[stein_325i]

When I think of beaters I think of reliable cars, and for that, I would say stay away from any old BMW or German car, especially performance versions like the 335, S4, etc. I bought my son an 05 X3 and even with one owner and constant dealer care and maintenance, she gave us all the receipts and it was expensive to keep that car running, and she didn't even drive that much, and its currently in the shop due to oil flooding out of it and will likely cost over $1k to fix for what will likely be a simple part but with a labor intensive repair.

I'd stick with a reliable brand like Toyota or Honda and their luxury divisions (later Honda models are better though, the old 5AT is s***). A 2nd Gen TSX/8th Gen Accord, Toyota Camry/Avalon/Rav, 4th Gen Infiniti G35, 3rd Gen Mazda 3/6 or CX-5 are my recommendations. Even without AWD, winter tires can do the job well.