Do you really need all-wheel drive? | Consumer Reports

Automakers market AWD as a safety shield against winter weather, but our evaluations of an AWD Honda CR-V and a front drive Toyota Camry shows that snow tires are more effective in stopping & cornering.

[MichaelMiller-rgor]

Why didn't they compare the AWD CR-V with a FWD CR-V rather than a FWD Toyota Camry? Wouldn't that be a more valid comparison?

[wynos]

Here in Finland you're required by law to use winter tyres from the first of December to the end of February. 🇫🇮

[ssjMaximumGoku]

The problem is also that a lot of people don't know how to drive (in the winter especially)...

[trickster_qc]

Of course winter tires important.

same car with same winter tires FWD vs AWD. Now that would be a relevant test.

[RJKYEG]

I have lived in a wintery part of Canada my whole life and my family always changed to winter tires in winter. There are people here who haven't ever equipped their vehicles with winter tires for winter road conditions, but I have heard people say they were surprised how big of a difference it made when they finally gave it a try.

When I was younger and poorer I just drove year-round on winter tires, I didn't drive my car enough for it to really wear my tires out prematurely.

[Erich]

AWD or not, if you get alot of snow, get WINTER TIRES.

[DCassidy]

I live in Calgary and have a 4motion passat with studded winter tires. The traction of AWD is great on steep icey hills, and deep snow. I've been in several situations where most cars would get high centred or bogged down in deep snow. The tires help with off the line traction, braking and cornering. The only issue that has come to my attention that your tires are only as good as the person behind you.

[Snake-mssj]

When a large amount of snow hits, the first cars I usually see in the ditch or off the road first are AWD SUVs/Crossovers. Guessing it's because the drivers are overconfident and think just because it's AWD that it can go through snow easily.

[HugsBach]

I have to agree with most of the posts, that the driver's knowledge & skills determines how they fair in snow/ice conditions. Regardless of 4x4, AWD or 2WD, knowing your limits, knowing what your vehicle is limited to, makes all the difference in bad weather. Speed is the Achilles Heel in bad weather. Not giving enough space to stop the other. Weight over both axles is overlooked. Engine weight over FWD gives it traction. RWD needs weight in the boot/trunk to press down on those tires/tyres giving needed grip. I am old enough to be a grandparent and drove on glass belt tires/tyres before steel belt tires/tyres, which are rigid in cold weather...had a flat spot until it warmed. Easy start off and easy approach. I like to say drive as if you had a horse/stock trailer with scrambling load. Be smooth with all movements steering and braking. Do practice on a vacant lot. Each storm is different, e.g. ice under snow, ice over snow, etc. AWD, IMHO can snatch a bit as one grips as the other slips. I highly recommend drivers wear yellow lenses for glasses. Slip on or clip, it reduces glare at night and in snow. Nowadays with better weather radar, which I didn't have early in my life, its a heads up and stock up if bad weather. Best place to be in a storm is home or shelter in place. Its the other drivers who make it dangerous. Being arrogant about weather is a mistake. Again, its it's my opinions based on life's experience and driving multiple types of vehicle and drive trains...and, yes tires/tyres.

[emiliorescigno]

Thank you for this video! Best breakdown in the AWD/FWD/Snow tire debate I've ever seen.

[EONEILL]

Living in Massachusetts and West Virginia; throughout every bad snow storm, blizzard and so on. The vehicles I see most in ditches, on the side of highways, turned over, in accidents are SUVs and cars with AWD. So many people believe that if a vehicle has AWD/4WD that it prevents them from slipping and sliding in icy/snowy conditions and often I see them drive fast in such conditions. I've always had FWD drive cars since I started driving. The cars that I've owned that handled the best in snow with good all season tires were cars you wouldn't expect to do well in New England and West Virginia blizzard conditions.


Best:
2013 Prius V (wagon) I'm thinking because of the higher ground clearance than the standard Prius, plus the added extra weight of the body, plus weight of the battery pack in the rear. I've driven through two bad snow storms, cut through 7 inches of snow and cleared small snow banks without losing traction.


1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais. This little car was a beast in the snow. I driven this little car through countless blizzards, snow storms, northeasters, cut through a foot of snow and never once did I get stuck. The car was small and light, and the ground clearance was nearly 6 inches.


2008 Scion XB. Like the Oldsmobile, I've driven through countless blizzards, snow storms, northeasters both in Massachusetts and West Virginia. Even though it had low ground clearance, it cut through the snow like butter, even on all season tires. Only got stuck once trying to make it up a mountain road that was layered in ice.


Worst:


1989 Chrysler New Yorker. Car was big, heavy and was crap in the snow. Great car when there isn't snow and I actually enjoyed owning it, but it wasn't a good winter car.


1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass I had didn't last long enough to make it winter. Bought has a cheap clunker to get to work. Lasted a few months.

[Geckogold]

People, keep in mind that this video is meant to help show you that just because you have AWD capabilities on your vehicle, it doesn't automatically make it safer to drive in snowy conditions. Driving slower, and using winter tires makes a HUGE difference, even if you're just driving a FWD car.

Tirerack also has lots of side by side comparison videos where they show you a car using all-seasons, summer tires, and winter tires on a hockey rink to show you how all those tires work when the weather is cold and you have icy roads to deal with.

Snow tires can be pricey, but it'll be cheaper than having to file an insurance claim if you hit the median or another vehicle due to not being able to stop in time. Not to mention the time you wasted, and the embarrassment of having to get a tow truck to pull your vehicle out of the ditch/snow bank.

[louisbourbon]

Thanks for the realistic scenarios presented in this video! People with AWD and 4WD think they are invincible and thus don't need winter tires. During a recent snowstorm here in northern Utah, many of those people learned their lesson the hard way. The roads were so slick with black ice that the max speed at times was 45mph. And nearly every one of the dozens of wrecks I saw on my 35 mile commute involved an SUV or a pickup truck, no doubt many of them were equipped with either 4WD or AWD. I was pleasantly surprised that my RWD Hyundai Genesis equipped with Pirrelli Sottozeros gave me better traction and braking ability. That's proof enough for me that tires matter the most.

[joeycmore]

Thanks for the reminder about the importance of snow tires. I think this report may have understated the case for all wheel drive since most incarnations of this system have traction and/or stability control built in which sends power to the wheel that slips thereby giving a significant advantage under average winter slip conditions. This is only enhanced on real roads with non-professional drivers.

[billthompson]

318, 247 miles on my 79 Jeep Wagoneer it is equipped with quadra-trac has gotten me through snow storms since 1979 I really love it. Knowing your limitations is very essential.

[colechapman]

I've gone through many northeastern snow storms and only ever had all-terrain tires on. Never spun out once in my 2012 Outback Limited. It's all about how fast you go and if you take corners at speed. It also matters if it's icy out or if it's just fresh snow too. I also go to Upstate NY and ski and they get incredible amounts of snow, but my car keeps me steady on the road. I know I don't use AWD every day, but when it matters, I'm happy I have it. Unfortunately, it also means I have no excuse to miss work since I won't be stuck and unable to make it!

[ItsRyBear]

As a Canadian with a lot of experience on ice and snow, I can say two things. No fucking shit you need winter tires. If you try to come up to Canada without winter tires, you've got a 90% chance of crashing your car. Consumer Reports basically took the essay topic, then wrote a narrative story. Secondly, AWD does help in winter significantly. As Consumer Reports said, it helps tremendously with acceleration on icy and loose surfaces, but it also helps with cornering a lot more than they report. When you're coming around on a highway on ramp and lose traction and start oversteering, a FWD car has a much lower chance of regaining traction than an AWD car does simply due to the fact that there's no power being sent to the rear tires to 'push' you out of the spin. This applies to pretty much any scenario where losing traction applies. An AWD car will always find traction earlier than a FWD or RWD car will. Feel free to debate on these subjects if you feel I'm wrong, as I'm always keen to learn new things that will keep me from crashing my car into a tree :)

[minnesotajack]

A mechanic told me that any car with winter tires is better than every car without them.

[Notsure]

Until I got some Blizzaks I was ignorant to the difference winter vs All Seasons. I was lucky to find a set of (discontinued) DMZ2's for $30 a pop. That was 8 years ago, now days I throw on my Nokian Hakkas (I swear by them) at the first forecast of snow. As a NE Skier I seek out snow and will drive through a storm to get first tracks in the morning. The right set of tires could be the best bang for your buck upgrade you can for your car. NEVER go cheap on tires, they are the only part of the car that touches the ground, well if you are driving it right...

[The-Real-Blissful-Ignorance]

I wonder what percentage of that 41% wrecks in snow, sleet, ice and slush can be attributed to morons looking down at their phone instead of paying attention to the road?