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How will FWD Maverick do in snow / winter?

Tamper

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This is what I'm wondering about too. I live in the Canadian prairies and have a highway commute every day. My route takes me through places that don't get plowed and are often drifted over. I'd for sure be throwing winter tires on it when needed, but I'm not sure how FWD would do on an icy highway or getting down some of the rural roads I take.

For city driving it'll be no problem at all though. A FWD with winter tires is usually great in the snow.

I really wish they'd have released the hybrid with AWD. I want that sweet fuel efficiency but I also really want AWD.
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oljackfrost

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I ALWAYS recommend getting snow tires vs AWD. (Typically cheaper) Continental Viking contact W/T is what Ford recommends. $600-$700 installed. They make a MASSIVE difference
I’ve had great experience with Bridgestone Blizzaks
 

Mike

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Hakka R3 SUV. Almost as good as studded.
 

zeketolliver

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I was looking at the Maverick today. If I went with the base model, plain Jane, how would it do in the snow being FWD? Live in Kentucky, so winters can be hit or miss. I looked at the AWD version, but that was getting me close to a SR Tacoma price. What are you all doing? Thanks.
I live in central Ohio and frequently travel to hilly southern Ohio. I have driven FWD vehicles my entire adult driving life and can attest that they do well in the snow if you. The toughest one to manage was my 2011 Honda Odyssey. That was my daily driver for about 5 years (bought it new), and it did pretty well, but the long, heavy back end could be a problem when managing turns at 4-way intersections in the snow.

The Maverick FWD is 3" shorter, and about 800lbs lighter than my Odyssey was, so there may not be as big of an issue with the Maverick, BUT I thought it might be worth noting my experience with a similarly sized FWD in this context.

NOTE: I never had an accident, or any close calls, but it did cause my heart to skip a few beats here and there.
 

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ShelbySmith

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I was wondering how FWD will be for light off road use? I wanted to get the XL but I live in Arkansas and was worried I might get stuck on some of these older dirt roads, especially this time of year with so much rain and washout. It would be a 6k difference to get AWD is it worth the difference?
 

DAM

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Is anyone worried about FWD and Northeast weather?
 

bschurman

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Not a bit. It's not the AWD or FWD that you should be worried about. A good set of winter tires and there is no issue. It's more about being able to slow down and turn and that's where the tires come in. This whole idea of "all-season" is garbage. While they have gotten better over the years, they are no match to a good set of dedicated winter tires. Even if there is no snow, they stay more pliable in the colder weather too.
 

CASD57

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Remember VW had a small truck years ago.......... Just get some snow tires like Blizzaks
 

Rkbrumbelow

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What you want to maximize friction is to have the drive wheels as close to the center of mass as possible. This way they provide more traction.

snow tyres are your friend, up north, and putting snow tyres on the rear really help the back from becoming further forward than the front.

in TX there is an ice storm about every 4 years. There are only 2 kinds of people in ice storms: those who think they can drive on ice, and those that know they can’t. It’s not even ice it's water on cement, with a thin layer of oil with an ice topper.

sniw driving is a different skill altogether, and I will leave it to you all who like it cold.
 
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FirstFord

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Is anyone worried about FWD and Northeast weather?
Nope. I have driven both RWD and FWD extensively in New England.
RWD with snow tires wasn't bad.
FWD with snows is great. I have frequently passed 4WD and AWD vehicles that were struggling (or in the ditch) because they didn't have snows.
I'm a skier and drive in the worst snow (because it's the best skiing) and FWD has never been an issue.
 

zeketolliver

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I was looking at the Maverick today. If I went with the base model, plain Jane, how would it do in the snow being FWD? Live in Kentucky, so winters can be hit or miss. I looked at the AWD version, but that was getting me close to a SR Tacoma price. What are you all doing? Thanks.
I live in central Ohio, and grew-up in southern Ohio. I've driven FWD vehicles the severe majority of my driving life. The FWD vehicles I have driven range from a 1993 Ford Festiva to a 2011 Honda Odyssey. All have driven pretty well in the snow. Some say stopping in the snow is all about tires, but I say they are mostly full of it on that account. Stopping in snow and ice is all about being careful, watching your speed, and planning ahead (when you can).

That said, if you have to climb a lot of hills in the show, you're probably best to go with the AWD.
 

stoptothink

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Don't understand why so many people think 4 drive wheels magically makes a vehicle way better in snow, it helps with one thing: initiating forward movement and has no influence on what causes the huge majority of weather-related accidents (stopping, turning, sliding). That's fact, not opinion; countless videos exhibiting this fact with a quick Google search. 15yrs in a mountainous area that snows ~6 months a year and never once had an issue with 3 different FWD cars (all with much less ground clearance than the Maverick) with snow tires. The FWD Hyundai accent hatch that I had a decade ago when I met my wife was EXPONENTIALLY better in the the snow than her WRX with all seasons.
 

Unlikely_Username

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Some say stopping in the snow is all about tires, but I say they are mostly full of it on that account. Stopping in snow and ice is all about being careful, watching your speed, and planning ahead (when you can).
... But also tires. They aren't full of it. It's not all about tires, but winter tires make a massive difference.
 
 




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