This winter has been horrible

[Dice144]

As the title says... this winter has been epic bad. After getting stuck on the highway for 17 hours here in Buffalo really thinking of replacing my 2008 Passat (that some on here told me not to get, lol) or keeping it for a summer driver. Love the car most of the year.

My first vehicle was a Ford Ranger, and part of me won't mind another truck. The horrid gas mileage though has me looking at other 4 x 4/AWD options with OK ground clearance.

With winter tires now (didn't have them when I got stuck) the car is pretty solid in the snow but been itching to get a second car/truck.

Starting to look at the Subaru line up. However won't get much worth looking at in my desired self made price range; under 15k.

I like the look of the new Chevy Coloroda by way over my budget.

Subaru Outback probally best with decent gas mileage?

 

[aShufflinZombie]

CX-5? It has alright clearance, available AWD and decent gas mileage.

 

[iamwiz82]

What are you planning to get out of? You guys have gotten socked a few times this year with major snow storms. A small SUV is going to have trouble in 15" of snow that hasn't been plowed.

 

[HeXen]

Last year was far worse for us. This year has been quite mild actually here in Indiana.

 

[manimal]

Last year was far worse for us. This year has been quite mild actually here in Indiana.

ya I am not complaining about the weather here either man. Ive had my cars out six times this winter.


Not bad at all.


Buffalo on the other hand is usually bad isnt it? Since you live in Buffalo do you have room for a 4wd second car? Get an older Jeep with a straight six for a couple grand and use that on the bad days. I always have a winter beater.

 

[Wuzup101]

Do you have a job that forces you to drive when it's really shitty out? Or is this something that could be solved with better planning? If it's critical that you be out, I'd consider something like an older jeep, mid or full-sized truck, or truck based SUV (maybe something like an expedition). Make sure that it has appropriate tires on it for the expected weather. If I were in the same situation, I'd probably go towards a tacoma / 4runner but there are plenty of good options (ask me tomorrow and I may have a different preference lol).

That being said, I've seen plenty of large SUVs spun off the road in mild to moderate snow storms. If you don't have to be on the road, don't be on the road. That's the best way to avoid being stuck. If you "need" to be out, I'd assume that you'd be smart enough to carry food/water, a few nice warm blankets, flashlight and basic tools, something to clear snow from your tailpipes (shovel or something similar), warm gloves and a hat, and that you made sure not to drive anywhere with less than half a tank of gas.

A car with good winter tires is more than most people will "need" for snow. Buffalo got hammered this year. There is not much you can do in those conditions regardless of what you have (unless you have a plow truck).

 

[Jumpem]

Look at a Subaru with the CVT. Outback, Forester, or Crosstrek.

 

[Carson Dyle]

It's been beautiful here in the northern Colorado front range. We had two short, insanely cold spells, with temps below -10° F, but overall it's been much warmer than normal, with very little snow. We haven't had more than a dusting since we got 8" on Christmas day. It's mostly been in the 60s and even hit 70 over the past two weeks.

 

[Jumpem]

ya I am not complaining about the weather here either man. Ive had my cars out six times this winter.


Not bad at all.


Buffalo on the other hand is usually bad isnt it? Since you live in Buffalo do you have room for a 4wd second car? Get an older Jeep with a straight six for a couple grand and use that on the bad days. I always have a winter beater.

Jeeps or a 4WD truck are not ideal winter vehicles. The four wheel drive can't be left engaged on bare pavement. Road conditions fluctuate between unplowed snow, packed snow, slush, ice, bare pavement, and any mix of these. A four wheel drive vehicle requires constantly engaging and disengaging the four wheel drive.

 

[Jumpem]

Do you have a job that forces you to drive when it's really shitty out? Or is this something that could be solved with better planning? If it's critical that you be out, I'd consider something like an older jeep, mid or full-sized truck, or truck based SUV (maybe something like an expedition). Make sure that it has appropriate tires on it for the expected weather. If I were in the same situation, I'd probably go towards a tacoma / 4runner but there are plenty of good options (ask me tomorrow and I may have a different preference lol).

That being said, I've seen plenty of large SUVs spun off the road in mild to moderate snow storms. If you don't have to be on the road, don't be on the road. That's the best way to avoid being stuck. If you "need" to be out, I'd assume that you'd be smart enough to carry food/water, a few nice warm blankets, flashlight and basic tools, something to clear snow from your tailpipes (shovel or something similar), warm gloves and a hat, and that you made sure not to drive anywhere with less than half a tank of gas.

A car with good winter tires is more than most people will "need" for snow. Buffalo got hammered this year. There is not much you can do in those conditions regardless of what you have (unless you have a plow truck).

Work is always open. A few feet of snow aren't going to close it. Everyone still gets up and goes about their business.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Jeeps or a 4WD truck are not ideal winter vehicles. The four wheel drive can't be left engaged on bare pavement. Road conditions fluctuate between unplowed snow, packed snow, slush, ice, bare pavement, and any mix of these. A four wheel drive vehicle requires constantly engaging and disengaging the four wheel drive.

It's not that bad to do. Ohio is a lot of that here. I leave my Trailblazer in 2WD 90% of the time as that's all that's really needed. But when it is consistently bad or shoot even just the first few miles from my house on my way to work that hasn't gotten plowed (I live in the country) I'll pop it into 4WD and go on my merry way.

To the OP: Remember not all AWD is the same. Some "AWD" vehicles just put a max of like 30% power to the other axle. Better than 0% I guess but not all that great all the same.

 

[Jumpem]

It's not that bad to do. Ohio is a lot of that here. I leave my Trailblazer in 2WD 90% of the time as that's all that's really needed. But when it is consistently bad or shoot even just the first few miles from my house on my way to work that hasn't gotten plowed (I live in the country) I'll pop it into 4WD and go on my merry way.

To the OP: Remember not all AWD is the same. Some "AWD" vehicles just put a max of like 30% power to the other axle. Better than 0% I guess but not all that great all the same.

With my Frontier, I was switching in and out of 4WD dozens of times on my way to work. With my Subaru's I just get in and go. They are unstoppable with snow tires.

The only problem I have with either is ground clearance. My Frontier NISMO 4WD had 8.9", and most of the raised up Subaru's are 8.6". The only time I have been stuck in either is when the front bumper starts plowing snow and it gets too high underneath.

 

[DrDoug]

Over the years I've had all kinds of good winter rigs but my favorite one was our Winter Rat. It was a 1978 Ford Fairmont Futura with a 250/6 and auto trans. The car looked nice other than the wrinkled hood and bumper that was caused by hitting a telephone pole. I bought it from a friend of ours for $100 because it kept dying on him in corners. It turned out that the two screws that held the carb body to the base plate had stripped out and every time he went around a corner the carb body would tip and flood the engine with air. I fixed it with three large ty-wraps (strapped the carb to the manifold...lol!) and drove the crap out of it for three winters before selling it for $250. I plowed that thing through tons of snow and surprisingly never got stuck.

Once the hood had been opened there was no closing it all of the way due to the damage so I used a bungee cord to hold it down. The frame was straight so it handled fine, the powertrain was in good shape and the tires were good to go. The best part about that car was how other drivers stayed the fuck away from what looked like a rolling disaster looking for a place to happen. At times I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea.

Best $100 I have ever spent. :biggrin:

 

[iamwiz82]

Jeeps or a 4WD truck are not ideal winter vehicles. The four wheel drive can't be left engaged on bare pavement. Road conditions fluctuate between unplowed snow, packed snow, slush, ice, bare pavement, and any mix of these. A four wheel drive vehicle requires constantly engaging and disengaging the four wheel drive.

Not true, some 4wds require that and some do not. A system that locks the front and rear differential into spinning at the same time should not be used on dry pavement. A system that is considered "full-time" has some sort of slip mechanism that lets one differential spin at different speed that the other.

 

[Wuzup101]

Work is always open. A few feet of snow aren't going to close it. Everyone still gets up and goes about their business.

Damn. Where are you living? A few feet of snow in most areas is going to close most places with the exception of critical services until it is cleared anyway.

 

[Jumpem]

Damn. Where are you living? A few feet of snow in most areas is going to close most places with the exception of critical services until it is cleared anyway.

Central NY.

 

[Jumpem]

Not true, some 4wds require that and some do not. A system that locks the front and rear differential into spinning at the same time should not be used on dry pavement. A system that is considered "full-time" has some sort of slip mechanism that lets one differential spin at different speed that the other.

Most (or near all) trucks do not have a full time system.

 

[HeXen]

Work is always open. A few feet of snow aren't going to close it. Everyone still gets up and goes about their business.

Same for me. We work outside (utility construction) regardless of how bad it gets out. Plus if someone hits a pole, I mean we have to go out to fix it, they don't care if there's 20ft of snow because people are out of service.

The worst was last year, we had to go out in -40F/C wind chills and 30mph wind gusts with a couple feet of snow and insane drifts and piles plowed off to the side, drive for 2 hours to get to some remote town called Yeoman and do a directional bore for some hog farmer that just had to have it done. Took us until 1pm just to get the thing started, didn't bore until 3pm and left at 6 and then to drive my little Honda Fit took me 30minutes for a normally 10 minute drive.

I like some cold weather but damn that was one cold, windy mofo day. However my little Honda will drive through some serious snow though.

 

[iamwiz82]

Most (or near all) trucks do not have a full time system.

4WD "auto" is available on all of the domestic half-tons, as far as I know. It is full time in that you can drive it on any ground, though they all offer as 2wd in addition.

 

[RainStryke]

I'd recommend something like a Honda CR-V. That's what my wife has and it's pretty awesome in the snow... It's also a really common vehicle, so parts are vast and repairs are not too bad if needed.

Had a friend with a Subaru Impreza 2.5RS a while back... It was a fun little car, but cost an arm and a leg if anything breaks. No one wants to work on them and they are a complete pain in the butt to work on your self.

 

[nerp]

Jeeps or a 4WD truck are not ideal winter vehicles. The four wheel drive can't be left engaged on bare pavement. Road conditions fluctuate between unplowed snow, packed snow, slush, ice, bare pavement, and any mix of these. A four wheel drive vehicle requires constantly engaging and disengaging the four wheel drive.

Or your click "auto" on the dynamic drive system and it automatically does this for you in milliseconds.

 

[phreaqe]

Or your click "auto" on the dynamic drive system and it automatically does this for you in milliseconds.

Yah, my old jeep from 1992 had the option for both full time and part time and i have seen the same option in every other 4x4 vehicle i have ridden in. Sounds like jumpem needs to get with the times.

That being said i do prefer the awd most of the time just because i dont need to think about it, its just there working for me. I do miss the control i had with my jeep though because i could have more fun when it was all manually controlled.

 

[Anubis]

Damn. Where are you living? A few feet of snow in most areas is going to close most places with the exception of critical services until it is cleared anyway.

Central NY.

yep. same area, im not sure work has ever officially closed for me.

 

[AdamK47]

I drive a 2012 CTS4. Loving the AWD this winter.

 

[LTC8K6]

Jeeps or a 4WD truck are not ideal winter vehicles. The four wheel drive can't be left engaged on bare pavement. Road conditions fluctuate between unplowed snow, packed snow, slush, ice, bare pavement, and any mix of these. A four wheel drive vehicle requires constantly engaging and disengaging the four wheel drive.

My 2008 Jeep GC is full time AWD, varying the distribution of torque automatically. It is normally 48F 52R when there is no loss of traction.

If I need to, I can lock the center diff, but that is only for slippery surfaces.

I have briefly done it on dry pavement, and you can definitely hear and feel the binding if you make a turn.