Cars on the east coast

[uclabruin725]

For those of you on the east coast, how helpful is 4wd when it comes to the snow? Is it worth the extra money to get an SUV or something with 4wd to handle the weather? I have a possibility of heading out to the east coast, but I currently drive an older car that my parents (who don't drive too much) would like to have. I figure it might be more economical to give them my car and buy another once I hit the east coast.
I'm trying to keep costs low, but even the small SUVs with 4wd are pretty hefty, and I don't really care to get a pickup... On the other hand, there are plenty of regular, 2wd cars that are much cheaper and will fit better into the budget.
Any opinions?

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[ZekeMD]

I have a small 2wd car and get by just fine. Just make sure you get good snow tires and you'll be all set.

 

[basupran]

Yep...fwd is fine for NE weather..

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Just don't get a RWD, that makes for some nice skidding.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

Since I'm assuming you haven't driven on snow/ice...STAY OFF THE FARKING ROAD!!!

Let the pros show you how it's done (not the idiots...the pros)

 

[morningstar]

Depends on where on the east coast you're heading. AWD still beats FWD if you're someplace that gets a lot of snow/ice.

 

[Ryo-Ohki]

Compromise. Get RWD with traction control.

 

[N1DERL&]

What about spraying an undercoat for your car. My dad keeps telling me to do this because of all the damage from the salt and snow. Has anyone done this?

 

[39094]

So I'm from Arizona and the only snow I know comes in sno-cones. I have a RWD Mustang and was thinking of taking it out with me. Is that a bad idea? How icy do things get in Baltimore?

I can make my car fishtail in the rain, couldn't imagine what it'd do on snow and ice

 

[Elizabeth1028]

So I'm from Arizona and the only snow I know comes in sno-cones. I have a RWD Mustang and was thinking of taking it out with me. Is that a bad idea? How icy do things get in Baltimore?

I can make my car fishtail in the rain, couldn't imagine what it'd do on snow and ice

The weather in Baltimore doesn't get that bad. It snows, but not that often, and the snow usually melts within a few days. This past winter it only snowed in the DC/Baltimore area a couple of times.

 

[snapdad]

So I'm from Arizona and the only snow I know comes in sno-cones. I have a RWD Mustang and was thinking of taking it out with me. Is that a bad idea? How icy do things get in Baltimore?

I can make my car fishtail in the rain, couldn't imagine what it'd do on snow and ice

Yeah, they're awesome cars, but they're pretty crazy in the snow. I almost got tooled on a mountain pass in a snowstorm last year when a guy in a classic Mustang lost control in a corner and slid toward my car. Also, when I was in high school we used to take my buddy's Mustang "sledding" 'cause it was the squirreliest of all our cars. Having said that, it'd probably be all right if you have studded snow tires and very good brakes.

 

[oldman]

So I'm from Arizona and the only snow I know comes in sno-cones. I have a RWD Mustang and was thinking of taking it out with me. Is that a bad idea? How icy do things get in Baltimore?

I can make my car fishtail in the rain, couldn't imagine what it'd do on snow and ice

just remember, there are unmarked mustangs that the bawlmer cops use. i remember seeing a blue one that had pulled over a car.

 

[39094]

I take good care of it, it's a '97. My mom (in her 8th childhood at last count) bought herself a 2001 and that comes with a nice computer-controlled traction system that would be helpful. I should ask her to trade! (yeah right).

I drove up a mountain near here once that had a light dusting of snow and when I pulled over I started sliding slowly towards the edge. Bad news for sure. I guess I'll have to exchange my racing tires for a nice pair of snow/wet weather tires.....sigh.

Good to know that Baltimore doesn't get too much snow.....around here it's simply "that stuff that collects in your freezer."

 

[oldman]

I take good care of it, it's a '97. My mom (in her 8th childhood at last count) bought herself a 2001 and that comes with a nice computer-controlled traction system that would be helpful. I should ask her to trade! (yeah right).

I drove up a mountain near here once that had a light dusting of snow and when I pulled over I started sliding slowly towards the edge. Bad news for sure. I guess I'll have to exchange my racing tires for a nice pair of snow/wet weather tires.....sigh.

Good to know that Baltimore doesn't get too much snow.....around here it's simply "that stuff that collects in your freezer."

usually when it did snow the whole city would shut down anyway, so you'll not be driving.

otherwise it mostly rains.

 

[39094]

usually when it did snow the whole city would shut down anyway, so you'll not be driving.

otherwise it mostly rains.

HAHA, rain I can handle.

I lived in the tropics for a few years, talk about rain. Once it literally rained for 42 days without stopping.....luckily my apartment was on a hill 'cause everything below it flooded under 8 feet of water (and this place was nowhere near a river or the ocean).

It would be nice if classes would be cancelled for the snow as well, but I can't imagine that happens all that much!

 

[oldman]

HAHA, rain I can handle.

I lived in the tropics for a few years, talk about rain. Once it literally rained for 42 days without stopping.....luckily my apartment was on a hill 'cause everything below it flooded under 8 feet of water (and this place was nowhere near a river or the ocean).

It would be nice if classes would be cancelled for the snow as well, but I can't imagine that happens all that much!

actually often times everything gets shut down. baltimore is quite a wuss when it comes to the threat of snow.

i remember the perfect snow day. it was on the 1st day of school after winter break. we had 2 days off in a row cause of the snow. i pulled an allnighter playing video games.

 

[CarerraGT]

with the weather that we have been having in the NE the past 2-3years, itd be a good idea to have your primary car as either a FWD or AWD. Some of my friends have RWDs and needless to say, during snowy conditions, their cars sat in the garages because they couldnt get out past their driveway without slipping all over. Though you can definitely still drive a RWD car in the snow, its not easy and ull be more prone to accidents

 

[CarerraGT]

btw, what price range ARE you looking at? you can get a Subaru WRX (FUNNN car) for around 25 easily among many others... just depends on how much you're willing to drop for the car

 

[theringworm]

btw, what price range ARE you looking at? you can get a Subaru WRX (FUNNN car) for around 25 easily among many others... just depends on how much you're willing to drop for the car

I second this. The wrx is by no means a slow poke, esp. if you get the STI package. In the quarter mile it is dead even with a Ford SVT Cobra Mustang. Any model of subaru is a great choice. They are cheap and very economical when it comes to gas. Plus they are all AWD I believe.

 

[lizzylu]

I third the Subaru. Everyone in Cali that goes to the mountains (i.e. Tahoe) drives a subaru, it's the best AWD car for the $, extremely fun, and very reliable!
Boo SUVs! be good to our environment, please

 

[umass rower]

See if you can get a good deal on a used 4WD or AWD vehicle. If you're not used to driving in the snow, there's a good chance that you will make some mistakes at first. A car that does well in the snow will help you get out of trouble easier. However, if you're a cautious driver, 2WD (front or rear) might be OK. FWD is steadier in the snow, but with good snow tires, RWD works fine too.

So in other words, if you want the easiest driving job, get a used 4WD. If you want to go cheaper (or new), just get a car without and toss on snow tires.

 

[Chrisobean]

it really depends on where you are going to be driving.

in nyc, snow barely has time to accumulate b/c there are so many cars and they clean really really well (yeah sanitation!) but as soon as you hit the border or westchester or long island, the streets are a mess.

it was fun pushing my brother's g35 up our street in the snow

you are probably not referring to NY so forget i said anything.