Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Earlier I posted this in the Iowa forum because I was wondering how a 2WD (front) SUV will fare in snowy driving conditions. I've owned an AWD Mountaineer (and that thing was a beast in the snow) now am currently driving a Dodge Stratus and it does fairly decent in the snow, so I know I can handle driving in Iowa winters...I've been doing it for about 8 yrs. Anyways, I was looking at a 2010 Kia Sportage 2WD (front) and was worried about how it will do in the lovely winters in Iowa. Hope someone can help!
Iowa gets a lot of snow but it is flat as a pancake. You could handle Iowa in a RWD car with snow tires. Front wheel drive is no substitute for four wheel drive. Others will tell their stories of how great front wheel drive is. Forget it. If you want to go in the snow get 4WD.
My question is, why buy a 2WD SUV? Just buy a minivan...
Thats a dumb question. Minivans are the cars that people buy when they are ready to go ahead and get one foot into the grave. Plus, just look at minivans, they are all hideous. Some people want an SUV b/c they actually don't look like little symbols of people having a baby factory.
Up to a foot of snow is manageable in front wheel drive. I said manageable. A lot depends on if you have good tires, some weight in the trunk, have a fairly heavy car, what kind of snow it is. Drive like a maniac and you'll go off the road in any car, four wheel drive or not.
Its funny to read posts from people who have only driven on packed down highway snow, isn't it?
It all about ground clearance. I live to pull people who are stuck out of the snow and invariably its some little AWD car with no ground clearance. The traction would probably be there but the undercarriage has ridden up on the snow and as light as many of these new cars are, they are STUCK!
No disrespect, Viking, but I'm not buying a Toyota Corolla in 2 feet of snow. Sorry. A 2 foot snowfall that cars have packed down, maybe. But 2 feet of new snow. Norway or the Arctic, no way.
Last edited by Wilson513; 09-01-2010 at 06:13 AM..
4WD will give you a better shot of driving through packed, icier conditions than 2WD. Clearance will get you over the deep snow, but clearance doesn't help with icy conditions. That's where the 4WD or AWD come in handy.
If you're prone to slipping and sliding around where you live, in the wintertime, then go for the 4WD or AWD. If you're not, the 2WD with a higher clearance will do fine as long as you take it slow and cautious.
What I find interesting is people who want ground clearance and 2WD. That's just inane, I bet you put a lift kit on your 2WD pickup didn't you?
Don't bullsh*t. You want a SUV so you can look like you have 4WD, but you don't actually want to pay the little bit extra for it. You don't like the way a minivan looks? Buy a sedan. If you need ground clearance, you need 4WD too.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
