Originally Posted by Portlis

I really really appreciate the answer. This is exactly the kind of answer I was looking for. I work a late afternoon shift (retail) so I never really need to worry about unplowed roads unless its a super fierce storm. And the area that I live in is extremely flat, so hills are never going to be an issue.

After giving it a bit more thought, I'm really starting to think its not such a bad idea after all. Yeah, i'll fork out a bit of cash for the extra winter tires. That's not a problem. But considering I'd be paying at least 25 grand for any decent vehicle that I'd be ok with anyway, what's an extra 7 grand to get exactly what I want?

Now, I really just need to find a black on black, base model sport automatic for a reasonable cost. All the dealerships in my area are being extremely unhelpful....