Quote:
Originally Posted by Camaro_Corvette
Better to have it and not need it, than it is to need it, and not have it.
|
True ... but that logic can be used to justify an awful lot of wasted money. It could literally apply to anything you can imagine.
My argument for snow tires being better is this: powering all 4 wheels gives you better acceleration; snow tires give you better acceleration, braking, and steering. I don't know about you, but I'm more worried about rear ending a stopped car or sliding off the road than I am of getting going -and even then, there isn't much difference in acceleration between AWD+all seasons and 2WD+snows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrappy Doo
4wd/awd costs a little more up front, but more than get it back on the other end.
|
Not really. Every mile driven on winter tires is a mile not driven on your all seasons. That will make your all seasons last quite a bit longer, largely offsetting the cost of buying winter tires in the first place.
Plus there is the fuel mileage penalty that comes powering the extra axle. Granted, thats not much of an issue with selectable 4wd found in trucks but cars & crossovers with full time AWD, thats going to be an extra $100ish per year in fuel. By the time you have to replace the winter tires, the money saved is almost enough to buy a new set.
Between the two, the ownership costs are roughly comparable (if not in favour of winter tires) -and the upfront is usually less for the winters.
I guess 4wd/awd could improve the resale value of the vehicle when you finally get tired of it, but I'm going to guess that its not anywhere near 100% of the cost of the system.