Whats the best family vehicle to drive in snow?

Answer 1

Front wheel drive is better than rear wheel drive in the snow. Four wheel drive is better still.

Pretty much any 4WD / AWD will cope well in moderate snow conditions.

If the snow is deep or you're going into hilly areas then an SUV is going to be your best option, failing that fit snow tires and / or snow chains.

In snow and ice the important thing is the amount of tire in contact with the ground so a vehicle with big tires is going to perform better than one with small tires. Good tread depth is important. You can also deflate the tires slightly to provide more surface contact with the ground (on ice and compacted snow).

Front wheel drive is better than rear wheel drive as the weight of the engine gives better traction. Adding extra weight provides more traction so if you have a rear wheel drive then put extra weight in the trunk.

The key to driving in snow is to maintain momentum and to plan ahead. Avoid breaking and changing gears wherever possible. If you do have to brake then do so gently, if you have anti-lock braking that can be turned off then turn it off (locking the wheels will stop you in a shorter distance in an emergency).

When approaching a hill or going up hill stick in a lower gear with the engine running fast, that way when you slow down you can delay having to change gear. Changing gear results in a loss of momentum and can cause the wheels to spin, when this happens it's difficult to regain control.

The car itself isn't really all that important - the driver and the tires are the important things. Even a tiny four wheel drive will perfom well in snow and ice conditions.

Useful things to carry when driving in snow - snow shovel, cell-phone, sacking to put under tires when you get stuck, warning triangle (also for when you're stuck), a hand-winch (unless the vehicle is fitted with a winch) complete with plenty of strong cable - suitable anchorage points in open hilly country are few and far between. Be prepaered to spend the night in the vehicle so take spare warm clothing, a flask, some food, sleeping bag, something to read.

As for which vehicle is best - it depends. If you're going to be spending a LOT of time in the snow then go for a Land Rover Defender (the vehicle farmers and the military use) but it's more of a workhorse than a family vehicle. The best AWD would be a Range Rover or a Land Rover Discovery - most SUV's are a hybrid between road vehicle and off-road vehicle, these are designed with people in mind but are more off than on road.

Some SUV's should really be called 'sidewalk vehicles' as this is as far off road as they get. Some of the better SUV / AWD's are BMW, Honda, Ford and Volvo.

Answer 2

Something low to the ground with 4 wheel drive. Like a Subaru Outback or Volvo Station Wagon. I was recently in the Jackson Wyoming area and saw a lot of the small 4 wheel drive vehicles instead of the large SUV types. I figured with the winter weather they have there they probably know best.

Answer 3

i in my opinion would propose the Mazda5. I surely have a buddy who had comparable difficulty. She wanted some thing which could sit down approximately 6 people, yet wasn't approximately to spend $25K on a minivan, yet wanted some thing new to boot. Granted, like all motor vehicle, the Mazda5 has it relatively is execs/cons. For her, she would have liked a splash greater engine ability from the 4 cylinder engine, besides the undeniable fact that, she became used to a Mustang which became her previous motor vehicle, so in spite of this, she became basically spoiled in that dept. and there's a few no longer person-friendly surfaces interior the interior which would be intense-high quality in the event that they have been padded or of greater useful textile, yet thinking the Mazda5 could be had from $19K, and hers became the totally loaded one at $21K, it is not undesirable in any respect. It has sliding doors on the section, yet drives very very similar to a motor vehicle, however the view and sitting place is upright. Supposedly the Mazda5 has been merchandising properly, and reliability has been stable greater often than not in any different case, so i'd placed this on your procuring record. next one up is the Ford Freestyle. it relatively is outfitted on a Volvo platform, so which you have great crash protection. It has 3 rows of sitting, with additionally a fol/dissapear third row seats like the Mazda6, and the V6 makes stable gas mileage at 21/28MPG...is going for $24-31K. there's a clean one debuting this 3 hundred and sixty 5 days with greater ability and protection instruments, and renamed to Taurus X. those are available with AWD that's a Haldex device. you are able to probable %. up a Freestyle for a competent cost whilst the hot Taurus X debuts. besides the undeniable fact that do no longer anticipate Ford to furnish you huge reductions on those autos, they are merchandising properly and it has low depreciation stages, so which you will no longer %. one up for a scouse borrow the two. Realiability has been above undemanding ordinary, and has been rated noticeably by utilising some reliability learn firms. So there are 2 options i've got considered stable ends up in that I propose you are able to take a seem at...want you success.

Answer 4

It really doesn't matter too much, it's all about how it's driven. Anti-lock brakes are a good thing to have though. I have an 88 caprice that I've never had stuck before. I've been down lots of roads where people have gone off of and never have had a problem with it, including a lady in a FWD buick that went off an icy interstate right in front of me, and I didn't even have a bobble.
I say it again, the driver is the most important part of winter driving.

Answer 5

Just for average commuting? A AWD that fits your family. A lot of people have already suggested some great brands, Volvo, Subaru, etc.. If you have to go places that are not plowed and expect to see over 12 inches more than once a year then a 4x4 Truck based SUV would probably be best.

Answer 6

Subarus

they have all wheel drive, they are like a magnet to the road

so for a family, the impreza is out

so get a legacy or forester in the wagon style

they are very safe, in severe accidents, where the jaws of life are needed (im a volunteer firefighter), the side impact has extra safety steel bars in it, and it is about impossible to cut through, and you need an alternative pplace to cut. The crash ratings are excellent.

Answer 7

Subaru Forester

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Volvo's are supposed to be very good in the snow. get the all wheel drive wagon.

Answer 10

We drive a Jeep Cherokee. But I will be trading for a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Nothing like a Jeep!