Not adding much here, but I choose the beater option. My 'beater' is my previous 11yo Eclipse, and having bought it new, I understand the annoyance and pain that comes with seeing rust appear due to winter driving. When I picked up the Z, I knew I would not be driving it in the winter if I could in any way avoid it. It's more than salt and slush than it is the raw snow, for me.
There's really a few things to look at:
- Can you afford a second, beater car? (maintenance, storage, price tag, registration...)
- Do you plan to sell your Z at some point in the future, and will hate the undercarriage damage winter brings? Or otherwise just want to avoid the corrosion risk?
- Is it too much stress/worry to pull your car out in the snow? Or scrape ice/snow off it in the parking lot?
- Can you find other uses for your beater, i.e. driving to high-risk parking lots, small trips to the store, a way to save some gas money, drive something else in heavy rain when your tires are nearly spent, practice proper polish/washing/maintenance on...
- Do you worry about other drivers in snowy conditions, or possibly getting stuck on a minor incline at a stoplight and being a road obstacle for SUVs? I'd rather be an obstacle in a beater than my Z, personally.
DLSTR said it best, though: Follow your heart and budget.
(Lastly, remember that Blizzaks still cost you money, including the install labor both in winter and come spring, and storage of tires that still have life in them for next season.)
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