Wassup...got a question for ya'll....

[truthM3smg]

I quit my job this week and I plan on taking a few months off. Now I can swing it but it won't be easy. I am looking to do some travel which will include a VERY long road trip through CO, UT, WY and CA in search of deep snow and old friends. I think I might need to ditch the M. Although I have Blizzaks on her and I could hypothetically get my thule up on top with my cargo box, I just don;t know how smart this would be for both safety and durability of the car. I think I could get in over the M's head with road conditions and trash the car with the elements that are an inherent part of this type of epic. Now, I am faced with trading the car adn moving into what I can get for the M. Subaru has a few tempting toys, the STI and the new Legacy GT. The STI is cool because I could still track the car, but is it plush enough for long haul trips? The new legacy seems plenty plush, but can I give up the true sports car? I don't know. The Audi 1.8t avant is in range but I've been there done that and have no desire to go back. Any ideas? [url="http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?p=590764#post590764"]This guy sent me here...[/url]

[Random]

If you go STi, you'll be hating it on the street, but loving it at the track. If you go Legacy, you'll be loving it on the street, and hating it at the track (compared to an STi or M) The Legacy can be moded to make it trackworthy, You could TRY to modify the STi to be more roadworthy, but at the expense of track prowess. It's all a trade of to decide what's really important to you. Hell, If you can afford it, go with 2 vehicles. One for street/towing (Legacy) and one for track use (Used MR2, Used older M3, etc..etc..) Personally, I gave up of the 4 wheel track days in favor of 2 wheeled track days. They seem to be about half the cost, and just as much fun!

[bbbradley]

I know it isn't the same car but stay with me here... I drove a 328i through several New England winters, multiple trips up north to go skiing, several large snow storms, etc... When properly equipped with [b]FOUR[/b] good quality snow tires it is a very capable car. The other key factor is a level head! Idiot proof cars only breed better idiots. From my experience the Audi is a nice cruiser, but not a sports car. It is heavy, and nose heavy at that, not a fun combo for spirited driving. If you just want a new car...get a new car. /bill

[rao]

Snow tires make all of the difference. Your M3 with snoew tires will outperform any awd car with summer stires in the snow. Now if you are truly going off road then you need something with more ground clearance. Just drive the car and enjoy it - they are made to actually be driven and if the BMW is such a great car then it should surely be able to be driven. Enjoy the trip!

[ExRex]

I'm with the group questioning your desire to sell the M3 (helluva nice car). I used to have an E36 M3. With Dunlop Winter Sport M2s, the car was exceptional in the snow. The 50/50 weight distribution makes for predictable handling, and the traction control added that extra security. Sure, you could drive like an idiot and get into trouble, but that applies for every car. I actually think there is an increased chance of "idiot driving" with AWD cars, because AWD tends to create a false sense of invincibility (or at least security). As we all know, AWD doesn't rewrite the laws of physics. With that said, the Legacy GT is plenty "sport" for me. If I'm giving up anything to my old M3, I don't really miss it. Never driven the new M3 though, I can imagine that might be a different story. If I were going to buy a Subaru with the express intention of going on a very long road trip, I would stay very, very far away from the STI.