Moving to Evergreen - need car advice

[karpiel]

You will be fine with fwd with snow tires 99% of the time, most people I know that live above 9k feet have all seasons/ terrains and 4wd or fwd with snows, neither is ideal. One of them drives a Miata (small, light, RWD) and never misses work 20 miles away.

Some houses have driveways that are impassable for anything but a high clearance 4wd with chains on all fours though, particularly during spring.

[davidv]

Originally Posted by outside1

Snow tires and 2WD are just fine. What do you think we all did before AWD and 4WD were so common? I drive a RWD vehicle with snow tires year round.

Get at least one vehicle with 4WD/AWD. I have lived here all my life, and 25 years ago I used to drive around in a Ford Pinto with rear wheel drive, but auto technology improved so I took advantage of it. Wouldn't it be better to be safe than sorry (especially in the mountains)?

[ptboat67]

Originally Posted by JenUlasewich

ptboat, you'll probably be okay with your winter package/traction control on both vehicles, I wouldn't jump the gun and get rid of them. If it turns out you need to make a change, I haven't seen any instances of prices on 4WD vehicles jumping in price after the first snow or anything. So, you'll have plenty of time.

Are you going to be in metro Denver or elsewhere?

Sorry to take so long to respond. We're actually going to Georgetown, in Clear Creek County. We'll be living in the town and not up a steep hill, so I'm hoping we'll be okay. The whole thought of snow tires vs regular tires has me baffled at this moment. It's definitely going to be an interesting experience.

[DenverfromHays]

Front Wheel drive cars do pretty well even in ice and snow but clearance is usually what puts them in the ditch. Even in Denver an AWD or 4WD (at least one in ea family) is highly recommended. In my experience 4wd pickups are a little skittish on ice and in snow if you don't have driving experience, you end up having to load the bed up with weight. Just make sure you get Clearance, not familiar with Forester. My Jeep GC is a mountain goat there isn't anywhere I can't go with it any time I want. You are definitely going to want an SUV of some kind in Evergreen especially with a steep driveway, I don't care what the enviros tell you. Welcome to the area~!

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by DenverfromHays

In my experience 4wd pickups are a little skittish on ice and in snow if you don't have driving experience,

A fairly accurate statement although it depends on the make and model. Definitely true for some of them. Others are better balanced. The best-handling vehicle for snow that I ever had was a 1988 Ford F-150 reg cab long bed with M+S tires. It was probably due to something about its weight distribution was just right for snow. On the other hand, I've also had other 4wd trucks that were worse.

Nonetheless, 4wd is better than 2wd, any day. Simple physics: four powered points of contact with the ground outperform under much more variety of conditions.

[gchc303]

4wd is recommended if your in the foothills. If you don't have experience driving in snow, slow down. I see more 4wd vehicles spin off the road than smaller cars. It will get you going, but you can't stop any better with 4wd. Just remember that,but don't creep either, just figure out quick how to drive through snow.

[karpiel]

Pickup trucks do OK in the snow because in 4WD on anything slippery they basically become FWD.

Try driving a pickup in 2WD, even with good tires through snow and you will understand. And I mean a real pickup, not a 4 door SUV with a 4 foot bed.

Pay attention to differentials as well, my RWD BMW with a limited slip does better in lots of situations then a 4wd with two open differentials.


And remember, snow tires are like a seat belt or air bag. >99% of the time you are just fine without them, but it's the <1% that will kill you or others. I see so many people buy Subarus because of the number of airbags and the structural integrity based on the VERY small chance they need them, then put crappy tires on them.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by karpiel

Try driving a pickup in 2WD, even with good tires through snow and you will understand.

I refuse to own a 2WD pickup.

[ledjar]

i wouldn't live in evergreen without AWD. there's some scary hills for a 2wd