How important is AWD in areas plagued by snow?

[visualpoet]

Dean, I've driven EVERYTHING in the snow, including an 11.5 second '70 LeMans. I've only gotten one stuck, and it was an empty Pizza Hut Ford Ranger that melted itself in when I stopped to help some chick out in a snow storm. Oh and a Ford E-150 Conversion that I got a wheel stuck in a hole in the 6 inches of packed ice and snow while I was cutting donuts in a hotel parking lot.

If you know how to handle the situation, it doesn't matter which tires are getting the power. I've driven power happy RWD cars past Jeeps in the ditch that thought 4WD meant that they could just roll through. It's really more about the driver than the car.

If the conditions are bad, AWD will be slightly better, but it's not necessary and can even screw you over if you don't know what you're doing; once all four wheels are spinning; no traction, no control. It really only makes itself most effective when driven in ways that will get you pulled over or launching off the line. (Unless you run studded tires or chains on all four corners)


If it's that big of a worry, you're looking for something with AWD and traction control and that's going to lull you into a false sense of security.


Roll what you wanna roll. Stop in Columbus when we have snow or ice on the streets; I'll teach you how to drive safely and how to drive fun in the snow.

[Leung]

I've driven a dodge Dakota through heavy Chicago snow before. The key is to load the bed down with a several bags of tube sand. When I had a Ranger, I fished tailed a lot bc apparently the flareside model was made from fiberglass. Also have a 5spd in snow is a lot better than an auto bc you can rock yourself out of snow banks.

[sohc4door]

sounds like a typical reply here but my dads 2003 STi is real good, i think he got it for 12K with roughly 65000 on the odometer

[Straight Success]

Don't forget good tires. Winters tires or all season tires works wonders. A good manual transmission as mentioned and some good tires is all you really need.

[Dobermann]

Honestly, with heavy snow...the driver mod is key.

Good driver and proper tires are key. AWD is great to start traction and maintain it on slippery surfaces, but once you hit ice...AWD won't do squat.

I wouldnt' want to take just RWD through the snow (i.e. my truck in 2WD), but I also didn't have proper snow tires.

This.

I started driving in North Bay (500km north of Hamilton.) and all my parents have is right now is fwd cars with all seasons. They both have perfect records too. I am driving a lowered car up there when I go visit and its fine. In kitchener we get around as much snow as you will in Hamilton. It's no big deal. Alot of my friends drive 2wd pickups through the winter and they are fine.

Just drive according to the conitions and you will be fine.

[Ralphie]

Well Dean your going to do what you want, but no one has even mentioned a CR-V besides me.

I have the latest issue of Consumer Reports.

BWM, Mercedes, and Audi do NOT rate well at all.

Expensive to maintain, and reliability are the biggest plagues for them.

I know your a BMW man at heart, but you clearly have a soft spot for Honda's.

The CR-V is great for lugging anything, including kids, around in all kinds of weather.

I cannot tell you how many times ive seen it posted that the CR-V is underestimated in its handling capabilities.

Of course, like has been said, its more about your driving experience/decisions, but this move is going to be costly im sure for you.

Wait till you get settled to score yourself a BWM/Audi high end car.

Stay logical brotha.

edit- what about the Pilot?!?!

Ive done no research, but being a Honda and having AWD(i believe) im sure you can't go wrong.


And just for the lazy uneducated people-

http://www.edmunds.com/honda/cr-v/2011/

21city/28mpg highway......

dude can't fucking beat that.


This is the only cons listed

Cons

No optional engine upgrade; elevated road noise; transmission lacks manual mode.

Ok boo hoo, no engine upgrade.

All Honda's suffer from road noise, its one of their few flaws.

Ok so no manual mode.

Small shit to complain about when you compare to all of its pro's.

And if you find yourself a deal, itll cost you only 35k over 5 years of ownership.

No European car is going to come in that cheap.

[Gemini]

Well Dean your going to do what you want, but no one has even mentioned a CR-V besides me.

I have the latest issue of Consumer Reports.

BWM, Mercedes, and Audi do NOT rate well at all.

Expensive to maintain, and reliability are the biggest plagues for them.

I know your a BMW man at heart, but you clearly have a soft spot for Honda's.

The CR-V is great for lugging anything, including kids, around in all kinds of weather.

I cannot tell you how many times ive seen it posted that the CR-V is underestimated in its handling capabilities.

Of course, like has been said, its more about your driving experience/decisions, but this move is going to be costly im sure for you.

Wait till you get settled to score yourself a BWM/Audi high end car.

Stay logical brotha.

edit- what about the Pilot?!?!

Ive done no research, but being a Honda and having AWD(i believe) im sure you can't go wrong.


And just for the lazy uneducated people-

http://www.edmunds.com/honda/cr-v/2011/

21city/28mpg highway......

dude can't fucking beat that.


This is the only cons listed

Cons

No optional engine upgrade; elevated road noise; transmission lacks manual mode.

Ok boo hoo, no engine upgrade.

All Honda's suffer from road noise, its one of their few flaws.

Ok so no manual mode.

Small shit to complain about when you compare to all of its pro's.

And if you find yourself a deal, itll cost you only 35k over 5 years of ownership.

No European car is going to come in that cheap.

CRV seems too small and not roomy enough for me but that just looking from outside. I actually like the Pilot, a co-worker has one and Ive been thinking about taking a test drive if they let me.

As for staying logical, i have been and will continue to do so hence this thread Shit, if i wasnt i would just buy what i really want and say fuck it with everything else.

if driving skill and tires are the major things needed to drive in deep snow then i think im good then. My ex and mother-in-law both drive fwd cars and had no previous talent in snow driving and they did fine for 2 winters now...i do have some experience driving in snow so im no noob but no pro either.

[Ralphie]

if driving skill and tires are the major things needed to drive in deep snow then i think im good then. My ex and mother-in-law both drive fwd cars and had no previous talent in snow driving and they did fine for 2 winters now...i do have some experience driving in snow so im no noob but no pro either.

Exactly.

You don't need AWD, but i was suggesting that if you want to have it, and want to get it on the cheap, the CR-V is probably the cheapest route.

Subaru's are not cheap(i know, ive looked for myself lol)

And my neighbor has a Forrester and an old gen CR-V, and he said the CR-V is slightly better in the snow, then the Forrester.

Says a lot man.

I would just keep the CG brah!

[Gemini]

Exactly.

You don't need AWD, but i was suggesting that if you want to have it, and want to get it on the cheap, the CR-V is probably the cheapest route.

Subaru's are not cheap(i know, ive looked for myself lol)

And my neighbor has a Forrester and an old gen CR-V, and he said the CR-V is slightly better in the snow, then the Forrester.

Says a lot man.

I would just keep the CG brah!

Regardless im not keeping the CG coupe, might get a 7th sedan instead then or even a CG sedan but im over the coupe

[Ralphie]

Regardless im not keeping the CG coupe, might get a 7th sedan instead then or even a CG sedan but im over the coupe

Omg how im with you on that one.

I mean, i do think the coupes are sexy, but im so tired of getting in and out of it.

I want a fucking 2007 V6 so bad....like Foamys!!!!!

[Straight Success]

The best thing is to test drive. Sure any individual can read a consumer or automotive report, but ultimately what is it? It's someone other than the reader's opinion. Don't get me wrong, reading is fundamental and a good way to gain insight, but the research doesn't stop there.

Again test drive is the best research one can do.

As an individual who pretty much drove everything you can think of (from the Americans, Japs, Italians, Brits, French, Koreans, etc.) with the exception of a Lamborghini and Panoz (not including a De Tomaso), I find the best way to understand what comforts you on the road is by driving. I get into heated debates with people all the time about what they read. 'mI constantly at dealerships, constantly driving everything from a Yugo to a damn Bentley, and I also do my reading and research. 6 times out of 10, my opinion differs from a author who wrote a review about a vehicle I read.

Facts: I drove Michael Vick's Range Rover, his S class, Shady McCoy's cars, and a host of many other rich people vehicles who people don't know on a daily basis.

When I personally post something, it's more than likely from experience, not only what I read. Working two valet jobs (one primarily involving driving), I think I know my shit, and my experience entitles me to an unbiased opinion, like it or not.

With that said, sure some companies will rape you for service, or some other means to swindle money out of you. There are ways around that just like everything else. If I ever post an opinion, it's due to my experience, and it's due to knowing what car would be good for certain circumstances.

Period.

Good luck with your purchase Dean.

[Ralphie]

The best thing is to test drive. Sure any individual can read a consumer or automotive report, but ultimately what is it? It's someone other than the reader's opinion. Don't get me wrong, reading is fundamental and a good way to gain insight, but the research doesn't stop there.

Again test drive is the best research one can do.

As an individual who pretty much drove everything you can think of (from the Americans, Japs, Italians, Brits, French, Koreans, etc.) with the exception of a Lamborghini and Panoz (not including a De Tomaso), I find the best way to understand what comforts you on the road is by driving. I get into heated debates with people all the time about what they read. 'mI constantly at dealerships, constantly driving everything from a Yugo to a damn Bentley, and I also do my reading and research. 6 times out of 10, my opinion differs from a author who wrote a review about a vehicle I read.

Facts: I drove Michael Vicks Range Rover, his S class, Shady McCoy's cars, and a host of many other rich people vehicles who people don't know on a daily basis.

When I personally post something, it's more than likely from experience, not only what I read. Working two valet jobs (one primarily involving driving), I think I know my shit, and my experience entitles me to an unbiased opinion, like it or not.

With that said, sure some companies will rape you for service, or some other means to swindle money out of you. There are ways around that just like everything else. If I ever post an opinion, it's due to my experience, and it's due to knowing what car would be good for certain circumstances.

Period.

See i don't like that this is clearly directed at me, since i posted a link to Edmunds(which is a respected outlet for Automobile reviews) and you are trying to pawn off your experience as "golden" when you are fucking valet.

You drive a car from a garage, to a central location, and back again.

You don't drive any of these cars over testing courses, through snow drifts, through bad inclement weather etc.

So you expect me to believe that because you valet cars, your opinion is better then someone who has experience testing cars on tracks?

Gtfo.

Also i don't see any proof of you driving any of these cars you so claim.

That being said, going to a dealership and test driving a vehicle is definitely a good thing to do.

It does not end there, however, because your short test drive will not tell you how the car will perform in experiences which you won't find yourself in.

So it's good to also use resources available, like Edmunds, Car&Driver, and Consumer Reports.

Im sure they are somewhat biased sometimes, but the information is out there for you to find yourself anyway.

[Straight Success]

See i don't like that this is clearly directed at me, since i posted a link to Edmunds(which is a respected outlet for Automobile reviews) and you are trying to pawn off your experience as "golden" when you are fucking valet.

You drive a car from a garage, to a central location, and back again.

You don't drive any of these cars over testing courses, through snow drifts, through bad inclement weather etc.

So you expect me to believe that because you valet cars, your opinion is better of someone who has experience testing cars on tracks?

Gtfo.

Let me correct you real quick, and avoid yet another debate. No I just don't drive from garage to garage. I've driven people cars from Philadelphia to various dealerships in other states for them. I drove people cars to N.Y. and Atlantic City. I mean, this is something that people request from my employers. Oh, can Anthony drive my car to 'X' location for whatever reason? I'm not talking Camrys or Fusions. I'm talking LS460's, 355, C6's, a BENTLY CONTINENTAL. Get it now. One of my jobs is primarily valeting, the other, pure customer service (pleasing residents that live in high rise $2000+/month waterfront condos).

Oh, and I drove in some pretty bad weather too.

Take care.

[Ralphie]

Let me correct you real quick, and avoid yet another debate. No I just don't drive from garage to garage. I've driven people cars from Philadelphia to various dealerships in other states for them. I drove people cars to N.Y. and Atlantic City. I mean, this is something that people request from my employers. Oh can Anthony drive my car to 'X' locatio for whatever reasons. I'm not talking Camrys or Fusions. I'm talking LS460's, 355, C6's, a BENTLY CONTINENTAL. Get it now. One of my jobs is primarily valeting, the other, pure customer service (pleasing residents that live in high rise $2000+/month waterfront condos).

Oh, and I drove in some pretty bad weather too.

Take care.

Ok, so people pay for you to drive their vehicle someplace for them.

Ive heard of that, never heard it referenced as valet but thats semantics.

Now while ill give you credit for a x amount of cars, driving an x amount of miles in x amount of bad weather, that still does not necessarily make you more knowledgeable about all vehicles and how they handle.

So if you don't drive 'camrys' and 'hondas', then your knowledge is limited to high end cars, in which case it is moot as that's not really what he is looking for anyway.

Im going out on a limb here and guessing that when you drive these cars from place to place, you do so with respect for the vehicle, since they are expensive and this is your job right?

If thats the case, then you don't push any of these vehicles to their limits, or really do anything, besides gently deliver them from A-B.

Thats all good, and i give you props on a sick job, but its out of the realm of what i was talking about.

Either way it came off as you trying to say that, because youve driven a fuck ton of cars for work, that it somehow makes your opinion unbiased and more appropriate, then someone at Edmunds whos driven a wider range of cars then you.

Doesn't really add up.

In the end, both are opinions and no one should EVER go by an opinion outright.

[Straight Success]

Ok, so people pay for you to drive their vehicle someplace for them.

Ive heard of that, never heard it referenced as valet but thats semantics.

Now while ill give you credit for a x amount of cars, driving an x amount of miles in x amount of bad weather, that still does not necessarily make you more knowledgeable about all vehicles and how they handle.

So if you don't drive 'camrys' and 'hondas', then your knowledge is limited to high end cars, in which case it is moot as that's not really what he is looking for anyway.

Either way it came off as you trying to say that because youve driven a fuck ton of cars for work, that they somehow makes your opinion unbiased and more appropriate then someone at Edmunds whos driven more cars then you.

Doesn't really add up.

In the end, both are opinions and no one should EVER go by an opinion outright.

Hence why my given advice stated that the best research is a test drive. People can't purchase what they want off of my opinion. My comfort zone on the road is much different than yours, Dean's, Mike's, and just about everyone of this forum.

In addition, the high end cars were to justify a point. I drive all realms of vehicles. If you go back and read the first part of this... whatever it is, you'll clearly see that.

To clearly state my advice again, if one gains the opportunity to drive the vehicles that are contemplating on buying, try to, within reasonable means, drive the vehicles and get a feel for them. That's the best research IMHO.

EDIT: BTW, I like Camrys and Fusions both. I love mid-sized mid priced vehicles. One always have to have middle ground. Those cars are always a good start, or a good finish depending on your perspective.