I used to run a pizza place. Bad snow was some of the worst. Half the staff would call off and we’d have double the orders. We were in a mostly flat city on a grid, so we would cut delivery down to just the grid. People would be furious to be denied delivery pizza. “I just drove up the hill an hour ago! It’s fine!” Yeah in your truck. My delivery driver is in a beat up twenty year old four cylinder.
One day I tried to take our car to work and immediately put it in a ditch. I called my boss while I walked to work. I said we can’t do delivery today this is too extreme. He said oh just do the grid like usual. The only driver who showed up that morning wrecked his car on his third delivery. We always told them, take the topper off your car and hide it in your trunk. If insurance finds out you were doing commercial business they will not pay.
Technically it’s not the power of the engine but the AWD/4WD. You can floor your engine and just skid on ice. Subarus are pretty cheap 4 cyl boxer engines known for great handling in snow with some clever differential systems they have (viscuous coupling diffs, active torque split, etc.) But yeah a Ford Focus or Honda Civic or whatever with FWD only will leave you stranded. Not your main point I know.
One time it snowed a foot or two in Seattle. I had a set of studded tires on a little Toyota Tercel and I swear I was the only fucker driving around. Uphill, downhill, cruising down the lumpy hard-packed freeway, didn’t have any problems. Besides, if you get stuck in a Tercel you can just lift the whole rear of the car out of the snow with a second person. I really miss that car.
AWD might help you avoid getting stuck, but it does nothing to avoid getting in an accident. A cheap 4 cyl FWD with chains or winter tires would do better than a Subaru with crappy tires in icy weather.
Totally incorrect for both posts. A geo with winter tires is better in the snow than a truck on 40 inch mud tires. Winter tires feel like turning on the cheat codes when it’s slick. They have like 10 times the grip of good all seasons below freezing.
I drive on unmaintained roads a lot in the winter. The hakkapeliittas on my truck let me drive in 2wd until the snow is a foot deep.
If you’re into cars for curiosity’s sake, it’s a fun deep dive to look into the cars used in Russia, including the USSR-era ones. Harsh winter conditions, huge backcountry. Some of the government issue ones, uh, GAZ-69, UAZ-469, GAZ-66. I bet people have done modern engine swaps with the chassis on those. One of the crazier things is in the colder regions (e.g. Yakutia) engine cooling isn’t an issue, rather they have to insulate the engine so that it’ll be warm enough to start.
With that said, a beater with snow tires and chains on the trunk (and a driver that knows how to put them on before they are needed) will do better than a Subaru with all season tires.
Source: Subaru forums, even a RWD like a BRZ/FRS with snow tires can be safe if driven with the car’s limitations in mind.
I used to run a pizza place. Bad snow was some of the worst. Half the staff would call off and we’d have double the orders. We were in a mostly flat city on a grid, so we would cut delivery down to just the grid. People would be furious to be denied delivery pizza. “I just drove up the hill an hour ago! It’s fine!” Yeah in your truck. My delivery driver is in a beat up twenty year old four cylinder.
One day I tried to take our car to work and immediately put it in a ditch. I called my boss while I walked to work. I said we can’t do delivery today this is too extreme. He said oh just do the grid like usual. The only driver who showed up that morning wrecked his car on his third delivery. We always told them, take the topper off your car and hide it in your trunk. If insurance finds out you were doing commercial business they will not pay.
Remember, if you drive your own car for work, and they aren’t insuring it, you are double subsidising your employer.
Technically it’s not the power of the engine but the AWD/4WD. You can floor your engine and just skid on ice. Subarus are pretty cheap 4 cyl boxer engines known for great handling in snow with some clever differential systems they have (viscuous coupling diffs, active torque split, etc.) But yeah a Ford Focus or Honda Civic or whatever with FWD only will leave you stranded. Not your main point I know.
One time it snowed a foot or two in Seattle. I had a set of studded tires on a little Toyota Tercel and I swear I was the only fucker driving around. Uphill, downhill, cruising down the lumpy hard-packed freeway, didn’t have any problems. Besides, if you get stuck in a Tercel you can just lift the whole rear of the car out of the snow with a second person. I really miss that car.
I looked that car up a few days ago - know why? It was Jesse’s car in Breaking Bad.
AWD might help you avoid getting stuck, but it does nothing to avoid getting in an accident. A cheap 4 cyl FWD with chains or winter tires would do better than a Subaru with crappy tires in icy weather.
It won’t help you skidding out on the highway, but there are a few situations where you start slipping where they’ll actually catch it.
Totally incorrect for both posts. A geo with winter tires is better in the snow than a truck on 40 inch mud tires. Winter tires feel like turning on the cheat codes when it’s slick. They have like 10 times the grip of good all seasons below freezing.
I drive on unmaintained roads a lot in the winter. The hakkapeliittas on my truck let me drive in 2wd until the snow is a foot deep.
That is also a big help, the best thing you can do is increase what’s basically the coefficient of friction.
Yep. Winter tires stay soft at lower temperatures increasing static and dynamic frictions in winter conditions.
There is a reason why the Italian mountain police uses the Fiat Panda (other than it being an Italian car)
That fucker will go ANYWHERE
If you’re into cars for curiosity’s sake, it’s a fun deep dive to look into the cars used in Russia, including the USSR-era ones. Harsh winter conditions, huge backcountry. Some of the government issue ones, uh, GAZ-69, UAZ-469, GAZ-66. I bet people have done modern engine swaps with the chassis on those. One of the crazier things is in the colder regions (e.g. Yakutia) engine cooling isn’t an issue, rather they have to insulate the engine so that it’ll be warm enough to start.
I just shake my head at people that think if you’re spinning out on the ice, just press the throttle harder. Fucking idiots.
With that said, a beater with snow tires and chains on the trunk (and a driver that knows how to put them on before they are needed) will do better than a Subaru with all season tires.
Source: Subaru forums, even a RWD like a BRZ/FRS with snow tires can be safe if driven with the car’s limitations in mind.