robb

Try a civic, accord, golf,jetta subaru, saab, toyota along these lines you should do fine.

chaz01

I appreciate xvipers input on this. I have yet to see a "real" winter but this is my only car and followed his lead when buying. I commute 10 miles each way through stop and go city to get to work. Not looking forward to any substantial snow, but it is only a car.

And to Rowland's point, I've driven cars for many winters (my FWD 90 civic for 9 years of bad winters) and they didn't rust out. I did have an accident with the civic due to non-negotiation of an icy turn, so it can happen, although, I would definitely drive more carefully in this RWD car.

My car is quickly approaching 1 year and 10k miles. I'll be happy when it's 5 years, 50k miles, a bit worn through the seasons, and paid for!

Chaz01

xviper

This statement is absolutely true. If you don't pay attention, especially in winter, this car will up and bite you in the a$$.
My comment about rust does NOT apply if the car has been in any kind of "unnatural" damage like an accident or running over a large object that might gouge out the bottom. If this happens, even in summer, it needs to be repaired and re-treated (rust inhibitors).
Chaz01, thanks for the sentiments. I'm only trying to give helpful insight into things and NOT intending to be obnoxious. Sometimes, it just comes out the wrong way.

s2ktaxi

If the S2000 has to be your only car, make sure you have the best winter tires you can get. Also, do some autocrossing to hone the driving skills.

Chazmo

Hey chaz01 (great name! ), you guys on the coast get much less total snowfall than us landlubbers out near Wormtown. Maybe you'll never see a real winter! You have to keep us posted on your experience after '03 is a memory (I don't think we'll be spared 3 years in a row )

Just curious, do you travel much on the pike or the other interstates? They use tons of road salt to avoid black ice. That's the stuff you don't wanna let sit on your baby for long.

(Marblehead is an awesome town -- love it!)

Yo, XV, forget about it, OK? Maybe what you said rubbed me the wrong way. I suppose you thought I was speaking out against driving in winter. My first post sorta' was, but my bigger concern is just damage my baby. Anyway, 2 each his own.

Hobb, my man, what about a used Suzuki Sidekick / Geo Tracker? These trucks are seriously undervalued, in my opinion. You got 4wd, you got awesome mileage (I get 30MPG in my 4DR), bulletproof engine, and no worries. Just a thought!!! No airbags though, until the current model and rust *is* an issue on these vehicles, mostly because we neglect them and drive our summer cars when spring arrives.

chazzy

Three Chazes (Chazi?) on one messageboard?! I've always been the only one and now there are three in the Boston area. How about that!

Chazmo

WHY!!!!?

chaz01

I'll let you know after next winter, you could hear me singing an entirely different song. We get bad winters here on the coast. I generally don't drive the pike, 128, etc. except in the warmer months or an occasional trip, although salt is salt and road crews LOVE throwing that !@#$% ALL over the roads.

Also, I have salt air to contend w/ 365 days/year. Gotta wax, wax, wax. I attribute my rust free shiny old civic to cheapo turtlewax paste, probably had more of that stuff on her than paint!

Did you notice they changed the name of this forum to The New England chaz* board?????

chaz01

Nimbus

What exactly is a chaz???

Chazmo

I haven't met a whole bunch of Chaz*s in my day-to-day. This is certainly unusual.

Nimbus, I have no clue what a chaz really is. I only know that a "chazzy" is someone who cancels his e-ticket to coolness. Alright, I guess an M coupe is pretty cool

"Chazmo," by the way, is an amalgam of "Chas" (abbrev. for Charles) and "Satchmo" (Louis Armstrong). I, too, am a trumpet player (classical though, not jazz). A buddy of mine in college cooked up the name and it's stuck. There it is.