Advice on 4WD

I'm planning to move to the Denver area soon. I saw the news articles today on the blizzard there and it started me wondering what kind of backup car I should have for when it gets snowy. Can anyone recommend a four-wheel-drive vehicle that really gets through the snow well? Thanks! Lee

 

Most any well get through the snow just fine, especially with real snow tires. Of course, what many people don't realize is that 4WD won't help you stop or turn. That's why I see so many SUV's sitting on their roofs after each storm. If you are not experienced in snow, you might want to try one of the winter driving schools.

Living in Colorado, there are other factors to consider. If you want to do any off roading in the summer, you will want a vehicle with a low range transfer and the smaller the better. We use a Toyota 4runner ourselves which is a good all around choice. It is not up to the same level of offroading that the small jeeps are, but it's close and you have to really be into off roading to use all the jeep's advantages. The Toyota is a fine road vehicle and gets decent mileage with the 6 cylinder which drive better than the 8 cylinder option anyway.

Dave

 

Well it depends on the what your going to use it for(city or mountains) and how many people or cargo you want to haul around. You might just want a AWD rather then a 4WD if clearance isn't a issue. But as Dave said, no matter what car you get for the winter, tires make all the difference(stopping/turning/starting). I do have to say though, this snow storm was long over due

 

I'll second a 4Runner if you want to DD the SUV as well as take it camping and offroading. If you don't want to go offroad, all you need is AWD and a good set of snow tires and you'll be set for 99% of the storms that come your way. Subarus, Audis, BMWs, MB are all good choices. The tires are the important component.

 

Good advice, especially about the tires. My everyday driver is an Audi TTS roadster, which is AWD. Other than the limited clearance, would this be suitable for most situations if I put on snow tires? Also, last trip to Denver I rented a RAV4 and really liked it. Any experience with those? Thanks again for the input.

 

The only problems you might encounter with your Audi is ground clearance when we get a big snow. You can get high centered in the deep stuff, especially when it's the wet, heavy stuff we got yesterday.

I had an A4 back in the big blizzard of 2003. I got high centered several times on my way home from work that day. But other than that, the Audi was a tank in the white stuff.

 

I was born (a long long time ago) and raised here and have been all over the state even in the winter and pretty much any car with SNOW TIRES will get you anywhere you need to get in the winter excluding off roading. Obviously 4 wheel drive works best then front wheel drive and then rear wheel drive, but again if you put on snow tires...no problem. And please get a car not a truck (pickups, SUVs, mini-vans, don't kid yourself they're all trucks), there are enough of those damn things here already.

I drive a '91 Alfa Romeo 164L with front drive and snow tires as my daily driver and this last blizzard (16" of snow) was no problem for my car at all. I passed numerous cars and trucks stuck spinning their wheels for no other reason than they had on the wrong tires for winter.

 

Not sure where you live, but I've been in Colorado most of my life, and where I live a 164 and snow tires will NOT get you anywhere in deep snow. If you are planning to do any driving in deep snow, clearance becomes a big issue. If you are just talking about driving around on icy streets or streets with a few inches of snow, anything with decent tires will do, I drove a 308GT4 as my winter car for years.

 

Yep, that was my point in my post above. In deep snow, you need clearance. I've learned that first-hand a few times, including once in my 4Runner. Make sure you have a shovel in the back, too.

I'm a CO native as well.

 

We have a Toyota FJ Cruiser. High ground clearance .. has a 4 wheel low when you really need to plow thru the snow ... inside is washable. We put snow tires on and the car never gets stuck in any snow condition. I carry a tow strap and shovel to help people out.

 

We have a subaru Forester AWD.

If we want to go offroading we rent a Jeep Wrangler...tear up their car.

I recommend a stick shift in the mountains as it hold the car back better going downhill and saves your brakes. stick shifts are preferred here and you will find a good selection and resale.

welcome and good luck.

an F1 tranny works just fine in the mountains as it is really a manual tranny with a computerized clutch.

 

I would lean towards another car for a daily driver for the snow. With a TTS which has 4-5 in. clearance(bumper crunch) and it being a roadster(bad idea in heavy snow) better be a summer/fall/spring car. Now matter how careful you are in winter do factor in that if someone spins out of control and hits you or if there is a large ice chunk on the road, duablity and height counts. Plus with Mag chloride, I would hate to see your paint on the TTS after a couple of seasons RAV4's are good cars for snow(of course with good tires) and they get great gas mileage.

 

Big +1 on winter driving schools. They can save your bacon.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Jeep Cherokee yet. As an owner I can say they do very well in snow and ice when driven and equipped properly. They are also dirt cheap even for the newest 2001 and reliable. In the event that repairs are needed, most parts are also cheap and readily available.

 

Meh, my 4Runner has seen several Colorado winters and lots of Mag Chloride. No paint damage to report.

 

It really depends on the rustproofing from the factory. Toyota is usually pretty good.

 

This is all very helpful, guys. Thanks! Lee

 

I have had no problems with:
'97 Expedition
'98 Navigator
'01 Excursion
'04 Explorer (current)

A lightly used SUV as a spare winter car is not a bad purchase with them taking a huge hit in value from the new prices.

18 month old Range Rover Land Rovers are running about $.50 on the $1 from new if you wanted something nicer.

 

Toyota 4Runner is an excellent choice, have one myself, and a Sequoia which I drive instead of my Maserati Coupe when and if the weather is bad. As for snow, well I am from Grand Lake, Colorado, and can say that Toyota's seem to be the most reliable vehicle and the best in snow for Grand Lake and a lot of the locals own them. There are your fair share of Chevy, Dodge and Fords around as well, but the ones who never have a problem are Toyota.

I also know that more people in Fairbanks drive Toyota trucks for the same reason and in fact there are more Toyota trucks in Fairbanks per capita than any other place on the planet. (Got that from Toyota themselves when my 1994 Toyota 4X4 went over 400k miles and they sent me their team F1 jacket for free).

I have had a few Toyota's now and never had a problem getting to work or getting home no matter how much snow we get in Denver. The 4Runner sleeps outside and has never had a problem starting or going. Sequoia and Maserati sleep inside.

 

There are a lot of Toyota trucks up here, but there are more Subarus. By the way, what works in Fairbanks does not work in Anchorage and vice versa. Dry ice (no studs) in Fairbanks; wet ice, deep snow in Anchorage (studs, good ground clearance). And that volcanic ash can be a bugger. Can't help you with Denver, but snow and ice are not all the same. Learn the specifics of your area before you decide.

 

We should all defer to our Alaskan frined, Mule. He knows a thing or two about snow! Don't the Eskimos have about 50 different words for different types of snow? How many have you learned so far? What's the word for "champagne powder"?

DAve

 

Bald tires and white knuckles are the way to go.

 

Word for word.

We drive a Jeep Wrangler every day.... good thing it is good at off road, at least that way it is good at something. Way too short a wheel base to be considered good for winter street driving. The term "snap spin" had to be coinded by a Jeep Wrangler driver on ice covered roads.

 

Never been stuck with the RS6 or any other Quattro Audi. Or, any 4matic MB for that matter. I've been thinking of an Audi S8 or S6 to replace the 4matic wagon.

CW

 

Right now the champagne powder is dark grey. Two doses of ash last night, but hopefully some snow to rinse it off today.

The Great Inuit Vocabulary Hoax is anthropology's contribution to urban legends. It apparently started in 1911 when anthropologist Franz Boaz casually mentioned that the Inuit—he called them "Eskimos," using the derogatory term of a tribe to the south of them for eaters of raw meat—had four different words for snow. With each succeeding reference in textbooks and the popular press the number grew to sometimes as many as 400 words.

In fact, "Contrary to popular belief, the Eskimos do not have more words for snow than do speakers of English," according to linguist Steven Pinker in his book The Language Instinct. "Counting generously, experts can come up with about a dozen."

 

I think I have seen you at some of the intersections downtown!