4x4 Trucks vs. Cars.

[Honda city]

Hey, Giz.

I was in Montreal on Wednesday. I was in a 4x4 Matrix with Vsc and Trac. I think that part of the reason why big 4x4s have problems is that they are high up. I prefer cars to trucks because they are lower and handle better.
The storm was up her in the Toronto and Montreal areas and went right out to the Atlantic provinces.

[SuperchargedMR2]

Unless an extreme amount of ground clearance is needed, than an AWD or 4WD car is a much better choice for getting around. Trucks are taller and have wider tires which are both negatives when it comes to snow traction and handling.

[trucknut1]

truck and car collide... guess who wins! car is a flat piece of scrap metal... owner of truck replaces bumper.... my vote is for the truck / suv with a solid frame hooked to a steel bumper... take your car apart and you will see its made of nothing, sad what we pay for.

since my username is trucknut afterall one can guess what i prefer... i have driven 4x4's for years and never have had any problems with on road snow performance from 1 inch to plowing up onto the hood. in fact during severe snow storms before the plows get out a group of us often hit the streets just for fun...

how is the added height of a truck going to cause an issue with handling in a snow storm, you are not on the race track, the speed driven on snowy roads isnt exactly creating a lot of G's in the turns. the wider tires are more then canceled out by the extra weight. thats why in slushy conditions trucks fly by cars that are hydroplaning everywhere. this thread should be posted in the tacoma or tundra section as well, i am sure they would get a kick out of it

[gizzer777]

Originally Posted by Honda city

Hey, Giz.

I was in Montreal on Wednesday. I was in a 4x4 Matrix with Vsc and Trac. I think that part of the reason why big 4x4s have problems is that they are high up. I prefer cars to trucks because they are lower and handle better.
The storm was up her in the Toronto and Montreal areas and went right out to the Atlantic provinces.

I hope this one that started on Fri in Nevada does NOT make it to you!


This was really ugly out here (it has begun to melt but temps will dip into
the low 20's tonight...= BLACK ICE!)....I would rather be in a truck if in an accident.

Took the car out for a little spin in my neighborhood just for a test AGAIN. As I was pulling into my driveway....a young idiot came barreling down the side street doing spinners in a Lexus SUV....I would not shed a tear if he wound up stuck in a snowbank or spun broadside into one and wrecked that Lexus....We have lots of kids that were out playing too! (lots of SUV's and trucks wrecked too!)

[SuperchargedMR2]

The old collision thing drives me nuts, there is always something bigger than you on the road that you will lose that argument with in a collision. The simple fact is that I've avoided collisions in my cars because they handle much better than a truck and I've seen trucks try to make and avoidance move and lose control and roll the truck/SUV.

The simple point was made, a car with a lower center of gravity will handle better in snow than a taller truck, every auto mag has pointed this out when talking about AWD & 4WD cars vs a truck/SUV. Just today I saw a SUV that slide off the icey road and rolled over off the shoulder. I, on the other hand had no trouble because as the car starts to slide, the lower center of gravity helps recovery so that I could continue on, simple physics my friend! Just as simple physics will play a role if I get hit by a larger truck, I would prefer to be able to avoid the accident in the first place!

[johngenx2]

My wife has an 09 Corolla that gets around very well on Blizzak WS-60s, but my Subaru Forester just plain kicks ass on ice and snow. (It's also on Blizzaks)

Here in Alberta, it seems 99% of the vehicles on the road are oversized 4x4's with monster-truck tires. I just jet away from them. Those big fat tires are great in some spots, but on icy roads and fresh snow, not so much. Stopping? How many of those morons slide through intersections? A scary number!

As for "I need the size in case I get in a collision" that thinking is why we're literally clogging our roads with overweight trucks and SUVs. Everyone trying to get one up on the next guy. Well, you can enjoy your monster truck and I'll continue to enjoy fun, lightweight, unsafe forms of transport including my motorcycle.

[Teslank]

i ride both cars and trucks (1500/2500) that are 2wd/4wd

and damn trucks are damn too prone to sliding and losing control, and worst on a stop on a inclined road with ice beneath, good chance at forward, and 4x4... great when the snowplow didnt did its job with more than 6inch of snow....
but 4wd trucks have a advantage for sure only if you dont floor it loll

drived lots of bmw, audis that are 4wd and on snow its really something safer...
my dad have the venza, V6 4wd all equipped with top notch tires, driving this machine is fantastic too

well my opinion is that 2wd cars like my corolla is just fine, but in harsh conditions it have its limit, thats where 4wd cars or trucks get their advantage! but wait you wont go any faster at all! in fact i go slower in these conditions !

[thestone11]

A lot of drivers out there actually have a thinking about, 4WD and AWD vehicles have better stopping power, so they can brake later when it comes to stopping. That's one of the reason why there are so many accidents during harsh winter weather.

People don't realize when it comes to braking....2WD, 4WD, AWD they are all the same~!

For the past 2 days, our city has been experiencing crazy cold weather, it is -37 degrees now...