Do I really need a 4 wheel drive? (Worcester, Fitchburg: ski resort, 2015)

[iconceicao]

Thank you for your thoughts, I truly appreciate it! I will buy at least one AWD, and keep one of the cars.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by iconceicao

Hello,

I am moving with my family from South California to Boston/suburbs by the end of this year.

We have two vehicles, a Chevrolet Tahoe and a Toyota Highlander that we really enjoy. However, we were advised to drive all wheel drive vehicles in Boston due to the snow and weather conditions. Besides, looking at the car retailers at MA, they mostly offer AWD cars, especially SUV cars. Our cars are only 2 wheel drive.

I would like to keep both my cars but am fearing they will be inadequate for the snow, and am also concerned if I will be able to sell them in the future, if people only buy AWD at MA.

Would it be dangerous to drive 2 wheel drive cars in Boston? I will be losing money by selling my cars in South California and buying new ones at Boston.

Thank you for your help!

Winter tires are more important than the drive system. AWD is still nice to have, but not a must-have. AWD helps you to transfer engine power to the road, and it will help you get up that icy hill, it will even help you get out of that compacted ice in the parking space that wasn't plowed... but it will have little effect on cornering (when not on the gas) or braking. Winter tires help with application of force to the road - acceleration, deceleration, and cornering.

[mdovell]

It's one thing to talk about driving but what about breaking? Do you have ABS? Alot of people freak out when they break on abs for the first time. You never really go out when it first snows because people have to learn how to drive in again. After that it's just slow.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_99dN4dVkc

I wouldn't use AWD or snow tires as a replacement for driving ability. The faster you go in a car the less control you have.

The other thing to recommend is undercarriage washing. I just replaced my entire muffler system. I could see some rust but not everything. Remember it isn't just snow that can get in there it's also salt from the roads and salt air from the ocean.

[BostonMike7]

That's a great thing to mention. Wash your car frequently in the winter. Just get the basic wash, but add on undercarriage washing. Get that salt off. The first thing to go is the exhaust system.

[tovarisch]

It's worth it to try to know the difference between breaking and braking.

[scorpio516]

Originally Posted by Dm84

AWD doesn't provide traction. It just allows you to get going from a dead stop easier since all 4 wheels get power at the same time. Once you are moving, AWD provides nothing.

Snow tires provide traction and help you stop, which AWD doesn't.

AWD also does funky things.
99% of FWD understeer when they lose traction (the Integra Type-R was a big exception, but no one is driving a $60k collector car in the snow today)
85% of RWD oversteer when they lose traction.

An AWD car and do either or both in the same corner. Even an AWD car set up correctly will do both - most will start understeering but if the front tires get grip first, oversteer can happen.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Winter tires are more important than the drive system. AWD is still nice to have, but not a must-have. AWD helps you to transfer engine power to the road, and it will help you get up that icy hill, it will even help you get out of that compacted ice in the parking space that wasn't plowed... but it will have little effect on cornering (when not on the gas) or braking. Winter tires help with application of force to the road - acceleration, deceleration, and cornering.

If you’re moving from Southern California and have never driven on snow, I’d recommend good snow tires on whatever cars they own.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

That's a great thing to mention. Wash your car frequently in the winter. Just get the basic wash, but add on undercarriage washing. Get that salt off. The first thing to go is the exhaust system.

My life experience with cars parked outdoors all winter in Vermont where car washes are closed all winter, a stainless steel exhaust system is good for 8+ years. By year 10, you start having corrosion problems. Lanolin slows it down. Fluid Film is the most common brand. Spray that underneath every fall avoiding the brake rotors. That’s what all the snow removal guys do to their bucket loaders and plow trucks.

[Cape Cod Todd]

Today we have so many plows and sanders that if we do get hit with a big storm the roads are usually clear in a few hours. If it is really bad stay home until they are cleared.



I'm old enough to remember when most cars were rear wheel drive and few had 4x4 trucks. We also didn't have anti skid, ABS and all the other gadgets to keep us on the road in the slippery stuff.



Many people forget that 4x4 can help you get out of drift but it does nothing to help you stop on an icy road.



It would help to learn how to drive in Winter conditions which is generally slower and knowing what to do if you should start to skid.



I say keep the cars you have and do what we did in the old days, in the Winter carry a small shovel and a can of kitty litter.

[Shrewsburried]

Really depends on the local climate and terrain.

In southeastern MA, one can easily get by with AWD + all seasons, FWD/RWD + snows, or even FWD + good all seasons and avoidance of the worst weather.

Living in Worcester county hill country, AWD + snows is advisable. Unlike coastal MA, we sustain longer periods of cold air from Canada which are not tempered by warm Atlantic air. Add frequent elevation changes and 60”+ of annual snow and you end up with plenty of scenarios which are less-than-fun in a vehicle wearing all seasons.