4-Wheel Drive or Snow Tires?

[Monique]

Not being able to plow through 18" of snow with your FWD Mazda 3 is much more an issue of clearance than traction. You can only push so much snow with any given amount of traction. The OP has better clearance with his Highlander, and will likely never see even 12" of snow outside his Fort Collins neighborhood in a big storm every year or so.

Did I mention the time Eric high-centered his BMW 3-series backing out of the garage in Longmont? He had to dig out the snow under the car to get back in.

 

[Monique]

"Brogressive" Insurance:

ETA: start at exactly 1 minute in for maximum enjoyment

 

[Dave Marshak]

My summer tires, since the OEM tires were replaced, have been tires with siping and an aggressive tread pattern. Not always full on snowflake rated winter tires, but ones that I knew would work in snow. Now my summer tires ARE winter tires. It just doesn't make sense to scrimp on safety. I'd rather wear out my winter tires a little sooner than necessary and be safer in the summer storms than run the increased risk of accident and injury due to inadequate traction.

I put Continental DWS tires on our Honda last spring, on the advice that some all-season tires are good enough for winter driving. The DWS were rated by Tire Rack to be the best all season tires for winter.

When The Woman Of My Dreams came home from work after the first snow of the season, the first words out of her mouth were "put snow tires on my car,"

dm

 

[princo]

Good idea. I'll call Colorado DMV.

What about using cables or chains as needed on the front of my FWD in addition to winter tires? Is that not something people do in Colorado? I've never seen them being used there.

Check Carmax. I went there just to get a quote to use for trade-in leverage and they offered me $2k more than the dealer. They had a car in another dealership 150 miles away that they transferred for for free. They can pretty much transfer vehicles from other locations and the transfer fees are listed on their website. Remember the tax benefit of buying/selling in the same transaction, specially if you are trading in a vehicle with a high value. The registration fees vary per county, but they are a percentage of the MSRP that decreases every year.

 

[tball]

Wow, Carmax has 101 2WD SUV's for sale in Colorado:
https://www.carmax.com/search#BT=0&...finements=4294963150+1020&SortKey=0&Zip=80210

It's not like there is no market for them here. Otherwise, Carmax wouldn't have them for sale. Maybe they could give @TheHitman an idea of value in FL vs. CO, or you could probably come close to figuring it out using their website and other tools.

I understand wanting to keep a vehicle that you know the history of verses trading it for an equivalent value vehicle. I would otherwise trade my truck for an SUV, but I know where my truck has been and how it has been maintained.

 

[coskigirl]

The tow company I used to do work for loved the auto sock. It provided them with more towing business.

Good to know.

 

[Sibhusky]

That just tells you people are SELLING THEM, not that people are buying them.

Wow, Carmax has 101 2WD SUV's for sale in Colorado:
https://www.carmax.com/search#BT=0&...finements=4294963150+1020&SortKey=0&Zip=80210

It's not like there is no market for them here. Otherwise, Carmax wouldn't have them for sale. Maybe they could give @TheHitman an idea of value in FL vs. CO, or you could probably come close to figuring it out using their website and other tools.

I understand wanting to keep a vehicle that you know the history of verses trading it for an equivalent value vehicle. I would otherwise trade my truck for an SUV, but I know where my truck has been and how it has been maintained.

 

[tball]

That just tells you people are SELLING THEM, not that people are buying them.

True, but Carmax transfers vehicles all over the country as a routine part of their business model. If Carmax could get a lot more money elsewhere, I assume their 2WD SUV's would be shipped out of Colorado. Unless I'm missing something, the difference in price shouldn't be more than the transfer and carrying costs?

 

[princo]

That just tells you people are SELLING THEM, not that people are buying them.

Meanwhile, this is in the welcome page of Carmax.

 

[tball]

On the other hand, Toyota dealers don't have many 2WD Highlanders CPO in Colorado:
https://www.toyotacertified.com/inventory;zipCode=80210;model=Highlander;radius=250

AWD wins in a blowout, 83 to 5!

 

[Monique]

Let A be the number of people who arrive in Colorado with a 2WD and want to trade for a 4WD/AWD vehicle.
Let B be the number of people who arrive in Colorado with a 4WD/AWD and want to trade for a 2WD.

See where I'm going with this?

 

[princo]

Let A be the number of people who arrive in Colorado with a 2WD and want to trade for a 4WD/AWD vehicle.
Let B be the number of people who arrive in Colorado with a 4WD/AWD and want to trade for a 2WD.

See where I'm going with this?

Carmax as a company policy will buy anything, not necessarily the best pricing, but you can dump anything on their lap within 30 mins of walking into one of their stores. Local dealers on the other hand, don't have to take undesirable trade ins. So if I were to guess, dealers are probably lowballing 2wd/FWD trade-ins and people are dumping them at Carmax for slightly better values since Carmax can move them around nationwide.

 

[ScotsSkier]

Carmax as a company policy will buy anything, not necessarily the best pricing, but you can dump anything on their lap within 30 mins of walking into one of their stores. Local dealers on the other hand, don't have to take undesirable trade ins. So if I were to guess, dealers are probably lowballing 2wd/FWD trade-ins and people are dumping them at Carmax for slightly better values since Carmax can move them around nationwide.

bingo!

as i pointed out earlier, while it is possible to make FWD work, it is still less desirable overall than 4WD/AWD. Why handicap yourself when it is only delaying the inevitable ??

 

[TheHitman]

bingo!

as i pointed out earlier, while it is possible to make FWD work, it is still less desirable overall than 4WD/AWD. Why handicap yourself when it is only delaying the inevitable ??

Good point.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Did I mention the time Eric high-centered his BMW 3-series backing out of the garage in Longmont? He had to dig out the snow under the car to get back in.

I once stuck a 3/4-ton Suburban with 4wd in a snowdrift across a rural road in Michigan. The drift was above the tops of the front fenders. Only time I ever had to shovel myself out in more than 60 winters of driving.

 

[Monique]

I once stuck a 3/4-ton Suburban with 4wd in a snowdrift across a rural road in Michigan. The drift was above the tops of the front fenders. Only time I ever had to shovel myself out in more than 60 winters of driving.

Yikes!

 

[martyg]

Ok, tires is one thing that will help ameliorate the lack of 4wd. But it is still a lesser compromise over 4wd with snow tires. You are moving to Colorado, and I assume you are going to be there for a few years. Get rid of the 2wd in Florida where it is still worth something ( unlike in CO) and get a 4wd and a set of snow tires. Do it once and do it right...just saying...

Geez - I dunno about that....

I have an Audio, 4Runner, Subaru and GTI sitting in my driveway. My go-to when going to work in the winter is the GTI with studded snows. Was also my choice when driving from our ski house in Glacial, WA up Mt Baker - and Baker gets a hell of a lot more snow / weather / ice than anywhere in CO. If you are a coach you must know Mike Porter. A GTI is his go-to as well.

To go back top the original post / original question.... My FWD GTI with studded snows is superior on snow and ice than any of my 4WD / AWD vehicles with all season radials or AT tires.

 

[ScotsSkier]

Geez - I dunno about that....


To go back top the original post / original question.... My FWD GTI with studded snows is superior on snow and ice than any of my 4WD / AWD vehicles with all season radials or AT tires.

but not superior to a 4WD/AWD with snow tires....

 

[SShore]

but not superior to a 4WD/AWD with snow tires....

I think it depends on what 4WD/AWD and what conditions we are talking about. As I said in a post eariler, on paved roads or smooth dirt/gravel roads, I'll take my wife's FWD Volvo XC70 with Hakka's over my RAM 1500 with Blizzaks any and every day of the week. Traction, stability and braking on ice is better, traction and braking in deep snow is better, handling is better. Now if her XC70 was AWD, I'd probably like it better than the FWD version.

 

[TheHitman]

I have an Audio, 4Runner, Subaru and GTI sitting in my driveway. My go-to when going to work in the winter is the GTI with studded snows. Was also my choice when driving from our ski house in Glacial, WA up Mt Baker - and Baker gets a hell of a lot more snow / weather / ice than anywhere in CO. If you are a coach you must know Mike Porter. A GTI is his go-to as well.

To go back top the original post / original question.... My FWD GTI with studded snows is superior on snow and ice than any of my 4WD / AWD vehicles with all season radials or AT tires.

VW GTI? Or Maserati? I'm curious.