Truck with all terrains vs awd and snow tires

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  • Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 29, 2016
    1,232
    12
    Bloomington
    Will be driving around new york during the upcoming blizzard.. and i have the option of an AWD chrysler 300 equipped with yoko ice guards. Or a toyota tacoma equpped with standard factory all terrains.. apparently im looking at around 9 inches of snow. Ill be around niagra falls. Im not really certain what kind of terrain ill be getting involved in.

    so chrysler or toyo?
     

    BehindBlueI's

    Grandmaster
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    29   0   0
    Oct 3, 2012
    25,890
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    4WD helps you start.

    Good tires matched to the conditions help you start, stop, and steer.

    Just food for thought.
     

    thunderchicken

    Grandmaster
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    5   0   0
    Feb 26, 2010
    6,435
    113
    Indianapolis
    Get the 'yota. A hand full of years ago we had a foot of snow come down and I had zero problems getting around in my 4wd Explorer with A/T's on it. Co worker got stuck im an AWD car due to ground clearance
     

    PaulKersey

    Marksman
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    22   0   0
    Sep 16, 2012
    209
    18
    Evansville
    Toyota all the way - not even close. I haven't had a car with AWD, but i have had a Honda Ridgeline, a Ford Explorer, and an Explorer Sport Trac, along with several traditional 4x4 body-on-frame pickups. The Ridgeline and the Explorer wouldn't get out of their own way in the snow. There were so many electric nannies, it was useless. Any traditional pickup with manually selectable 4x4 is vastly superior, even if it has an open rear differential instead of the locker (which is an option on the Toyota). Maybe a Subaru or an Audi etc. are better, but when it comes to AWD versus traditional 4WD, the traditional model rules in the snow, at least from my experiences. The Tacoma is one of the most capable trucks on the market off road. I bought a new one in 1996 and it would go anywhere, even with an open rear differential. It had all-terrain 31/10.50 tires, if memory serves.
     

    The Bubba Effect

    Grandmaster
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    19   0   0
    May 13, 2010
    6,221
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    High Rockies
    Is the Tacoma 4wd or rear wheel?

    FWIW, I have spent this winter in the high rockies (9,000-12,000ft). I drive a ram 1500 with 4wd and snow tires and would not trade it for much anything else up here. I have, however, seen everything hung up this winter, except those Subaru AWD station wagons. I don't know about other AWD cars, but the subaru wagons are legit, even in quite a bit of snow.
     

    PaulKersey

    Marksman
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    22   0   0
    Sep 16, 2012
    209
    18
    Evansville
    Why would i turn off the traction control? Ive heard its smart to do that if you are stuck. The truck is 4wd drive.

    Depending on the vehicle, the traction control can "overthink" and over-regulate, causing your vehicle to have limited power to wheels that need more power than the computer will allow. I am speaking of snow conditions generally, not just when you are stuck. I think traction control is awesome in normal or rainy conditions and adds a great level of safety. However, snow and ice alter the situation dramatically. Computers and snow don't mix very well, in my opinion. I would rather have an old truck (like an old 79 Dodge Power Wagon I used to own - like in the "Simon & Simon" tv show) in the snow any day than a new AWD sedan (unless it was a Subaru or Audi).
     
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 29, 2016
    1,232
    12
    Bloomington
    Interesting! Good info. So if it gets hairy its recomended 4 wheel hi and no traction control. I dont really think it woll be all that bad but im preparing for the worst because i really want to go on my trip. Im going to look into a set of tire chains to throw in the bed just in case. Im a " just in case " kinda guy
     

    aturk

    Marksman
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    0   0   0
    Jul 25, 2016
    248
    16
    Charlotte, NC
    Do any of you guys commenting have experience driving in upstate NY? Especially in a vehicle with snow tires?

    I relocated from Cleveland (snow belt) to Indy a year ago. I currently drive a 2013 Acura TL AWD with snow tires (yes in Indy).

    My previous car was a 2007 Accord v6 with snow tires. I snowboard quite a bit, and would make weekend trips all over upstate NY.

    I doubt you'll have a problem in either, but I would really side with the snow tires, unless you know for sure you'll be in an area without any plowing done. Snow tires help EVERYWHERE - steering, braking, lane changes, etc. 4wd only helps from a stop.

    I've never been passed by any truck/suv when driving through NY in blizzard conditions.

    I would recommend keeping the traction controll off, but VSA (stability control) on if you have that option. Newer cars will only let you disable everything typically. If you're not experienced you can slide around a bit (floaty feeling) if you are traveling at highway speeds in a little snow. If you are driving through some deep snow at low speeds, sometimes being able to spin the tires a little faster helps more than traction control cutting power.

    FWIW: Even in a totally unplowed parking lot, my awd Acura with snow tires is very hard to get the tires to spin, much less do a donut or anything else. You really have to force it...never had any issues driving in Cleveland and the snowbelt the past 3 years.
     

    two70

    Master
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    19   0   0
    Feb 5, 2016
    3,725
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    Johnson
    If the forecast is at all accurate, I don't see the snow plows keeping up with that much snow over such a wide area. The 300 may handle better if you are only going to be on major highways and the plows can keep up but you're completely dependent on the plows. With the Tacoma, you should be able to match your speed to the conditions and get where you going safely even if the plows lose the battle.
     

    snowdrifter

    Marksman
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    20   0   0
    Apr 1, 2011
    191
    18
    Next to Atterbury
    So if it gets hairy its recomended 4 wheel hi and no traction control.

    Not sure what year Tacoma, but just a heads up; unless it's been "modified", you likely can't completely disable the traction control. And the ABS is super sensitive and loves to activate in even the least slippery conditions. Both issues make winter driving tougher than it should be.
     
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