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I have a few cars in mind of what would be ideal for skiers, but you can dumb it down to a Hatchback with a ski rack, could live out of it and a good set of winter tires on it. Thoughts? What do you drive?
I also own an XTerra, I actually love it. It does well in snow and its such a simple car you dont really have to worry a whole lot about it, especially the interior.
right now i have a 2006 gmc 3/4 ton duramax crew cab. lifted 3 inches with bigger goodyear duratracs, CAI, 4 inch turbo back exhaust, egr/dpf delete, tuned with efi live and a locking canopy for on top of the bed.
just took my first road trip with all the aftermarket stuff on it and on the highway i can get 22mpg's which is pretty damn good for a big truck. so proud of her.
A CAR WITH GOOD TIRES. Can't stress that enough, it doesn't matter if you're in a truck, have AWD, or FWD. Also, having at least a 6 cylinder or 4-5 cylinder turbo is pretty essential for mountain roads/hills, it makes your life way easier.
Currently have a 06 impreza wagon with blown head gaskets. This will be the second time I replace the head gaskets and these head gaskets didn't even last 50,000 miles.
Next vehicle will be a 4x4 taco with a timing chain and extended cab.
So much hyperbole and exaggeration in here I love it! It's okay you get bad gas mileage guys. It's also cool that your sedan bashes through snow that no one else can. But don't mess your pants boys.
*TACO-DOG*right now i have a 2006 gmc 3/4 ton duramax crew cab. lifted 3 inches with bigger goodyear duratracs, CAI, 4 inch turbo back exhaust, egr/dpf delete, tuned with efi live and a locking canopy for on top of the bed.
just took my first road trip with all the aftermarket stuff on it and on the highway i can get 22mpg's which is pretty damn good for a big truck. so proud of her.
Nice truck dude. I drive an '04 LLY. Duramax skiers unite!
SimplyCleanAlso, having at least a 6 cylinder or 4-5 cylinder turbo is pretty essential for mountain roads/hills, it makes your life way easier.
Agreed. Going from a NA Impreza to a Turbo WRX makes a huge difference going up long, steep grades. Half the time I don't even have to downshift anymore, the turbo kicks in and keeps me going.
Sprinter van would be dope for road trips and stuff and there is a lot of room in it so you could even take the seats out and put a mattress in there to sleep on. Or like a toyota tacoma and subarus are cool
MACK.2004 Cadillac deville with some bomb ass snow tires
middle seat in back folds down to the trunk perfect for skis also the thing whips with 305 HP and does good in the snow with it being front wheel drive and having a big V8 all in the front
not to mention the heated steering wheel :)))))
dad had one of these puppies, fast as fuck, cornered like shit, could fit 5 elephants in there and big macs for the whole team. ill whip
2001 audi a6 with a 2.7l twin turbo. chip tuned w/ upgraded k04 turbos and a water methane injection system. 6 speed manual transmission, around 380 Awd horsepower. drifts like a beast. bumpin stereo and plenty of space.
For those of you who are saying Subaru's arent that great of cars... Between the STI and EVO its hard to find a better rally car that is as practical as those two.
To tell you the truth there's hundrEads of vehicles great for getting to the hill. I've only owned 2 vehicles both of which I bought with skiing being the priority. 2000 cherokee sport, 4.0 FTW. That thing was a shitbox that just wouldn't die. I literally beat the hell outta that jeep never a problem. You know all those big piles of snow in the parking lot you see when looking for a spot, well just drop in 4 low and start climbing your very own personal parking spot. Not tell mention you can pick one up for a grand or you can spend 2000 for a pretty nice one. My current car is an 02 subaru wrx hatchback. This thing literally refuses to get stuck on the snow. Hands down one of the funnest cars I've driver and it's old 3nough to not care about beating on. Both cars are insanely easy to work on and have a cult like following. Litterilly any thing that can go wrong with them has a 1000 write up on line that will help you syep by step
If I won the lotto tomorrow would probably pick up a Ford Raptor or a G class AMG. Those are the ulimate ski cars...room in the back and some of the best off roaders on the market today
Definitely a tahoe with a ski rack, its a total mom car which means you have everything you need including room and its heavy af so it's perfect for driving on icy snowpacked roads at 5 am
There was this one Volvo prototype at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last year that had seats to store helmets and had a place to put skis in the car.
grifrowlB5 passats have the same awd system (center torsen differential) as "quattro" it's just named 4motion. Also the newer iterations of Haldex ain't that bad in the snow.
Have you driven a haldex car in the snow much?
The R32 i drove uses a haldex system, which I believe is what all VW's use and some lower end audi's like the TT/A3. It is NOT audi's real quattro system. might be labeled that on some of their cars, but its not what their legit high end cars use. and yes that R32 did suck, drove like a FWD car that had a little better traction. Not like the insane grip and control you get with a legit AWD system like quattro.
I've spent a ton of time driving a friends 2012 or 2013 XC70 with nice, new studded snow tires, and i've never hated a car so much in the snow, the thing would not let you do shit. understeer like crazy unless you really force the rear end to come out, and if it does, you can feel the individual wheels braking themselves attempting to redirect power, the car refuses to rotate, and wants to plow off the road if you take any speed into a corner. literally takes away any ability you would have to control the car. if you have to power out of deep snow to avoid getting stuck, the car literally gives up, it keeps braking individual wheels trying to redirect power until the car just doesnt move. we couldnt make it up a hill that my friends miata made it up. he even went first and basically "plowed" the way. but because he could basically power through it, it just chugged on up. took the XC multiple tries with a massive run into the hill to finally make it up.
havent driven any VW's other than the R32 in snow, but from what i've heard the 4motion is pretty much the haldex system. unless there is a massive difference from one cars haldex system to another, it blows. ive driven a B5 S4, C6 S6 and A6, and its a complete night and day difference in performance between quattro and a haldex system. Having driven a lot of RWD cars in the snow, Id easily take RWD over haldex, might need to keep on your toes a little more, but its honestly more capable with equal tires, especially with an LSD
E.c.AI logged in just to upvote that! Can't hate a 325
Except for they're terrible in the snow (unless you have a newer one). Don't get me wrong, that car is clean and I love E30's...but RWD is not a good thing to have on a skiing car by any means.
My first car was a 1999 jeep cherokee and damn that thing was the best in the snow. If you're looking for something that will work with ski life, I suggest that car. I had a ski rack on top but you don't necessarily need one. IT was cheap too, $3,000
Since then I've upgraded and I guess this has turned into a post your ride thread, so... 2006 ram 1500, murdered.
XtRemE11havent driven any VW's other than the R32 in snow, but from what i've heard the 4motion is pretty much the haldex system.
Not in B5 Passats- which are essentially a4s with cloth seats. Anyway I hear you on stock haldex cars leaving a bit to be desired. I've never driven XC70s newer then 2005, but my parents' does pretty good in the snow- still handles like a front wheel drive car, but it really pretty much is, so I don't know what else you'd expect. My buddy's mk4 R32 was a completely different story; the oversteer you get is very throttle dependant but it will kick around the back end and has gotten through some snowbanks when needed. Newer a3 I drove was totally traditional quattro feeling and tail happy. I guess I also view a good ski car as being able to get traction down when its slippery and steer where you point it which all aforementioned cars do when on snow tires. Good handling is fun, but not ultimately necessary.
SimplyCleanExcept for they're terrible in the snow (unless you have a newer one). Don't get me wrong, that car is clean and I love E30's...but RWD is not a good thing to have on a skiing car by any means.
And that is why he specifically said 325iX as it is all wheel drive.
