this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2023
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Electric Cars
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I've owned several FWD EVs in what I'd consider the wintery parts of BC (snowfall of 8+ meters anually) and the amount of times I got stuck as a result of not having AWD can be counted on one hand. Good driving habits and high-end winter tires are much, much more important than having AWD or not.
That said, the times I did get stuck were mostly a bit annoying if not embarassing (due to holding up traffic). Only once (while climbing a steep hill) did it actually get a bit sketchy due to backsliding, but that happened to every vehicle that had to come to a stop on that hill.
I'll take good tires over AWD any day in a Saskatchewan winter. It's interesting how influenced people have become to essentially the opposite of safety measures. AWD doesn't help you stop, and taller bigger vehicles aren't safer, they're much more likely to roll.
AWD is one thing, but a real issue is FWD vs RWD. Driving a RWD stick shift in northern MN was insane. Fun to drift around corners, but I'd get stuck on hills so small as to be imperceptible.
Wouldn't you want to avoid those, even if it isn't common?
I mean, doesn't that depend on the cost?
If it was $100 increase to avoid that, sure.
But if it's significantly more, then I'll take the cheaper car.
Funny you say that, because 100 bucks is usually the difference between budget winter tires and premium winter tires. You'd be surprised how many people still pick the budget option.
Yes sure, but not at any cost. Not only are they generally more expensive to own, insure, and maintain, AWD adds weight to a vehicle which makes it harder to stop. The best winter car I've ever owned to this day is still a small Fiat Panda. It was FWD and tiny, but importantly very light and with all the primary weight over the driven wheels. With good (studded) winter tires it got up hills in snow where my wife's AWD SUV was struggling.