2006-12-22 17:08:17 · 11 answers · asked by Kerri 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
It depends on where you live and your driving conditions.
If you live in an area where the roads are often icy with black ice, then, for your safety you should get the snow tires.
if however, the roads become packed with snow but not sheer ice, then you are probably ok with all seasons and 4 wheel drive as long as you drive very sensibly. 4-wheel drive does not completely compensate for the loss of traction from snowy and icy conditions, it just helps, so drive slowly and don't turn or brake suddenly and you should be fine.
2006-12-22 17:28:13 · answer #1 · answered by bogey 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You may well not need snow tires as the all weather tires and 4 wheel drive may be adequate. But make no mistake, NOTHING is better in the snow than snow tires designed for snow. But, snow tires are noisy, wear rapidly, and aren't the best in summer. However, having a full set of dedicated snow tires that you put in at the beginning of snow season and take off in the spring is a wonderful thing. In the long run, may not even be any more expensive since they will extend the life of your "summer" tires. All season tires are just that....a compromise designed to get by. Rather like "one size fits all", which is a myth. It is really "one size fits some". If you are in a high snow area, I would give serious consideration to a set of snow tires and enjoy the traction and safety they bring. Good Luck.
2006-12-23 01:16:22 · answer #2 · answered by Jim N 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
So-called "All Season" tires are OK for minimal amounts of snow -- a couple of inches at most. If you regularly get more than 5 or 6 inches of snow, snow tires are by far superior to all season tires.
4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive helps to get you moving and keep you moving but does NOT compensate for the reduced traction when roads are snow and ice covered. Only snow tires and/or chains will do that.
2006-12-23 11:08:28 · answer #3 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For normal driving in occasional snow on pavement, all-season tires should work fine. In northern states such as the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, you may want to consider true snow tires which can accept studs (where legal, of course). A lot of people who live in these states keep an extra set of mounted studded snow tires on a spare set of wheels and put them on from early December through February.
Chains are also an option for traction, but aren't practical for long-term use. They also can cause serious damage to your car if they aren't installed exactly right.
Remember that AWD is a great advantage when driving in the snow and ice, but the traction of your tire tread surface is still the limiting factor. When you hit the brakes, it doesn't matter if you have a 2WD or a 4WD - your tires will determine whether you slide or stop.
2006-12-23 01:18:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you need to wast your money on snow tires most 4 wheel drive gets around pretty good in the snow however if you feel you need more traction there are things you can do to help a lot cheaper than buying snow tires. 1. most big tire shops have a machine that will spline tires for about $10.00 ea if you have good tread on your tires.(To spline your tires puts a bunch of lot of slices in the tread of your tires,that is what snow tires have to give more traction) 2. If you still want even more traction you may want to get 2 or three sand bags at the hardware there about $3.00ea that is also a good thing to have if you do get stuck,break one open and put the sand around you tires.Don't leave the sand bags in any longer than you have to,the more weight you have the more gas you will use.
2006-12-23 07:41:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not sure what state you are in, but in Calif, your all-season tires (Mud & Snow, or M + S) and a 4x4 will get you through almost anything except the very worst snow (R-3 chain conditions, which require *every* vehicle to drive with chains. Very rarely imposed.)
2006-12-23 01:16:08 · answer #6 · answered by Tom-SJ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
4 wheel drive does nothing for stopping and turning..... only for straight ahead traction. Ever notice that most vehicles in the ditch are 4 wheel drive SUVs, people are over confident just cuz they have a 4x4 light on in there dash.
2006-12-23 01:19:39 · answer #7 · answered by misc 75 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. The 4 wheel drive compensates for that.
2006-12-23 01:11:52 · answer #8 · answered by mama3 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nope. snow tires are a bit of a thing of the past.
2006-12-23 01:16:11 · answer #9 · answered by columind99 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When I had a 95 f-150 that's what I did and it worked just fine. I live in western PA.
2006-12-25 22:58:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋