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Why would you need AWD in the lower Hudson? You only see 40" to 50" of snow per winter. The roads are plowed and salted.
The roads are not really plowed and salted when I commute. If it starts snowing at 11 pm, you can bet the road will be all screwed up for my usual 4 am commute. So instead of leaving my house at midnight before the snow intensifies, I would much rather get a good nights sleep (at home) and leave for work 30 minutes earlier than usual with an AWD vehicle.
While my Subaru gave me all kinds of mechanical headaches, it was awesome in the snow.
OP - My commute is similar to yours, 100 miles r/t in the Lower Hudson Valley. Check out the Honda HR-V. It's smaller than a CR-V, but has good space inside for cargo and people; is available with all wheel drive; and the gas mileage is better than the CR-V. (I average around 32 +/-.) The technology features are good. I find it to be a comfortable daily commuting vehicle.
By the way, the HR-V replaced my trusty CR-V (which had 375k miles).
My 4.5 inch ground clearance fwd Jetta did fine in Breckenridge CO for a winter....because of quality snow tires.
You don't need AWD for a highway commute. Save your dollars and wasted fuel and avoid awd
Our Legacy is getting 32-33 mpg in majority city use, better its the non-hybrid Camry peer. If you are worried about fuel economy, it’s more important to go sedan over SUV/CUV these days rather than to worry about AWD instead of FWD or RWD
My 4.5 inch ground clearance fwd Jetta did fine in Breckenridge CO for a winter....because of quality snow tires.
You don't need AWD for a highway commute. Save your dollars and wasted fuel and avoid awd
Not sure what your MPG is for your Jetta, but my husband's Forester averages 30 MPG.
I don't understand why people continue to feel the need to tell the OP that he/she doesn't need AWD. They want AWD for their own reasons. They didn't ask whether they should buy an AWD vehicle, they asked for advice on which AWD vehicle to get.
My wife had an outback from 2002-2009. I know people love them, and I guess mine was a lemon. 7 years and over $7000 in repairs is no joke. Won't be buying Subaru again.
Meh, I see certified rav's going for 22-23,000. New out the door according to edmunds forums are $25,000.
Hit or miss with those. My sister in law bought one and had lots of trouble with it, traded in for another one hoping the first was just a lemon and again had problems. A coworker had an older 90s model and it seemed fine.
RAV or CRV, my first choice would be for the Toyota though... and I think you can find hybrid models in both of these now. Agree with other poster, the 2017 models will be marked down (but probably not by much).
Not sure what your MPG is for your Jetta, but my husband's Forester averages 30 MPG.
I don't understand why people continue to feel the need to tell the OP that he/she doesn't need AWD. They want AWD for their own reasons. They didn't ask whether they should buy an AWD vehicle, they asked for advice on which AWD vehicle to get.
45mpg hand calculated with the biggest roof box Thule makes on the roof.
I offered the snow tire in lieu of awd because it is the advice I wanted to give. And because the OP didn't mention they had snow tires on their Yaris.
There is a very good chance they never even thought about it.
Why would you need AWD in the lower Hudson? You only see 40" to 50" of snow per winter. The roads are plowed and salted. You don't need AWD unless your driveway is really steep.
Some people have different needs than others. If you absolutely have to be there no matter what, then your "need" calculus might shift.
If you have to be there before everyone else and before the plows are likely to be out, your "need" calculus might shift.
If you work in healthcare, you will get to work if they have to send the plow truck to get you, and you will spend the night if you can't get home and back safely.
In my mom's old school district, the principle and one other person (usually the head Custodian) HAD to be at school at a certain time EVEN WHEN THEY CLOSED THE SCHOOL for snow. All the principles had an SUV/AWD car to get into the school. Oftentimes they would send the custodian home in the district's plow truck to make sure he could get back in the AM.
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