Glad my FiST is tucked away in the garage now and saved from the ravages of winter. Driving my 2006 Ford Fusion base with the 2.3 L Mazda engine and 5 speed standard. Picked it up last year with only 71,000 km's (40,000 miles on it)
Runs perfect and actually gets the same mileage as the FiST, but granted does not get driven hard.
Have Michelin winter X ice tires on it. No stress winter driving and no sadness when the gravel and salt do their number on it.