Best: my 2000 Saab 9-3 convertible SE, switched to all weather high performance tires (yokohamas), much cheaper than my Michellin pilot x-whatever. The michellins were a death trap. I was doing donuts on 1/2 inch fresh powder. With the yokohamas, I’ll easily push 60 mph in 5 inch, dense, wet, snowman making snow, and at least 40 in 6in+. I’ll take turns and cut through traffic as if the snow wasn’t even there.
Worst: hands down 1981 Olds Cutlass Supreme Broughm. Just enough weight to get going in the harshest of snowfalls, however, good fucking luck on stopping, turning, slowing down but for the good grace of gravity. And, for some reason, wouldn’t really drive straight. My cousin had a 442 Cutlass Salon (or something like that), and he swore it was much better (maybe for going straight).
I bought an '03 Subaru Forester last winter and intentionally tried to get stuck in the biggest sloppiest snowdrifts I could find and was unable to do so. It’s an absolute peach in the winter.
My old Land Rover Discovery was pretty good, too. I pulled a LOT of people out of ditches with that vehicle, at least 2 dozen in the years I owned it.
’
I agree with brewha on the worst vehicle. I had an '84 Pontiac Trans Am and it wasn’t just horrible in snow, it didn’t even like wet roads.
Yep they way they use the 4wd it does nothing for them except make them go faster. My cousin does plowing for the state. He gets to watch morons trying to pass him on the side he is pushing the snow to all the time. Just smiles and keeps driving as they spin out and land in a ditch. The sanding trucks don’t generaly stop. They just call in any accident to the state police and move on.
My vehicles:
84? Buick Skylark-front wheel drive larger 6 cylinder engine. Overall it was my favorate car in the snow and otherwise. I had it as my first car. I abused the crap out of it it keeped going I never remember it having any issues in the snow.
93 Ford explorer. It was ok in the snow for normal driving. Not spectacular Sliped a bit here and there. I did have alot of fun taking it off the plowed roads(Fort Devens had closed and most the roads remained in place unplowed for a few years) I spent hours doing that it was fun.
96 Chevy Cavilier- It was a blast to drive in the snow when it had good tires. Alot like sledding. Aim the fron wheels where you wanted to go and the back end would kinda slide along behind. It was so light giving it gas could compensate for any loss of control.
00 Chevy Malibu- Not as good as the cavilier. It is alot heavier and if the back end. It can spin right around. I did a 520 degree spin out with it on a highway. As there was plenty of snow on the sides of the road and I wasn’t going that fast the spin was kinda neat. The thought of someone else coming down the road as it was occouring scared the crap out of me.
Baseline and 30th is where we saw most people stuck many moon ago in Boulder. Pulled many people out, got about enough money for a 6-pack. But it was fun. Still doing it today, but less often as people up here are getting smart and at least coming in Subarus.
And to continue the hi-jack. We are at 11,200 feet, about 12 miles south of Breckenridge. Not too much snow right now, 'bout 6". That puts us at 90” for this year, on our deck. I have my plow truck warming up now and am going to go scrape off the drive.
My Wife is from Pittsburgh (re the PA refererence). And I’m from Illinois.
I’ll be back (Arnold reference). Just gotta go plow.
My first ‘snow car’ was a '70 Datsun hatchback. It did ok, but the selling point was that if you ever got stuck, you could open the door, put your shoulder to the door-frame, and push it out of whatever it was stuck in.
My Best* snow car was my '93 Explorer: “Point it & go” to quote other posters. Lasted 181,000 miles and I sold it (its still running somewhere).
But…it may lose the title this winter. As there are some Subaru affectionados here, you’ll appreciate this. I now own a 1992 Subaru Loyale Wagon (push-button 4WD) with only 11,000 original miles! Garage kept/forgotten. I brought her back to life this summer, put new rubber on her, and this will be her very first winter outside. (I should say that she handled flooding this summer like a pro…or more appropriately like a duck…so my exectations are high.)
*Used in snow as of today’s date.
(slight hijack) The second ‘vehicle’ I learned to drive was an old D-7 Cat. The guy we sold it to buried it past the tracks down in the Palouse – deep topsoil there. IIRC, he used two scrapers to pull it out.
We have an Infiniti FX35 that is equipped with Blizzaks right now. It’s pretty much unstoppable (except when I need it to). The rear-wheel-drive-biased AWD takes a little bit of getting used to, but it’s fun. The previous car was a Subaru Forester, which was probably better in the snow, but less fun.
And to those 2wd guys boasting about how 4wd doesn’t help you stop and how your cars are so great in the snow and SUV drivers are Teh Suck: I have ice tires, I have AWD, and I am a rally driver. My SUV and I can safely drive faster than you and your car, so don’t get all offended. I’m not going to end up in the ditch for you gloat at.
Last night coming up a steep incline near my house I passed many, many cars, FWD, RWD and even a Toyota 4Runner, that could not make it up the hill.
The worst car? Hmm. I’m not sure I have had any awful cars I drive in the snow. The RX7 doesn’t move when the temp falls below 40 degrees. I did have my scariest experience in a 73 Cadillac Eldorado which did a 35-mph 180-degree turn, and then came back to facing forward driving along Colfax one winter. That was exciting. Not as exciting for me as for the guy in the VW sitting at the light ahead of me, though. Boy, were his eyes huge in the rearview.
The car was pretty much a tank otherwise, though. 5000+ lb car with all the weight over the drive wheels doesn’t get stuck much.
Sorry if I offended you enipla. I really loved your story about the equipment getting stuck in the driveway in the thread about scariest experiences, so you’re one person who’s OK in my book no matter what you drive. I just have a real visceral dislike for the new Pathfinders because I don’t like how bulky it is compared to the old Pathfinders, and I think the windows look asymmetrical and the fenders are too huge. I am an older SUV person (I used to own a 1990 4Runner which I loved dearly.) Different strokes, though. If you like your Pathfinder, enjoy it!
Living where snow would fall no more than two inches in most places, I was wondering, which makes more difference, tyres or AWD? I would have thought that thinner tyres could break through the snow to the ground better than fatter tyres (as found on Jeeps etc) and provide more grip.
'sokay Argent. I get a little bent when people act like they know what would be best for complete strangers.
Anyway, I did have an older Pathfinder. It did great for me though it was a little underpowered. The new Pathfinder (not the Armada) is bigger and more powerful. That’s one of the reasons I like it. More creature comforts too. Hey, I’m not proud, my heated seats and rear heat where very nice this morning (-17 degrees f).
I would think optional or full time AWD and all weather tires would suit you fine. To be honest, you are probably fine with front wheel drive and all weather tires. It does depend on how much ice you get. Driving on ice is much worse than driving on snow.
Generally speaking, tires are going to make more difference than AWD; crap tires with AWD (which is what I had for OEM tires on my '99 Legacy) is scarcely better than FWD. On the other hand, good tires and AWD make for a great handling vehicle on slick pavement and snow, the rules of physics still applying of course.
The width or profile of the tires is less important overall than having the proper tread and material. Ultimately, you select a tire based upon its rating (and independent evalutions of it; I usually check TireRack.com) rather than width.
Last time I was snowshoeing around Tahoe (Fallen Leaf Lake, I think it was) I met a guy driving one of those on the unplowed “road” that goes into the little community along the shoreline. He bought his for about $12k from Caltrans and fixed it up.
He does construction work out there and evidently built many of the homes. Kinda cool vehicle.
