4x4 Required? (Billings: moving, cars, summer)

[Stephan_K]

Yep... hang onto that truck ! If you are into outdoor activities you will need it even in summer. If spending any time on the dirt roads (which many are) during the rainy times they get pretty greasy when wet. Many of them with no 4x4 when greasy... no passy !

[acwhite96]

All depends on your snow driving abilities! I drive a Pontiac Grand Am and it has done very well over the snow drifts that have been accumulating on side roads south of Kalispell. I live near Jewel Basin so I don't live where my drive way requires a 4wheel drive, but insurance and gas are alot cheaper to drive my car.

[GEORGIAINMT]

I just sold my 02 Grand Am & got an 04 Ford Escape. Gas mileage is very close to the same and the insurance on the Escape is CHEAPER than on the Grand Am. Our agent said it's because it has a better safety rating. So I beg to differ that a Grand Am is cheaper to drive. My Escape has done WAY better on the ice & snow here than the Grand Am, even though it wasn't bad for a smaller car.

[grannymontanny]

Originally Posted by acwhite96

All depends on your snow driving abilities! I drive a Pontiac Grand Am and it has done very well over the snow drifts that have been accumulating on side roads south of Kalispell. I live near Jewel Basin so I don't live where my drive way requires a 4wheel drive, but insurance and gas are alot cheaper to drive my car.

driving abilities has anything to do with how high the snow gets We rented in that same area for two years while building.Beautiful area! at the time we had a toyota camry.your right the front wheel drive in that little car got us around pretty darn good if not great,but clearance was next to nothing.But is was also over the winter of the big snow of 96' sometimes the plows didnt get out on the roads as early as we did. thats where somthing thats sits a little higher is handy and the option of 4x4 to get me out if stuck

[atlantis7]

I thought I would revive this discussion a little. Most of what I need to know was answered here and I have a Jeep GC 4x4 so i am good on one count. One the other side, I have a corvette.

We all know the auto market jumped off a cliff and offers nothing for trade ins (like they ever did) but still wants a healthy retail price for your car after they get it.

I looked into trading my car even though I don't want to. Will I be able to drive this car in Bozeman in the winter?

I know it sounds silly but cheer me up.

[Kraz]

Originally Posted by atlantis7

I thought I would revive this discussion a little. Most of what I need to know was answered here and I have a Jeep GC 4x4 so i am good on one count. One the other side, I have a corvette.

We all know the auto market jumped off a cliff and offers nothing for trade ins (like they ever did) but still wants a healthy retail price for your car after they get it.

I looked into trading my car even though I don't want to. Will I be able to drive this car in Bozeman in the winter?

I know it sounds silly but cheer me up.

The good news: you can get low-profile radial snow tires and they will help a lot. The bad news: torquey vehicles are hard to get moving from a stop in slick conditions especially with little weight over the rear wheels. I don't know the year of your 'Vette but if you have traction control that will definitely help on the starts. Sometimes 2nd gear starts work better.

I had exactly the same concerns on taking a financial bath reselling an older rear wheel drive 'Benz and drove it up through snow in ID and over the Monida pass to my home here in the Bitterroot valley. The low profile snows (Dunlop 3Ds?) worked well. The worst case snow depth was probably 3" - 4". Good luck.

[michael11747]

we do fine in our geo metro in the winter. it starts up way better than any deisel or large engine car. no magnetic oil pan warmer, no engine block heater, nothing. starts right up in -35 like it was meant for it. all you need to do is have the proper gear in case you get stuck. a bag of sand, and a metal shovel.

now with that said, we also have a jeep grand cherokee for when the plows block our driveway with 2 feet of ice and snow

[jimj]

An aquaintence of ours has a newish 'vette and has had one for years. During the height of the winter it's in the garage but if the roads are clear he's driving it.

[atlantis7]

Well, I went down to Carmax this past weekend to see what they'd give me for it and they came back with a figure that, honestly, I thought they were jolomg or taking about someone's well-used Camry.

My vette is an 07 and has everything you can get on one. The push/pull is that I have high equity and low payments but most of my equity has dissipated into the thin air of the bad car market so i have a great car for a small monthly that isn't very practical even where it doesn't snow or get to be 15 below.

To boot, I owe just enough to spoil an even trade on something like another JEEP GC with low miles.

Are the roads around Bozeman maintained well early in the am....from most all directions?

[grizzfan]

I'd stick with the 4WD vehicle - here in Missoula it is necessary in the South Hills with ice and snow - but one could always put on and take off chains!! UGGH!

One thing that you might look for in a newer All-Wheel drive vehicle is traction control and stability control. Combined with ABS braking it makes winter driving a breeze and a much safer one. Our Honda Ridgeline has all those bells and whistles and with good tires I've never had a problem regardless of the snow depth.