7 cool winter cars for less than 5000 Stutz

Winter is wet and cold. And that’s why some are now looking for a comfortable mobility alternative to bicycles or mopeds, trams or walking. Even some die-hard public transport users are considering a car for the winter season. One possibility is car subscriptions or short-term rentals. But the shorter the contract period, the more expensive it becomes in terms of costs and useful life.

An alternative would be a cheap used one. It’s not cheap – it’s actually cheap. If the engine, equipment, and general condition are good, even a low-priced old car with scratches and scuffs can still be a reliable winter companion, if not as stunningly beautiful. Yes, many used cars are no longer up to date when it comes to consumption compared to new cars. But they’re still good enough to get you through a winter at a low cost and are less of a burden on the environment than a new car that hasn’t been built yet. After the winter is over, you can usually get a few hundred francs on resale.

Use these tips to find the ideal winter car:

• If the case is really only used in the winter season, we have all-wheel drive. It increases consumption in summer, but is a real safety plus in winter. And sometimes it frees you from snow chains.
• Seat heating, optional windscreen heating wires and maybe an auxiliary heater make sense.
• The motor vehicle inspection (MFK) should be done no more than a year ago – then the car should still be able to survive the winter.
• Even if fat engines are tempting for little money: the V6 and even the V8 are annoying with high consumption, old used cars hardly get regular maintenance and provide more power than you need in winter. It’s better to choose the smallest engine with all-wheel drive rather than dealing with a lot of horsepower and engine damage.
• Even a cheap used car should be equipped with our tips for the winter – after you buy the car you should also have a budget for new wiper blades and winter tires.

We searched for winter cars for less than 5,000 francs on Autoscout24, Switzerland’s largest online marketplace. Below you will find seven models that will get you through the cold season safely for little money:

At Audi, the compact A3 produced between 2003 and 2013 is internally referred to as the “8P”. It entered Switzerland as a five-seater, three- and five-door model with a wide range of petrol and turbodiesel engines from 90 to 250 hp. All-wheel drive was available on diesels with 140 or 170 hp; Due to the fuel price, the first choice today is the 4×4 gasoline engine with 160 or 200 horsepower. Of course, the sports versions with all-wheel drive S3 (265 hp four-cylinder) and RS3 (340 hp five-cylinder) are also attractive – but you have to spend more than 5,000 francs to have a good example.

Today, SUVs have long been bestsellers at BMW, but between 2005 and 2013 the 3 Series E90 was still a customer favourite. Plus points are the safety equipment and the wide range of engines from 116 to 340 hp – with the exception of the 420 hp M3, because it has long fluctuated in higher price areas as a potential classic due to the V8. The sporty 3 Series has one feature: all-wheel drive was only available for the six-cylinder or two-liter turbodiesel with 177 or 184 hp – and these are rare.

Too small and already 4×4: Fiat’s second Panda generation from 2003 to 2012 (Type 169 built-in) was probably the smallest way to buy all-wheel drive. Thanks to its low weight of 60 and later 69, the gasoline horsepower and increased ground clearance were easily enough to outrun many all-terrain vehicles on the off-road. There was also a 69 hp turbodiesel from 2006. Rumors of the Panda’s reputation as the best winter car seem to be swirling around – some Fiat 4x4s will pay off more than a mid-size station wagon twice as powerful.

Hyundai’s first real hit model: the Santa Fe type CM scored between 2006 and 2012, finally with a nice design and enough space for a third row of seats in the interior. Hyundai’s petrol engines were still pretty tired back then, even with an 189 hp V6, but a 2.2-liter turbodiesel with 150, 155 or even 197 hp depending on the year of manufacture is a better alternative because it’s more economical.

Jaguar for the People: Parent company Ford didn’t fully understand the Jaguar brand when it introduced the X-Type between 2001 and 2009. Rather than exclusivity, large numbers should yield profits, but fans of the brand didn’t find the Ford Mondeo-based mid-range car really cool. Today it becomes an affordable winter car with a lot of performance, prestige and even an optional rear station wagon. However, all-wheel drive was only available for V6 petrol engines with 196 or 230 hp.

No surprise: in good years, all-wheel drive brand Subaru once sold as many cars in Switzerland as in the rest of Europe. That’s why every fifth 4×4 opportunity on the market today bears the Japanese automaker’s logo. One of the smallest all-wheel drive vehicles at the time, the G3X Justy (2003 – 2007) was especially popular in the days of new cars. The engines had a choice between 94 or 99 hp petrol engines; without all-wheel drive all it had to do was a 69 hp turbodiesel. The same goes for the mini-SUV as it is for the Fiat Panda: winter insider knowledge is more expensive when used than some larger used vehicles.

The B6 generation of the VW Passat (produced between 2005 and 2010) was a revolution by VW standards: bags under the eyes in the headlights plagued regular customers, as did the sleek and innovative cockpit with the start button instead of the ignition key. still looks good today. Engines with direct injection and dual-clutch transmission were also new. Except for the 300-hp sport version, called the R36, all-wheel drive was only available for the 140- or 170-hp turbodiesel. And: The vast majority are delivered in Switzerland as a station wagon called the Variant – no downsides.