I have 4x4, fwd and rwd. By far, the 4x4 offers superior performance in snow and not just getting going but in traveling on snow. That is why people tend to overdrive them. They forget there’s limitations.
That is so true…The SUV revolution…MANY MANY people have bought SUV’s without knowing the first thing about 4wd and how it works. All they know is that you put it in 4wd and you can go better. So they increase their speeds and think they can now drive their SUV in a winter storm like they drive their car in the middle of summer.
My needs for AWD/winter tires stem from an addiction to Skiing pow pow (eg powder snow) in the North East. Also our family estate house has poor road maintenance. Winter tires with FWD get you there most of the time but mud season or deeper snow stops most FWD’s with winter tires in their tracks. Thankfully my now deceased grandparents have a nice 1986 Kubota (4wd) tractor with only 300 hrs to pull stuck cars and clear the drive.
That all being said winter tires coupled to a FWD will suit nearly all drivers very well with some caution in extreme conditions. I did really well with Blizzacks coupled to a low slung Honda Civic Coupe. A tow strap and good Samaritans with 4wds/Jeeps were handy too when I did get stuck occasionally.
DONATA WHAT DID YOU START. SOME TIRES COMPANYS MAKE YOU BUY FOUR TIRES FIRESTONE WOULD NOT PUT ONLY FRONT TIRES ON MY CAR BECAUSE THEY GRIP SO WELL ON ICE THE CAR WOULD SPIN AROUND. SEARS WANTED ME TO SIGN A LAW SUIT WAVER TO GET ONLY TWO TIRES. EVERY ONE GOT OFF THE TIRES AND TALK ABOUT 4W VERSES 2WD . WHY BUY AN CAR IF YOU CAN BY WITH GOOD SNOW TIRES . TAKING IT EASY ON SNOW IS THE BEST WAY TO GO. AND i HAVE SEEN MANY SUV ON THEIR SIDES .
boxwrench please turn off the CAPS LOCK! You’re SHOUTING at us!
2 tires vs 4 tires: in general, you want traction on the rear axle to be at least as good as on the front axle, to keep from going into a rear-wheel skid on a slick curve. This means 4 snows for a FWD car, and nowadays signing a waiver if you insist on only putting them on the front.
Donata: people always got to their destination before there were SUVs. I was raised on a farm in the Great Lakes snow belt, and good snow tires was all we needed. Equip your Impala with a good set of snow (winter) tires and you will see a world of difference. Stopping distances for SUVs are no shorter than regular cars, and we see more SUVs in the ditch during a snow storm than regular cars because the owners underestimate their stopping distances. As Tom and Ray often point out, there is really no substitute for driving skills and common sense. Taking a special winter driving course, as my wife did, is one of the best investments you can make.
That is so true…The SUV revolution…MANY MANY people have bought SUV’s without knowing the first thing about 4wd and how it works. All they know is that you put it in 4wd and you can go better. So they increase their speeds and think they can now drive their SUV in a winter storm like they drive their car in the middle of summer.
You just made my case for driving a RWD pickup on snow and ice. It really limits how fast you can go, and you shouldn’t go any faster than that. I had a FWD spin out at about 45 on ice one time and when it goes at that speed, things happen too fast to even have a hope of recovering. I’ve spun, slid actually, at around 30 on RWD but was always able to recover on those without going into the ditch.
Full disclosure her, I drove RWD for 25 years before I ever got into a FWD. They handle differently so when a FWD starts to slid, my reactions actually makes it worse because of their different handling characteristics. So I go with what I’m most used to. I use the FWD for my daily commute in good weather for the economy.
If I still had my 66 Dodge wagon with LSD, I take you up on your challenge on that little hill in NY. I used to leave the 4wd’s and FWD’s in the dust (snow) all the time with that one, but if you tried to go over 28 mph on ice, it would want to swap ends for some reason. But up to 28 mph, it would go anywhere. My wife once pushed my little Maverick up a steep icy incline, and I had the brakes on in the Maverick.
BTW, I’m originally from Vermont, and we got along just fine for many years on just RWD. Snow tires and chains sometimes, but RWD none the less.