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Let a cheap car deal with winter
TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO
Chevrolet Tracker, shown, and Suzuki Vitara gained more power with a 127-hp four in 1999.
Enthusiasts think nothing of hibernating their Porsches and Alfa Romeos and climbing into a cheapo car or truck to battle the elements. Maybe it's time to consider a winter beater yourself.
Drive a beater and you can lessen the stone chips, rust, excessive mileage and bad-weather mishaps that can take the shine off your summertime fling. Even skilled drivers can't prevent other motorists from sliding into them, and expensive or rare vehicles are far costlier to restore after a fender bender.
Here are six dependable winter beaters you can find for less than $6,000 – but don't forget to budget for four snow tires.
2000-03 Toyota Echo
It's as ugly as a blowfish and the dashboard resembles a Salvador Dali painting, the speedometer poking out of the middle like some kind of mystical third eye. No matter, Toyota's Echo works well in the snow, its skinny tires slicing through slush like greasy pizza cutters.
Its trim exterior dimensions and trick, tall cabin are the epitome of efficiency. The upright chairs provide easy access and good sightlines. Owners have even grown to like the centre-mounted instrument panel, or so they claim.
Available as a two- or four-door sedan (the Euro-hatchback came later), Toyota scrimped on the luxury features – such as an armrest – but spent its money where it counts. The Echo is propelled by a sophisticated 1.5 L DOHC four-cylinder with 16 valves and variable valve timing, good for 108 horsepower, hooked up to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Owners report the powertrain is bulletproof, and other than a few gripes about sagging body-side mouldings and interior rattles, the Japanese-built Echo is as reliable as Santa's sleigh in a snowstorm.
If there's one shortcoming, the stubby wheelbase and tall stance conspire to give the Echo a darty ride susceptible to crosswinds on the highway.
1999-2003 Mazda Protegé
The Mazda Protegé is a surprisingly good driver's car that swims with the econoboxes. The redesigned front-drive Protegé benefited from a stiffer platform for 1999, yielding a smoother ride and more spirited handling.
While the base DX and midgrade LX models used a 1.6 L four-cylinder engine rated at a measly 105 hp, the range-topping ES got an all-aluminum 1.8 L DOHC four that developed 122 hp and 120 lb-ft of torque.
Spring for one of these and you'll be grinning from ear to ear like the Grinch. No surprise the Miata, the world's best-selling sports car, used the same engine.
This little sedan is surprisingly roomy, owing to Mazda's skill at creating interior space by scooping out doors and raising the seats off the floor. There's also a practical five-door hatch, the Protegé5, which arrived in 2002.
Brace yourself for elevated engine, tire and wind noise – in keeping with its sporty DNA – and watch for a frequently lit Check Engine lamp, which can result in expensive replacements of oxygen sensors, throttle position sensors, catalytic converters and EGR valves.
Fuel economy could be better – especially if you get the ES – but what you lose in frugality is more than made up for in sporting vigour.
2001-04 Hyundai Elantra
The 2001 Hyundai Elantra represented the beginning of the end of the bad jokes (Hyundai: Here's Y U Never Drive An Import).
South Korea's Corolla-fighter returned with its own sense of style and some sound engineering under the hood. While it carried over its 2.0 L DOHC four-cylinder "Beta" engine, it was thoroughly renovated with a ribbed iron block and eight-counterweight crank, putting out a robust 140 hp.
Inside was a thoroughly modern and comfy interior with excellent ergonomics and good sightlines all around. The Elantra featured a six-way adjustable driver's seat to accommodate all shapes of drivers.
To compensate for the demise of its wagon, Hyundai introduced a handy five-door "GT" hatchback for 2002.
The front-drive platform was solid with relatively few creaks and rattles that come with age. Many owners liked the Elantra's soft ride, a mainstay of the marque.
Early 2001 models exhibited some electrical problems, including faulty headlamps, power windows, CD players and other accessories. Also reported were short-lived clutches, fuel pumps and a few cracked exhaust manifolds.
Despite some weaknesses, the Elantra earns a place on our beater list as a dependable cold-weather companion.
2000-02 Saturn SL1/SL2
Saturn was a brave experiment by General Motors in response to the hordes of imports that had washed up on our shores. Guess what – the hordes won.
The S-series came as a small sedan (SL), coupe (SC) and useful wagon (SW). The coupe gained a unique third side door in 1999 to improve access to the cramped back seat. Inside, the furnishings were low-rent and the seats were mounted low to the floor. The SL1 doesn't lavish luxuries upon its occupants.
A 1.9 L SOHC four-cylinder engine powers the fuel-sipping versions of these models, good for 100 hp. Not as recommended are the "2" models, powered by a lumpy DOHC four banger that, while being more powerful, makes unwinding the engine an exercise in noise amplification.
Saturn's clever polymer body panels are a blessing in our salt-encrusted winters, but be mindful that the hood, roof and trunk lid are steel, so don't be whacking them to impress your neighbours.
The Saturn S-series has a reputation for burning oil. The car does one thing well: saving gas, especially on the highway, due to its tall gearing. It's an appealing talent to have during winter. .
1998-2001 Nissan Altima
If you need a slightly bigger sedan, take a look at Nissan's answer to the Honda Accord. While not as fun to drive or as stingy with gas, the front-drive Altima is reasonably spacious and reliable.
The 2.4 L four cylinder made 150 hp and employed a timing chain, negating the need for timing belt changes. What it didn't have, however, was balance shafts to quell the big four's lumpy nature.
The interior was nicely finished and appointed, exuding a price point considerably higher than the target market. Owners did note that the rear seat was tight for three and the glovebox was utterly useless. It rides a little soft, like a Hyundai, but otherwise it is a treat to drive.
The Altima is a good alternative to the pricey Accord and Camry, and is reputed for racking up the kilometres with few mechanical hiccups. Do watch for bad starters and alternators, and the brakes tend to be somewhat noisy. Warning: the Altima's big four laps up fuel.
While it predates the swoopy 2002 and newer Altima that garnered big sales numbers, this older model rewards the used shopper with all-weather reliability and unassuming goodness.
1999-2002 Chevrolet Tracker /Suzuki Vitara
Laugh if you must, but the Ontario-built Chevrolet Tracker and Suzuki Vitara are full-frame off-road trucks that take their knocks well. Redesigned for 1999, they gained more power with a 127-hp 2.0 L four, more refinement and a much-needed fourth cog in the automatic transmission.
The five-door wagon is the way to go, which is considerably less noisy and nervous on the highway than the two-door soft-top. Still, nobody will mistake the ride for that of a Lexus RX 350.
Refined is not a word you'll read in any description of the Tracker/Vitara twins. The ride is bouncy and noisy, the lightweight assembly encourages rattles and buzzes, and these trucklets are susceptible to big crosswinds on the highway.
Yet if you need a 4x4 vehicle where you live – for example, Stayner and all points north – you'd be hard-pressed to find a better four-wheeler at this price point.
The pair is fairly durable, but avoid high mileage examples since oil consumption and head gasket failures have been reported. Inspect for rust and fluid leaks. And be mindful that, despite the small four-banger, this is a 4x4, which means it's fond of gasoline by nature.
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