Odd Question about Northern Snow

[chicmom]

Hi there! I'm in north eastern Ohio, and I do live "out in the boonies"! LOL I drive a little Honda Civic, and it does just fine in the snow. It's automatic, with front wheel drive. Now, ice is another thing.......

I know how you feel though....more vulnerable in the snow in a small car. I bought my Honda because I drive 20 miles one way to work each day, and I needed something that gets good gas mileage.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

 

[natrgatr]

"I was wondering the same thing, how do those little bitty Smart cars or others in that class handle snow. "

My Smart car eats it up in snow (up to 5" or 6", unplowed) and ice. It has awesome Automatic Traction Control. I usually only use my 4WD Durango when my half-mile long driveway is blown shut (or before I plow it).

Also, if you do get stuck, a kid on a bicycle could probably pull you out.

 

[Orchid]

Quote:

 

[jvls1942]

I've lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota for all my life.. we have been snowed in only once in the past 40 years.. when it snows hard and long, the plows do not go out until it stops.. so if it snows hard for 2 days, you just stay where you are..

the stuckest i ever was ,, I was going to pick up my girl friend, (now wife).. hey had a 1 1/2 mile long driveway.. just before you got to the barn, there was a 90 degree corner.. I didn't make it.. I buried the car into the deep snow.. I had to crawl out the window, because all 4 doors were packed in snow way up to the windows..

the town snowplow came in and got stuck, so they sent another one to pull him out.. that one got stuck also.. so a neighbor farmer came with a BIG JohnDeere and unstuck everybody..

 

[sharron]

we live in pa. south of pittsburgh, i being born and raised in florida was scared to death of driving in the white stuff, so i got a jeep, loved that one, when it went bad, bought another jeep thinking all jeeps are the same, WRONG, so traded the last jeep for a forrester with awd, not once has it let me down and we live in the country where the snow plows don't get us until all the main roads are clear, my little forrester gets me home up a really bad hill and into my garage without slipping and sliding once, i love that little car, when it goes, will buy another subaru

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Well this sucks. 25" later and my car can't go anywhere. Keep getting high-centered in the parking lot of our apartment complex. My fiance's car has a higher ground clearance so we're using his car. It's just not a good ordeal at all. Nothing but 4x4s, SUVs, trucks on the roads.

I think I'm gonna keep my car and invest in a snowplow.

 

[kstaven]

Quote:
If she likes the Subaru she would LOVE the Audi Quattro. handles Rocky Mountain winters and roads better than the 4x4.

 

[annaraven]

We had a Saab. Great winter car - made by Swedes. They understand winter. Heated bunwarmers, started at 30below, no problem.

Our roommate had a Geo Metro.

Neither car had a problem in winter in MN. Note - the problem with driving around SUVs is that the people driving them don't realize they can't brake any better than a smaller car. We would pass a lot of spinouts...

Also, the nice thing with the Geo Metro was, if it did slide into a ditch, all you need is a couple guys to pick it up and put it back on the road.

 

[booker81]

Quote:
Exactly. 4x4 doesn't do squat to help stopping, and doesn't do much if you are going around a steep turn. It pretty much just helps "go". If anything, it makes stopping "harder" - if you are being silly and going too fast, a heavier vehicle takes longer to stop, and a LOT longer to stop on slick roads.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Yup. I've seen plenty of 4 x 4 vehicles in ditches at the side of a road because people don't think they need to drive carefully with them. You still do, it just helps if the either the front OR back tires lose traction. On glare ice, nothing works.