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AWD Nice but Not Necessary in Winter

Mike

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This is not a rear-wheel drive truck that has horrible winter traction.

If you put a good set of Winter tires like Hakka SUV r3's or Michelin x-ice on a front wheel drive vehicle like the Mav, you WILL get better traction than an AWD vehicle with All Seasons. The tires actually make a bigger difference.

If you're going to invest or one or the other, invest in a good set of Winter tires.
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Mike

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Both AWD and Winter tires together are ideal but if you going to invest in one, Winter tires will give more benefit than AWD.

I convert some of my 2wd RWD trucks to plow rigs. Weighted in the back and with proper tires, they do very well. The funny thing here is plenty of people driving all Winter w/AWD vehicles and All Seasons. Their money would have been better invested in tires
 

ElMaverick

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I'm curious how would a fwd vehicle with really light back handle in the winter? My fwd sedan does fine but it's got some weight
 
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ghost1986

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Ive driven all sorts of things in the winter and I agree. From my Nissan Pulsar NX to my Miata to my supercharged 97 Buick Regal GS to my Geo Tracker to my current Grand Marquis. I live in PA surrounded by hills and the only one that ever gave me trouble getting home was the 320+ horsepower Buick for obvious reasons. Skill and decent tires are all I need. I wont go AWD on my Mav unless I can get it for cheapish on the base model im aiming for.
 
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oljackfrost

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I'm curious how would a fwd vehicle with really light back handle in the winter? My fwd sedan does fine but it's got some weight
The bed structure on the Maverick probably weighs more than your trunk. I live in Minnesota and was considering FWD with snow tires for winter. I'm retired so if the weather is bad I stay home. My son pointed out that in this part of the country a truck without AWD or 4WD has terrible resale value.
 

Gary in NJ

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Nothing beats AWD/4WD in the snow when you live in hilly/mountains. If you are stopped on the up side of a hill and begin to accelerate, the weight shifts to the rear of the vehicle and unloads the drive wheels of a FWD vehicle. I will never own another FWD vehicle again (and haven’t for over 20 years). RWD in the same conditions works ok (but just OK) with great snow tires.
 

rtcraft89

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I live in central North Carolina. We might have a good snow once every 5 years or so.

Usually doesn’t get much colder than right at freezing. I don’t go off roading, ever.

FWD is all I need. Can absolutely see how others would need AWD though.
 

MarcusBrody

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I drove a Honda Fit/Transit Connect with snow tires from CT/MA to VT almost every weekend for years. I only ever had problems in parking lots that had melted out a bit since I parked the car. I remember one driveway I couldn't get up, but I think that was pre snow tires.

That being said, if you have hills, it does take more skill and planning to do it in FWD as you don't want to lose your momentum and have to start or break traction in general. So if I had the choice and drove in snow all the time, I would take AWD over FWD, but I wouldn't sacrifice other things to get it.
 
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theek

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I'm curious how would a fwd vehicle with really light back handle in the winter? My fwd sedan does fine but it's got some weight
Weight is in the front, so the mass bites on the front wheels. The back wheels are an accessory.
 

Tennessee

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We live on a hilltop with a 22% grade. To get a load up there, you need weight over the drive Wheels. That means that front wheel drive truck would not work well for us. We have a Subaru all-wheel drive and an old Suzuki sidekick with part-time four wheel drive. The all-wheel drive is certainly more convenient. In certain ice and snow conditions, the only thing that gets up the hill is four wheel drive with chains.

It is the all-wheel drive that makes this truck a possibility for us. We use trailers for hauling right now. One of these small trucks and all wheel drive, with extra weight in the bed would be ideal for pulling a heavy trailer up our Hill.

What do we do when all else fails? Four wheel drive tractor with front end loader!
 

Doc

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We live on a hilltop with a 22% grade. To get a load up there, you need weight over the drive Wheels. That means that front wheel drive truck would not work well for us. We have a Subaru all-wheel drive and an old Suzuki sidekick with part-time four wheel drive. The all-wheel drive is certainly more convenient. In certain ice and snow conditions, the only thing that gets up the hill is four wheel drive with chains.

It is the all-wheel drive that makes this truck a possibility for us. We use trailers for hauling right now. One of these small trucks and all wheel drive, with extra weight in the bed would be ideal for pulling a heavy trailer up our Hill.

What do we do when all else fails? Four wheel drive tractor with front end loader!
Isnt the engine in a fwd weight over the drive wheels ?
 

Tennessee

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Isnt the engine in a fwd weight over the drive wheels ?
So, when you're trying to go up a steep grade the front end gets lighter and lighter while the back end gets heavier and heavier. That's why a two wheel drive truck that's really heavily loaded down can still go up a very steep grade. If the grade is steep enough, front wheel drive will have real problems. Consider that most Continental divide highways are no more than 4% grade. And 8% grade is considered a monster. A 22% grade is kind of stupid, but we just didn't have the means to cut a much longer road with switch backs. We ended up pouring concrete on that section because we just couldn't keep gravel on it.
 

Gary in NJ

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I'm a bicyclist, so I'm well aware of the grades on the local and county roads. The county roads in my area can reach 12% grade (I know of many that have short stretches of 14%) and the local roads can see 16%. On these hills (and in my own driveway that is 1/4 mile long with a max grade of 12% following a 90 degree turn) I REQUIRE all four wheels turning. It's funny when some flat lander tells me I don't need AWD or 4WD.
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