Anyone that was driven through a Midwest winter have an idea of what would be better? I understand that AWD is better to get going because it has more traction, but in the event there’s snow like that I would just avoid driving unless needed, so I’m lead to believe FWD is enough for me. Is that crazy thinking?
TL:DR at the bottom!
I lived in the Midwest (Indiana/Illinios state line) for about 45 years, so I believe this qualifies me to give you the answer you're looking for. But the answer will be long & detailed, so let's get started!
Out there, it's gets BRUTALLY cold in Winter. And I mean frostbite within minutes, cold! Not a ton of snow as you'd think, but enough to make travel difficult. I've owned rear wheel drive, front wheel drive, all wheel drive, part time & full time 4 wheel drive trucks & cars. Each vehicle has an advantage as well as distinct disadvantages for your area. Let's dive into those so you know which one applies to you...
All wheel drive cars are fantastic in light snow/slick/muddy conditions. They send just the right amount of power/brakes to each wheel for grip or non-slip. BUT..the big disadvantage is if you lose a tire because of a blowout, you MUST buy 4 new tires because one different tire will cause undue stress on the drivetrain. But if it's COLD where you are, you absolutely need Winter tires because they remain flexible enough to throw snow from the tread pattern to give good bite on the road. All-seasons are okay, but Summer tires....fuhgettaboudit! You're not going anywhere, no matter how many wheels drive!
Front wheel drive with Winter tires, light to moderate snow conditions got me around just fine. I could put just about any tire on those cars & get around easily. You have the weight of the engine on the drive tires giving good traction. There's no worry of undue drivetrain stress with different named tires on the front from the back, as an all wheel drive car has.
But if you live in LOTS of snow, then a full time or part time 4WD is what you want to get you around. Big tires with deep lugs in the tread will bite well into the snow. But then again, the full time 4WD is NOT to be driven on dry roads because all 4 wheels turn at the same RPM & you'd bounce around inside the cab like a kid in a bouncy house, when turning corners! 0_0
TL:DR...I believe a front wheel drive with good Winter tires will get you around just fine (based on what you describe above). Just giving you the advantages & disadvantages of all, for your situation.
Thank you so much! This was super helpful! Especially since I’m in Indiana now, haha. I was very much leaning towards FWD with a set of winter tires for a lot of reasons, but this clears it up so much for me, I appreciate that so so much!
Any suggestions on good winter tires? I don’t have a car yet, but I’m one of those people that does all the research upfront to weight everything together on equal footing. Especially since there’s so many FWD vehicles out here
I would say any well known brand name Winter tire that has a good traction rating in snowy/icy conditions. I'd tend to stay away from any name you can't readily pronounce...how about that!?
Pick a brand name & Google the ratings. Weed out the fake comments from the real ones...& there you go! Anymore, it's just a shot in the dark, but common sense will help you along. You seem to be pretty level-headed & do your homework when shopping. Just take you time & DO NOT RUSH into a decision! After all, your life depends on it when you drive!
Tires with the mountain+snowflake symbol are rated for "severe snow service”.
Haha, okay perfect! That makes a whole
lot of sense. I will definitely not rush into it, I’ve heard that’s the biggest problem/mistake so I’m trying to take my time with the research! I appreciate your wisdom!
Having proper winter tires (not just the tread, but with a rubber compound that works well with icy surfaces) is so much more important than whether you have AWD or FWD (though either is a HUGE improvement over RWD).
Remember, it is the turning and stopping challenges of snow and ice not the getting stuck problems. AWD, FWD, RWD - they don't have ANY substantial effect on stopping or turning.
Getting stuck is annoying. Not being able to turn or stop, that's what bends fenders and causes drive contusions.
this is backed up by CNBC, Consumer Reports, Toyota, Car and Driver, and various other sites.
It depends on your situation. If driving on streets that have been mostly cleared then front drive is fine. If you have to deal with snow-covered streets or other slippery situations (like having a long snowy/icy uphill driveway to negotiate) then four-wheel-drive is going to be the ticket. Currently my regular-use front drive car would find it a sporting proposition to get up our driveway so I've been using my winter beater, an old 4WD Jeep, which has no problem with it.
It’s not crazy thinking. In fact, my end of the woods covers big city, flat country surrounding it , …and a nearby mountains (Banff, Alberta). Front wheel drive car with a set of all season tires is just fine, … and we have an access to drive in snow pretty well nine months out of twelve. For extra insurance, I would just get a set of good snow tires - mounted on a set of dedicated rims. Just switch tires as season dictates - easy do it yourself task.
And 4WD? I own one currently, a Honda. Is 4WD needed? No, … it’s an on demand system, … the indicator of engagement came on once or twice - as I remember, in 12 years of driving, … but only briefly. In ‘97 I bought 4WD Pathfinder, manual, … I drove it for 15 years and I never used its 4WD function, … because I had to. FWIW.
F.S.
For selection of winter tires, … I use tirerack.com. That helps me to narrow down to one or two choices. Than, … I shop locally - we have difficulty buying stuff from tirerack here in Canada. Lately, you can even get a better deal from car dealers! True, … I just got a best deal from local Honda dealer couple of months ago. Went there to get a air bag recall addressed. After their work, … they said: Is there anything else you would like as to do for you? I said: Well, as you see I need a new tires. That’s next I have to do! They said: We can do that right now. I said: I already have a quotes from couple of places, thanks. They said: We match the lowest one! I said: OK. Do it, … I wait. They charged me 10% less than the lowest quote I had. Nice gesture!
Anyway, … tire makes? I would stick to Bridgestone, Michelin, Continental, … can’t really go much wrong with this trio. Just don’t buy real cheap ones. Germany, US, France, Japan, Finland origin of production are pretty safe, …
F.S.
Thank you! That’s extremely helpful, especially if I end up getting a car from a dealership! I never would’ve thought that they’d do that!
If I lived somewhere with bad winters I would prefer AWD
According to consumer report's tests, winter tires are more effective than AWD, so I'd invest in winter tires rather than the maintenance and repair cost of the AWD systems.
that's BS
@mountainmanjoe
I'm sure there is something behind it if lots of people here are saying it.
A few years ago there fell so much snow in few hours that I had to put snow chains on my AWD Swift with winter tyres. And even with chains I hardly drove uphill.
I live in Canada and I don't know what midwest winters looks like but I don't think it's as bad as here. Like others mentionned, winter tires is the first thing you want to do. FWD is already great for traction, AWD is only really necessary when you drive through one feet of snow or on black ice every morning. If you want to save gas and money, FWD is fine. As long as it's not RWD really.
