<p>We are thinking of sending son back to school (in Ithaca,NY) with a car. I am wondering how important it really is to have a 4 wheel drive car. We could send him with a sedan and have him get snow tires for the winter months. (I am assuming there is a place in Ithaca to store the regular tires when the snow tires go on the car – but not entirely sure about this.) Someone I know who lived upstate believes this is adequate for getting around. When her daughters started to drive, they got a Camry for them to use – not a 4 wheel drive car. When I went to school in upstate NY, I had a sedan and used snow tires to get all around, including to the nearby ski area. No kids had 4 wheel drive cars then. </p>
<p>I have read a bit about this on some auto forums. As I understand it, while 4-wheel drive is useful to get traction to get going, it doesn’t help in stopping situations (may even make it harder as these cars are heavier and may give a false sense of security) and that good snow tires are most important for stopping in bad weather.</p>
<p>There are other factors involved in this decision for us (cost, gas mileage, handling, etc.) but I did want some advice on the 4-wheel drive aspect. Any help, as always, is appreciated.</p>
<p>My son has survived 3 winters in Ithaca with just regular “all-weather” tires on a front-wheel drive Chevy. Most driving that a college student does is optional and if the weather is really bad you just wait for the roads to be plowed - which I understand they do pretty well in Ithaca.</p>
<p>Front wheel drive is usually best for snow and ice. And so is learning to slow down and increase stopping distances. </p>
<p>You want them to be a bit insecure behind the wheel. Can’t tell you how many 4 wheel drives are in ditches in bad weather here. Too much confidence in bad weather usually spells disaster.</p>
<p>Seriously, the key to winter driving is to just wait until the snowstorm ends plus a few hours for them to clear the roads. At that point, front-wheel drive, all-season tires, and ABS braking is quite adequate.</p>
<p>I guarantee you that your son will never bother to swap the summer and winter tires twice a year. I went that route – it’s expensive because it requires buying a second set of wheels in addition to two sets of tires. Complete hassle. You end up driving on snow with the all season tires and dry summer pavement with snow tires. </p>
<p>The snow tires are great, but the fact of the matter is that driving while the snowstorm is still in progress is still dangerous as heck (it’s not like the snow tires make all the other idiots on the road magically disappear) and should generally be avoided. Once it stops and the road crews can catch up, driving is not bad. </p>
<p>It’s probably self-limiting anyway. During the middle of a snowstorm, they probably won’t have plowed the college parking lots, so you son couldn’t get the car out even if he wanted to.</p>
<p>Our front wheel drive vehicles have always done well on snow/ice. We seem to get more ice than snow here in the south!<br>
Husband’s old rear wheel drive pickup truck…terrible. Can’t even get it out of the driveway.<br>
Subaru has allwheel drive vehicles. We had one once that was great in bad weather.</p>
<p>We have a 4 wheel drive Subaru and - you got it - we use snow tires on it. We’re in MA, and everyone we’ve spoken to has confirmed that “all season” tires are really 3 season tires, and you should still get snows. We also have a front-wheel drive vehicle with snows.</p>
<p>If you have to drive during snowstorms when the road crews can’t keep the roads cleared, yes. However, this is still to be avoided to the greatest extent possible.</p>
<p>We’ve had plenty of 18 inch snowstorms. By the next day, driving is no problem with a front wheel drive car – with or without snow tires.</p>
<p>Where the snow tires would be necessary would be if you were driving up in the mountains or lived out in the sticks way off the beaten path. Ithaca itself would have the roads cleared within hours after a snowstorm ends.</p>
<p>Thanks for replies. I go back and forth over this issue. While I lived in heavy snow areas during undergrad (upstate NY) and graduate school (Boston area) we now live where it doesn’t snow that much and 4 wheel drive isn’t necessary. And I agree that the biggest threat – when it does snow here – is from the other drivers who are unfamiliar with winter driving.</p>
<p>the one thing not mentioned yet is the hills. I never had a car at Cornell but if I were to have one now, I would prefer one with AWD and ABS and all season tires. (I haven’t found the need to go to snow tires on my two last cars with AWD) That is if I had to drive, I survived 4 years with walking and only one boyfriend with a car. 3 years No Campus, 1 year collegetown.</p>
<p>we drive over mountain passes quite a bit in the winter- so the 4 wheel drive- or at least the snow tires are nice to have.
Some of the drives are so long that while it was dry when you left, it is a blizzard a couple hours later:(</p>
<p>I use the 4 wheel drive at least as much in mud and stuff as snow however :)</p>
<p>I agree ice is nasty- we get black ice here and the way the roads are banked- it doesn’t matter if you have snow tires or are going 20 mph or 60.</p>
<p>Lots of schools of thought on kids and cars.
Some would prefer their kids to drive so not to have to depend on others- you can also make sure he has extra driving experience.
At my nieces school in upstate NY, lots of accidents in teh snow- some were pretty bad too ( alcohol related)</p>
<p>as a tag onto my car safety related thread- a reminder to have car stocked with blankets- food and water- and flares or reflective markers-
maps are good too
and a small shovel and a bucket of sand- rubber mats work in a pinch</p>
<p>Unless you’re in an area with major significant snowfalls like Buffalo or Denver, you can get basically anywhere you need to be with a front wheel drive and good snow tires. If your type of job mandates you have to go regardless of the weather (emergency responder, health care professional, etc.), 4wd is just a safer bet.</p>
<p>If you can’t make it with front wheel drive, then stay home. It’s really not worth it being out in it unless your employment mandates it.</p>
<p>We’ve owned both front, four, and rear wheel drive vehicles. I won’t drive my Suburban or 3/4 ton rear wheel drive pickup in any amount of snow. Doesn’t matter what tires are on them, they’re lousy snow vehicles without 4wd. The rear ends are all over the road.</p>
<p>The best snow vehicle we ever had was my wife’s 77 Honda Civic. With a set of snows on the front, it would go anywhere. She made it up hills I couldn’t get halfway up in a 4wd Jeep Cherokee with 4 great snows and in 4wd low.</p>
<p>One issue with some front wheel drives is the low nose, which means you often will get plowed in in a parking lot, or have issues negotiating drifts or unplowed areas.</p>
<p>Make sure the kid has a good snow shovel in the car, a bag of kitty litter or sand in the trunk, a few flares and an AAA card.</p>
<p>One more thought. Actually, a manual transmission is your best bet in the snow, allowing you to more effectively control acceleration, speed, and braking. In the absence of a manual, it’s important to use the gear ranges on an automatic, particularly in icy conditions and downhill grades. Allowing the tranny to provide a lot of your braking power can help you avoid braking too hard or when you don’t have to.</p>
<p>It’s a skill that takes a bit of a learning curve, but can help you avoid an unfriendly tree or an unexpected rear end.</p>
<p>Is your child living in the dorms or off campus? And how far off?</p>
<p>I’m thinking that a front wheel drive car with new all weather tires should work. Or a Subaru. </p>
<p>I couldn’t run my business without my serious 4WD Durango – but I <em>have</em> to get to work and get home even in a blizzard. I have that delicate and perishable inventory that needs daily care.</p>
<p>Most people don’t need that. But Ithaca has real hills – and real weather – so I’d base my judgement on how much necessary travel there will be. Maybe I really would buy a Subaru Forrester.</p>
<p>He will be living on campus and doesn’t need the car to get to classes. He does work twice a week off campus (but close by) and until now, has depended on cabs when he needs to. The fact that he has managed does mean that it wouldn’t be essential for him to drive in very bad weather. </p>
<p>I guess the issue would be that he wants to use it to get off campus on weekends and while he shouldn’t be going anywhere with the car if the streets are already bad, he could be out when it starts to snow and pile up. </p>
<p>I think the front wheel drive would be Ok for his needs. And as said above it is very important that he be prepared for bad weather (shovel, kitty litter, etc.-- he has the AAA card already). </p>
<p>Unfortunately, he doesn’t drive a manual car. We got rid of our stick shift cars years ago, and none of our friends have them anymore. He wants to learn, but the opportunity hasn’t presented itself.</p>
<p>Our 2001 auto Forester with 4-season tires does fine in the snow around here. The snow is rarely more than six inches deep, but we do live in serious hills. The Subie has never been stopped, or even done anything dramatic in bad weather.</p>
<p>We are handing this car down to WashDadJr, who is, of course, going to a college where it statistically never snows. Figures, doesn’t it?</p>
