Best car for snow (Mendon: storage, vs, shops)

[NewfieMama]

Not sure why you are so against snow tires? I have a 4X4 Jeep with a manual transmission and I would never go through a winter here without snow tires on it. We put snow tires on our rear-wheel-drive car (Hyundai Elantra) as well and if I had the choice of driving the 4x4 without snow tires and the rear-wheel-drive car with snow tires, I'd take the car.

We swap both vehicles out right before Thanksgiving and then again in April and it's not a big deal. It usually takes a couple of hours, so I'll either work from the lobby (or a nearby coffee shop) or just take an Uber home until they're done.

We keep our snow tires in a storage shed in our yard, but could also just put them in the garage. I stack them and it doesn't take up that much room.

[DawnMTL]

As for storage of winter tires when you don't have the space, I'm not sure if it's a Canadian thing or not, but many tire shops here will store them for you for something like $40 for the season.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

We put snow tires on our rear-wheel-drive car (Hyundai Elantra

A RWD Hyndaii Elantra???

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by DawnMTL

As for storage of winter tires when you don't have the space, I'm not sure if it's a Canadian thing or not, but many tire shops here will store them for you for something like $40 for the season.

Most tire shops in the US will do it as well.

[tysmith95]

90% of snow traction is based on what tires you use. It's much more important then what car you're driving. A Civic with snow tires will be much better in the snow then a Range Rover with summer tires.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by massnative71

A RWD Hyndaii Elantra???

Haha, I meant front-wheel drive Apparently in my mind it's a sports car!

[raveabouttoast]

Originally Posted by shadwell10201

And before anyone asks, NO my Tucson does not have snow tires. To me that was the point of getting AWD in the first place. Also, I love my Hyundai Tucson, but it just has poor performance in the snow. (and yes, the tires are new-ish with good tread)

Like everyone else has already said, the reason your Tucson is bad in the snow is because you aren't using winter tires.

Originally Posted by shadwell10201

Thank you for the replies. It is appreciated.

I just don't like the idea of having to get "a set of snow tires". I was actually planning to get some for my Tucson, but as I looked into it, 4 tires + cheap rims was expensive, and then I'd have to switch them back and forth every Fall and Spring. And I just kept thinking to myself, "This is what its going to take to get this car to be decent in the snow?"

My brother has a 4x4 truck, does not have any special tires, and it performs excellent in snow.

The only way a 4x4 truck will do well in the snow is if it has all-terrain tires on it. I've had a full sized 4x4 truck with all season tires and it was horrible in the snow.

There's a reason why everyone is saying tires make a bigger difference than drivetrain layout.

Originally Posted by DawnMTL

In reference to the above post: The Subaru Crosstrek, I've been told, has the same AWD system as the Audi Quattro.

"Full-time AWD" between different car makers is not necessarily the same type of system. Audi and Subaru have different ways of transferring power to the wheels.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by raveabouttoast

"Full-time AWD" between different car makers is not necessarily the same type of system. Audi and Subaru have different ways of transferring power to the wheels.

Now that I think about it, he very likely said that they are the only two with full-time AWD, which I incorrectly extrapolated as "same."

I'm such a girl sometimes.

He also told me that Subaru and Porsche have boxer engines, which excited me because I've always wanted a 911. But I extrapolated nothing more out of that because there's nothing about the Subaru that looks even remotely like a Porsche. Not that it looks like an Audi either.

[miu]

My FWD Civics also had special JDM transmissions with LSDs in them... I think that helped too.

I have a set of steel rims for my snow tires, and alloys for my summer tires. As to where the OP should store winter tires and rims off season, many rental buildings offer their tenants limited storage in a basement. Or just encase in garbage bags and store them stacked in a corner of the apartment.

The way I see it, is that the inconvenience of summer storage far outweighs dealing with a car accident in a snowstorm, or the safety of ones family when driving in slippery conditions. It's just not worth being cheap over this. And if buying a good set of snow tires makes the current car a champ in the winter, again the purchase far outweighs buying a new AWD vehicle and the higher yearly MA excise taxes!!

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by miu

My FWD Civics also had special JDM transmissions with LSDs in them... I think that helped too.

In that alphabet soup of acronyms, all I got was that your car was on LSD. Hugs, not drugs.