Sooo i dont know much about cars...

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sooo i have some cash flow saved up and im finally ready to buy my first car. right now im driving my parents old explorer that they plan on giving to my lil bro soon so i think this would be the right time to step up and make a big purchase.

heres my requirements:
prefer hatchback/used
right now the exploder costs about 60$ to fill and gets about 15mpg. that needs to change
it needs to be under 10000
AWD or 4WD option is a must. i live in the mtns and i need to get around the winter

ive been leanin towards the pontiac vibe/toyota matrix
and of coarse the subarus are being considered too.

what do you guys think?

Mar 25 2008 9:38PM

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R-Bertsch

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subaru outback or impreza wagon for sure

Mar 25 2008 9:39PM

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user098123

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I'd definitely go Subaru over those other two, hand's down. Additionally, the Mitsubishi Endeavor got good reviews. The only downfall is it only runs on premium gas.

Go for an outback, make sure it isn't turbo charged if you want good gas mileage. If you take care of the car (oil changes every 3k miles, maintenance every 20k, etc) you won't regret it and the Suby will treat you incredibly well.

Mar 25 2008 9:40PM

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ECGove

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Mar 25 2008 9:41PM

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snwbrdmilf

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I think the answer of a 'Subaru' will dominate this thread. It always does.

I say go for an Outback. Perfect skiing/mountain car.

Mar 25 2008 9:45PM

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blindside

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impreza...wrx if u can find one for lur price range

Mar 25 2008 9:50PM

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d.spong

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audi a4

Mar 25 2008 9:50PM

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2+2=5

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get a hummer because you totally need one!

Mar 25 2008 9:51PM

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user098123

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Won't find a nice one for 10k.

Mar 25 2008 9:51PM

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blindside

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true...but still worth keeping an eye out for just in case!

Mar 25 2008 10:02PM

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0123456789

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audis an option if you get quattro, subies are sick. but unless you have to drive thru tons of snow, i have a sab and they plow thru snow for a FWD vehicular.

Mar 25 2008 10:09PM

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jibjohnson15

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trust me man go find a TOYOTA MARTIX you will be happy. iv been trying to find one forever for a good price but have failed. they are great cars. toyota is no doubt a reliable brand and they get god milage with there awd or 4wd models. you could get by witha 2wd depends though. this is what i would go with. im not saying the subarus are bad cause id aso get one but yota is very reliabe and dependent.

Mar 25 2008 10:10PM

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samskisalot

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subaru would be a good option, and possibly the toyota. im not sure about their newer models, but old toyota 4wds were actually amazingly well handling cars.

Mar 25 2008 10:38PM

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keystoner1

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subaru. i have a legacy which isnt hatchback but i have a buddy who has a wrx hatchback and loes it. his bro as a forester which is similar. i love mine and they lvoe theirs. dope cars

Mar 25 2008 10:42PM

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JamesJ911

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you could if it is an import. my bro's friend just got a turbo sti for $9995 and its sick

a suby would be good i think, impreza hatchbacks are sweet and super good in snow and offroad. i dont know about the gas tho, my legacy is pretty good and its old and bigger so i'd think a newer smaller car would be better then it is

Mar 25 2008 11:09PM

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breckfreeskier

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Jeep grand cherokee. It is kinda hard on gas because I have the V8 4.7L, but if you get one with the V6 it will be a great mountain car and not use too much gas

Mar 25 2008 11:47PM

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user098123

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sorry, but there is no way in hell I believe that. I don't even think JDM Suby's are street legal here. And I assume you know about the STI's, but saying a "Turbo STI" is a weird way to put it.

Mar 25 2008 11:49PM

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Static

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some automatic subarus can become 2wd with the simple removal of a fuse, this can save on gas in the summer, or when your driving on dry roads. But you're a girl and you probably don't care, 15mpg isn't much to hope for you'll hit that with almost anything.

Mar 26 2008 12:06AM

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user098123

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That's not a recommended mod. It's only for emergency situations like towing, because AWD cars can't be towed unless they are pulled up onto a bedded tow truck. You can cause serious damage to your drivetrain and your differentials if you do the 2WD mod and keep your car that way.

Mar 26 2008 12:08AM

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SARTRON

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i have a vibe and i really like it. runs like a champ. idk if they come with awd or 4wd

Mar 26 2008 12:13AM

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skithebert

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HAHA! I have an Exploder and I thought i was the only one that called it an Exploder.

Mar 26 2008 12:26AM

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THATS_STREET

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Mar 26 2008 12:40AM

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Static

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there're plenty of people who do it on nasioc without problems

Mar 26 2008 2:25AM

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Abc567def

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2004 subaru WRX STI = god on wheels

Mar 26 2008 2:47AM

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snwbrdmilf

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Curious, why?

Mar 26 2008 6:51AM

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whattheshit

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i tried to narrow down the search to what you specified and what i think you want.

just do it that way, fill out the search criteria till you have a couple cars left then look for that kind of make and model in your area.

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Cars-Trucks___W0QQTransmission3431604ZAutomaticdb34520bQQFourWheelDrivee905646bZYes15ac7QQLHQ5fPriceZ1Q2eQ2e10Q2c000Q40cQQTypeofVehicleTitle2e424da1ZClearmosttitles5bca46QQFuelType9dab9364ZGasolinea53c15caQQCondition441b8cfbZUsed285fddQQBodyTypebe9b8ef8ZCoupe3e4611eQ7cHatchbackb6bb6907Q7cSedan4c10bdfQ7cSUV14234Q7cWagon4f7a55cQQ_mPrRngCbxZ1QQ_verZ4?NumberofCylinders2fac5f8b=434&NumberofCylinders2fac5f8b=636

Mar 26 2008 7:18AM

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user098123

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As for the towing, you can probably drop it into neutral and unlock all of your wheels, but I've been told that that still isn't good for the AWD system. On a FWD car for example, your back tires are always free to spin. On an AWD car this isn't the case, they are always locked into position and need the engine to turn them. So I suppose you could drop it into neutral and have it towed, but I wouldn't do it for very long distances.

Alternatively, the AWD helps you 'sorta' if your car is being towed without your knowledge. Like if you park somewhere you shouldn't. Then they don't have access to the inside of your car and they can't unlock the wheels. With cars with a 2WD drivetrain, as long as you life up the 2 wheels that the engine powers you can tow it because the other 2 wheels will spin freely. With an AWD as I said earlier, this isn't the case, if they try and just lift your 2 front or rear wheels and tow the car, 2 other wheels will be on the ground and they don't want to spin freely. It will destroy your drivetrain and probably total your car.

As for just driving in 2WD, if your car is designed to run with all 4 wheels powering your car, then it's not the greatest idea to run it in 2WD all the time. It is ok temporarily, but over time it puts added stress on your front differentials, because they aren't used to solely pulling the entire weight on you car. It is especially bad if you still accelerate somewhat heavily with it only locked into 2WD. Personally, I wouldn't run the risk of doing that kind of damage on my car just to up my MPG by a few points.

Mar 26 2008 8:39AM

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Static

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2007 limited sti is the best sti, or 06 with the cool roof vane

Mar 26 2008 11:54AM

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THATS_STREET

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subarus are played out

Mar 26 2008 12:52PM

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Shpadoinkle

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Subaru Impreza Sport

Mar 26 2008 1:03PM

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dangerdad

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i have a volvo sedan and i really like it. decent power, real smooth on the highway. really solid, so it bombs through snowy roads. It also has a really nice ski opening down the middle, so u can still fit 4 people comfy in it

Mar 26 2008 1:04PM

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Parkboy

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Get a Subaru outback! Such a sick car i have had one for about a year and it is amazing, you just have to look around hard for a clean one with low miles. They have just as much room inside as an explorer does. I found a 2000 Outback with 60,000 miles on it, you should be able to find something around like that for 10k or less if you really look around. Trust me you won't be disappointed, gas mileage is pretty good i get around 400 miles to a tank, I put some new studded tires on it for the winter and the thing is such a beast in the snow, you can barely notice you're even driving in snow. As far as mechanical problems go, I have not had any at all, the thing runs like it's brand new every day.

Mar 26 2008 1:20PM

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spudz

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matrix's are dope =)

Mar 26 2008 3:06PM

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Tucks

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I would go with either a subaru or an audi both great cars that fit you discriptionish

Mar 26 2008 3:19PM

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brenker

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1998 audi a4
acura rsx
volvo s60

Mar 26 2008 3:20PM

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0123456789

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fwd? this is not practical for her she wants something she can put skis adn shi in i think?

Mar 26 2008 3:22PM

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user098123

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None of those are very practical on a 10k budget.

Mar 26 2008 3:24PM

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*rkp*

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volvo v70 awd. solid.

Mar 26 2008 3:35PM

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sugarloaf

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the vibe is a beast

Mar 26 2008 3:48PM

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i+am+ghetto

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hands down, best answer!
you can´t even compare audi´s quality with subaru.. take the audi!

Mar 26 2008 3:52PM

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Dan.

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mazdaspeed 3

Mar 26 2008 3:58PM

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Tinga

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find a nice outback sport with the least amount of miles possible.

and on you other ideas. i've seen a pontiac vibe roll before it was pretty funny.

Mar 26 2008 4:12PM

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yelsel

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go with any suby.

try to stay away from audis or volvos if you dont have the extra $$ for repairs...shit gets expensive.

the pontiac vibe is a piece of shit. seriously my friend had one as a rental car for a while and its just a big piece of shit. you dont want that at all. Suby i say!

Mar 26 2008 4:25PM

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