In a message dated 12/14/03 4:27:10 PM Pacific Standard Time,
gjbranch@comcast.net writes:
> What makes a car good in the snow? I just came back from a 1 1/2 hour trip
> in
> the snow, driving the wife's VW station wagon, and durned if that ain't the
> best
> vehikle I've ever driven in the slop. Never mind all that traction control,
> ABS
> stuff, (which it has and is grand), but even discounting the fancies, this
> thing
> is like a tank. It just goes where you point it and turns when you tell it
> too.
> My Taurus (bain of my existence, what a horrible car) wagon scares the pants
> off
> me in the snow. What's the difference?
>
Not sure about the difference between the VW and the Taurus, but I think two
factors play into what makes a good snow car: wheel size and weight over the
drive wheels (tire treads being equal, of course). When I was learning to
drive, my Dad had a '57 Chevy and a '39 Dodge. The Chev had 14" wheels and the
Dodge had, I think, 16" wheels. The old Dodge would go like a tank in the
snow, where the Chevy would spin out. The Dodge also weighed A LOT more than
the
Chevy, which I think helped with the traction.
--David C.
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