Driving in Snow, Cars/Tires (Denver, Durango: neighborhood, living, cost)

[hoover698]

We are planning to move from Texas to Highlands Ranch area. Do we need to have cars with AWD and snow tires? Should we be driving a car with high ground clearance? I know the winters have been mild in recent years, but what should we look for when we buy our next car? What cars or SUVs are most common that can get thru the snow? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[StealthRabbit]

Not a big deal, unless you MUST commute / service customers on the few snowy days. Any front wheel drive car will be fine (Prius is too low for heavy snow... rare)

Common vehicles are Jeep and Subarus and any other variety AWD you might desire. (Rav 4 and CRV are the most common econo mini SUVs)

Vintage Synchros are very NICE!!! especially a Westy Synchro (Campervan). Bring one from TX, as they are now VERY expensive in Colorado. TX has VERY cheap used cars, and NO SALT, so if buying used... bring it from TX.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

I think the main factor, besides front wheel drive, is dedicated winter tires. These have different tread than all seasons and would be especially beneficial for someone not used to driving in the snow. You do need to take them off in the summer.

[Vision67]

This topic has been beaten to death in previous threads; do a search.

Bottom Line: If you must drive on snowy days, e.g. you work as a Nurse and must make it to the hospital at 6 AM, a FWD car with winter tires will do the job.

Most people just get by with "all weather" tires, but that doesn't work so well on icy roads.

The best solution is to stay off the roads during snowy conditions.

[davebarnes]

http://www.city-data.com/forum/33606243-post4.html

[alloo66]

If you know how to drive. It doesn't matter what kind of car that you have. Keep a good distance from others, easy on the brakes, take extra time to get to your destination.

[emm74]

I think it depends on where you'll be driving. I do fine with 4WD and all seasons and being a cautious driver, because I'm driving solely on paved roads in the city of Denver, maybe I'll brave the wild environs of Northwest Aurora but that's about it. If you think you'll need to drive of anything less maintained than that, esp. if you plan to be mountain bound for snow activities, you should look into snow tires.

[BarryK123]

Without experience driving in snow, AWD and snow tires are best. After that FWD and snow tires, then AWD and all-seasons, etc. I would never drive a RWD in snow.

Personally, I've lived in winter climates all my life, so am accustomed driving in snow. I drive up to Summit County every week in the winter. I have a sedan with AWD and all-seasons.

[headingtoDenver]

Originally Posted by alloo66

If you know how to drive. It doesn't matter what kind of car that you have. Keep a good distance from others, easy on the brakes, take extra time to get to your destination.

This reminds me when I had my FWD Jetta with less than half tread depth on my all-seasons. I got caught in a snow storm where the weather report had not accurately predicted it. I took my time driving to get back home, stayed in the right lane, and braked early as needed, etc. Well, I had this Jeep riding my tail and even flashing his lights at me even though he could have driven around me at any time. He eventually zoomed around me and flipped me off as he drove by. About a mile down the road, I saw him in a ditch looking at his Jeep with a confused look on his face. I drove on by and waved at him. He promptly flipped me off again and I just laughed.

[hoover698]

Thanks for the responses. How important is ground clearance? Is something with 5.5" of ground clearance, AWD, & snow tires good enough for 99% of the time?