Buying new car that will go uphill in snow

Ron_L
Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:06 +0000
Driving/Drivers

My wife’s 2002 Saturn Vue (2 wheel drive, 2.2 L engine, I think) had “catastrophic engine failure”, and we are preparing for the worst. It’s at the dealer waiting to be looked at. It’s got 160,000 miles, and it always had trouble making it up the incline on our driveway when there was as little as 2-3 inches of snow. The incline is about 30 degrees for 15 feet, then lessens, becoming flat at about 30 feet or so. (I have a 1998 Toyota 4Runner, and even in 2 wheel drive it usually makes it up, although sometimes I put it into 4 wheel drive). She has always liked the Toyota Avalon (she wants to switch to a sedan with a comfortable ride), but it only comes in 2 wheel drive. I wonder if the Avalon would make it up the incline in snow, or if I should look for an AWD sedan with a comfortable ride (I think that takes us to Lexus IS series, as the ES does not come in AWD). (She also likes the Lexus.) Put another way, what factors affect traction under these conditions, 2 wheel vs. AWD or 4WD, horsepower of engine, what? Thanks.

17 posts - 12 participants