Honda Fit winter driving?

Winter driving a primary concern? Get something 4wd... seriously. It's like night and day the difference between my front wheel drive 07 Dodge Caravan work van (which gets stuck on a flat slushy driveway with studded tires) and my four wheel drive 99 Toyota Rav4 (which you have to try really really hard to slide with on snowy/icy roads with M+S tires).

Of course, neither of them are a Fit, or even a Honda, so that adds a different dimension to things for you. But I would seriously consider whatever alternatives you have with 4wd options.

- Chris

That comparison is too 'apples to oranges to have any value'. I've been driving FWD cars in Upstate NY for 30+ years, and all I need are good snows on the front and good all-seasons on the rear. AWD is needed mainly for completely unplowed roads. And ridiculous SUVs, of course. ;-)

As for the Fit, I only test-drove one. Based only on how the weight balance felt then, I'd guess that with soft-compound snows on all 4 wheels it would do fine in the above conditions.

Are you kidding? Dragging around all the extra weight and spinning drivetrain, with the extra fuel and maintenance costs, just for a few days of snow?

Get REAL snow tires. Seriously. A Honda with snow tires beats hell out of anything else with all-seasons.

If you're in REAL snow country, you drive all four wheels AND have real snow/ice/winter tires mounted.

Snow tires are much cheaper of a solution than driving all four wheels just for a few days out of the year.

Just a few days of snow? Really? Well then I guess it really doesn't matter what you're driving or what connects it to the road.

Actually if I only had a couple days of snow to worry about, I'd stick with my 87 civic with its summer tires. I guess with spring coming soon (hopefully in another month or two), I forgot about you warm people who don't have winter for half the year (almost two thirds actually).

In that case, if you like the Fit (I wouldn't know, haven't been in one) and don't think it looks too much like a giant rolling doorstop (especially the blue ones for some reason), then I'd so go for it.

Thanks All The vehicle being replaced is a 95 Pontiac Gran Am. This vehicle has a bit more clearance than the Fit. My worry was unplowed road mixed with low clearance of the Fit.

Side note Test drove a Fit yesterday. First thing you cant see the front-end at all while in the vehicle. There is this deep dash then nothing cant see the hood a bit odd. Ride is a bit on the choppy side even on one of the very few roads we have that was smooth. Im guessing it would be a roller-coaster on our "normal" roads. Engine revs but not much umph to it but expectations werent high to begin with. Interior door panels are thin hard hollow sounding with a cheap sense/feel same for spare covering trunk area. I liked that the rear seats fold UP for space such as my bike to fit there for transport. Seating was comfortable but seemed a bit high wanted to lower the Driver seat a bit. Overall I think it dropped out of the running will look at Civic and Corrola next.

You're > Hi

Your response had little to do with the OP's concerns.

Of course, this being the Usenet, that doesn't surprise me.

That's correct - always some know all taking time to make a useless point

I put Blizack snow tires on my 2009 Fit and had now trouble driving in south-west Ontario winter conditions in the country.