Winter driving needs?

[Got-Boost?]

Been a while since I've had to deal with SNOW/ICE and just curious everyone's opinion of winter driving. Do I really need AWD/4WD or are most of you getting by with snow tires or just FWD, RWD, and all-seasons, etc?

 

Maybe a POLL of what you drive during the winter? Or recommend?

 

Your winter setup....

 

FWD all-seasons?

FWD snow tires?

RWD all-seasons?

RWD snow tires?

AWD/4WD all-seasons?

AWD/4WD snow tires unstoppable?

What's winter? I run OEM summer tires year round

 

 

About to turn in my TDI for the buyback and have been car/truck shopping trying to decide if I really NEED at least one AWD/4WD car in the house or can I get by with RWD/snow tires. I'd be driving from Marysville to East Columbus everyday and can't exactly miss work due to weather.

 

I never had any issues in Beavercreek with RWD and regular tires but I also only lived 5-miles from work. Now I'll be driving about 35-40 miles one way.

 

Thoughts on winter driving needs?

 

Thanks...:thumbup:

[TTQ B4U]

Here in Cbus, FWD with All seasons so long as they are in good shape. RWD with A.S. Tires works too but winter set would be my recommendation. Stopping is the key reason I like winter tires. My Speed 3 with winter tires plowed through upstate MI in the dead of winter with 12+ inches of snow without issue.

 

You don't "need" All Wheel or 4 Wheel. Given your drive however, if you can afford it or find one of course AWD / 4WD would be a bonus.

[Not Brian]

I tried driving my Mustang with all-seasons and couldn't even make it out my shoveled driveway. Winter tires are a must.

 

I love awd cars in the snow, they grip when you want and slide when you want. With snow tires it's a pretty surreal experience because it's almost like you're on dry pavement.

[Green Bastard]

Drove a turd gen Camaro for a winter with bologna skins for tires and never got stuck, wouldn't do it again though lol. I prefer something with selectable 4wd, that way you only use it when you need it. I have a 4x4 Durango and it will go through anything when switched to 4wd.

[STEVE-O]

Can you make it with fwd or even rwd and tires sure can. But why would you want to when you also can get awd or 4wd and not worry about it.

 

I have driven everything from a auto ls1 Camaro with as tires in the snow to lifted jeeps but I will take a 4wd suv/truck or a awd car such as Audi BMW etc over anything else for snow everytime

 

In your case when you have to be at work and can not afford to be fighting getting unstuck or the worst making it up a hill I would not even consider something else besides what is a full guarantee

[bdhill]

don't need more than all seasons, but snow tires, in any configuration, make a huge difference-cheap insurance. i think they make snow and ice much more fun

[POS VETT]

My rule of thumb is to have the cheapest single-compound winter tires in the slightly oversized (approximately one-inch) OD to boost ground clearance, regardless of drivetrain configuration since braking and most situations of cornering are independent of which wheel is driven.

 

Dedicated winter tires are a cheap and a different form of insurance. To me, they're a requirement because my tire sets are dedicated for certain purposes making them unsuitable for driving in winter.

[EssFo]

I have FWD, AWD and RWD/4WD as an option but will most likely drive the FWD with all seasons in the snow. I look at it more from the perspective of what car did I care about least.

 

You better hit me up since you're back in town also. Haven't seen you since the KOS days.

[Geeesammy]

Ive driven fwd and rwd in winter, rwd never again. Fwd performs well enough for me. At a minimum, a good all season tire with great tread life left.

 

With the last few winters we have had I've seen no need to buy winter tires for anything I own. I will just maintain tire condition and if the need for winter tires arises I will buy them then.

[Fiji ST]

Once I started driving with a winter tire on my car, I'll never go back to anything else. I drive a lot too and it gives me great piece of mind if I have to stay late at work and the weather sucks because they don't treat Riverside right away, even with a FWD car. My wife's got all-seasons on her CR-V and it does fine with the 4WD, but she's got a short commute on the highway. Spend a little more and get proper tires.

[BigOxley]

I like AWD with a/s like my Outback. Drove my Camry with a/s last year without issue, due to lack of any measurable snow most of the season.

 

 

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[RyM3rC]

Never had a problem with AWD on all seasons. Snow up to the bumper = no problem. In the dirt = no problem. Towing stuck cars out= no problem. Quattro FTW

 

Few problems on rwd (open diff) on all seasons. Trying to get started uphill took a long long while to get moving, planning for red lights and hills was real, and in rush hour bumper to bumper it meant sometimes having someone cut in because you couldn't stay tight.

 

RWD with LSD on all seasons or all terrain truck tires was much better, still had to be a little careful but okay on roadways. LOL off road for sure.

 

Chances are you'll be stuck behind the swarm of ghetto hooptys on bald summer tires anyways. I passed up a sweet job to avoid that same drive. Probably 2/5 days per week coming from 33 traffic would be backed up on 33 from 270 past the post road exit. 2+ hour commute LOL

[Forrest Gump 9]

Snow tires and be safe. I daily drive my E55 in the Winter, V8 supercharged rwd l, you do the math. Ice is a whole different animal though.

[Got-Boost?]

Thanks everyone, seems most are saying what I'm thinking just hated buying a 4WD if I really don't need it but better safe than sorry.

 

 

I have FWD, AWD and RWD/4WD as an option but will most likely drive the FWD with all seasons in the snow. I look at it more from the perspective of what car did I care about least.

 

You better hit me up since you're back in town also. Haven't seen you since the KOS days.

 

Will do! Are you in Dayton still or Columbus now? Shoot me your number when you get a chance.

[1Quik7]

All Seasons for Ohio. To me its not worth having an extra set of tires or wheels/tires for our Winters. If we lived up North and got lake effect or something, then yea, I'd prolly have a set. Unless I come across some amazing deal I just run AS's.

 

Just remember snow is not always bad to drive in, especially that puffy stuff....it's when its hard packed and ice that causes the major issues.

[zeitgeist57]

My rule of thumb is to have the cheapest single-compound winter tires in the slightly oversized (approximately one-inch) OD to boost ground clearance, regardless of drivetrain configuration since braking and most situations of cornering are independent of which wheel is driven.

 

Dedicated winter tires are a cheap and a different form of insurance. To me, they're a requirement because my tire sets are dedicated for certain purposes making them unsuitable for driving in winter.

 

Tom has the best answer in this thread so far.

 

My 1982 Ford F100 2WD pickup has Firestone Winterforce tires on it, and I CANNOT BELIEVE THE SNOW/ICE TRACTION I HAVE IN THE WINTERTIME. No need for sand/ballast bags in the bed...it just sticks to the road.

 

I think QUALITY TIRES are better than FWD/AWD, and given the number of XDrive/4Matic German sedans/SUV's you see off the sides of the road during ice storms around Columbus, I'm right...

[PRD2BDF]

I drive about 600 miles a week on highways typically before the plows are out. My Saab is FWD and I run snow tires. Unbelievable grip and have not yet felt loss of grip

[STEVE-O]

Better question is since you say your trading your tdi in why not get what you want and buy a "cheap" winter vehicle for the bad days?

[bdhill]

miata and e46 were a blast on snows...sti was a snowmobile on snows.

[99StockGT]

Ran my mustang for a decade between NE Ohio and Columbus, never used snow tires just good A S and only had maybe 2 issues in the entire time? Central Ohio rarely gets enough snow to make the extra purchase/maintenance cost of AWD "necessary" but it IS nice. Maybe 2-3 days a year we get more than 2 inches of snow? Will be rocking a FWD lowered ricer for the winter this year on some Summer-ish tires.

[Robochan]

Miata is always the answer. Oh and snow tires.

[SRTurbo04]

Lets be real, how many days does it actually snow a year in ohio? Factor that into is it worth the extra cost or need.

 

IMO no it doesn't snow enough. On those once a year snow falls that its bad enough, I probably shouldn't be going to work even if I had 4wd.

 

Buy what ever you want, and if your really worried about it just get a set of snow tires on separate rims to swap over ever year.

 

My srt4 on blizzaks did shread in the snow though

[2 Sweet]

Decent tires are all you need. Nothing else matters.

 

I would be more concerned about the salt ruining whatever car you'll be driving.

[Geeesammy]

Buy a $1500 4x4 xj lol

[Grudes]

I loved my AWD subaru in the snow with some snow tires. Handled great, went anywhere, and AWD doughnuts are super fun