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Wolverine:
I was in the same boat 3 years ago. After doing alot of research I opted to buy my son a used and not abused Mercury Grand Marquis LS 4 door sedan. It is very large and safe. It has a small V8 but is not really a fast car. The insurace premiums were among the lowest available as the insurance experience level on that car is fantastic.... none are stolen... as the typical owner is older.

Parts are very cheap. The body is big (alot of metal between the outside and the running gear) and visibility is wonderful.

The downside is that it looks like a cop car and the gas mileage is low in the city (16MPG) but higher on the long run (22-24).

In the snow you need to put weight in the trunk, but you may not have that problem unless you go to Flagstaff. In the Pheonix area, say Sun City, these are quite common and you could find one cheap. The 1999 model or earlier may fit you budget and the cars are generally not abused.