Rear wheel drive in the winter

[torpid]

As some of you may remember, I am considering a new car due to repeated problems with my A4. One of the cars I'm considering is a 2002 Lexus GS300. It's only a bit more than the Accord EX-6 and Acura TL-S. My only real concern is that it is rear wheel drive.

We don't get fargo level snow but we do get a lot here in Madison, WI.

Exactly how difficult and dangerous is it to drive a rear-wheel drive vehicle in wintery conditions? Supposing I got some extremely high quality winter tires. Would that offset the problem to the point that it would perform as well as a FWD vehicle with regular tires?

Anyone in wisconsin or similar weather drive a RWD vehicle in the winter?

How much importance should I place on AWD/RWD/FWD?

 

[Strk]

Does it have stability control and do you drive like an overly aggressive idiot?

 

[LordMorpheus]

you can do RWD in the winter, people have for years, but it is more difficult and you will be getting stuck more often.

If you live in a city that has a roads department that makes an effort to keep the roads clear, my guess is that you'd be fine.

 

[Skiddex]

well i live in madison and drive a rwd mustang. it is hard, but if you drive carefully, it should be ok. since i have a manual, i just end up shifting a ton to keep the torque down and traction up.

 

[Summitdrinker]

it just depends how good a driver you are and what your used too, I have lived in the WI MN and MI my whole life and have only driven RWD cars. I don't need FWD or AWD, my current car is mercury grand marquis.....................

fwd cars are better at low speed get out of the drive way, but above 35 mph RWD is better if you know what your doing.

 

[swtethan]

seriously, how many work vans are out there? they are all RWD consider that!

 

[MikeMike]

sand in the trunk FTW

 

[Auryg]

I did it for 2 years here in central minnesota with my '88 grand marquis.

It's a lot harder..easier to lose control, but all you have to do is drive a bit slower when it's really icy out. I only got stuck twice, and only one of those i was in the ditch.

As long as you're a decent driver you should be fine. Just be prepared for idiots that think you should be going 65 on the highway when it's icy out.

 

[notfred]

Wintery conditions means there might be some water on the road once in a while, right?

<-- lives in California.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Strk
Does it have stability control and do you drive like an overly aggressive idiot?

This link makes me think it has stability control.

I may or may not drive like an idiot but I don't in the winter, that's for sure.

 

[Ausm]

RWD you have to know how to control your car in a skid i.e. turn into the skid to prevent your vehicle from spinning out. With a FWD, all you have to do is point your nose where you want to go and NEVER turn into a skid or you'll be f'ed. In my 4 X4 AWD if you get into a skid punch the gas and it will straighten you out.

I have been driving on Wisconsin roads for 25+ years and these methods work good in Snow but when it gets icy nothing helps.


Ausm

 

[theknight571]

I don't know how winter weather compares between Madison and Detroit, but I drive a 2 wheel drive (RWD) full size pickup and have only had minimal trouble in the winter.

Haven't gotten stuck <knock on wood> but just take it slow and don't gun it... unless you like donuts.

I sometimes put extra weight in the back... but not always.

 

[Summitdrinker]

as for the car just buy a used mercury grand marquis with traction control and move on. cheap to buy, cheap insurance, cheap to own (they last forever with low repair costs) there also very safe cars

I am at 198,000 miles and going strong

 

[bootymac]

.

 

[AmdEmAll]

All I can say is GTFO of my way when im passing by you in my Subaru.

 

[azoomee]

I've had AWD Cars for the past 5 years or so. Rented a FWD car while the other was in the shop -- its amazing how different they drive. Given the rains, snows, etc... around here, my strong personal preference is AWD for safety

 

[amdskip]

Where do you live?

 

[GasX]

My 67 Mustang (V8, so VERY light in the back) was fine in the snow. I just put 100lb sack of concrete in the trunk and it was fine.

 

[duragezic]

I don't personally drive a RWD. I've lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for all of my life. And for those who know of Michigan Tech in Houghton... well its basically a crap-ton of snow combined with very hilly terrain.

My dad owned a 2WD RWD truck for very long. Sure it got squirrely as sh*t in winter storms but it wasnt like he couldn't drive it. He had a lot of experience so it wasn't really a big deal for him. I see RWD cars/trucks (without 4WD options) in Houghton which must be just ridiculous cause I can hardly get up hills in my FWD.

I've only been through Madison maybe once, but my understanding from the Green Bay and Milwaukee area is they get nowhere near the snow we're used to in the Upper Peninsula.

So personally I wouldn't worry about it too much. Be extremely careful with the first snowfalls in your new RWD but I would guess you would get the hang of it quickly. And unless I'm wrong it just doesn't snow enough to make you not consider a RWD (tho I would probably go FWD or AWD regardless). I would bet a modern car with traction and stability control would be many many times better than my dad's old truck even though they are both RWD (though the higher HP of the Lexus would offset that a little).

Even being in the U.P. of Michigan there is usually only a few days a year where the storm is so bad that it sucks driving. Damn FWD cars just plow so bad (and I have no ABS) so in the ~5 years since I've been driving there was only a handful of times that I found it hard to get around. But some of those times were so icey that even a good AWD would be pretty tough. So again, for you in Madison, I wouldn't let it stop me from a RWD if everything else about the car is better than the FWD cars you are considering.

 

[Summitdrinker]

I see you have learned your lesson, don't buy anymore VW's or Audi's, they can be nothing but trouble in the long run, many lower priced american cars are much better.

 

[torpid]

Thanks all for the advice. Sounds like I should keep the GS 300 in the running.

Originally posted by: Summitdrinker
I see you have learned your lesson, don't buy anymore VW's or Audi's, they can be nothing but trouble in the long run, many lower priced american cars are much better.

Not the lesson I learned. I learned never buy a car the year of a redesign. Looking through reliability ratings, that is the correct lesson to learn, because I am also avoiding redesigns of japanese vehicles. The subsequent years of the A4 were fine.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: duragezic
My dad owned a 2WD RWD truck for very long. Sure it got squirrely as sh*t in winter storms but it wasnt like he couldn't drive it. He had a lot of experience so it wasn't really a big deal for him. I see RWD cars/trucks (without 4WD options) in Houghton which must be just ridiculous cause I can hardly get up hills in my FWD.

RWD cars go up hills better than FWD in snowy/slippery conditions, assuming you've got a bit of weight in the back.

I drove my old BMW ('84) around in the New York area during the winter, it worked just fine. I probably felt more secure in it than in my friend's Celica. I usually had a couple people in the back, though.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: notfred
Wintery conditions means there might be some water on the road once in a while, right?

<-- lives in California.

Yeah, I hate these Kahleeforneeya winters. Stupid people just can't figure out how to drive in the rain...


I lived most of my life in snow country, BEFORE FWD vehicles came out/became popular. It's not THAT hard to drive a RWD vehicle in snow, as long as you learm the limitations, and don't exceed the conditions of the roadway. Sand in the trunk isn't a bad idea, (gives you a bit more traction, PLUS, you can use it if you get stuck) just make sure it's not wet before you put it in there, (if will freeze into bricks) and that the bags stay dry and/or in plastic to keep them from turning your trunk into a sand-box.

 

[xanis]

You'll probably be fine as long as you're careful and you don't drive fast. I've driven a RWD truck in the snow (Pennsylvania FTL) and I was fine... I'm only 17 too.

 

[JulesMaximus]

With a decent set of snow tires you will be fine (I would invest in a set of rims and snow tires, that way you can just put them on yourself before the first snowstorm). Throw a bag of sand in the trunk for added weight over the rear wheels for better traction if you find that you need it.

<--Grew up and learned to drive in upstate NY.