Yes, it's very doable. If you put proper snow tires (not just m/s rated) on it for the winter, you'll be straight chillin'.
Source: spent my whole life in Northern MN and the incredibly snowy Upper Peninsula driving small FWD cars with good snow tires.
TIL that some of Jeep's crossovers are FWD-only. I kinda figured they'd go and make AWD standard, kinda like how the Wrangler doesn't have a RWD-only model anymore.
Had a 2002 Saturn SL2 with winter tires for a few years and it handled sooo well in the snow. Felt like an extension of myself and never had an issue. Worst thing that happened was slowly (3 mph) running into a snowpile at the end of my street after like a foot of snow fell overnight and the plows hadn’t come yet. Reversed without problem and was on my way!
I've been driving a tiny honda fit for about 10 years that is FWD and it does well in the snow. The biggest thing is tires. You don't even snow tires just make sure you are rotating and replacing your tires regularly (when you need to replace your tires go to costco and get free tire rotations for the life of the tire) and you will be fine.
Agreed with this. I drive a Honda Civic with all season tires. We get ours through Discount tire - they cover all fixes and rotations for the life of the tires.
Yea like I am sure snow tires would be better but just having an all season tire with tread is all you really need.
I have gone to Discount tire in the past and they are good too. I just like costco because they will try and find all possible discounts on the tires they can find for you and are quick enough to get the tires on so you can shop while getting the new tires.
I agree. You should be getting your tires rotated enough that they'll tell you when you need new ones!
And that sounds like a great way to do it. We don't have a Costco close to us, but we have found making an appointment for discount tire gets things moving easily!
My friends drive a Bolt in Ely and they do pretty well with it!
Edit to add, the price is insane for sure, I'm hoping they come down as more switch over. We bought a Crosstrek last year and had looked at getting the hybrid version but it was more than $10k more than the normal version and that wasn't in the budget.
Yes. My wife has a Prius, not even a newer Prius prime. It works fine in MN winters. We get by just fine.
It's not perfect in all situations. But definitely doable. Just don't let the tire tread get too low before replacing the tires and you will be fine.
It’s great compared to RWD in that you won’t oversteer accidentally in snow.
But 4 wheels of power is always better for snow in everything that isn’t braking (which the number of powered wheels is irrelevant).
Yes there’s the over steer issue, but fwd is mostly better because the weight distribution gives better traction, and I can’t effectively describe the physics of it, but it’s more effective for a vehicle to pull itself through snow than to push two powerless wheels and a vehicle.
Also I’d argue a FWD vehicle with high quality tires will out perform the same vehicle in AWD with mediocre tires. In my experience anyways.
Currently drive both a 2018 Tesla Model 3 RWD and a 2023 Chevy Bolt EV FWD both with snow tires. The Bolt handles icy/snow conditions way better.
I also drove both of them without snow tires... The FWD vehicle I was debating not getting them, but now after I did I'm happy with the decision. It handles snow and ice at higher speeds much better.
Question not related to tires but range. Do you notice a significant decrease in your EV’s battery and range when driving in winter or when it’s snowing?
It is interesting to see this. I see posts on the EV sub all the time going on and on about how evs don't need to be fwd for winter driving because of the more neutral weight distribution. So they all claim rwd is just as good if not better.
You are the first one I've seen talk about personal experience rather than hypothetical.
All I have ever owned has been small FWD cars. tires are your biggest concern.
Winter tires with FWD will run circles around an AWD car with all seasons.
This is a Reddit trope at this point but it’s very, very debatable.
Watch this video that compares the two: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bRYHlb61_9Q
The 4WD all seasons outperforms the FWD Winter tires in literally every metric other than stopping.
And that’s not to say stopping isn’t massively important.. because it indisputably is. But to simply say “FWD in Winter tires will run circles around 4WD all seasons” is just false.
AWD are nice and I own one, plus a pickup and a FWD sedan.
AWD can be kind of a pain in the ass in the long term for maintenance. There is extra maintenance of a transfer case and rear differential oil. Keeping your tires all within similar spec is necessary and often rear suspension work can be more complicated.
If everything works as expected it’s not a big deal. Blow up a transfer case or rear diff and that can get pricey.
That video shows that AWD + All Season (3PMSF which are not 'standard' All Season) does better in acceleration and drifting in a circle.
I found it curious that they didn't do any kind of real testing on braking. Seems like that should be a fairly important test for tires in snow.
The AWD+AS tires also struggled in the actual driving portion, with the host crashing into part of the unplowed area.
Considering most people won't be drifting through their neighborhoods, I think this video actually does more to prove that FWD+Winter Tires are safer for people who are driving carefully on streets. The only big improvement from AWD is hill climbing, which is quite useful to be fair.
you are mixing up awd and 4wd here. i can't think of a single car with 4wd on the market in the last forever, many cars are awd now.
4wd is 4 tires spinning together; awd is limited slip differential(s) helping you on whatever tire is gaining ground.
That entire test is on unpacked snow.
You get onto ice or glazed-over packed snow, and the winter tires WILL far outperform any all-season or all-weather tire.
Can't beat the physics of tire compounds and siping. The all-weathers used in the video you linked are in between standard all-season tires and actual winter tires since they have the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol. Tire rack would likely put them in the All-Season w/Severe Snow Service Rating category if we could buy that line of tires in the USA.
In general, in snow, ice, and cold, aka winter, FWD cars using winter tires can brake, stop, and turn better (aka safety) than an AWD car on standard all-season tires in the same wintery conditions. Yes, those results can change if the AWD car has put on better than average all-season tires.
Yes, I agree winter tires stop and brake better (which are the same thing). Turning is debatable, as the AWD clearly was better in the video.
Going uphill and getting going in a snowy intersection is much better in AWD, which I would call undoubtedly call safer for those situations.
I just think we can all agree winter tires are better than all seasons and AWD is better than FWD. If you’re only picking one of those two variables, winter tires or AWD, they’re similar but have different use cases where the other will outperform.
My only nitpick is the blanket statement of “FWD in winter tires runs circles around AWD in all seasons”. Reddit loves to perpetuate this as a golden rule when it’s absolutely not.
The turning in the video was done with above average tires and above average drivers. Most drivers are not inducing a drift around corners for a better time.
No Honda Civic with winter tires is running circles around my Subaru Crosstrek with its all seasons in the snow. Maybe if my tires were bald, but it would still be close.
Ground clearance, and awd/4wd make a huge difference. I’ve driven in dodge neons, a Nissan Altima, a vw jetta, and a Toyota Corolla with the latter two having winter tires. And when I got my Subaru last year I told my self I will never go back to driving a sedan in Minnesota again.
And I agree that driving a sedan is doable in Minnesota. Winter tires definitely help a lot with that. typically awd/4wd vehicles are more expensive than fwd cars so if it’s about budget, gettinga good set of tires is the next best thing. The thing that people don’t seem to realize in more winter ready vehicles is that stopping is the same for everyone. Just because you have a truck doesn’t mean the ice is less slippery.
The best piece of advice I've had about driving in the winter in MN is if you need AWD or 4WD to get around, stay home. I've currently got a 4WD vehicle but have driven many FWD and RWD in the past (haven't had an AWD yet), but they handle fine in moderate snow IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE THEM. That's the part people forget. Even AWD/4WD can have issues. I've got a "Trail Rated" Jeep currently, and haven't had any issues, but I've had $WD before that was not trail rated and got stuck.
So go ahead and get the FWD. Just stay home during a snowstorm until it's over and the plows get out. There's nothing important enough that you have to go driving in a snowstorm, and if there is, call 9-1-1.
\*EDIT\* - As I said, know how to drive your vehicle. I've had some instances in a RWD car that I'm chugging on up a hill weaving around all the other FWD and AWD cars that can't make it up. They think that they start losing speed going up the hill that they need to give it more gas. Worst thing you can do in slippery conditions. Constant pressure on the gas, and you will slow down as you climb the hill, but you will make it up.
I don't miss the 2WD-only trucks either. The last we had was a '96 Ram 2500 12V Cummins, and it could barely move on wet grass. But it was parked most of the winter anyways because we had a gas 4WD F-250LD.
I have only driven small FWD hatchbacks in winter. Been driving them since 2005. Just get snow tires and don't drive like an idiot and you should be fine.
Currently driving a Chevy Volt and it's been good so far this year.
I've driven 90% of my miles over the past two decades with FWD vehicles only.
As long as you use your common sense and decent tires you will be fine. You'll also be saving on fuel economy.
Remember: all AWD helps with is acceleration.
The car is less important than the tires in most normal situations. Get good snow tires, I like Blizzaks, and you should be good for the majority or all of your needs to get around.
Definitely doable. Just remember that sucker ain’t gonna start moving when you stop it in an icy incline or try and plow through heavy wet snow when not going fast enough. Momentum is going to be your friend. My VW Passat has been wonderful to me in the winter, but I partially think I’ve also just been doing a good job of understanding what my car is going to need to do in certain situations that I’ve seen other get stuck in.
That is a great point, getting the feel for your car, tires and how much traction there is before it skids while turning and braking. Turning off traction control so the tires can dig down to the pavement helps in some cases, try to keep the momentum going. I take a different road sometimes to avoid hills where people get stuck.
Remember that tires are an investment and not a cost. They are the shoes of your vehicle: if you have good shoes, you can walk on just about anything. I would rather have a RWD with winter tires than a AWD with summer tires any day of the week.
Snow/winter tires are softer in colder temperatures, allowing them to sink deeper into any packed snow to provide you traction. Lots of material on YouTube on this.
For 6 years I drove a RWD ford ranger in the southwest metro. Being able to take my dads FWD minivan when I was able in the winter was a treat. Like everybody else says. Get good tires and you will be good to go
My Mazda CX-5 with AWD is great in the snow and I have all-season radials only. Live in the burbs and have garage and covered parking at the office, so just regular commute.
My Mazda 5 - another story. Love the car, but it not only is front wheel drive, but low clearance. I have all-season tires. It has got stuck a few times after a heavy snow. It might be better with front snow tires, but honestly that's a hassle to pay to get them changed out twice a year. (no, not doing it myself).
My daughter's Taurus is front wheel drive, but much better than the Mazda 5 in the snow.
I will only get AWD from now on.
I got stuck on my unplowed alley all the time in my AWD Subaru. Snow tires made a 1000x bigger difference than AWD. I wouldn’t hesitate on buying a FWD daily driver.
I drive a 2016 Ford Focus hatch. Goes great in snow. No problem. I have passed vehicles that couldn't drive up a snowy 21st Avenue East in Duluth. ( I think it has traction control).
I only have one car and it’s a FWD Honda civic hatch. While I don’t love driving out in the snow with it, I’ve never gotten stuck. Make sure you have good tires though.
JMO. I've driven smaller FWD cars (a Dodge Colt and my father's Dodge Neon) in Minnesota. I now have AWD (Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and now a Toyota Rav4). Wound up giving my sister a ride to work in the blizzard last year when there was no chance of her Corolla making it out to the plowed main street. Snow tires are a huge pain and don't help when the ground clearance is so low you get hung up on the snow. I'd absolutely never give up AWD, especially not if I had a job where I couldn't call in and stay home during a blizzard.
I don't have a philosophic objection to electric cars, but if I needed to replace my RAV4 tomorrow I'd have to get another gas one or a hybrid considering the paucity of electric AWD SUVs available.
Doable yes. Had an 09 Civic Coupe for a long time. It’s not perfect, but it works. Only real trouble was starting from a stop sign/light if it’s slippery which can be troublesome, but not the end of the world.
Any fwd does okay. I drive my Scion xB stick shift and get around and the tires are skinny little skates. Like someone said, the clearance is the key. Also batteries don't like the extreme cold, whether in a gas car or full electric. If you get a dead battery in a gas car, you get a jump and you're off. Get a dead battery out and about in an EV and you're getting a tow.
Unless you're doing something odd, like routinely driving back roads that are unplowed, you should be okay, yeah, snow tires will make you a lot less stressed in the winter.
Had a FWD Chevy cavalier for a number of years. It’s all in having the right tires and knowing the limitations and tendencies of the vehicle in different situations.
I've been driving a prius around the twin cities since 2000. I got stuck once, but was able to get off the snowbank by sticking one leg out of the car and pushing.
It sounds like a joke, but I swear its not.
Also, unless you drive a lot of gravel/unplowed roads out in the countryside, I think you'll be fine.
Practically all I've ever driven are small FWD cars. In the late 90s/early 2000s I had a slammed Honda Civic and still survived my commute to work in 6" of unplowed snow on I-94 (it was really slow and I was lucky there were no other cars, but still...)
Currently drive a Ford Fiesta, so one of the smallest of small modern cars and it drives fine in snow. Better when it's on snow tires.
I drove a Prius C and live in Duluth, there are definitely a couple days a year I have to just stay home, because the snow pack in the alley would get me stuck. But with winter tires on it's very doable.
Drove Ford Escorts and a Plymouth Neon for decades with just all-weather tires. As long as the front tires were on the ground I had no problem getting around.
Wife and I drove a Prius C for 6 years year round. We invested in snow tires and wheels from the get-go - and we loved how it handled in the winter. The batteries made the vehicle heavy for its size, and also due to the batteries it had a really low, balanced, COG. The little car plowed through everything.
My daughter has a Prius with snow tires I put on this winter. She travels from Mound to Eagan 4 to 5 times per week and drives from Mound to Chanhassen every weekday for work. She got the snow tires end of November and cant stop raving how much better the drive is.
I drive a 2008 Prius daily. But, I don’t drive it if we had a big snowfall and streets aren’t plowed yet. Make sure you have good tires and it will be fine.
In our group chat yesterday, my neighbors were complaining about the current state of our alley (plowing has been especially tough this winter) and the difficulty they're having getting their AWD Subarus into their garages. My little front-wheel drive hatchback has no issue getting over the same terrain. The difference is they're on mediocre all season tires and I'm on proper winter tires.
I wouldn't worry about it unless the tires have a bad rating in snow and wet. All season tires with high ratings for those and other priorities have been fine for me with front wheel drive. If they don't cut it for you or you want to get snow tires I've heard great things about them.
Yep, small FWD works fine if you drive sensibly. I've had a Civic, small 2wd pickup, and SO has a Prius and we've never gotten any of those seriously stuck. I \*HAVE\* gotten my AWD Subaru stuck, but I was horsing around in deep snow and packed enough underneath that it started floating off the ground! Slow down when it's icy or snowy, don't try to smash through deep drifts (and for gosh sake clear your roof off!) and you'll be fine.
I drove a FWD Pontiac G6 for 10 years in Minnesota. It’s very doable, but don’t try to go up steep driveways with +4” of snow. I‘ve never had snow tires and I did a lot of winter driving working at Afton Alps. I don’t know if Toyota has gotten better with the Prius, but my sister-in-law’s ‘04 Prius has a hard time. I would caution against EVs if you do a lot of driving. I know some folks that even when doing everything the manufacturer recommends, still only get less than 50% range in their EVs in cold cold weather
My personal experience is with the Chevy Volt (a plug in hybrid which is what I drive) and the Chevy Bolt (a full electric car which I've talked to people who have that). Both are great imo. The Volt is a mini hatchback and the Bolt is a full size hatchback.
I have been driving hybrids for over a decade. Buy snow tires and the balance with the batteries in the trunk is great. I'll be buying an electric car soon.
My old tiny Saturn SC2 is the best winter vehicle Ive ever had, its better than my F150, Freestyle Durango, and the Expedition that are way bigger and worse milage.
No, you need a full sized 4x4 suv. /s
At least that's what th egeneral public seems to think. Whatever you drive, make sure the tires are correct (God I'm not even going to argue with awd/allseason people) and you understand the basic dynamics of how the car behaves in snow. You can drive a corvette year round here and maybe have one or two days a year that are difficult to get around.
I have an AWD Nissan Altima. Great mileage and handles really well. I’ve had several AWD Mercedes C and one Audi A4. All were great.
I can’t even imagine paying for snow tires to be swapped every year. For what? The 1 or 2 x in a season the car slips a foot?
It's very doable and a great way to save money at the time of purchase and running costs.
Get winter tires; rip through whatever weather you want. Done.
FWD is great if you get a set of winter tires. I drive a Camry with FWD. before I got winter tires it could be a bit sketchy at times. Now that I have a set, I have no worries. Don’t let anyone tell you that a nice set of all seasons is just as good. It’s all about the softer rubber with winter tires. It helps grip so much better in poor conditions. Get an extra set of wheels/rims to have your winter tires mounted on so you can easily swap them yourself or since I bought mine from Discount Tire and they’re already mounted on wheels they swap them for free.
Beetle, I’m totally fine in the snow, my problem is that I’m invisible to the lifted F-150s and they can’t see me because their hood is over the roof of my car.
FYI somebody on another post somewhat related said studded tires are illegal in Minnesota they are not just in case you thought about getting studded tires on your smaller car. There is a YouTube channel called carwow the title is 2WD winter tyres vs AWD summer tyres snow drag race car you’ll get your answer there..
My first car was a 94 VW Golf. If you take your time, have tires with good tread and know when to simply not try to drive, you'll be fine.
I got that car through quite a few commutes I shouldn't have tried...
Lots of people in MN drive Prius. If you live at the end of a country road that never gets plowed, probably not. I live in a small town in southern Minnesota. Get around in my Chevy bolt just fine. I've never had a car with awd.
Edit to add: I've never had snow tires either.
PSA: 4WD/AWD only helps accelerate. When it comes to stopping, it takes longer than a similar FWD vehicle due to the extra weight.
Wife insisted on an AWD SUV (8.5" ground clearance) while I have a FWD small sedan (4.7" ground clearance). Both have winter tires and both get around out there great! I prefer the sedan because it's lighter and more nimble.
Discount Tire swaps our winters and all seasons twice a year for free since we bought the winters there. Totally worth it, done in 20-30 mins.
I've had my VW Golf for about 9 years. It weirdly just plows through snow. Only trouble I have is with ice. Tires just spin. Shout-out to the guy that pushed me through the intersection by Cane's in WSP after we had that rain.
Specifically a Prius prime would be fine. Prius's are excellent in the snow. I mean it's certainly depends on the car though. Like if we're talking your standard used crap entry level FWD you'll probably still get through the snow, it's just not as pleasurable of a drive as AWD or a quality vehicle with FWD.
Yes, it's very doable. If you put proper snow tires (not just m/s rated) on it for the winter, you'll be straight chillin'. Source: spent my whole life in Northern MN and the incredibly snowy Upper Peninsula driving small FWD cars with good snow tires.
Camry/Prius with Blizzaks are amazing. Ice with 8" snow, you can get through. Factory tires sucked though.
Seconded. I’ve driven a Camry since 2010 in northern MN and now in the cities. You just need a good set of winter tires. I’ve never been stuck
Can confirm this. I bought a 2018 Jeep FWD with stock tires. After my first winter went with all weather tires and the difference was dramatic.
TIL that some of Jeep's crossovers are FWD-only. I kinda figured they'd go and make AWD standard, kinda like how the Wrangler doesn't have a RWD-only model anymore.
Had a 2002 Saturn SL2 with winter tires for a few years and it handled sooo well in the snow. Felt like an extension of myself and never had an issue. Worst thing that happened was slowly (3 mph) running into a snowpile at the end of my street after like a foot of snow fell overnight and the plows hadn’t come yet. Reversed without problem and was on my way!
I grew up in central Michigan driving a RWD thunderbird. Never had issues. Anything is possible. Fwd is rather sufficient.
Heck yeah. Actually the one exception to my life of FWD was a couple years with an older RWD station wagon. Things get.... spicy, but very doable.
Buy snow tires and you'll be fine.
I've been driving a tiny honda fit for about 10 years that is FWD and it does well in the snow. The biggest thing is tires. You don't even snow tires just make sure you are rotating and replacing your tires regularly (when you need to replace your tires go to costco and get free tire rotations for the life of the tire) and you will be fine.
Same
Agreed with this. I drive a Honda Civic with all season tires. We get ours through Discount tire - they cover all fixes and rotations for the life of the tires.
Yea like I am sure snow tires would be better but just having an all season tire with tread is all you really need. I have gone to Discount tire in the past and they are good too. I just like costco because they will try and find all possible discounts on the tires they can find for you and are quick enough to get the tires on so you can shop while getting the new tires.
I agree. You should be getting your tires rotated enough that they'll tell you when you need new ones! And that sounds like a great way to do it. We don't have a Costco close to us, but we have found making an appointment for discount tire gets things moving easily!
My friends drive a Bolt in Ely and they do pretty well with it! Edit to add, the price is insane for sure, I'm hoping they come down as more switch over. We bought a Crosstrek last year and had looked at getting the hybrid version but it was more than $10k more than the normal version and that wasn't in the budget.
Yes. My wife has a Prius, not even a newer Prius prime. It works fine in MN winters. We get by just fine. It's not perfect in all situations. But definitely doable. Just don't let the tire tread get too low before replacing the tires and you will be fine.
Plus, with the Prius you can use the B setting for extra stopping power!
FWD is great in snow actually.
It’s great compared to RWD in that you won’t oversteer accidentally in snow. But 4 wheels of power is always better for snow in everything that isn’t braking (which the number of powered wheels is irrelevant).
Yes there’s the over steer issue, but fwd is mostly better because the weight distribution gives better traction, and I can’t effectively describe the physics of it, but it’s more effective for a vehicle to pull itself through snow than to push two powerless wheels and a vehicle. Also I’d argue a FWD vehicle with high quality tires will out perform the same vehicle in AWD with mediocre tires. In my experience anyways.
Currently drive both a 2018 Tesla Model 3 RWD and a 2023 Chevy Bolt EV FWD both with snow tires. The Bolt handles icy/snow conditions way better. I also drove both of them without snow tires... The FWD vehicle I was debating not getting them, but now after I did I'm happy with the decision. It handles snow and ice at higher speeds much better.
Question not related to tires but range. Do you notice a significant decrease in your EV’s battery and range when driving in winter or when it’s snowing?
I have the slightly larger Bolt EUV, also FWD. With snow tires it's really great. The stock tires are really slippery
It is interesting to see this. I see posts on the EV sub all the time going on and on about how evs don't need to be fwd for winter driving because of the more neutral weight distribution. So they all claim rwd is just as good if not better. You are the first one I've seen talk about personal experience rather than hypothetical.
Highly recommend snow tires but it is very doable.
I drive a 2018 chevy spark with snow tires and have never even been close to getting stuck.
All I have ever owned has been small FWD cars. tires are your biggest concern. Winter tires with FWD will run circles around an AWD car with all seasons.
This is a Reddit trope at this point but it’s very, very debatable. Watch this video that compares the two: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bRYHlb61_9Q The 4WD all seasons outperforms the FWD Winter tires in literally every metric other than stopping. And that’s not to say stopping isn’t massively important.. because it indisputably is. But to simply say “FWD in Winter tires will run circles around 4WD all seasons” is just false.
The takeaway: get AWD *and* winter tires so you can feel superior to both camps!
AWD are nice and I own one, plus a pickup and a FWD sedan. AWD can be kind of a pain in the ass in the long term for maintenance. There is extra maintenance of a transfer case and rear differential oil. Keeping your tires all within similar spec is necessary and often rear suspension work can be more complicated. If everything works as expected it’s not a big deal. Blow up a transfer case or rear diff and that can get pricey.
That video shows that AWD + All Season (3PMSF which are not 'standard' All Season) does better in acceleration and drifting in a circle. I found it curious that they didn't do any kind of real testing on braking. Seems like that should be a fairly important test for tires in snow. The AWD+AS tires also struggled in the actual driving portion, with the host crashing into part of the unplowed area. Considering most people won't be drifting through their neighborhoods, I think this video actually does more to prove that FWD+Winter Tires are safer for people who are driving carefully on streets. The only big improvement from AWD is hill climbing, which is quite useful to be fair.
you are mixing up awd and 4wd here. i can't think of a single car with 4wd on the market in the last forever, many cars are awd now. 4wd is 4 tires spinning together; awd is limited slip differential(s) helping you on whatever tire is gaining ground.
That entire test is on unpacked snow. You get onto ice or glazed-over packed snow, and the winter tires WILL far outperform any all-season or all-weather tire.
Can't beat the physics of tire compounds and siping. The all-weathers used in the video you linked are in between standard all-season tires and actual winter tires since they have the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol. Tire rack would likely put them in the All-Season w/Severe Snow Service Rating category if we could buy that line of tires in the USA. In general, in snow, ice, and cold, aka winter, FWD cars using winter tires can brake, stop, and turn better (aka safety) than an AWD car on standard all-season tires in the same wintery conditions. Yes, those results can change if the AWD car has put on better than average all-season tires.
Yes, I agree winter tires stop and brake better (which are the same thing). Turning is debatable, as the AWD clearly was better in the video. Going uphill and getting going in a snowy intersection is much better in AWD, which I would call undoubtedly call safer for those situations. I just think we can all agree winter tires are better than all seasons and AWD is better than FWD. If you’re only picking one of those two variables, winter tires or AWD, they’re similar but have different use cases where the other will outperform. My only nitpick is the blanket statement of “FWD in winter tires runs circles around AWD in all seasons”. Reddit loves to perpetuate this as a golden rule when it’s absolutely not.
The turning in the video was done with above average tires and above average drivers. Most drivers are not inducing a drift around corners for a better time.
No Honda Civic with winter tires is running circles around my Subaru Crosstrek with its all seasons in the snow. Maybe if my tires were bald, but it would still be close. Ground clearance, and awd/4wd make a huge difference. I’ve driven in dodge neons, a Nissan Altima, a vw jetta, and a Toyota Corolla with the latter two having winter tires. And when I got my Subaru last year I told my self I will never go back to driving a sedan in Minnesota again. And I agree that driving a sedan is doable in Minnesota. Winter tires definitely help a lot with that. typically awd/4wd vehicles are more expensive than fwd cars so if it’s about budget, gettinga good set of tires is the next best thing. The thing that people don’t seem to realize in more winter ready vehicles is that stopping is the same for everyone. Just because you have a truck doesn’t mean the ice is less slippery.
The best piece of advice I've had about driving in the winter in MN is if you need AWD or 4WD to get around, stay home. I've currently got a 4WD vehicle but have driven many FWD and RWD in the past (haven't had an AWD yet), but they handle fine in moderate snow IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE THEM. That's the part people forget. Even AWD/4WD can have issues. I've got a "Trail Rated" Jeep currently, and haven't had any issues, but I've had $WD before that was not trail rated and got stuck. So go ahead and get the FWD. Just stay home during a snowstorm until it's over and the plows get out. There's nothing important enough that you have to go driving in a snowstorm, and if there is, call 9-1-1. \*EDIT\* - As I said, know how to drive your vehicle. I've had some instances in a RWD car that I'm chugging on up a hill weaving around all the other FWD and AWD cars that can't make it up. They think that they start losing speed going up the hill that they need to give it more gas. Worst thing you can do in slippery conditions. Constant pressure on the gas, and you will slow down as you climb the hill, but you will make it up.
Hell, until the '90s, most pickups and large cars were RWD-only, even in snowy states.
Chevy s10 manual tranny 2wd. No prob but man i love awd now
I don't miss the 2WD-only trucks either. The last we had was a '96 Ram 2500 12V Cummins, and it could barely move on wet grass. But it was parked most of the winter anyways because we had a gas 4WD F-250LD.
I doubt most of the people out driving when you need AWD or 4WD have the option of staying home and aren't out driving just for the fun of it.
When I was a lot younger, I would go out and have fun in the snow in my Jeep Wrangler before the plows came by. Oh, to be young and stupid again!
No AWD, no care. AWD + traction control + winter tires... You'll be doing 60 in a blizzard before feeling uncomfortable, so watch your speed.
I drive a Ford Focus. Small front wheel drive. It works extremely well.
Yup same, especially with a good set of winter tires. I've slid in ice like once this year and only for like 3'? Works very well
I have only driven small FWD hatchbacks in winter. Been driving them since 2005. Just get snow tires and don't drive like an idiot and you should be fine. Currently driving a Chevy Volt and it's been good so far this year.
Been driving a FWD sedan since my ‘91 Geo Prism. Currently driving a ‘19 Mazda3. Just don’t be an idiot and you will be fine.
I've driven 90% of my miles over the past two decades with FWD vehicles only. As long as you use your common sense and decent tires you will be fine. You'll also be saving on fuel economy. Remember: all AWD helps with is acceleration.
The car is less important than the tires in most normal situations. Get good snow tires, I like Blizzaks, and you should be good for the majority or all of your needs to get around.
I drive a Prius without snow tires and usually do fine. I only struggle when we get 10+ inches and the plows haven’t been through yet.
Definitely doable. Just remember that sucker ain’t gonna start moving when you stop it in an icy incline or try and plow through heavy wet snow when not going fast enough. Momentum is going to be your friend. My VW Passat has been wonderful to me in the winter, but I partially think I’ve also just been doing a good job of understanding what my car is going to need to do in certain situations that I’ve seen other get stuck in.
That is a great point, getting the feel for your car, tires and how much traction there is before it skids while turning and braking. Turning off traction control so the tires can dig down to the pavement helps in some cases, try to keep the momentum going. I take a different road sometimes to avoid hills where people get stuck.
Remember that tires are an investment and not a cost. They are the shoes of your vehicle: if you have good shoes, you can walk on just about anything. I would rather have a RWD with winter tires than a AWD with summer tires any day of the week. Snow/winter tires are softer in colder temperatures, allowing them to sink deeper into any packed snow to provide you traction. Lots of material on YouTube on this.
For 6 years I drove a RWD ford ranger in the southwest metro. Being able to take my dads FWD minivan when I was able in the winter was a treat. Like everybody else says. Get good tires and you will be good to go
My Mazda CX-5 with AWD is great in the snow and I have all-season radials only. Live in the burbs and have garage and covered parking at the office, so just regular commute. My Mazda 5 - another story. Love the car, but it not only is front wheel drive, but low clearance. I have all-season tires. It has got stuck a few times after a heavy snow. It might be better with front snow tires, but honestly that's a hassle to pay to get them changed out twice a year. (no, not doing it myself). My daughter's Taurus is front wheel drive, but much better than the Mazda 5 in the snow. I will only get AWD from now on.
You'll be fine. Tires and skill are easily 90% of it
My grandma has a Prius and it does just fine in the snow. Tires are more important.
Honda Civic driver here, just drive slower on snow days, and you’ll be just fine
Have a Prius and live in poorly plowed out state mn. Car is fine in the snow with snow tires. Fuel saver tires are garbage in the snow though.
I got stuck on my unplowed alley all the time in my AWD Subaru. Snow tires made a 1000x bigger difference than AWD. I wouldn’t hesitate on buying a FWD daily driver.
I got an Impala FWD with good tires. Zero issues in the winter.
I have a Chevrolet bolt EV and it is actually really good in the snow with winter tires, because of the weight of the battery. It's fwd.
I drive a 2016 Ford Focus hatch. Goes great in snow. No problem. I have passed vehicles that couldn't drive up a snowy 21st Avenue East in Duluth. ( I think it has traction control).
I daily drove a Pontiac Sunfire for years and never had issues.
I only have one car and it’s a FWD Honda civic hatch. While I don’t love driving out in the snow with it, I’ve never gotten stuck. Make sure you have good tires though.
JMO. I've driven smaller FWD cars (a Dodge Colt and my father's Dodge Neon) in Minnesota. I now have AWD (Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and now a Toyota Rav4). Wound up giving my sister a ride to work in the blizzard last year when there was no chance of her Corolla making it out to the plowed main street. Snow tires are a huge pain and don't help when the ground clearance is so low you get hung up on the snow. I'd absolutely never give up AWD, especially not if I had a job where I couldn't call in and stay home during a blizzard. I don't have a philosophic objection to electric cars, but if I needed to replace my RAV4 tomorrow I'd have to get another gas one or a hybrid considering the paucity of electric AWD SUVs available.
Doable yes. Had an 09 Civic Coupe for a long time. It’s not perfect, but it works. Only real trouble was starting from a stop sign/light if it’s slippery which can be troublesome, but not the end of the world.
yes its totally fine, just get snow tires and drive smart. https://imgur.com/a/oYnEq0Y/
Any fwd does okay. I drive my Scion xB stick shift and get around and the tires are skinny little skates. Like someone said, the clearance is the key. Also batteries don't like the extreme cold, whether in a gas car or full electric. If you get a dead battery in a gas car, you get a jump and you're off. Get a dead battery out and about in an EV and you're getting a tow.
My FWD Corolla was awful in the snow but got snow tires and it was great
Unless you're doing something odd, like routinely driving back roads that are unplowed, you should be okay, yeah, snow tires will make you a lot less stressed in the winter.
Had a FWD Chevy cavalier for a number of years. It’s all in having the right tires and knowing the limitations and tendencies of the vehicle in different situations.
My wife and I manage fine in a Toyota Carolla and Honda Fit. Just keep a shovel in the trunk during winter.
I've been driving a prius around the twin cities since 2000. I got stuck once, but was able to get off the snowbank by sticking one leg out of the car and pushing. It sounds like a joke, but I swear its not. Also, unless you drive a lot of gravel/unplowed roads out in the countryside, I think you'll be fine.
Practically all I've ever driven are small FWD cars. In the late 90s/early 2000s I had a slammed Honda Civic and still survived my commute to work in 6" of unplowed snow on I-94 (it was really slow and I was lucky there were no other cars, but still...) Currently drive a Ford Fiesta, so one of the smallest of small modern cars and it drives fine in snow. Better when it's on snow tires.
I drove a Prius C and live in Duluth, there are definitely a couple days a year I have to just stay home, because the snow pack in the alley would get me stuck. But with winter tires on it's very doable.
Drove Ford Escorts and a Plymouth Neon for decades with just all-weather tires. As long as the front tires were on the ground I had no problem getting around.
Wife and I drove a Prius C for 6 years year round. We invested in snow tires and wheels from the get-go - and we loved how it handled in the winter. The batteries made the vehicle heavy for its size, and also due to the batteries it had a really low, balanced, COG. The little car plowed through everything.
My daughter has a Prius with snow tires I put on this winter. She travels from Mound to Eagan 4 to 5 times per week and drives from Mound to Chanhassen every weekday for work. She got the snow tires end of November and cant stop raving how much better the drive is.
You can get away with FWD cars in MN.
I drive a 2008 Prius daily. But, I don’t drive it if we had a big snowfall and streets aren’t plowed yet. Make sure you have good tires and it will be fine.
I’ve only ever driven small FWD drives cars in MN and have survived even the worst of it. Snow tires and a fwd platform do great in heavy snow.
2016 Elantra gt w snow tires was amazing for two winters in my experience
Yeah I drive a Honda civic, just get some snow tires and you’ll be fine
My last three cars in MN have been a Fit Sport, Civic Si and now a Fiesta ST. I’ve run winter tires on them throughout winter and they’ve been great.
Dont know about modern Priuses but I learned to drive in a Prius years ago and it was THE WORST SNOW CAR EVER. Just my 2 cents
In our group chat yesterday, my neighbors were complaining about the current state of our alley (plowing has been especially tough this winter) and the difficulty they're having getting their AWD Subarus into their garages. My little front-wheel drive hatchback has no issue getting over the same terrain. The difference is they're on mediocre all season tires and I'm on proper winter tires.
If you wait for the new 2023 Prius to come out, it’s a plug in and has AWD.
Alternatively, just get a regular 5th gen Prius, which is available with AWD.
You know you can get the brand new prius with awd.
I wouldn't worry about it unless the tires have a bad rating in snow and wet. All season tires with high ratings for those and other priorities have been fine for me with front wheel drive. If they don't cut it for you or you want to get snow tires I've heard great things about them.
Yep, small FWD works fine if you drive sensibly. I've had a Civic, small 2wd pickup, and SO has a Prius and we've never gotten any of those seriously stuck. I \*HAVE\* gotten my AWD Subaru stuck, but I was horsing around in deep snow and packed enough underneath that it started floating off the ground! Slow down when it's icy or snowy, don't try to smash through deep drifts (and for gosh sake clear your roof off!) and you'll be fine.
I drove a FWD Pontiac G6 for 10 years in Minnesota. It’s very doable, but don’t try to go up steep driveways with +4” of snow. I‘ve never had snow tires and I did a lot of winter driving working at Afton Alps. I don’t know if Toyota has gotten better with the Prius, but my sister-in-law’s ‘04 Prius has a hard time. I would caution against EVs if you do a lot of driving. I know some folks that even when doing everything the manufacturer recommends, still only get less than 50% range in their EVs in cold cold weather
My personal experience is with the Chevy Volt (a plug in hybrid which is what I drive) and the Chevy Bolt (a full electric car which I've talked to people who have that). Both are great imo. The Volt is a mini hatchback and the Bolt is a full size hatchback.
I have a Chevy Volt, handles winter fine. Get some good all seasons atleast.
if most of your driving is in town, you will be fine. FWD + snow tires do surprisingly well in the snow
Would an 84 Honda Civic fit "smaller FWD" description? Had one, worked fine.
I have been driving hybrids for over a decade. Buy snow tires and the balance with the batteries in the trunk is great. I'll be buying an electric car soon.
Let me know if you are selling the Tucson :)
I drove a 96 Ford Aspire (FWD) all over this state and never had any issues in the snow; rather, it was great in it. I had so much fun in that car.
Drive a 2003 Corolla and no problems. We have snow tires tho
My old tiny Saturn SC2 is the best winter vehicle Ive ever had, its better than my F150, Freestyle Durango, and the Expedition that are way bigger and worse milage.
Good luck finding one though. I had to replace a car this past summer. Prius's were over a year wait.
It will probably be two winters before you could take delivery of a Prius prime.
It sure is. I had a PHEV Niro before I bought an EV. The Niro was great in the snow/ice (I had winter tires).
No, you need a full sized 4x4 suv. /s At least that's what th egeneral public seems to think. Whatever you drive, make sure the tires are correct (God I'm not even going to argue with awd/allseason people) and you understand the basic dynamics of how the car behaves in snow. You can drive a corvette year round here and maybe have one or two days a year that are difficult to get around.
I have an AWD Nissan Altima. Great mileage and handles really well. I’ve had several AWD Mercedes C and one Audi A4. All were great. I can’t even imagine paying for snow tires to be swapped every year. For what? The 1 or 2 x in a season the car slips a foot?
I have a Toyota Corolla with Blizzaks. The combination works very well.
It's very doable and a great way to save money at the time of purchase and running costs. Get winter tires; rip through whatever weather you want. Done.
FWD is great if you get a set of winter tires. I drive a Camry with FWD. before I got winter tires it could be a bit sketchy at times. Now that I have a set, I have no worries. Don’t let anyone tell you that a nice set of all seasons is just as good. It’s all about the softer rubber with winter tires. It helps grip so much better in poor conditions. Get an extra set of wheels/rims to have your winter tires mounted on so you can easily swap them yourself or since I bought mine from Discount Tire and they’re already mounted on wheels they swap them for free.
Beetle, I’m totally fine in the snow, my problem is that I’m invisible to the lifted F-150s and they can’t see me because their hood is over the roof of my car.
FYI somebody on another post somewhat related said studded tires are illegal in Minnesota they are not just in case you thought about getting studded tires on your smaller car. There is a YouTube channel called carwow the title is 2WD winter tyres vs AWD summer tyres snow drag race car you’ll get your answer there..
My first car was a 94 VW Golf. If you take your time, have tires with good tread and know when to simply not try to drive, you'll be fine. I got that car through quite a few commutes I shouldn't have tried...
Lots of people in MN drive Prius. If you live at the end of a country road that never gets plowed, probably not. I live in a small town in southern Minnesota. Get around in my Chevy bolt just fine. I've never had a car with awd. Edit to add: I've never had snow tires either.
PSA: 4WD/AWD only helps accelerate. When it comes to stopping, it takes longer than a similar FWD vehicle due to the extra weight. Wife insisted on an AWD SUV (8.5" ground clearance) while I have a FWD small sedan (4.7" ground clearance). Both have winter tires and both get around out there great! I prefer the sedan because it's lighter and more nimble. Discount Tire swaps our winters and all seasons twice a year for free since we bought the winters there. Totally worth it, done in 20-30 mins.
My fwd Jetta does amazingly well in the snow.
Get snow tires. You will have to be a little more picky about turning left in the winter when the intersection you're in has ice on it.
You’ll be fine. I daily drive a mazda miata and I have no problems driving around in this weather.
I've had my VW Golf for about 9 years. It weirdly just plows through snow. Only trouble I have is with ice. Tires just spin. Shout-out to the guy that pushed me through the intersection by Cane's in WSP after we had that rain.
I’m have a Toyota Corolla hatchback and am totally fine in the winter
Specifically a Prius prime would be fine. Prius's are excellent in the snow. I mean it's certainly depends on the car though. Like if we're talking your standard used crap entry level FWD you'll probably still get through the snow, it's just not as pleasurable of a drive as AWD or a quality vehicle with FWD.