hey guys... looking at used cars and have found a few i like in cold weather climates.. i have heard from others its much better to find one that has spent its life in warmer climates..

any thoughts on this? cold weather (midwest/northeast) vs warm weather (south/southwest)...

thanks!

The reason is because cold climates = snow in winter = salt on the roads = rusty cars. You have the optimal location to buy a rust-free car, I had to go to Texas to buy my car.

Salt? Strange. They only use gravel where I'm from.

NE/ and some MW states use salt, The PNW states do not, and have not for many many years. They use a combo of sand/peagravel.

I wish they stopped using salt around here in Chicago area.... I have been parking my SC in the garage for half of the year because of this nonsense....

A thorough visual inspection of a car can determine the presence of rust, whether its from a cold or warm climate.

The worst used cars for rust are usually (but not always) from Ohio and Michigan, and some parts of New York State. (this also includes the parts of WI, PA, IN, IL, and MN close to the Great Lakes Snow Belt). Cars from these areas, especially MI and Northeastern OH, sometimes have a lot of suspension/steering wear as well because of the awful, torn-up road surfaces from excessive salt, freeze/thaw, and frost-heaves. I've been on a number of road trips from D.C to OH and have some experience driving the roads there.

I agree that the best chances of funding a rust-free car is either one that has not been driven in winter conditions or from warm, dry, Desert-Southwest states at low altitudes. Keep in mind, though, that cars that sit for most of the winter and are not driven can have a number of other problems from non-use.

Select CA cars are often sought by people from out of state. My last Porsche was up for sale and displayed on consignment in a boutique dealership showroom, it was being looked at in person by people from Washington and Montana.

In CA, we have a "snow-belt" or high Sierra's with a significant population in the Lake Tahoe region. Many of the seasoned car-buyers from that area come down to the Sacramento/Central Valley in fall to shop for used 4wd vehicles from the non-snow areas (to be used as "winter vehicles" in snow country). Then they beat these cars up in the snow and muck for a few years and dispose of them later, (and for some rather than destroying and causing heavy depreciation to other newer pristine cars).

cars that are from ontario that end up here tend to be rusted out. even if they are really nice cars.

It depends on what kind of car you are looking for. If you are looking for something like a Miata, Vette, or SC430 the midwest is often a great place to look because many owners have them as second or third cars and only drive them in nice weather. Heck, many owners don't even drive them in the rain and they have very low miles. Some sunbelt owners of cars like these use them as daily drivers in all kinds of weather, with carry-out food, and pets. They can be trashed.

If you're looking for an AWD, 4WD, or regular daily driver, a few winters in the midwest will make the underside age quickly and stain the mats and carpets with salt and muck. Also, Michigan is especially bad on cars because of the large number of unpaved roads that add additional corrosion-inducing mud under the car plus lots of squeaks and rattles that come from driving on punishing roads.

If you are shopping for sunbelt cars, don't forget to check the owner history and service location history to see where the car lived in the past. A guy who moved from Michigan to Arizona may decide to sell his Subaru and buy a Miata.

I just powerwash the bottom of my car once in a while during the winter months, nothing else to do then buy another car which wouldnt really make much sense.

hey guys thanks for all these tips.. this was really a huge help and very insightful...

I'd look for something bought at the dealer, serviced by the dealer, traded back in to the dealer.

Another thing to look for is a car bought by an older person since they don't drive it as hard (normally) and have the money to maintain the car.

Good luck.

Once in a while isnt good enough. Have to do 2x a month, once a month MINIMUM in the salt.

Agreed.....with special attention to underbody-flushing. A hand-held hose is best for that......underbody-flushes at automated car washes can't (or don't) get in all the inner-lips/nooks/crannies in the wheel wells. They also don't flush out all of the hidden sand first....so that some of the sand, when you start to rub, from abrasion, can end up scratching the paint and trim. There's no substitute, IMO, for a hand-wash, thoroughness, and paitience.