Winter friendly car

Until you posted this, I was pretty sure the Impreza hatchbacks all had a rear wiper. Checked some photos, and it's there. Were you driving a sedan?

As for the Outback, a 2012 with 20,000 miles for $15k isn't going to happen. That could work for the Impreza though. The smaller Subaru was redesigned for 2012, and the new car was much more fuel efficient.

If you want all-wheel-drive, other options in that price range include the Mitsubishi Lancer (aging design, cheap interior, but a long warranty and worth a look at the right price) and the Suzuki Kizashi (upscale interior, drives very nicely, but selling company has left the U.S.).

How about a Ford Focus? Or is that too small for ya?

I have Ford Fiesta & its great in winter with Winter tires on, had no issues going to work or returning home in the last 2 winters in the North East. Car is a little small in back seat. Focus is a step larger.

I Love the Suzuki's, make great cars & they are available with AWD, manual & auto. My Suzuki Aerio (FWD) was also great in the snow with Winter tires on.

Hmm. You'll have to shop around to get roomy & AWD in that price and mileage range. Go-to would be the Impreza, however you mentioned it was a bit cramped. AWD isn'tnecessary in winter, but unless you're an experienced, confident driver, AWD is the safesty way to go.

I can think of two cars that would fit your requirements:
Subaru Legacy: The Impreza's slightly bigger brother. Would recommend a test drive. Very reliable. They're somewhat above your price range, but with some effort you should be able to find one. Not sure if it has a rear wiper though.

Suzuki Kizashi: Suzukis are wonderful little cars. A bit simple and low-brow, yes, but cheap, reliable, and fun to drive. However, the lack of a dealer network means getting these repaired would be dependent on a local independent shop. I'd be worried about room in this one, but it's worth a drive. You could get one well below your price range.

VW Passat GLX 4Motion:
It's an AWD variant of the normal Passat, not particularly exceptional, however they are decent cars, and a 6' 11" friend of mine has been driving passats all his life because that's the only car he can fit in comfortably. AWD variants of commonplace sedans:
Chevy Malibu LS, Honda Accord LX...

If you can do without the AWD or 4WD variation, any small FWD with good snow tires works well. There is a saying here in Alaska, as nasty as some Alaska saying are, that AWD is for people who do not know how to drive. I've lived in snowy states all of my life, and tires make a much better safety investemnt than does AWD or 4WD. You need to do more than get going; you also need to steer and to stop. Tires make all the difference in that regard. I'm a long-time Saab devoté, but have also had FWD VWs a few times. They all do well. I recommend a Jetta Sportwagen, which I currently drive, with both summer and winter wheel/tire combinations. And I must say that I'll never again own a daily driver without heated seats. Keep that firmly in mind. They are definitely worth their cost.

I've got to agree with everyone here. A FWD car with some solid snow tires is almost unstoppable unless you're trying to drive through 3 foot high snow. And if you go with FWD versus AWD you have:


Better fuel economy

Less moving parts

More cars to choose from



So unless you absolutely positively need AWD, I'd recommend you go with something that has FWD.

2012 and later impreza is roomier and a bit more upscale interior. Bought for my daughter and got to drive it for a week. CVT and engine a bit noisy but car is huge improvement from pre-2012