Since this storm was sort of the straw on the camel's back...and it will from time to time haul woods and chainsaws...
My '03 Ranger has 240,000+...cracked windshield, drivers window doesn't work, driver's seat back brackets are broken (propped up by boxes behind it), rear diff leaks, and just annoying -- came back from the dump three weeks ago and could smell I now had a frozen brake :/ We won't discuss the brake line wrapped in a fuel line and zip tied to the frame
4wd Lo hasn't worked in years. It has three dry rotted tires and one used tire I bought to replace the tire too dry rotted to hold air anymore.
I wouldn't even remotely trust to take it to work (about 25 miles each way), at least by the highway. Hell, when I re-registered it last summer it had to get towed home the first time I tried to take it through emissions.
Which leaves me with my well-loved Ford Fusion...but having to plan around being able to get home before too much snow builds up from the plows at the end of my driveway on a wide state highway, or having to park at a nearby business (hoping they've been plowed out) and hiking up to get the snowblower. Or if it snowed overnight spending an hour before work opening up my 500' driveway. Never mind anything you'd like to have a truck to do.
Since Jeeps have transmissions made of solid gold (judging by the prices I see), and I don't want the payments of decent used 3/4 ton yet...I saw this on a local dealer's website and went down this morning and bought it. Yes, I was the crazy guy who goes and buys a car...in a snow storm.
2001 so it's two years older...but only 90,000 miles so about 150,000 less than my current truck. Plus this should only be getting about 5,000 miles a year so it should last me until I can justify a 3/4 ton
It is going to be a couple more days though before I get it home...has minor mechanical work and the dealership didn't have all the parts on hand today
