in the snow. Usually people sell their rwd car for a fwd or awd.
[/quote]

Well you have to remember that he's moving from the South. For those of us that have lived down here all or the majority of our lives, going to some place that gets regular snow can be intimidating. :)
 
#25 ·
[quote author=Black00Betty link=topic=193701.msg4095123#msg4095123 date=1313623753]
Yeah that's a good point.

90% of winter driving is up to the driver. I've seen Mustang GT's in the winter and if they can do it I'm sure the fusion can. Like I said before my sister in law has a fwd fusion and the thing is a ski-doo on the snow and ice.
[/quote]

I drove my old one through the record setting winter of the 09-10' in Pittsburgh with only allseason tires. So your dead on that its 90% driver.
 
#26 ·
[quote author=dick.breakey link=topic=193701.msg4095491#msg4095491 date=1313687801]
[quote author=Black00Betty link=topic=193701.msg4095123#msg4095123 date=1313623753]
Yeah that's a good point.

90% of winter driving is up to the driver. I've seen Mustang GT's in the winter and if they can do it I'm sure the fusion can. Like I said before my sister in law has a fwd fusion and the thing is a ski-doo on the snow and ice.
[/quote]

I drove my old one through the record setting winter of the 09-10' in Pittsburgh with only allseason tires. So your dead on that its 90% driver.
[/quote]

Exactily :)
This: (1975 Pontiac LeMans)

was my first car, I drove through some pretty crappy roads in this thing on old crappy used tires. It would cost me $75 for a set.

It's rwd with a 350 2BBL and honestly a Mustang would be better on ice then this thing. They at least have stability and traction control lol.
 
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