Moving to Colorado, which cars would you suggest for the midwest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need an SUV (for clearance) with 4WD and top quality snow tires. We like Blizzeks.

Depending on how remote you are, check on number of dealerships in area and base your choice on that. For example, where we are, we have a Suburban because the GM dealership is the main one. Toyota and lots of European cars are difficult to service

OP here, will car purchase here in this area as it’s cheaper than waiting until we get to Colorado. Why are Toyota’s difficult to service in Colorado? Toyota seems to be everywhere on the East Coast.

Dumb. Look at what dealers and mechanic shops are where you’re moving.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. I’ve lived in Colorado (not Boulder) since 2007 and we currently have two Toyotas, of which one we actually bought from the dealership in Boulder because they gave us a better deal than the Toyota dealer near us. There’s a restaurant in the industrial park next to it that has excellent breakfast burritos if you’re ever stuck there waiting for an oil change.

You really do see a lot of Subarus here for a reason—they’re extremely practical. Acura MDXs are very popular in my neighborhood as well—our friends who ski frequently have two. But you also see a lot of every other make and model here. Midsize SUVs are popular in general.

Here is a list of all of the vehicles my family has owned since moving to Colorado (my husband likes to shop for cars. Thank goodness there’s still a blue law on the books that keeps car dealerships closed on Sundays or I’m sure we could have gone through half a dozen more):
Ford Explorer
Toyota FJ
GMC Yukon Denali XL
Toyota AWD Sienna x2
Toyota 4Runner x2
BMW M3 convertible

We’re on our second Sienna and 4Runner because our previous ones were totaled by baseball sized hail in 2018.

My family was in the mountains skiing EVERY WEEKEND from Thanksgiving through March from about 2015 until Covid. We have 3 kids and they were all competitive skiers. Guess which of the above mentioned vehicles is/was the best in bad winter weather?

The AWD Sienna.

For the first several years we didn’t even get snow tires, but now we do and it’s practically unstoppable. I drove my kids to a ski race that got cancelled a couple of years ago because there was TOO MUCH SNOW and we had no problem while other people were sliding all over 70 on our way home. My husband loves his 4Runner, but it doesn’t handle as well in the snow, even with snow tires.

[Anonymous]

I live in a small mountain town (population 600-700 souls) in Colorado, elevation 8000 feet. About 20% of cars in town are Subarus. I’m on my second one. Nearest dealership is one hour drive. In talking with neighbors they say “Yup. This is my fifth Subaru, we’ll get a new one next year.” My criteria was that I wanted a car that would get me home at midnight in a foot of snow. Subaru fills the bill. Always starts, even at -20*, always runs, always gets me home. Most folks here don’t even look at other cars, they just go get a Subaru. The ones that don’t have Subarus have Tahoes, Escalades, or Lexus. I have pulled many of them out of their driveway with the Subie. If you are moving to Colorado bring lots of money.

[Anonymous]

OP Boulder my adult children live there.

Any car with four wheel drive will do. Even if you travel a lot.

I would also advise good bikes, because Boulder has so many bike trails. Easier to get to many places than cars. And fun.

There is an amazing Farmer's market in Boulder check it out. Prices are better than grocery stores and some amazing breads, meats, coffee etc....

[Anonymous]

I have a Toyota Prius with AWD (in Illinois) and it handles snow and hills with ease. Great car.

[Anonymous]

I used to hate subarus, then I got married and DH had one and I now love them. We had one in Utah and it was perfect.

I encourage you to keep your mind open to subarus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP. I’ve lived in Colorado (not Boulder) since 2007 and we currently have two Toyotas, of which one we actually bought from the dealership in Boulder because they gave us a better deal than the Toyota dealer near us. There’s a restaurant in the industrial park next to it that has excellent breakfast burritos if you’re ever stuck there waiting for an oil change.

You really do see a lot of Subarus here for a reason—they’re extremely practical. Acura MDXs are very popular in my neighborhood as well—our friends who ski frequently have two. But you also see a lot of every other make and model here. Midsize SUVs are popular in general.

Here is a list of all of the vehicles my family has owned since moving to Colorado (my husband likes to shop for cars. Thank goodness there’s still a blue law on the books that keeps car dealerships closed on Sundays or I’m sure we could have gone through half a dozen more):
Ford Explorer
Toyota FJ
GMC Yukon Denali XL
Toyota AWD Sienna x2
Toyota 4Runner x2
BMW M3 convertible


Hi, i am the OP here. Thank you so much for this information. I apologize for the delayed response.
We’re on our second Sienna and 4Runner because our previous ones were totaled by baseball sized hail in 2018.

My family was in the mountains skiing EVERY WEEKEND from Thanksgiving through March from about 2015 until Covid. We have 3 kids and they were all competitive skiers. Guess which of the above mentioned vehicles is/was the best in bad winter weather?

The AWD Sienna.

For the first several years we didn’t even get snow tires, but now we do and it’s practically unstoppable. I drove my kids to a ski race that got cancelled a couple of years ago because there was TOO MUCH SNOW and we had no problem while other people were sliding all over 70 on our way home. My husband loves his 4Runner, but it doesn’t handle as well in the snow, even with snow tires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to hate subarus, then I got married and DH had one and I now love them. We had one in Utah and it was perfect.

I encourage you to keep your mind open to subarus.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP Boulder my adult children live there.

Any car with four wheel drive will do. Even if you travel a lot.

I would also advise good bikes, because Boulder has so many bike trails. Easier to get to many places than cars. And fun.

There is an amazing Farmer's market in Boulder check it out. Prices are better than grocery stores and some amazing breads, meats, coffee etc....

Hi there, thank you for this advice. Could you advise which bikes would work best for the hills of Boulder?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thank you all. I’m not really a fan of Subaru, are there any other brands anyone would recommend?

I think the reason people are recommending Subaru is that it checks all of your boxes. This is based on their/our experience with mountain terrain and car ownership.

What kinds of cars do you usually like?

I’d like something similar to a Jeep Renegade or Toyota Forerunner

Then that’s what you should get. Both are very good choices, although the 4Runner has an edge on highway/road comfort and handling, and the Jeep has a bit of an advantage in off-road environments.

But tires are the most important factor in snow. Don’t skimp on tires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone,

I am moving to Colorado. I am looking for a car that is reasonably priced, maintenance is not too expensive, handles snow and mountains well, is comfortable and hardly any maintenance required.

Thank you!

All tips and suggestions are welcome.

Buick Regal TourX

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone,

I am moving to Colorado. I am looking for a car that is reasonably priced, maintenance is not too expensive, handles snow and mountains well, is comfortable and hardly any maintenance required.

Thank you!

All tips and suggestions are welcome.

Buick Regal TourX

...and here's how it would look when you drive it to Aspen....