My wife can handle FWD in the snow no problem, but in the case of a G, its RWD or AWD, not FWD. I really dont trust her in RWD in the snow. Ive done a couple rear end slides in my truck with her in it and she says she just wants to puke because it scares her so much. Thats how I know RWD would not be kind to her.

No problems putting her in AWD though.

 

I work in my office at home.

 

For safety, the best thing you could do would be to buy winter tires. IMO, that is more important than FWD or AWD. Now, winter tires and AWD would be an awesome combination, but AWD with summer tires would be next to useless. RWD with summer tires is definitely useless and RWD with all seasons is doable.

 

I think the key is, the OP lives in Kentucky. Kentucky ain't the great white north . Not to say it doesn't get snow, but regular long lasting snow isn't the norm, and the average daily winter temperatures are well above freezing.

Coming from Florida, yeah, Kentucky may seem like the great white north, but it ain't .

RWD with all-season tires in conditions like that are fine as long as you adapt and drive as conditions allow. I know Kentucky occasionally gets the big dumping (10+ inches) and if you get that you'll find driving a bit more tricky.

I had an '07 G35S RWD with snow tires here in minnesota and I do concur that RWD is fine in the snow with the right tires. When I traded for my 2010 G37xS I made sure to plop snow tires on it as well, and yeah, AWD with snows absolutely rocks.

 

Look, there seems to be a lot of incorrect information on just what awd does for a car. Lets sort it out a bit.

AWD will help you go in the snow. (IE you aren't as likely to get stuck)

AWD will NOT help you stop in the snow. Just like every car invented in the last 80 years or so, there are 4 wheels, each with its own brake. You have no advantages over any other car on the road. The extra weight could be beneficially or detrimental depending on how much ice there is. This is why good tires are so important.

AWD, at best, gives you marginally better control (if any) at cruising speed in the snow. I see more awd vehicles off the road usually than rwd and fwd. People assume awd is like magic pixie dust in the snow. Again, it all comes down to the tires. People get a false sense of security because they have an easier time accelerating with awd in the snow, so they ASSUME it helps with other aspects of driving.

Lets recap. AWD to help prevent getting stuck... YEAH.
Good tires appropriate for your weather conditions... BIGGER YEAH!

Should you be driving faster because of AWD in the snow... NO, bad driver... bad driver!

 

I have a RWD and if you leave stability control on it's pretty easy to drive. You can't get a good rear end slide without disabling that first.

Having said that, if she is concerned then AWD will be the most confidence inspiring.

 

I just went through my first highway snowstorm on the G, and it drove like a champ. Driving in the dark with a bunch of wind and snow on the road, I felt like I could have raced down the whole thing. I honestly couldn't tell you how much of a factor AWD had into it, if any at all, but I know that in Canada there's no way I'd buy a 2WD vehicle, that's for sure.

Location and choice of tires (as said above) are much more important factors... but AWD cannot hurt if you live in a place with "decent winters".

 

Agreed - AWD is no pixie dust! I too have seen alot of drivers who get overconfident in bad weather.

My last car, a Mazda Tribute, was the first 4x4/AWD I owned and I was impressed with it in the snow. "Sure footed" is the phrase that comes to mind. When I was car shopping this time round, I specifically was looking for AWD.

To me, it is sort of like saying "I can brake my car fine without ABS". Yes, but ABS gives an extra margin of safety and - I think - AWD does likewise, so long as you recognize the limitations.

 

Agreed. We havent had "decent winters" here in CT in a few years (although this winter seems like it might be more of the norm), but I dont keep my cars a year or two, so eventually Ill be stuck in snow at some point....AWD will help. I also like how the AWD setup seems to be pretty "smart" i.e. acts like RWD most of the time, until the wheels start slipping.

 

Adding dead weight in the trunk really helps get the tires to dig into the snow. I was extremely proud of my G in the snow with snow tires and 250# in the boot, however it didnt quite feel like a tank. Much effort was still required to make sure I didnt apply too much gas, and starting from a stop on an incline was no walk in the park. In the end, I was much more fearful of another car hitting me, the added probability just isnt worth it for me and I am now the proud owner of a $1500 beater (which isnt much more than a set of snow tires).

 

I don't even bother trying to explain this anymore. People just stare blankly and think getting an MB S550 with 4matic will solve the problems with their RWD S550 when all they had to do was buy winter tires. But they could afford it so at Lear they're pumping money into the economy.

 

Snow tires make a HUGE difference, but I think the average person does not like having to store a set of tires all year round and getting them switched out twice a year.

 

Here in the best city in America, Philly, they only clear the snow on the main street. I went to my friend house around noon in my 2010 Altima. The car kept slipping left and right at around 10-15MPH. Later on the day, same road condition, I drove my AWD G instead. I put about 25MPH and the car runs straight like there's no snow/ice on the road.

AWD = no slip = no accident = YEAH

 

++++++++++

 

So what you're saying is having a winter set for winter and a summer set for the rest of the year - and thus having the best possible tire on your car all year around - is too much to ask for the average person?

I agree! It just makes too much sense for the average person to comprehend.