Rear wheel drive woes...

[meanmike]

Originally Posted by Captain Awesome

Bzzzzt! Wrong.

Most FWD cars have no option for a limited slip differential. You can get a limited slip in most RWD cars. With that option, you can drive circles around a FWD car on hills and everything else.

Like I said, try it!!

[Grape Ape]

Last winter I was dropping some groceries off for some friends who didn’t really want to drive their Civic in the snow and got to watch their neighbor get their Golf stuck on a pile of snow they’d tried to drive though. I think we had 6-8 inches on the ground for a little while and the only time I took my Bronco out of 2hi was to drive though the mounds the plows had left so I could parallel park.

OP’s dad is thinking about the bad old days when everything was nose heavy and it could be (a little) hard get going in the snow. But the is the 21st century and modern RWD cars are fairly evenly balanced. I kind of like RWD because you can down shift (carefully) to slow down without effecting your ability to steer.

I think what you really need are real snow tires and a little ground clearance if you won’t be sticking to plowed roads. And don’t drive like a fool, I’ve seen all kinds of cars get stuck I had no issues driving. I worked my way through college driving a wrecker and most getting stuck in the snow is due to being dumb, like most other one car accidents.

ETA: If the Golf driver had had RWD, he probably would have noticed when the snow lifted the front up so he couldn’t steer and been able to back off of the pile.

[Xmicro_SS]

You are in Philadelphia...............it is a moot point. So do not take the car out for the 8 days a year it snows!!

It is dumb to buy a car worrying about MAYBE 10 days a year. Now if you lived Upstate NY or in Canada, then dad would MAYBE have a point, otherwise, tell him you will not take it out when it snows!!

But I agree, with snows and traction control, Rear and Front Wheel drive is the same crap...........I pass all of them in my 4 Wheel drive Truck every winter!

[SleepWarz]

I pass far more '4wds' in the ditch during snows than anything else...

[klatterblast]

i would use a old beat up cheap car for snow, mud and rain and keep the camaro for nice days !!!

[Kms]

Your thinking of taking an awesome new camaro out in the snow?

Get a go to work front wheel drive crap car and keep the camaro in the garage.

[coolman]

Originally Posted by SleepWarz

I pass far more '4wds' in the ditch during snows than anything else...

That's because they are mostly dumb ass people that think just because they have a 4WD it will turn and brake better.

[ssump29]

My 300 goes great in the winter better then some FWD drive cars I have had. I never get stuck an I'm in Mid-Michigan were we get hit hard with snow. It's funny pushing through the snow while you watch others in there suppose better FWD cars stuck. Plus the fishtailing when getting stuck actually helps you get out because it swings around and grabs unmarked snow, providing fresh tracks oppose to run over tracks which ice up.

[Angrybird 12]

Wide tires act like Skis and ride on top of the snow, narrow tires will sink down into the snow for better traction..
I have had many rear wheel drive cars and driven in the snow... My 1974 Camaro and 1976 Malibue were two cars that you would think would never go anywhere in the snow, but I never had a problem, and I live in the mountians of East Tennessee....

PS. main thing, easy on the gas and easy on the brakes and definatelly do not accelerate in curves... keep a steady pace going up hills. accellerate BEFORE getting to the hill...

[2010 SSRS]

Out of the Camaros I have owned, the only one that I ever drove in the snow was my 87 5.7 IROC and I backed out of my driveway and put it in drive without touching the gas and the tires were spinning slowly and the car was sliding, so I carefully went back into the driveway, so my 09 Jeep with all wheel drive is my snow driver, my 2010 will never leave the garage this winter, but definitely be careful if you have to drive a Camaro in the snow

[nemosgt]

Originally Posted by SleepWarz

I pass far more '4wds' in the ditch during snows than anything else...

Same thing up here.
Their drivers become over confident and refuse to drive prudently for the conditions.
And in most metropolitan areas 4-wheel drive is just expensive over-kill.

Cheers.

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by SleepWarz

I pass far more '4wds' in the ditch during snows than anything else...

That's because many 4WD drivers are lulled into a false confidence by their ability to easily get going with 4 wheel drive. They fail to realize that ALL cars have 4WB (4-wheel brakes) and they need to be just as careful STOPPING as other people. They usually forget this and skid off the road.