RWD in snow

I have the AWD 300C, it handled this week's snow nicely (I live in Massachusetts and we got at least a foot of snow this week), it felt very sure footed. I got the AWD because the idea of using a RWD in the snow was frightening. I'll admit that my prejudice against RWD is based on 30 year old data, the last RWD car I owned was a 71 Ford which I got rid of in

1980. That car would spin out on snow. But of course modern cars have automatic traction control and better tires, but I wasn't going to take the chance that ATS would be sufficient to make a RWD car handle well in the snow.

I'm not sure what that has to do with my question but I agree that the two cars you mentioned are faster than the smaller Hemi but not the 6.1. The 300 has room for 5 where neither the GTO nor the Subaru do not unless you include children.

Ken

Not good.

Well, I live in Finland and we do have snow and everything here during winter. We also have studded tyres or real winter tyres without studs (not M+S but tyres designed to winter, driving on snow and ice).

I have had RWD cars all my life (Fiat 850 -72, Ford Escort -69, Chevrolet Scottsdale -78, Toyota Corolla -78/-79/-82, Ford Taunus -76/-78, Ford Scorpio -89, Mercedes-Benz C-class -02/-04, Dodge Kingsway STW -59, Dodge Dart -64, Plymouth Trailduster -76 ok, this was 4x4... and Plymouth Gran Fury -78) I have never had any touble during winter tíme with RWD, only with FWD cars.

My newest car is now Chrysler 300C STW. We do have Chrysler 300C STW here in Europe, it is Dodge Magnum with Chrysler front grille etc. I'm getting my

300C 19th December and looking forward to owning it. My car is only RWD but it has that ESP system which makes driving on slippery conditions very easy. My -78 Gran Fury is much trickier to drive than my M-B which also has ESP. But my point is that RWD cars are (to my opinion) much better to drive in winter than FWD cars. You can steer also with gas pedal... :-)

Sorry about my poor english.

Risto Nevala

"NJ Vike" kirjoitti viestissä news:VETmf.2389$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...

Well, I live in Finland and we do have snow and everything here during winter. We also have studded tyres or real winter tyres without studs (not M+S but tyres designed to winter, driving on snow and ice).

I have had RWD cars all my life (Fiat 850 -72, Ford Escort -69, Chevrolet Scottsdale -78, Toyota Corolla -78/-79/-82, Ford Taunus -76/-78, Ford Scorpio -89, Mercedes-Benz C-class -02/-04, Dodge Kingsway STW -59, Dodge Dart -64, Plymouth Trailduster -76 ok, this was 4x4... and Plymouth Gran Fury -78) I have never had any touble during winter tíme with RWD, only with FWD cars.

My newest car is now Chrysler 300C STW. We do have Chrysler 300C STW here in Europe, it is Dodge Magnum with Chrysler front grille etc. I'm getting my

300C 19th December and looking forward to owning it. My car is only RWD but it has that ESP system which makes driving on slippery conditions very easy. My -78 Gran Fury is much trickier to drive than my M-B which also has ESP. But my point is that RWD cars are (to my opinion) much better to drive in winter than FWD cars. You can steer also with gas pedal... :-)

Sorry about my poor english.

Risto Nevala

"NJ Vike" kirjoitti viestissä news:VETmf.2389$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...

Thanks for the post. Some sales people will tell you anything. So much for that 50-50 (or close to) weight distribution sales pitch.

Ken

General,

Same story hear. All too often I got caught in some pretty bad storms. One time I made it to a hotel and another time I was lucky to find some other people that needed a ride to the same town. They helped push me when I got stuck. I was lucky.

I will get the AWD.

We also had it pretty bad in here in NJ with 10" of snow the other day. This is the beginning of what appears to be another very active winter.

Ken

Your English is great but having driven RWD in Rochester NY up until 1980 I find it hard to believe that anyone can find RWD better in snow then FWD.

I have no experience with the 300, but if you have serious snow, I would recommend buying a set of snow tires on steel wheels and not relying on the compromised all-seasons that the factory no doubt equipped your vehicle with from the factory. nothing else will make as dramatic a difference to your ability to get around in snow. Get them for all four corners, too...

nate

Like I said, tires...

my Porsche (944) has 50/50 weight dist. as well, and is actually very easy to drive and controllable in snow BUT the wide, low profile (well, by 80's standards) tires hinder it's ultimate traction. Were I in an area that got "real snow" I would definitely be buying snow tires.

nate

NJ Vike wrote:

I will be visiting Finland in late January, early February. I'll be in the Levi area of Lappland. I would like to learn more about Finnish culture. I'm in Houston, Texas.

RWD didn't work for me but FWD, 4WD and AWD did make a difference for me.

I will never understand why people say that FWD is better than RWD in snow.

If you lose traction in FWD, you've lost both drive wheels and steering. With RWD you at least have steering.

"Art" wrote in news:0%fnf.2845$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net:

I'm about equal in the number of years I've had RWD and FWD. There's no contest in the favor of FWD. With RWD I used studs and chains, but always a struggle in significant snow and hills.

With FWD and all season tires, which have improved greatly over the last

20 years, I'm only stopped by snow packing in under the car- a problem with any vehicle. This has only happened in my driveway, never stopped on roads, even steep hills up to our ski hills in western Canada.

I have no need for AWD. All I'd like is a bit more ground clearance as Subaru has wisely done.

I don't agree. Your winter conditions must be much easier than here in western Canada. (I only steer with the steering wheel)

The only solution I see is another make. Certainly not the GM cripple though.

The 300M was a great car which I was going to get, only the much lower ground clearance than my '95 Concord was a concern. So I passed and they're gone forever!