Should I keep my 6 for college? How's it in snow?

[CatchMeInDaWave]

I have an '08 Mazda6i 5-door and i absolutely love it. I'm on a 24 month lease with it but I have to terminate 4 months early next July because I'll be leaving for college.

I'm going be going to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado and unlike most universities, you NEED a car in Greeley.

But it snows a lot in Greeley, and i was wondering how the 6 handles in winter weather for those of you who live in Snowy places. I live in Vegas and it snows maybe once every other year here. I mean a FWD in the snow I can imagine is not the greatest thing in the world. haha

I've been saving money in a savings account for College since my freshman year, but I'm going to UNC on virtually a full ride scholarship so I'm gonna have a lot of cash to spend on a car to take.

The residual value on my 6 once I terminate the lease will be about $14,345.

Should I go ahead and shell out $14,000 to buy my 6?
or...
would it be better to shop around for a used Subaru Impreza WRX or Speed6 or just something AWD for about the same, $14,500.

I'll have about $20,000 to spend, but I REALLY wanna only pay around 14K for what ever I do because I wanna set aside that other cash for gas and the outrageous cost of insurance for four years or so.

What do you all think?

thanks a ton!

[smoker6]

Speed6 ftw.

Regardless however, I hear the 6i is great in the snow with proper tires.

[SamSamSam]

Most front wheel drive cars can manage in the snow with good snow tires

[Mz6GreyGhost]

A Mazda6 in the snow, with proper snow tires, is no problem at all. Take it from a person that uses the 6 in the snow belt, with no option to take a "snow day" when the weather is really bad. In fact, compared to a SUV, I believe the 6 is an advantage, since it has a lower center of gravity, which allows more control for me.

Snow tires are worth the investment, despite the initial costs. Whether you decide to buy a separate set of wheels and tires for winter, or just get a separate set of tires for the OEM wheels, the better traction and peace-of-mind that winter tires provide is priceless IMO.

[techtv04]

I have an '08 Mazda6i 5-door and i absolutely love it. I'm on a 24 month lease with it but I have to terminate 4 months early next July because I'll be leaving for college.

I'm going be going to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado and unlike most universities, you NEED a car in Greeley.

But it snows a lot in Greeley, and i was wondering how the 6 handles in winter weather for those of you who live in Snowy places. I live in Vegas and it snows maybe once every other year here. I mean a FWD in the snow I can imagine is not the greatest thing in the world. haha

I've been saving money in a savings account for College since my freshman year, but I'm going to UNC on virtually a full ride scholarship so I'm gonna have a lot of cash to spend on a car to take.

The residual value on my 6 once I terminate the lease will be about $14,345.

Should I go ahead and shell out $14,000 to buy my 6?
or...
would it be better to shop around for a used Subaru Impreza WRX or Speed6 or just something AWD for about the same, $14,500.

I'll have about $20,000 to spend, but I REALLY wanna only pay around 14K for what ever I do because I wanna set aside that other cash for gas and the outrageous cost of insurance for four years or so.

What do you all think?

thanks a ton![/b]

I Got A Friend That Goes To The University of Northern Colorado. Good Choice.

As for the six it handles fine in that kind of snow with the right tires. Hell thats where i tested out my six in the snow and no problems.

[Steve 6er]

I've driven my 2002 Mazda6 for five winters now, and it's perfect. No problem whatsoever. I would recommend tyres without spikes thogh for comfort. My personal favourites are Bridgestone Blizzak, which I have found to be the best available here. They have an extremely good grip. The only danger is that you forget it's still a winter road...

[xshellshock]

I have an '08 Mazda6i 5-door and i absolutely love it. I'm on a 24 month lease with it but I have to terminate 4 months early next July because I'll be leaving for college.

I'm going be going to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado and unlike most universities, you NEED a car in Greeley.

But it snows a lot in Greeley, and i was wondering how the 6 handles in winter weather for those of you who live in Snowy places. I live in Vegas and it snows maybe once every other year here. I mean a FWD in the snow I can imagine is not the greatest thing in the world. haha

I've been saving money in a savings account for College since my freshman year, but I'm going to UNC on virtually a full ride scholarship so I'm gonna have a lot of cash to spend on a car to take.

The residual value on my 6 once I terminate the lease will be about $14,345.

Should I go ahead and shell out $14,000 to buy my 6?
or...
would it be better to shop around for a used Subaru Impreza WRX or Speed6 or just something AWD for about the same, $14,500.

I'll have about $20,000 to spend, but I REALLY wanna only pay around 14K for what ever I do because I wanna set aside that other cash for gas and the outrageous cost of insurance for four years or so.

What do you all think?

thanks a ton![/b]

I actually went out to Greeley this winter to go snowboarding with my friend who goes to UNC, and as long as you have a good set of winter tires you'll be fine. Around Greely its pretty flat until you get to the mountains. He drives a 4 cyl accord, the only complaint he has is that he wants to get an intake to help with some power because of the thin air/small displacement.

oh and just be careful out there, believe it or not theres a bunch of Mexican gangs there. They stole our snowboards. I'm not even kidding either.

[Msp6cop]

I didn't really pan through the posts too well...I would keep the 6 regardless. Especially in greeley, probably just end up riding a bike/walking everyone for that campus. I just don't understand why it smells like cow shit there in the summer SOOOOO bad...oh wait, there's cows EVERYWHERE!!!!

[CatchMeInDaWave]

hahaha, yeah it does smell, but the campus is beautiful and for what I want to do it's one of the best schools in the country.

Thanks for the advice guys, i appreciate that.

Now, the bigger question...

Do i keep my current '08 4-banger with ATX or should I go ahead and trade up to a V6 or get one thats MTX with heated seats. hahaha. I'm kinda spoiled...my parents have only over driven Lexus' and BMW's, and this is the first car we've ever owned with cloth seats.

I guess the main thing is...do you think its worth it or should I just keep mine?

The plus with mine is that I'm the original owner, I know how it's been treated, I know the oil gets changed every 3,000 miles, I know everything about it.

A used one with more options...not so much ya know?

I dunno, i'll probably just keep mine cause I LOVE my 6, i'm just trying to see what's the most practical for when I do end up purchasing next year.

[nearnhart]

Do i keep my current '08 4-banger with ATX or should I go ahead and trade up to a V6 or get one thats MTX with heated seats. hahaha. I'm kinda spoiled...my parents have only over driven Lexus' and BMW's, and this is the first car we've ever owned with cloth seats.[/b]

I grew up in Rochester, NY, home to about 120" of snow a year, so here's the deal. Front wheel drive cars are inherently more stable and easier to drive in the snow. Snow tires or all-seasons are a big help, but the #1 thing that everyone forgets about when it comes it snow is...

KNOWING HOW TO DRIVE

I find it immensely entertaining to be flying down a snowy interstate and seeing all these retarded women in huge SUV's that have spun off the road getting towed out. Regardless of anything else, know what you're doing, don't rely on your car, but rather on your feel and the proper use of the pedals, and you'll be fine.

Second, leather seats in winter = freezing.

Third, the four-banger will actually almost be better in terms of getting un-stuck. It's also really funny to see people stuck in a drift and see them GUN their engine trying to get out. The best way to get unstuck is to give the car very light, steady throttle, and "rock" the car back and forth in the drift to get enough momentum to get out. The reason the four-banger is better for this is the lower amount of torque makes it easier to not spin the tires.

Best of luck in school, work hard, and I hope this helped.