All Wheel Drives - Nissan Pathfinder & things to consider

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by mandavaran

Absolutely the most important factor in safe winter driving is:

1. Drive slowly and carefully. That's it.

People here are going on and on about winter tires. Are the tire manufacturers all on here?

I'm 55. Lived in the midwest all my life where snow and ice storms are, unfortunately, all too common. I've never had so much as a fender bender and certainly have never had to be towed out of a ditch and believe it or not, have never used a winter tire.

I wouldn't know one if it fell on me and sure don't want to store extra tires all year round just to use them 2 months out of the year.

I simply drive slowly, carefully and defensively. i.e. watch out for the other guy.

It's mainly the idiots driving around in their AWD's and winter tires that have false sense of security and thus, drive too fast and are blissfully unaware of their surroundings and fellow drivers.

Too many people wanting to drive their usual 10 miles over the speed limit despite horrendous road conditions. That's the problem.

The posters who have mentioned "proper tires" are absolutely correct, and this has nothing to do with tire manufacturers posting in here.

There are numerous road conditions where it does not matter if you are driving fast or not. For example, on frozen rain and you have stopped the car at the highest point of the road's crown, your car will slide sideways toward the lowest point of the crown, and the wheels aren't even moving. In fact, you can place the car on park, and it just slides sideways until it hits the curb. But have a set of studded tires, or even chains or cables on the tires, and your car won't slide sideways.

I do agree with you about people driving too fast for conditions, and this happens most of the time. The best idea is to slow down accordingly, but on the right lane, not the passing one.

[fleck]

A think one lesson a lot of drivers could benefit from is to never go firm on the brakes while turning the vehicle while on icey roads. Which also applies if you every find yourself off in a non-icey road gulley trying to get back on track. Simple ease the steering wheel to transfer your momentum.

Another thing, for those considering replacing their driveway, is to consider paving as a surface as opposed to concrete. The warmth from the ground makes for a sooner melt-off and so provides a generally safer driving surface (I did say generally!).

[MountainGuy74]

I agree with previous posters that have stated that 4 wheel drive does offer folks a false sense of security.

Yes it does help climbing slippery/icy driveways and roads to an extent. Last winter I drove a 4x4 Chevy Tahoe and right after a very light snow dusting on the road and below freezing temps the road turned to ice and despite my 4 wheel drive I couldn't make it up a particular incline because the conditions were just too icy. So it didn't matter if I was driving a 2wd or a 4wd it was the condition of the road that dictated what was going to happen.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by MountainGuy74

I agree with previous posters that have stated that 4 wheel drive does offer folks a false sense of security.

Yes it does help climbing slippery/icy driveways and roads to an extent. Last winter I drove a 4x4 Chevy Tahoe and right after a very light snow dusting on the road and below freezing temps the road turned to ice and despite my 4 wheel drive I couldn't make it up a particular incline because the conditions were just too icy. So it didn't matter if I was driving a 2wd or a 4wd it was the condition of the road that dictated what was going to happen.

I also agree with you that AWD and all of the new technology relating to traction/stability control gives a lot of drivers a false sense of security. That said, you also have to consider that before AWD existed, a lot of drivers had the same sense of security driving RWD vehicles. Back then people sped driving RWD vehicles as much as we do nowadays driving AWD vehicles. The main difference is that nowadays there are a lot more roads and vehicles being driven (more drivers on the road).

The whole thing amounts to how much traction one assumes the tires provide at the moment, and every now and then we all push the envelope, even if for a moment. The bottom-line is that it does not matter how many wheels drive a vehicle (4WD or 20WD) if the tires can't provide traction. Take for example your 4WD vehicle not being able to climb the incline. In this case your vehicle's tires could not provide sufficient traction, but should you have had cable-chains or maybe studs on all the tires, you probably would have made it.