Wife had a 1998 Honda CR-V with AWD. Could not get it stuck in the snow. During the Christmas Blizzard of 2009 I left my house in far NW OKC to go pick up my mother in The Village. NW122nd and May were like slalom courses with all the abandoned cars. Never even felt like I was in snow. Pulled out several big SUV's that were stuck in snow drifts. It was a beast in the snow. When it was time to get a new car for her, got a new AWD CR-V. It's a 2011. Haven't really had the chance to really see how it handles snow.
And that, everybody, was the point of the thread.
In snow, my car (Corvette) becomes a 1WD snow plow. You can imagine how well that works.
Other than a RWD pickup with no weight in the bed, it mostly comes down the driver NOT being a moron. Tires make a big difference, clearance matters if the snow is deep; but not of it matters if the driver isn't capable.
I prefer AWD, but I've driven all of them in snow. My daily has been a RWD BMW for the last 5 years, and I've never not gone to work due to my vehicle.
I prefer AWD, but I've driven all of them in snow. My daily has been a RWD BMW for the last 5 years, and I've never not gone to work due to my vehicle.
FWD/RWD is 2WD, just FYI
'Generally' when comparing FWD and RWD (with disregard to the complicated traction/stability controls and/or LSDs that come on todays vehicles), most people say that people less in tune with their vehicle (aka, less skillful drivers) are better off with FWD in the snow/ice because there is significant weight over the drive wheels, and the drive wheels can also steer (plus the fact that because the front wheels both drive and steer, they find traction sooner than if the rear wheels were driving assuming the ice in question begins and ends in a uniform manner, simply because they are closer to the nose of the vehicle). A skilled driver will be able to effectively pilot any 'drive' vehicle effectively in snowy/icy weather, and more importantly will know the limits of said vehicle in such conditions.
AWD vehicles (usually SUVs and crossovers) are better in ice/snow. Selectable 4WD vehicles are just as good, the only thing is the driver has to consciously engage 4WD, and disengage it when the road becomes driveable. AWD has an advantage in that, if a road is slick, but only in patches--where 4WD would be impractical to use as it could negatively impact handling. Most AWD systems, as stated previously, are not suitable for bona fide off-roading.
Obviously, a fully locked (front and rear lockers) 4WD vehicle with grippy weather-appropriate tires (in this case--snow) would be ideal. Keep in mind most 4WD vehicles are trucks, and trucks naturally have very little weight on the rear wheels (drive wheels) which is not an ideal set-up when faced with adverse road conditions. A few sandbags or something similar in the bed can make a lot of difference. Tires are the only part of the vehicle that makes contact with the ground, and are therefore crucial in maintaining traction.
Just my $.02
Growing up in Colorado I mostly drove fwd and got around just fine. The 4wd drive people sometimes thought they were unstoppable and found themselves off the road and stuck. Unless your climbing trails or romping thru the mud fwd works great. Never had an awd.
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For snow?
This is Oklahoma. For most of the state, making a vehicle decision based on driving in snow would be idiotic.
This is Oklahoma. For most of the state, making a vehicle decision based on driving in snow would be idiotic.
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