Five ‘beaters’ to get you through winter,
Check out these vehicles available for less than $10,000, plus tires
With steely resolve, a wide-open throttle and lots of duct tape, snowmobilers have taken to running on open water to extend what used to be a winter-only sport.
Backyard modifications — including watertight seals, crankcase drains, extended exhausts and special gearing — allow watercross racers (that’s what they’re called) to leave the ice behind and skip across open water on their snow machines.
Hesitate, and the sled can sink to the bottom of the bay in a heartbeat.
For the rest of us, negotiating a snow-covered road in a car is enough of a white-knuckle experience, which is why automakers offer plenty of all-wheel-drive models today.
Here are five used AWD models you can find for under $10,000 — plus the cost of four recommended winter tires — to help keep you forging ahead this winter.
2003-08 Honda Element
The toaster-shaped Honda Element is out of production. Built on the same platform as the CR-V sportute, the Element is a foot shorter, but with a roofline raised a whopping 20 centimetres higher.
Open both doors on one side and access to the front and rear seats is not compromised by a door jamb. But owners noted that the clamshell doors are difficult to use in tight parking spots and the rear doors can’t be used independently of the front portals.
Still, thanks to its cubist profile, the cabin is positively cavernous for four adults.
The floor is as flat as Saskatchewan and covered with hose-friendly plastic rather than carpet.
Honda’s bulletproof 160-hp, DOHC 2.4-L four cylinder provided the scat, married to either a five-speed stick or four-speed automatic transmission.
The AWD model is very reliable, save for a problem with cracking windshields in early examples.
2005-07 Subaru Impreza
Subaru used to plumb the depths of weirdness with unconventional technology that might have been reverse-engineered from a UFO.
Its unique horizontally opposed four-cylinder “boxer” engine provides a low centre of gravity for better handling, smooth second-order balance and accommodates the automaker’s symmetrical all-wheeldrive system.
As the company’s entry-level automobile in North America, the Impreza provides standard all-wheel drive in a package that resembles any other humble econobox. The 165-hp DOHC 2.5-L flat four is a good motor, but there have been reports of piston slap and, in pre-2005 models, failed head gaskets. Owners warn of poor-wearing paint and thin sheet metal. Fuel economy is not stellar, but that’s par for the course when the engine has to power all four wheels.
2007-10 Suzuki SX4 AWD
Suzuki is shutting its automobile dealerships, but it vows to keep its flag flying since it continues to sell lots of motorcycles and ATVs here, though no snowmobiles. Interminably small and cute, the Suzuki SX4 five-door hatchback made good use of its big greenhouse and tall seating, giving occupants the illusion they’re riding in a fiveeighths-scale minivan. Most of the world received Suzuki’s all-wheel-drive system standard (Canucks paid extra for it), which could be locked in 4x4 mode, an unusual feature for a crossover. An electric solenoid-operated clutch pack activated the rear wheels. Power was supplied by an all-aluminum DOHC 2.0 L four cylinder, making a healthy 143 hp, tied to a standard five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic (replaced by a CVT in 2010). Imported from Japan, the SX4 has garnered little criticism in terms of its dependability. There are a few comments regarding the often-false Check Engine and Airbag lights, some interior rattles and the odd bad alternator and fuel pump. The air conditioning may stop working because the electromagnet compressor clutch failed.
2005-10 Kia Sportage
The new-for-2005 Kia Sportage abandoned its Paleozoic Era bodyon-frame construction in favour of a contemporary front-drive unibody platform shared with its corporate twin, the Hyundai Tucson. Reflecting Kia’s philosophy, cabin materials had a premium look belying its bargain-basement price. The split-folding rear bench offered plenty of head- and legroom, with lots of usable foot space under the front seats. The standard engine was Hyundai’s DOHC 2.0-L four cylinder, good for 140 hp; optional was a 173-hp DOHC 2.7-L V6, something buyers couldn’t get in a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 at the time. The available all-wheel drive, supplied by BorgWarner, is activated by a dashboard switch summoning a 50-50 front/rear torque split. Unfortunately, there’s no lowrange gearing for true off-roading. Perhaps because Kia shoppers harbour low expectations, the Sportage scores well in owner assessments. The few online complaints revolved around air-conditioning mould, faulty rear window wipers, a few electrical bugaboos and occasional hard starting in winter.
Avoid high-mileage examples, as automatic transmissions have been known to fail.
2004-06 Toyota Sienna AWD
Name another affordable AWD vehicle that can take eight people safely down a snowy lane. The Toyota Sienna sported the smallest turning radius available in a minivan and, uniquely, it was the only one to offer optional all-wheel drive (after the demise of the GM triplets).
Enlarged for 2004, the Sienna bristled with clever touches including roll-down windows in the sliding doors, a spring-assisted third-row split bench that disappeared into the floor and a “Front and Centre” seat to position a toddler within face-wiping distance of parents.
Unfortunately, the AWD Sienna requires run-flat tires, due to the fact that the rear driveshaft left no space for a spare tire. Owners dislike the tires because they don’t last long, are horrendously expensive to replace and few tire dealers stock them.
Toyota’s 230-hp DOHC 3.3-L V6 was the lone engine choice, mated to a smooth five-speed automatic. Mechanical weaknesses include broken power sliding doors (a Sienna pandemic), leaky radiators and gas tanks (both recall items), faulty air conditioners and weak tailgate struts.