I agree on the fwd I used to have with 91 Honda civic hatchback 4spd, it was fun to play in the snow. I only got stuck once and that was in my drive way that was about 2 1/2 to 3ft deep the snow packed under the front end and lifted the axle up. I scared the Hell out of the neighbors getting in the driveway I knew it was deep was doing 20+ mph pulled the emergency brake did a perfect 90 degree and stopped in my parking spot. I prefer a stick in a fwd also. We had an 07 Toyota corrola that handled very well in the snow. I'm curious how the Honda element will handle in the snow, it does very well in the rain. I see a lot of subarus in states that get quite a bit of snow so I assume they are good if you know how to drive. The mountain passes get impassable for most any vehicle at times. The snow can fall fast and deep on snowquamy(spelling?) mountain pass, and others I'm sure. The real problem is the ice below the snow on those passes.