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Is hybrid FWD sufficent in Ohio where I live. I deal with occasional snow and downpour. And with the weather getting worse I'm worried I'm going to need the AWD.
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Hybrid FWD and bad weather
- Thread starter Equipenquin
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It depends where in Ohio you live. Rochester gets lake effect snow like Ashtabula. Our FWD C-Max did fine on snow tires, but I understood its limits in deep snow and wet ice. The AWD Escape does better, and on OEM tires to boot! If you're in Cincinnati, it's just like most other FWD cars.
In bad weather I would rather be in FWD than RWD vehicle. In general, FWD does not need AWD. RWD usually needs AWD as it tend to stuck just about everywhere FWD just drives through without any drama.
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I am in Columbus, and ordered the hybrid. I’ve survived this long without awd. If you’re near Cleveland with lake effect snow, or rural area where the roads don’t get plowed as quick, awd might be a better choice
What cars do you see one the road in bad weather? If you see a bunch of FWD sedans (and most aren't in ditches) you should be fine. If the only thing in the road in bad weather are 4x4 trucks and AWD crossovers, you might be wise to opt for AWD.
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Is your F150 4WD? If not FWD will be a big improvement. Crunch some mpg numbers and see what kind of cash the hybrid saves you. As far as more frequent severe weather, the last five years or so may be an indicator. We seem to have less snow on average but I anticipate, and am hoping for, some whopper dumps. What I could use is something to deal with the forest fire smoke.
I always see more 4x4 vehicles in the ditch because people think they're invincible. I grew up when there was no 4WD or FWD and we got around. Yes, we occasionally got stuck, so FWD was a vast improvement. The winter tires are SO much better now, worth every penny. There used to be a VW bug ad that said something like: "Did you ever wonder how the guy who drives the snowplow gets to the snowplow?" Beetle had the engine over the drive wheels... it's the same with FWD.
I've driven a Toyota Prius for nearly the past decade in Indiana, right next door. It did great.
I was also in the tire industry for that last decade or so. I ran winter tires alot. Sold them, tested them, and researched them extensively. If you can afford it, run winter tires. They help more in wintery conditions then AWD.
That said I didn't always have them, Prius still did great. Way better than my Dodge Neon before that. The instant torque from the electric motor is nice in snow as well.
I started driving on bias belted Nylon tires and RWD in the late 1960's. I still drive a RWD truck although with radial tires and have no issues in the Winter weather. I prefer RWD over FWD as I'd rather lose traction in the rear oppose to the front where the steering takes place. This is in Michigan, we do get a bit of snow. As far as a FWD Hybrid, sure, although I'd mount up a set of Winter tires before doing so. It makes a huge difference.
Regarding rain, only thing that would matter much IMO would be for flash flooding, and the FWD has a tiny bit less ground clearance at 8.3" vs 8.6". The AWD is not a sophisticated one that can torque vector or anything, and generally drags the rear around until it detects slip and so is more to avoid getting stuck like in snow or mud.
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How do people typically store their snow tires so they’re not taking up too much space or in the way. Also, is it relatively easy just to pop off and swap tires for the season?
I can't speak for others, but I'm getting a wall-mounted tire rack to hold mine.
I keep mine I'm covers like these, to keep them protected. I just barrel stack them in my shed and they're out of the way
They sell racks like these that you can get to store them up and out of the way in a garage. I've seen home made versions as well, see the photo below.
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It is pretty simple and doesn't take very long to swap out wheels and tires from season to season. An air compressor comes in handy for removing, installing and maintaining pressures, but is not necessary. I did this when I had my CTS-V (man I miss that car). I have loft storage in my garage and stored the off-season tires up there when not in use- completely out of the way. I am in eastern Maryland, so we do not get tons of snow and will likely stick with the all seasons year round.
I am also not an off-roader, so that doesn't come into play.
We use a rolling rack like this. This particular photo is from JEGS performance parts.
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