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Old 08-31-2013, 06:35 AM
 
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In terms of snow tires what do people recommend -- "performance winter and snow" tires or "studless ice and snow" tires?
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Old 08-31-2013, 07:03 AM
 
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Thanks so much everyone. I do think that I may be more fearful than I need to be. I agree that I might not be emotionally able to handle living here and I do want to move to florida as soon as possible. Unfortunately I just signed a three year contract to work as a nurse with my hospital once i'm done with school since they are paying for it, so I need to make Pittsburgh work for the foreseeable future. I might consider getting a normal car and putting snow tires on it as I would be really pushing my budget for the AWD.
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Old 08-31-2013, 07:16 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
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Originally Posted by candycorps View Post
Thanks so much everyone. I do think that I may be more fearful than I need to be. I agree that I might not be emotionally able to handle living here and I do want to move to florida as soon as possible. Unfortunately I just signed a three year contract to work as a nurse with my hospital once i'm done with school since they are paying for it, so I need to make Pittsburgh work for the foreseeable future. I might consider getting a normal car and putting snow tires on it as I would be really pushing my budget for the AWD.


Why not just move close to your place of employment and it becomes less of an issue?



Since your plan is to move back to Florida after a short period of time, it makes even less sense to buy a new AWD car that will still presumably be on the road after your contract
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Old 08-31-2013, 08:08 AM
 
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Originally Posted by candycorps View Post
I would be kicking myself if I buy an AWD system and most winters are like the first one making it a waste of money.
Most winters are like the first one.
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Old 08-31-2013, 08:10 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh area
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Originally Posted by Kippy View Post
In terms of snow tires what do people recommend -- "performance winter and snow" tires or "studless ice and snow" tires?
Either will be better than the all-seasons, but the performance ones will be wider and lower profile (shorter sidewall) which is generally better handling when not actually snowing. The tire that performs the best in snow is tall sidewall and to a certain degree narrower, which goes against the performance idea. The "studless ice and snow" like the Brigestone Blizzak WS or Michelin X-Ice give you the best snow traction at the expense of dry/wet handling. The performance ones would give you better non-snow handling at the expense of absolute best snow traction. The performance ones also usually cost more.

I have an older car with 15" wheels. When I got snow tires (have not had them for years now but I got a set once), I did what's called minus-sizing: I got snow tires on 14" steel wheels. The tires had a taller sidewall and were narrower than the original size on the 15" wheels. Works great, that's how you get the best snow performance. In some cases you might be able to minus down 2 or more wheel sizes. The trick is keeping the overall outside diameter pretty close so that your speedometer is not way out of whack. You can find calculators online that help you get the right size. A great way is to use Tire Rack (or similar) and they'll ship you a whole set already mounted on steel wheels; that's what I did. Then you don't even need to have anyone mount tires because you can swap them yourself. Having the extra wheels pays for itself pretty quickly. I had the Blizzak WS50 which I seem to remember noticing the decrease in dry and wet handling, but they were still adequate for that while providing great snow traction. You can get through about 3 snow seasons probably on a set of these tires depending upon how much you drive, maybe more if you drive significantly less. I drive about 15k a year and got 3 seasons out of mine I think.
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Old 08-31-2013, 08:14 AM
 
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If the OP lives in an apartment, she needs to consider having a place to store her snow tires between winters.
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Old 08-31-2013, 09:10 AM
 
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Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam View Post
Why not just move close to your place of employment and it becomes less of an issue?



Since your plan is to move back to Florida after a short period of time, it makes even less sense to buy a new AWD car that will still presumably be on the road after your contract
I do live very close to my job but I will be driving all over for my nursing school clinicals and thats whats freaking me out. I had the unfortunate experience of having to drive to the emergency room for a dislocated shoulder in the middle of a snowstorm this past winter,it was scary. The thought of having to drive daily to a hospital in the same conditions has me anxiety ridden. However, talking to the nurses I work with today and the responses on this threads has me leaning towards a normal car.
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Old 08-31-2013, 09:46 AM
 
43,011 posts, read 107,722,952 times
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Originally Posted by candycorps View Post
The thought of having to drive daily to a hospital in the same conditions has me anxiety ridden.
I'm not afraid to drive in the snow, but I do have other fears. I have lots of anxiety when driving in the rain at night on a highway with the oncoming lights glaring. My anxiety increases even more when I end up in a construction zone and jersey barriers and reflectors are added to the mix. The worst of all is when it's winter and the rain could potentially be freezing rain. Even if it's not, I'm terrified because I can't see worth crap. I become a granny who drives 20mph or less with my flashers on an interstate. But I've seen 4WD vehicles spin around four times and crash off the roads in these conditions. The confidence that comes with 4WD can put people at risk because 4WD does not help in freezing rain.

I love driving in the snow. I think it's a fun challenge. It's safer than freezing rain because snow provides traction. Front wheel drive is all I've ever needed. I've only had to abandon my car once in a blizzard out of decades of driving in snow. I didn't wreck. I just had to leave my car and walk a long way to get home that night.

I think it's important to challenge fears. I don't stop driving on highways in the rain at night. I'm afraid of heights but I will get on a ski lift, glass elevators, ladders, rooftops, etc.. The key is to drive safely. Go slow. Who cares if more experienced and/or less afraid drivers think you're a wimp. I've seen many of them pass me only to pass them wrecked on the side of the road miles later.

I'm just trying to say don't let the anxiety get the best of you. Years ago, I was terrified of tunnels. They don't bother me anymore. I couldn't have gotten to that point if I avoided driving in tunnels. Similarly, your anxiety might improve as you gain experience driving in snow.
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Old 08-31-2013, 10:28 AM
 
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(long post warning. lol)
So, I consider myself a veteran winter driver. As I said before, I grew up in Michigan and have been driving in their winters since I was 16. I've lived in the mostly-flat middle of the state and the more hilly northern part. I'll grant that Pgh's hills are more extreme, but Michigan's sheer amounts of snow, ice, slush and freezing crap are extreme.

Anyway, having driven both, I think the RWD/FWD thing is moot, as long as your car's balanced and you're super-familiar with it. Both have good and bad points in the winter. Tires make a bigger difference than RWD/FWD.

AWD/4WD does provide better grip in snow and ice and makes handling more confident. It doesn't provide magical all-wheel-stop abilities. Nail the brakes and the car will slide like any other. But if you buy a car you hate to drive, just because it's AWD, it won't help you.

Here's what I've seen for winter drivers:
a) over-confident drivers -- certain their SUV makes them a winter god...I see them upside-down in the ditch more than anybody.
b) scared winter drivers -- a menace to the people around them, they go too slow, typically don't have enough momentum to make it up hills, force people around them to hit their brakes on ice, and are unpredictable.
c) respectful/concerned drivers -- these drivers typically understand what it takes to make their car go where they need it to go, and are respectful of the unpredictable nature of winter driving.

I think most people go through all three types...things go fine for a while...get overconfident...have a problem and get scared...things go fine for a while....etc.
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Old 08-31-2013, 12:32 PM
 
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i have already looked around how to get up the hill on my street lol.

my car hasnt really been tested in snow as the past 2 years va barely got any snow. im talking 3 inches or less type of a snow, but i did notice when i turn my vehicle slides so im cautious of that.
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