how does you car handle the snow? (Golf: maintenance, live in)

[rose125]

Originally Posted by SubaruFiend

So those soccer moms that are truckin along at 60mph in their BIG ole SUV's! You better slow down! Just because all the tires are pulling you along doesn't mean they will STOP you when you have to hit the brakes in an emergency! No amount of ABS or 4x4 will stop ANY car on ice! EVER! So DRIVE SLOWLY!!!!!!

Ahh such a great point- it drives me nuts to see people flying in thier SUV's!!

[irish setter girl]

We have an Audi with new tires and it rocks in the snow! We also have a Nissan and it is ok but not as good as the Audi.

[knitgirl]

thanks for the hints and pointers everybody! The car is worst turning, I've slowed down a lot since the first turn I tried to make in snow. It doesn't plow through a lot of snow as well as the Tercel did, either. Our driveway has a fair slope at the bottom and it won't make it up the driveway if there's 4" of snow. One day last winter it started snowing while I was at work, had to leave it at the bottom of the driveway til I got the slope shoveled - and it IS a stick shift! Sure miss my little Toyota. I bought this car because it had so much less mileage than the Hondas and Toyotas in my price range. If we end up with the amounts of snow we got last year, I really am going to have to invest in some better tires. We don't have a garage, so storing tires and going back and forth between snows and regular would be a bit of a problem. Thank again!

[cdc3217]

I am surprised by how mediocre the snow handling is on my Honda CR-V. I used to have a Quest minivan that way outperformed it. I suspect I had heavier duty tires on the old mini, though. (I am not the best at keeping track of these things.)

[cubssoxfan]

Worst car in snow: My '71 Super Beetle
Best car in snow: Surprisingly, '97 Ford Mini-van, company car. It was RWD and was better than my FWD personal cars.
Car I wish we had for snow: '01 Subaru Forrester. Phenomonal in the rain, best tracking car I ever drove. Traded for '02 Nickel & Dime-ler Dodge Grand Caravan. Most repair prone car I have ever owned. Subbie didn't have enough space for kids. Amazing how much stuff you have to tote along when traveling with really young kiddos.

[NYrules]

I used to have a 97 Toyota Camry LE with Michellin X-OneTires on it and it handled amazing in the snow. I currently have an 01 Lexus RX 300 AWD with Michellin M&S tires, and to be honest you don't even know its snowing outside the car handles SO well... Its almost as if the car drives itself. The car will actually sound an alarm in the car when it goes into a slide and I have NO idea how it does this, but it will actually pull itself out of the slide somehow. True it gets horrible mileage, but still the car is excellent for poor weather conditions of which this area is LOADED with. The Lexus also comes with a snow traction device built into the transmission to let the engine slow you down some instead of relying soley on your brakes.

[becoming trees]

This is the second winter with my VW Beetle. Last winter was a Chicago winter, and it was perfectly fine. Had a battery die, but I kept putting off getting a new one. Never slid or anything. This winter is a Grand Rapids, Michigan winter and after about 8 inches of snow and constant snow/rain/cold for the past week and it's been perfectly fine.
I have a good set of tires, which I didn't have last year.
ABS, yes, but that doesn't matter. My old car had ABS and that is what caused me problems with it in winter.
No four wheel drive. I've driven my mom's massive SUV with four wheel drive in winter and found it almost more difficult to drive than my little Beetle.
I like the smaller cars better. Less to crumble on me in an accident. Easier to maneuver. Easier to stop.

[Chummy Waters]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

In general, I prefer small cars. I used to have a Toyota Tercel that did great in snow. A couple of years ago I bought a Hyundai Elantra. Bigger car, but it is pretty cruddy in snow. Is it the tires or the car? I can't afford to replace either at the moment, but would like some ideas for when I can.

I'm surprised they both handle poorly. Usually small cars with front wheel drive are pretty good in the snow. Maybe the tires are worn? I've had a lot of cars, and front wheel drive are usually best, unless you have 4x4 which IS best. Traction control in my car now, is great. Hope you can afford a new car soon.

[billybones]

I have a 1995 Saturn SL-1 and even with not the best tires, it is great in the snow, no complaints. My 93 Dodge Grand Caravan is good but you have to watch it. Lose control and it's hard to get back inline.

I had an 89 Mustang with all season aquatreads which were really expensive at the time. Didn't help one bit. The lightest snow and that car would spin out. It didn't even have a V-8, just a 4 banger (I know, who does that?).

Driving in the winter just takes decent tires, drivers slowing for the conditions and paying attention.

[ChacoGirl]

My Subaru Forester is like a little tank in the snow - but I drive slowly as well, which helps. I did notice a big difference in her handling in the snow in good tires vs. old tires though.