Hehe , never got good tips doing grandma driving !
Also doing 4-6 more runs then other workers I end up with $40 more a night just by being fast on my feet and presumably the wheels but you could be a undercover officer so…
If she’s not redlining she’s a bornin .
The problem you’re going to find is that most of the vehicles that are notorious for high resale value are also going to cost more to obtain (again high resale value). If you’re only going to keep the car for four months you’re going to pay more for the vehicle up front, but get more for it when you sell it again. If you buy something not known for low depreciation, then you won’t pay as much up front, but you’ll get less when you sell. It can be a “six of one, half dozen of the other” sort of thing.
I would consider finding a mid-90’s 4x4 pickup truck that’s already bottomed out in depreciation. Like an F-150 with the I6 and manual transmission. Mechanically simple, very cheap to repair, and very reliable. If you can find something like that for around 3 or 4 grand. You could drive it for a few months and then turn around and sell it for basically what you sold it for.
I find it curious that you manage to race a Saturn Ion at “high speeds”. The Red Line was pretty quick for it’s day, but the N/A Ecotecs were pretty mundane.
but at least grandma lived long enough to become a grandma…
but I second the pickup truck idea. $2,500 or so, and you’d probably be able to sell it for about that when done- as long as you don’t crash into statures in front yards like the pizza guy in Home Alone. 
I’ve recently made some math on the napkin and found that making my 12K miles a year on my SUV would cost me more than a thousand bucks more than doing the same commute on my hybrid sedan…
it will depend on the anticipated OP’ annual mileage, but I bet it will augment the pure depreciation view at it
Another 4WD owner that thinks he is invincible.
I see more 4WD/AWD vehicles than 2WD’s in the ditch in winter months because the think they can go faster in the snow.
May I ask, why everyone is anti all wheel drive. Do they take more gas, cost more, harder to repair?
I understand after the post that , there not much better then front wheel as long as correct tires are used but just curious.
I love my trailblazer 4wd on demand, I took a quick look for under $3k, 03 like mine, are under 3k, if you can live with 14 to 16 mpg city. At 200k miles I have maintained it well, transfer case differential etc. Might be worth thinking about with the 6 cyl.
We’re not anti AWD, it’s the drivers of the AWD that thinks they can drive faster, they have more accidents in the winter,
It’s not just about going forward, you still have to be able to stop.
I hear you on that, but when I am driving down a 50mph road, have no trouble with traction following some super safety nut going 15mph have no trouble passing them and have not ended up in the ditch yet.
Until you have to make that panic stop,
I agree there are some people due to driving skill or vehicle/tire conditions shouldn’t even be on the road.
Always keeping in mind it is not how fast you go, but how well you can stop and steer. I will periodically test stopping, but not to the point I make a nuisance of myself on the road
Last winter, I had the misfortune to have to drive behind a woman who apparently believed that, if she drove her Honda Oddity faster than 20 mph during a snow squall, she would lose control, or pass into the next dimension, or…
Either the Nox or the Forester should do the job. Suggest to use the forum search feature (above right) to view the recent posts made here about both vehicles, might provide some more perspective on reliability and function.
If you decide on the 2007 Nox, due to the high mileage, and 12 year vintage, suggest budget for more maintenance and repair expenses. IMO the sweet spot for used vehicles — where you get the most bang for the buck – is 3-5 years old and 30-80 k miles, so you are taking on some risk with the 2007. But you’re saving some cash so it might well work out ok.
Hi Blake, I sent you a PM earlier but maybe you didn’t see it. Can you please avoid the cursing? We try to keep the language pretty PG around here. Thanks.
A car is not an investment.
Yes, it is indeed more gas used to compare to 2WD editions of the same vehicle.
It is another issue here, where AWD systems in particular are prone to malfunction and expensive repairs needed when for example tires are not regularly rotated and/or not kept of the VERY same size.
Only for that, buying used AWD is a lottery ticket, as you do not know what prior owner did to the vehicle.
4WD are more robust, but still have their issues.
2WD is simply lesser chance that something goes wrong as car ages, so it’s better to stick to it with used cars.
Oh, that’s a no-brainer (assuming both are in decent condition, and run fine). The 2004 would be the better investment by far. It would cost a lot less, have a lot less mileage, and thus a lot more remaining useful life.
If you buy an AWD vehicle, you will need winter tires. Maybe you should just keep the Saturn and put winter tires on it. That should give you 4 months of use and the ability to get around in the snow. It’s a temporary solution, but a lot less expensive that buying an new ride and the tires.
My suggestion is to look for a Japanese made 2wd sedan in your price range with something under 150k miles.
Sedans have fallen out of favor and if you search hard enough you should be able to find one that is likely to give you some good reliable use. It may not be the ride you want right now, but it will give you the best bang for the buck.
After your other investments payoff a few years down the line is when you then buy the late model drive that you really want.
Sacrifice today for a big payoff in a few years is the smart thing to do. Best of luck.
This thread has a good chance for 100+ posts once “Japanese vs. the rest” argument is thrown into the fire.
A hint: they have their own “black sheep” and by no means I would buy 150K miles old Mitsu or Isuzu… this is a good reason you do not see many of these on the road