Just had a phone interview for a job up there, questions as follows:
Is there that much snow/salt on the roads during the winter (Aurora)?
Would the already acceleration challenged Miata be horrible at 5000ft +/- (I assume most communities are that elevation, give or take)? Tucson is 2500ft.
Do the authorities cut you slack for stalking FM if you're caught in a Miata?
No.
Yes.
Not really.
Pretty dry here in the Denver area usually. There can be big storms but it melts off in a few days. That said, if you have a job that you have to be there everyday, I wouldn't have a miata as my sole means of transportation.
You're going to be down 18% horsepower wise here compared to sea level and a miata isn't, um, known to be a powerhouse to begin with. So, yeah, its gonna sucks eggs up here.
Where do you live now?
There is MUCH less snow/salt than the midwest. Denver gets feet of snow every year, but the amount of it that sticks around for more than 24 hours is probably measured in inches.
Its funny, I moved from Denver to Chicago. Most Chicago people think that winters in Denver are awful and that the weather is unpredictable in Chicago. Neither statement could be more opposite of the truth.
I hardly notice cars being slower. Maybe if you are a good drag driver and can compare timeslips. I used to have to give my MGB and vw fox a workout while driving up i70 to go to the mountains, and you will notice lack of power going uphill - but that is because they were not powerful cars to begin with.
Dude - just get an old K5.
Ok, so not terrible, we'll see what happens. Phone interview is small potatoes, but a fellow should always try to prepare, right?
300 days of sun/year, not so many bugs. I'd move back in a heartbeat. Yes cars are a little slower. Not much salt, but sand. Everyone's windshields and front paint take a beating. Aurora is pretty hard core suburbia these days. It was out in the sticks when I lived there.
Simple: Take signing bonus/pay raise and buy FM Turbo kit and a spare "Winter" car.
Done.
Stefan wrote: Simple: Take signing bonus/pay raise and buy FM Turbo kit and a spare "Winter" car. Done.
Wiser words have not been spoken, sir, and I thank you.
In reply to OldGray320i:
Yeah I'm pretty sure Keith has the answer for your Answer. And what do you know, you can even pick it up at the shop and skip the shipping charges 
Yup, we have altitude compensators in stock!
The cars might be slower, but the roads are worth it.
Elk are WAY bigger than deer. I'd not want to hit one in a Miata. Although it's at least plausible you might drive underneath it if it jumps a little bit.
Colorado is the holy land. Of you can swing it, move there.
Depending where you are coming from, the real estate in the Denver area is booming so look into that before you commit.
Other than that, if you stay out of the mountains it's not bad in the winter. Get out into route 24 and up into ski country and life can get interesting.
I noticed the difference every time I drive from the Springs to Austin but nothing to worry about.
I find the power difference noticable in general. I think i've taken 3 different cars from TX to CO. One of them was a ~65hp Honda Insight and that turned out to be a terrible idea. WOT in 4th gear to maintain speed on the highway and passing was nigh-on impossible.
I once had a pregnant teen gas station employee tell me I was waisting my life at 4am in Colorado. That is about all Colorado knowledge I have.
emsalex wrote: I once had a pregnant teen gas station employee tell me I was waisting my life at 4am in Colorado. That is about all Colorado knowledge I have.
Was that irony or speaking from experience on her part?
Move. Move now.
My Xterra was 10 years old from Denver when I bought it. Looked brand new underneath. The roads are incredible. JUST DO IT.
/jealousy
Colorado doesn't use salt so rust is much reduced. But all that sand causes serious particulate pollution..
It's gorgeous country with tons of outdoor activities.
Home prices can be really high. The affordable houses seem to come with very long commutes. Traffic can be bad.
They don't really use sand here and last winter they started using salt. Previously they'd been using Mag Chloride.
There are no affordable homes here. You want a house for under $300k? Be prepared to live in a hovel.
docwyte wrote: They don't really use sand here and last winter they started using salt. Previously they'd been using Mag Chloride.
Berk, you're right. CDOT: Snow Removal Products
ITS ALL berkeleyED UP DONT DO IT!!!!
You drive on the left side of the road not the right. The speed limit signs are for the minimum and not the maximum. And people in white cars always have the right of way!!!!! #MarijuanaNotEvenOnce
We haven't had much by way of deep snow here in a long time. I've switched from a 4wd to a Focus ST as my 12-month driver. I ran Blizzaks from January to May of this year. They never saw more than 1/4" of snow. Not that it can't snow here, it just doesn't snow nearly as much as it used to.
I lived in Denver for nearly 7 years and loved it. Back then they didn't use salt on the roads, so the cars hardly rusted at all. The sun in the summer can be strong, and folks are lazy with waxing their cars--- so paint fade is common. They also have less octane in their gas--- something to do with the altitude, or environmental issues, as Denver had horrible smog problems into the 90s. (might still)
A slower car can be frustrating heading up into the mountains, but coming down is still fun! (provided you have good brakes, if not....it can be terrifying!) Yes, your car will be noticeably slower. Everything is slower though, so you kind of get used to it. When you head back to sea level your car will feel FAST! I remember my 87 Cressida was a dog at altitude, but at Sea Level it could chirp the tires under the right circumstances.
What drove me out of CO? Life changes, a lack of water, and high cost of living. Denver is basically a high desert, so nearly all lakes / ponds are man-made reservoirs. The streams are nice, and decent for trout fishing, but overall, it's a very dry place. Stock up on skin lotion, and chapstick--- especially in Winter. When I first lived there, the cost of living wasn't bad, but they then had a boom, and prices doubled within 6 months or so.
Keep in mind Denver has always been a "boom town". In the 80's it was oil, then in the 90's it was tech. When these industries explode, costs go up......way up. When a 1,000 sq ft place in a decent (but not opulent) area was closing in on $300K, I left for more bang for the buck.
I have friends that live in Aurora. It's a pretty unremarkable suburban part of town. The cost of living was always lower in Aurora--- probably because it's not really near anything but homes and strip malls. Downtown Denver is only 20 min away though.
Traffic does suck.....badly, but they have expanded the Light Rail, so it's actually useful now. They also have those funky rental bikes everywhere---- but they aren't optimal for the Winter. That said, you plan around rush hour when you live in the Denver metro area. Just don't bother trying to get anywhere from 3-6pm. If you do, surface streets can help once you know your way around. Still sucks though.
I found Denver itself to be an Ok, but not a great city. The magic of Denver is it's proximity to the mountains. Denver isn't actually in the mountains, it's at the base of the Rockies. Depending on where you live in the city, you can get to the mountains in 20-60 minutes. It's very, very nice up there----- God's country!
The only problem with Denver being close to the Rockies is that the traffic going into/out of the mountains on weekends is spectacular. Massive traffic jams on Sunday afternoon.
I used to drive an old Subaru wagon. Carbureted 
Slow as can be - I used to watch for semis in my rear view mirror going over passes - but nobody could touch me on the downhill. 
BTW, it's required that you own a Toyota truck, Dodge truck or Subaru while living here.
ebonyandivory wrote:emsalex wrote: I once had a pregnant teen gas station employee tell me I was waisting my life at 4am in Colorado. That is about all Colorado knowledge I have.Was that irony or speaking from experience on her part?
Or was she just telling you to move along.
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