Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best/worst snow cars or trucks?

Been driving in snow for 55 years and never owned a 4WD until 1976 when I bought a Subaru. I had cars which seemed to be particularly good in snow or on slick roads and some which were less than great. One of my best early vehicles was a 1952 Buick Roadmaster. This car, with it's big straight eight, seemed to be fairly well balanced and was heavy enough to push through a lot of snow. The important thing was to maintain momentum. Of the rear wheel drive cars I had, all were about the same, workable but not exceptional. Low powered cars were easier to handle. My 62 Chrysler 300 H wasn't all that great because it was just a little too touchy. A 61 Ford Falcon station wagon didn't have enough power to spin a tire on slick ice so it worked pretty well.
My first front wheel drive car, a 1971 Subaru GL 1200, was markedly better than any RWD. I drove this car in ridiculous conditions and, in fact, road conditions were never an issue unless snow had gotten so deep the car would high-center. In 1976, I traded to a 4WD Subaru which was, of course, even better when conditions were slick. One thing I had learned much earlier, while driving Power Wagons around in Germany, was that, while four wheel drives stuck much better, when you pushed too hard, you lost both ends and had no control. In two wheel drive, the rear end would step out and you generally had some warning. This applied mostly in real icy conditions. If there was at least some traction, you could still get some control back , as a rule. Front wheel drives, if pushed too hard, will tend to push (understeer) while rear wheel drives will oversteer. Posi-trac or limited slip, rear ends are even worse in this regard. When the wheels spin, there isn't much directional control.
A 1972 Chevy pick-up (Short box, step-side) I had demonstrated this was well as any. While it would push ahead pretty well, give it a little too much throttle in a turn and you could end up facing the other way pretty quickly. With a bunch of weight in the back, it had a tendency to want to push straight ahead and not turn at all. This was particularly bothersome if you were heading toward a drop-off and the damn truck wouldn't turn. You just had to wait and hope the little berm at the side of the road would do the trick. Anyone who has driven a tandem-axle truck on ice has experienced this often. Anyway, this tendency caused much anxiety from time to time. Still, with a little weight and a bit of aggression, this little truck was not half bad in the snow and quite good on the highway in snow.
When I bought my first four wheel drive truck (not until 1991!), it was a whole new ball game, of course. My '91 Dodge diesel was pretty good in 2wd and excellent in 4wd. It worked pretty well off road and would plow through a lot of snow. It took a lot to stop it. It wasn't quite as good in the really deep stuff as an old 62 Power Wagon I have but it was still good. If there is less than 2 feet of snow on the road, I have no qualms about driving on it (it might be necessary to stop and clear the snow around the radiator now and then).
Today, I have a 3500 Ram diesel and it is at least as good as the old '91 with a couple of caveats. In two wheel drive it has a real tendency to step outif you're not careful. A limited slip rear end and too much torque are the culprits here. I positively hate the 4wd switch on the dash. In the '91 or my '81 half ton, I can shift into 4wd, on the fly, and when I pull on the lever, it engages. With the switch, I can shift on the fly but probably have to feather the throttle and wait while the servo-motor decides to shift. Phooey!
The very best snow vehicle I have ever owned was a 1981 Lada Niva. This little Russian built 4wd sedan had tall, skinny 16 inch tires and was a full-time 4wd but with an open differential between front and rear. A lever locked up the differential if desired and there was also hi and low range. The Fiat engine was under-powered but would at least move the little box around OK. One
time, I had driven my '70 Ford Bronco up a draw behind the house and was struggling to get out of a moderate predicament; there was about a foot of snow. My son drove up behind me in the Niva, drove a circle around the Bronco, then drove straight up the side and out of the draw to go get some gear to get the Bronco out. Just an awsome performer if a little ugly and short on creature comforts.
In conclusion, on really slick roads, horsepower is not your friend. Momentum is your friend unless you're heading for a busy intersection. Anti-lock brakes are a hazard as is traction control. Sometimes you have to slip a little and you had better be able to do it. GD

A quote that I am rather fond of is: "The only advantage in four wheel drive is that it enables you to get stuck in more inaccessible places."
Lots of guys buy them and think that they are like tanks with rubber tires. High and heavy with hard tires, they go in snow real well, but slide and don't stop real well.

On snow, Subarus are hard to beat. The are not overly heavy, so easier to stop as well as maneuver and the symmetrical AWD is bullet proof.

Will comment that there are many kinds of snow. I had a ball one day driving back roads in -20 F temps and downy light snow almost level with the hood of my Suzuki Sam. Billows of snow flying up and I could drive at any speed I chose. I hoped that there was not a big rock in the road under that snow! The same rig cannot push through 8 inches of heavy dense coastal snow, especially if there is a crust halfway between the ground and the surface of the snow. Chains will chew through, seldom worth it to me.

The only thing that really scares me is black ice. When it frosts in humid coastal areas, clear ice forms on road surfaces unseen. Studded tires are the only thing I know of that may help, and I dislike them.

In my opinion the all-wheel drive systems of the Subaru and Honda Pilot are superior to anything else I have driven or know of for pavement driving. However to fully optimize their superior engineering you still need good tires and a good driver. With Subaru you need to know when its best to use or not use the traction control system. We have 3 Subarus now--16 Crosstrek, 01 Legacy, 09Tribeca.

Of those 3, our currently best set up for snow is our Tribeca with some Cooper tires. It has 265 HP and unless your stomp it pretty hard, it will seldom slip on a relatively hard takeoff. If you turn off the traction control and break the tires free it will still go forward and track straight. You can easily and safely drive it down the road with the tires spinning well beyond the ground speed. And the breaking is superior.

The older Legacy does not have traction control and it will still pretty closely follow the Tribeca even with medium grade tires. It doesn't make sense to put more expensive tires on an older vehicle that still does so well in snow with medium grade tires. It will also track straight and safely if you spin the tires faster than your ground speed and drive down the road.

The Crosstrek still has the factory Geolanders on it so it doesn't have its full capability yet. However it still does so well in snow that it makes no sense to change tires till they are worn down. With new tires it will be a whole new evaluation.

My current 02 diesel F250 (extended cab 6' bed) with Firestone ATs is the best truck I've had in snow but it does not match the Subarus on the road.

The Honda Pilot we used to have was very good, but the Tribeca has the edge. One of the reasons is because the Tribeca has a lower center of gravity and therefore a more stable all-round platform.

I've had a Toyota Tacoma TRD that was a great truck but not as good as the Subarus.

I've had an all-wheel drive GMC Safari--very good but no Subaru

Diesel Jeep Liberty (a few were made) very good 4-wheel system -- but no Subaru.

Because Subarus are so good going forward with mediocre tires some people do not run good enough tires for braking and get themselves in trouble by driving too fast. That is operator error not a Subaru problem.

The whole lesbian perspective comment is sometimes someone who can't deal with a car outperforming their pet truck or Jeep.

In my experience there is no comparison to Subarus low center of gravity with a boxer engine coupled with high ground clearance, weight distribution, and traction control options (on or off). If you have optimum tires and a good driver I don't see much of a contest.

Gee, really? Ya think?

Yep!

NYH1.

My first car was a 1967 Plymouth Valiant with the slant 6 and a set of steel belted radial tires (ooooh) that I bought in 1975. Back then that was a big deal, most poor students had cheap bias ply tires. I was going to school just 30 miles from the Canadian border in NY and we got lots of snow. I would go anywhere with that thing. I remember one trip to Malone NY to visit a lady friend (the call of the wild) in a blizzard and driving down the road she lived on which had over 6 inches of snow and had not yet been plowed. She thought I was crazy!

My second car was the 1973 AMC Hornet and it was just plain horrible.

My first new car was a 1983 Toyota Tercel FWD and it was great in snow. I remember one trip to VT to visit a friend. I was coming home in a light drizzle which turned to ice when I went to up one hill. I could feel the car get a little squirrely and there were several cars stopped at the bottom of the hill that had tried and failed to make it up. I opened my window to chat with some of the guys who were unsuccessful and they told me not to try the hill but to turn around and find a hotel room for the night. I decided to attempt the hill. I decided it best to get my right wheels on the shoulder where it was a little rougher. As I crested the hill, I heard someone yell out, "The SOB is gonna make it." That light, under-powered FWD econobox was really good in the snow. A 1991 Toyota Camry was pretty good and my subsequent Subarus have been excellent. I have a story that demonstrates how tough my 2000 Subaru Outback was when I was rear-ended in 2007, but it's a long story and I'll save it for another car thread.

The core problem is that four wheel drive of any kind lets you GO when the real issue is whether your tires will let you STOP or TURN.

I've had some evil handlers and survived them all. One killer rig turned into a pretty good ice-driver with all seasons in front and studs in the back, changed it from total oversteer to a little bit of understeer that could be managed with the throttle. I could pitch it sideways like a flat tracker and stay in it all the way around.

Bottom line for me, however, is road feel, and manual everything. A tin box with good tires, better heater and manual steering can really perform and get over the road when conditions are bad. I'm talking boondocks where there's nobody else in the way, however, for making time. Even so, a good rig with proportionate power steering that kicks back at you through the wheel is always better than cushy power steering. I wish cars had a switch where you could dial down the "power" on both brakes AND steering.

93 Dodge Diesel is the best.
5 speed, I get to choose the gears.
Lot of low end torque, and the turbo is lazy.

Use a high gear, it will start in 3rd with no problem, no throttle.
Stay out of the turbo, and it will pull like an old farm tractor.

I only use four wheel drive when necessary to get mooving. On the highway,
I use two wheel. If the rear twitches and slides, it keeps me honest. Otherwise,
I get heavy footed. Plus, I like to play.

Worst, my wife's old 92 Tbird. That SOB scared the crap out of me. With studs it was fine.
One day I had hauled gas/diesel all day in the snow, parked the semi got in the 'Bird, and was
scared all the way home. Put the studs on right then.

Worst 4x4,
CJ-7, it was great off highway, or if you could drive slow.
If that thing got loose, it spun so fast you couldn't catch it.

I have had skid pad training, and even when I purposely put it into a skid,
I often couldn't catch it.

I had a jeep YJ with big axles and lockers at both ends, big wide tires, soft flexy suspension, it was great in the mud. Put that same machine on ice and it was flat scary. On dry pavement I had to push the clutch in around corners or it would buck and chirp. On pavement with snow and ice it would spin around turning a corner.

I live in a city with lots of hills that gets lots of snow. I wouldn't be w/o at least on 4x4 in the household.

I have a '09 Tacoma 4cyl 5speed 4x4. It works great GREAT in snow, but then I don't drive like a madman either.

The best I’ve driven in snow have been “older style” SUV’s. As in 70’s and80’s Broncos,Blazers,Ram Chargers and such with tall skinny tires that are on the soft side. The newer Tahoe’s don’t seem to have as much clearance and get stuck. I had an 84 Jimmy with a 305, 33” tires and 373 gearing with limited slip in the front and back. That was a snow busting machine. Also a real bitch to get out when you did get it stuck.

I agree brinky72, had an old 1980 Bronco that would go anywhere I wanted to.. Went better in 2wd then most vehicles in 4wd!!

I just had a new Toyota Tundra stuck in the snow for a few days as I was trying to get to my cabin in Montana. Pretty deep snow and it was the worst vehicle I've ever driven in the snow, including an old Lincoln Town car from the 1980s (which actually was a pretty good snow vehicle). The same trail was no problem for a Subaru Legacy I had the year before. Part of the problem was the stock all season tires on the Tundra, but it just couldn't even handle the easy stuff. That was probably a good thing, since it got me stuck about 1000 feet up the trail rather than a few miles up, but still...

Willy’s truck

Worst I ever dealt with is either my 1972 SS396 RS Camero or a 1994 Saturn.

Best car surprisingly, was a 1983 Olds Ciera with a transverse-mounted 4cylinder. That car was a wonder, with the engine weight over the drive wheels and not enough power to get you into trouble. Drove it home about 50 miles one Christmas Ever after a powdery snow fell over glare ice without a bit of trouble, past dozens of accidents. We just chugged on by.

I had one for a few years, a 2003 I think it was. you darn tootin' it was a snow-goer. heavy, sucked gas, but it would flat go in snow we got in Reno NV, as much as a couple of feet at times in a nonstop 3 day storm. biggest was 41 inches over 3 straight days.

Good winter tires and skills will allow you to handle most winter roads and driving conditions. A driver who can't or won't adjust their driving to to the conditions will go off the road.

One of the best vehicles I've had was a Toyota 4X4 pickup, pre-tacoma. Only used a/t tires on it and it handled better than it had a right to on snow and not that bad on ice. My ram 2500 diesel wasn't so hot with the factory a/t's but did much better with studded winter tires.

The vehicles we've put more winter miles than any others have been Mercedes 4matics. Don't know if they are the best winter vehicle, certainly don't have the ground clearance for deep snow, but with a set of blizzaks/nokians etc and the traction control it is pretty amazing on slick roads.

Driving in a couple of feet to 41 inches of snow never caused the grill to get pulled up making it over heat? Interesting.

NYH1.