Wednesday, January 18, 2012

2012 Snow Drive MPV Studs vs. Accord Old Tires vs. Subaru Legacy



Tested out FWD 1991 Honda accord with 20% tread left in neighborhood with 3" of snow - it can drive on level roads just fine but tires spin a lot.

2004 MPV with studded snow tires drives fine, but some wheel spin. It barely clawed its way up the hill to the Kingsgate P-R in Kirkland when multiple cars couldn't make it up ice on monday. It has a lot more bulk and doesn't handle as well as the smaller Subaru in terms of turns and going where it is pointed. In the great storm of 1996, the 1995 Dodge Caravan was our snow vehicle of choice, and it also did pretty well in snow - it's got big tires, especially with chains. I've used chains on the MPV when we got a lot of snow 2 or 3 years back when it was 10" of snow or so into Redmond from Bothell.

2001 Subaru Legacy wagon with new all-weather tires with fairly wide tread drives like a champ, very little wheel spin with all-wheel drive. If the car skids a bit, just let off the power and put it back when the car is done going where it wants to go, usually less than a second of sliding.

Bellevue traffic cams here
http://www.bellevuewa.gov/trafficcam/
Snow doesn't seem bad in Bellevue, here is bravern near transit center: 



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