I have allways driven to and from work on my cars being a sunny day or a blizzard but this time I think I want a Winter car, something like a beater and have been searching for months w/out being able to locate one that has not been "modified"...most are and the ones who aren't are automatics..anyway my question is ....do you have a beater in your driveway for those days you just may want to make a "dump" trip?........

BTW HAPPY FATHER'S Day for those fathers out there !!!!!

 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!

Here's my weekend track warrior and on a nice day, not-seeing-a-client-today daily driver...




Then, my next favorite which is my daily-driver... the new TL




Then my wife's baby-haulin'-machine... And she can't wait until my daughter is old enough to not need the space so she can get a sedan again!

This is about 4 inches deep in cheerios and misc. other crackers...




BUT.... To answer your question... the vehicle we use to make a "dump" trip or as you can see here, a trip to the pool where all 3 passengers are wet and gross...

(notice we have 3 white vehicles... hehe)

 

I think we are keeping the taurus for that. Get something reliable, like a honda or toyota.(although I wouldn take a blow to my pride by doing taht, id get a saturn or ford)

 

Jeep Wrangler, might not be the most fun in the winter but very capable and lots of fun in the summer with the top off. Might not be really what you are looking for but it works great for me

 

2002 TL-P and 2005 AV6 Coupe are daily drivers.

1996 Nissan P/U is for dump trips, hauling stuff, etc. It's usage is reflected in it's 68k miles after 9 years.

 

TL is meant to be a daily driver. Use it as such.

 

I've had multiple vehicles for different purposes for a number of years.

I just recently donated my 1987 Dodge Diplomat, which had served as my beater/station car for three years. I inherited a '96 Corolla, and now I use that for city driving and commuter duty.

I still have my '99 Solara which does occasional commuter duty and weekend errand running.

The TL is mostly used for longer trips, but I also use it for local driving and errands.

The Dart is my toy. Nice weekends, occasional trips to the drag strip, shows and club meetings...

Regards,

 

The TL is my daily driver and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible is my second car. Just got it recently (going to the DMV tomorrow to title and register it), so I haven't thought a lot about winter usage. Obviously not a "snow car."

 

TL is my daily driver.

my winter car is a 2000 Toyota Tundra 4x4 V8 - I love this truck - very smooth and extremely capable off road and in deep snow.

will be going to 17 winter tires when the season comes - and then get 18 or 19 summer in 2006

 

What!!! are you Loco or what?....(you left the door open...lol) ....my search continues.....I'm more inclined to get a used Honda, manual with no mods..thanks

 

Yep, In fact on average I drive it more than the TL.

 

I drive a 1989 MB 420 SEL as my daily driver. I keep my TL garaged for the most part. Last Friday was the first time I pulled the TL out of the garage in 8 weeks.

 

Sooo what exactly is the point of the TL? It's not an exotic sports car, or a rare collectors. It's a not-so-distant cousin to one of the most popular cars on the road, the Honda Accord. It's a car, a machine with an intended purpose: to be driven.

Why spend over $30,000 on a garage decoration? Depreciation is inevitable, you are losing money by driving it or looking at it, why not enjoy it?

Edit: I notice you are in FL, which puzzles me even further. It's not like it's facing brutal winters.

 

exactly, but here in MA the Winters are brutal and sometimes they sand the roads so much that it's just not fun to drive, borderline dangerous, but if I lived in FL (wifey is from Kissimee) I would not worry about having a beater car except for the LOVE bug season......

 

For those of you who don't know what love bugs are, here's the short story.

They are flying insects who are continually mating while flying around, hence the name love bug.

This year we haven't seen many of them, but usually they are really numerous, and when they get on the front of your car, they really stick there. If you don't remove them quickly, they have an acid in their bodies which will etch right into the paint and become a permanent part of your car.

 

We have them in Texas. They are a nightmare and one of the main reasons equal to rock chips that I got a clear bra on each car I own.
Sometimes after a country drive, the front end is solid black from those things!

 

After I bought my TL, I left my 96 Mazda Millenia for a beater.

I drove it through the rest of the winter, hardly putting any miles on my TL. And then I thought that it is stupit. The TL is not an exotic, why in the world would I put it in a garage instead of enjoying it. So, I sold my Millenia and my daily driver, sunday driver, and the beater is my beloved TL.

The TL is well worth taking care of it, but it is not worth saving it rather then driving/enjoying it.

My

 

My daily commute is 90 miles, so if I didn't drive another car, I would probably use up the warranty in about two years. Hence, I decided to drive around 1989 MB.

Also, the comments about the love bugs were right. Instead of going through a hassle of using a bra, I decided to keep the car in the garage until the season is over.

Now that we are in the summer season, I am going back to the TL. With all the summer travelers driving into Florida, I-75 becomes a real pain, especially if you don't have 270 horse under the hood.

Gatorfan