I've never driven any other than an AWD soccer mom car in snow until this winter. It had General Altimax Artics for one winter and that thing was unstoppable.
Then I tried to take my 318ti with an open diff and old all-seasons out with 3-4 inches out. The whole drive was basically a 10-20 mph drift. Any twitch of the throttle would put me sideways again. I'm thinking that I need to get snow tires for it next winter.
foxtrapper wrote: The Volvo was epic due to its antilock brakes. They worked, all the way down to 0.001 miles per hour. Which meant if the car was slipping as you came to a halt, the brakes would pulse constantly, ensuring you never actually came to a complete halt. We got very good at stopping that car with either the parking brake or by nosing it into a curb or such. I should have installed a cutoff switch on the shift lever for the abs on that car.
My Volvo 740 with snow tires is a fantastic snow car. Without it is terrible.
With Blizzaks on my Fiesta, TC is not an issue. I can turn it off but have not found the need. On snowy ice I tried accelerating TC on and off. Only difference is that I had to do the control with it off. I did get into some heavy snow, TC on. by driving it like I would if I didn't have it. Just couldn't spin the wheels. Would it have helped if it was off. I don't know.
EvanB wrote:foxtrapper wrote: The Volvo was epic due to its antilock brakes. They worked, all the way down to 0.001 miles per hour. Which meant if the car was slipping as you came to a halt, the brakes would pulse constantly, ensuring you never actually came to a complete halt. We got very good at stopping that car with either the parking brake or by nosing it into a curb or such. I should have installed a cutoff switch on the shift lever for the abs on that car.My Volvo 740 with snow tires is a fantastic snow car. Without it is terrible.
So was ours. Except for making it actually come to a final total stop.
It's not like I am on old all seasons either. They do have 20k miles, but are a little over a year old and still have 6-7/32 on all four tires.
Nothing worse than a work van. If you work in the city, you are forced to park with one side in a snow bank. Try to leave and that rear wheel just spins and digs you deeper into the snow bank.
Worst: 1980 Mercedes 190e. Light dusting = Skid every time you hit the brakes.
Best: Surprisingly, a 1980 Corolla. We had a big storm a few years back. My two buddy's Subarus got stuck, the Rolla just seemed to glide over the ice and snow.
My wifes 2012 Focus is worthless even without the traction control mucking things up. I really hate driving that thing when the weather isn't nice.
My very first car was an '86 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham sedan. Just awful in every respect. Especially horrid in the snow. It simply would not move. Period.
Second worst was on ex-girlfriend's Pontiac Sunfire coupe. All understeer. All the time.
I've driven both of those cars, and both are very good in the snow.
Long Bed 2wd pickup with a big motor and normal tires. never moves and if you do get moving, weeeeeeeee
Worst: 1978 Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 with the full time NP 203 transfer case with 9" of lift and bald 40" Super Swampers.
Best: 1987 XJ Cherokee with 5" lift, 31x9.50 Super Swamper LTB's with a mini spool in the rear Dana 44. Unstoppable in any amount of snow. And there was one winter where we got several 15"+ storms.
Bobzilla--- I'd throw a set of skinny snows on there, with a higher sidewall to give a little extra ground clearance. It's kind of strange that the Forte is so bad in the white stuff. Most fwd cars are dull but safe as long as you are cautious with throttle / brake inputs. If they are not, I'd tend to put the blame where the rubber meets the road....or ice.
The worst machine I ever drove in the white stuff was my Dad's 1990 Supra Turbo. That thing was comically bad--- I remember pushing it to get it started....even on 2" of snow. It also had a habit of swapping ends at speed as you'd cross bridges in the icy stuff. That was much less comical-- and much more terrifying.
The best non 4wd I've driven in the snow was our old 88 Camry. Skinny tires, FWD, fairly high ride-height. That thing was unstoppable---until the snow got too deep. I did high-center it once on a non-plowed road.....but that was clearly "driver error". Judging by some of the cars listed here as being "bad" in the snow. I think there's quite a bit of driver error--- or poor tires choices going on.
for anyone looking to master the white stuff--- Bridgestone has an excellent driving school up in Steamboat Springs CO each winter. It's a good place to learn that you aren't nearly as skilled in the snow....as you think you are!
2004 Pontiac GTO: if it starts snowing at any rate higher than flurries, I have to run home immediately or I wont make it up the subdivision entrance. Last week, I barely made it by turning off TC and just controlling the rate of spin of the back tires to maintain momentum.
The absolute worst thing were the full tread RE-71's that we bought up when Bridgestone got out of sports car racing. Incredible to drive in most circumstances but you couldnt even get traction to pull out of the garage no matter what car you tried if there was any snow on the driveway.
I learned to drive in a stick shift Volvo 760 Turbo that was horrible in snow. It may have had summer tires though.
Like Foxtrapper said, a VW Bug is essentially a toboggan. I never actually got stuck in mine though.
I also had a Nissan 2wd truck that I thought would be bad in snow, but it turned out to be pretty good.
Also, are old Infiniti I35s generally bad in snow? My old lady neighbor seems to get stuck in 1/4 inch of snow in our parking lot. It may be the tires though. I thought the car was essentially the same as a Maxima.
I can't say I've owned a vehicle that didn't go through alot more snow than expected....the e36 was sketchy when on p-zero's out in the snow though.
Heck, my beater fukus with bald all seasons will go through enough snow to high center itself.
Flight Service wrote: Long Bed 2wd pickup with a big motor and normal tires. never moves and if you do get moving, weeeeeeeee
Crewcab short bed....1wd. When it steps out it's so slow you could use it as a calender.
I can't help but think other than light, rwd, open diff vehicles, the rest of the horrificness in this thread can be attributed to tires.
What would make a Forte bad in the snow, besides tires? Its a basic FWD econobox. Unless the throttle-mapping is truly terrible?
The best vehicle I've ever driven in the snow was a 2.5RS on snow tires. The worst vehicle I've ever driven in the snow was a 2.5RS on summer tires.
2nd best? Saturn on snow tires. 2nd worst? Saturn on summer tires.
True, tires are probably 75% of the winter traction equation. The rest being some combination of weight distribution and ground clearance.
Worst-85 Cavalier Station wagon. It was a company car and wouldn't turn in the snow. I parked it nose first several times at low speed trying to go around a corner. Best- a toss up between my 76 Alfetta GT and my 88 Nissan Pulsar. I once went through snow deep enough to be coming over the hood of the Pulsar and it just plowed right through
ProDarwin wrote: I can't help but think other than light, rwd, open diff vehicles, the rest of the horrificness in this thread can be attributed to tires.
No doubt that tires are important. In the case of the two I mentioned, they were equipped with very good snow tires. Still were abominable in the specific manner I described for each.
Got stuck out in my 96 impala on worn all seasons. It was useless but after throwing new winterforces on, it became an unstoppable tank.
The worst vehicle I've ever driven in the snow was a E150 van. Just terrible.
A Toyota RN Truck on big tires is a serious white knuckler on ice/snow. Put chains on the back and it will climb anything, though.
I judge the road conditions by counting the number of dead cars on the side of the road during my morning commute. Monday had 43. That's a lot and a new record by about double. I am thinking of modifying my counting by having a total number and the number of Mustangs in that number. I didn't count the Mustangs separate on Monday, but I bet it was 7 or more of that 43.
Bobzilla, I can 1st hand attest to your misery. My wife has the same car... '11 Forte SX hatch. It's not the worst car I've ever driven in the snow of any car, but far and away the worst FWD car. It's awful in the snow. In fact, right now we just have it staying in the garage and my wife is driving our Sedona...which is a billygoat in the snow. I suspect it's the Goodyear tires it has, but whatever it is the car is terrible. It'll go straight OK...kind of. But don't ask it to change lanes, turn or stop.
The worst car of anything I've ever driven in the snow was my friends '84 Fiero. It did some really awesome donuts, whether you wanted it to or not. 
I drive the work pedovan(chebby 2500 LWB) around all the time in the winter. I've never needed pulled out yet. knocks on wood
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