[mohit]

Originally Posted by Wind_mill

This place is really depressing .Even I just have my feet and a weekly pass for Centro.

@Mohit:
Yes , I'm new to driving in Snow.
The Montero seller says current tyres are "all season". Should I still require the Winter Tyres ? What is the actual difference between these?

Well the All Seasons will start to harden up as temperature goes below 7C. Winter tires are pliable for temperatures that are much lower. Secondly winter tires have a much aggressive tread making them work better on snow and ice. But the downside is that they are softer and wear faster.

I say you probably can be OK with all seasons on the Montero if you drive slow when there's snow on the ground. Give it a shot and see how it goes. Since Montero is a heavy car, things should be much better than the Lexus that you are looking at.

How much tread is left on the all seasons? If they are close to the end of their life, I'd say you definitely would need winter tires/newer all seasons. Black ice or packed snow + bald tires is not a good thing.

[Dine]

I prefer the Montero, as you need a SUV for snow. Just drive carefully when it snows.

[Superleggera]

In the current financial situation in US, $3000 would fetch you a better car than what you have shortlisted . To give you an example,I own a 02 Camry in Boston, three months back the Kelly blue book value of my car (Private party Sale) was around $9000 and now it is close to $8000.So, prices have come down.
Having an SUV is good in snow, but if you are not travelling long distances I would suggest you a Japanese FWD car. You will be able to get a decent Nissan Altima / Sentra or Toyota Camry/Corolla for $3000. If you have not checked Craigslist, check that out to see the used car listings in your area.

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Originally Posted by kuttapan

I don't know why Indians generally have this accord/camry/civic/corolla myopia and cannot look beyond them.

Because, with no offence meant to anyone in particular, most Indians who go to the US for a short while, look at their stay there like any other upcountry migrant worker in our own towns - the cheapest way possible. They sleep in sleeping bags on the floor or maximum with a mattress on floor and buy the car that has the best resale value when they go back home.
The brands you mention happen to be the fastest selling ones and lose the least amount in value when put up for resale. Some of these cars also have the distinction of being the most stolen car etc - a quality that owners proudly flaunt.
I am not making any value judgement on this entire mind set and I am not saying whether it is good or bad. But this is how it is.
Garv se kaho hum kanjoos hai, is a slogan being popularised by the guy who owns Big Bazaar. and there are lots of takers for the slogan.

[kuttapan]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

The brands you mention happen to be the fastest selling ones and lose the least amount in value when put up for resale. Some of these cars also have the distinction of being the most stolen car etc - a quality that owners proudly flaunt.

I am not making any value judgement on this entire mind set and I am not saying whether it is good or bad. But this is how it is.
Garv se kaho hum kanjoos hai, is a slogan being popularised by the guy who owns Big Bazaar. and there are lots of takers for the slogan.

Yes, it makes a lot of financial sense to own of these cars. Who knows, when it is time to buy a car for myself, after all permutations and combinations , I may end up going the same route and would have to endure a foot-in-mouth situation.

I am not making any value judgement either, but just musing about the fact about how very few Indians are willing to walk the less trodden path.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by kuttapan

Yes, it makes a lot of financial sense to own of these cars. Who knows, when it is time to buy a car for myself, after all permutations and combinations , I may end up going the same route and would have to endure a foot-in-mouth situation.

I am not making any value judgement either, but just musing about the fact about how very few Indians are willing to walk the less trodden path.

I tried... looked at Subarus very seriously... gave Toyota the boot. But ended up with a Civic as I needed something that was safe, fuel efficient and not as drab to drive as the Corolla (talking automatics here so no flaming from you Corolla fanboys pls ). Everything else was either relatively unreliable or not as fuel efficient.

In the current scenario, trying doing the math when you have to drive 100Km per day average (my 4 month old car's odo is a 12k+ KMs). Its just not worth it. But again, I am talking with a calculator in hand. Give me a diesel thats a wee bit more reliable than the Jetta and I will definitely go for it.

[Saurabh M]

I would tend to agree with Sudipto-S-Team and its very rare to find an immigrant Indian (not planning to stay for more than a couple of years) driving cars other than a used Corolla/Camry/Civic/Accord. There is absolutely no problems in buying these cars as they are the most reliable ones and do not depreciate as fast as others.
Having said all these, I myself bought a new Mazda3 for me, which I knew I would sell off after 1 year. Thats because I wanted a fun to drive car that would be reliable for my weekend long drives and I wont have to rent a car frequently. I know that I am putting on a lot of miles on it (7400 miles in 5 months) and I wont get a good resale value. But thats the way it is.

End of the day, its an individual's choice on how they would like to save up.

Coming back to winter driving, I have spent 2 winters in Toronto (2004-05). I used to rent cars from Hertz (company policy and tie up) and kept changing brands/models every month. I have seen that Camry does not handle well in snow, so is Corolla or a Malibu. Surprisingly, I was very impressed with the Buick Century and the Pontiac Grand Prix GT. This is however, my personal experience. I agree to Mohit's decision of getting the Civic and it probably make better sense given the situation.

[BlackPearl]

In my case I wnated a car that I would be able sell of in a jiffy and not mmake much losses and thats why I bought a Honda Accord Automatic. In the present day situation no one can guarantee when one has to pack up and go home. There is no point denying that I have not come to USA to stay, but to make a decent amount of money without being a scrooge so that I can fulfill my automotive dreams back at home . So I had thoght of getting a car which would not take months to sell off. But then I switched over to a stick shift accord and I am sure that it will be a lot of problem to sell it off if time is not on my hand. But then it was a heart over head kind of problem.

[mohit]

You know what Saurabh - I almost got a Mazda3 myself - thats one car in this segment thats even more fun than the civic. But courtesy the fact that I am not the only one driving it, an auto was necessary and the 4 speed auto on the mazda left a bit to be desired.

I too went the hertz way for one winter and that put me off Corolla big time! maybe its the high engine torque - causes the car to be unpredictable with snow/ice on the road. All others are relatively sedate when it comes to startups. Buick and Pontiac are heavier so generally would perform better in the winter.

[Saurabh M]

Good to know that the auto tranny of the Mazda3 is not good. Mine is a stick shift .

I agree with you Mohit. Going a bit OT here, but my experience with Corolla was similar. The handling used to be very lousy and the cars felt unstable after 120kph. This happened with multiple Corolla's that I drove, so cannot blame on a particular car. On the other hand, nobody complains about such handling issues in India. Is there a major difference in the handling department between the ones sold in USA/Canada and the ones in India?

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Sourav
My nephew bought a Mazda in Baton Rouge. But a used one, because he is a student but very enthusiastic about cars. I saw your Mazda pics. Just fabulous.
Sudipto

[Saurabh M]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

Sourav
... I saw your Mazda pics. Just fabulous.
Sudipto

Thanks for the comments.

Sorry for veering OT here, but the Mazda3 has the Japanese reliability going with it along with the fun to drive factor, which is very rare in a car in this segment. It is a popular brand is US and has good resale value as well. However, I might find it a tad difficult to sell, as its a stick shift. However, I plan to prepare early and avoid last minute selling.

Every morning when I take it out, it never fails to put a smile on my face. Just love it.

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Poor man's Porsche, as they say! But it's owned by Americans . So it's a good choice for you.
Talking about reliability of Japanese vehicles a British gentleman once told me while driving through a river in southern Bhutan in an Isuzu - "the only problem with these vehicles is that they have no problem!!"
Enjoy every day
Sudipto

[mohit]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

the only problem with these vehicles is that they have no problem!!"

LOL!! The exact sentiments were echoed by a friend when I told him that I am getting a Civic. He mentioned an incident where he got so fed up of his old family Honda (his words: That thing will not die!) that he left it on the street with keys in hoping that someone would drive it away and he would get a new car.

To his dismay, it was found by some acquaintance and promptly returned!

[Saurabh M]

Hehe. Its like the Woodland shoes which never get torn or worn out. I might die but that shoe would out-live me.