I just moved to Southern Maine and will soon be starting a job as a home visiting nurse. I live in a city but will often have to drive on rural roads in the winter for the job. I don't currently have a car, and I'm looking to buy a used AWD that can handle the conditions up here.
I've been looking at the Subaru Impreza, but I'm concerned about ground clearance. Would a SUV or crossover with higher ground clearance be a better choice considering that I may have to drive on unplowed roads for the job? I would prefer a smaller car with good gas mileage but I am nervous about getting stuck out in a rural area.
Any suggestions for a reliable car/SUV that handles well in the snow?
It's way more about tires than the car, particularly in New England where the issue is more with ice and compacted snow than with deep, light snow. People often assume that SUVs are better on ice and compacted snow, although their weight and high center of gravity makes them poor performers on these surfaces, and SUV's tend to use a drivetrain more accurately described as 4 wheel drive rather than all-wheel drive (yes there is a difference). A not-excessively heavy AWD vehicle, such as a Subaru, with either dedicated ice tires (not 'all-season' tires) or studded tires is usually a safe bet.
Definitely check your state laws RE: studded tires as some states don't permit them (as they can really damage the roads).
Add me to the list of Suburu fans. The great thing about the Outback (and Forester) is the ground clearance, which really helps when you're trying to get to work and they haven't really plowed the roads. Both models have gotten me (and my husband) to work in blizzard conditions here in the NE.
And Wuzzie's post - fantastic tips. I wish more drivers would listen to them.
I just realized that in my first response I forgot to put "snow" in front of "tires". What I actually meant was get an inexpensive wheels to mount good quality SNOW tires on so they can easily be switched when the time comes.
In my area you can get steel winter wheels (not fancy but do the job) for $20 each, which is about the cost of per tire for mounting. So if you're willing to switch out your wheel/tire yourself then you're saving close to $200 a year on mounting winter and summer tire on the same set of wheels. You do have to pay to initially mount the tires on the winter wheels, but since you're only using them for part of the year, mine tend to last around 6 winters.
Subaru's seem to be new England's official car a forester would be a good option. I have a Honda Pilot and my mother drives a Toyota RAV4 (although she wishes she still had her Honda CR-V).
+++1 on the winter tires, and also buy those cheap steel rims for winter if you can get them at a reasonable price. I'll give a big "Meh" for Subaru- I have a neutral opinion about the company but it's certainly not the only car that will work, and work well on snow and ice. Any front wheel drive car will work.
Not what you asked, but for those new to New England, make sure you have a snow bag packed in your car at ALL times. Blanket, rock salt, flashlight, change of clothes (including socks!), snacks, water, small shovel, ice scraper, de icer spray,hand warmers, and anything you will need if you get stuck at work, or stuck in a snowmageddon type traffic jam, or slide off into an icepatch and have to wait for AAA.I keep kitty litter, too. And hopefully you will never need any of it, because whatever car you choose will get you back and forth.
I have only ever had a Chevy Cavalier and a Toyota Corolla in my adult life. If the weather is that bad, I'm rescheduling my visits. I was a visiting nurse in Boston during the record breaking winter of 2015. Rarely did I have visits that couldn't be rescheduled. In my current job, any and all visits will be rescheduled in snow.
You're going to need a Jeep. It gets deep. You need clearance to not get stuck. Serious 4WD and not AWD.
Respectfully, this isn't really true. It depends on the type of AWD and that is brand specific. Subaru has practically been Vermont's state vehicle for the last 20 years and there's a reason for it.
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pixierose, BSN, RN
882 Posts
Definitely check your state laws RE: studded tires as some states don't permit them (as they can really damage the roads).
Add me to the list of Suburu fans. The great thing about the Outback (and Forester) is the ground clearance, which really helps when you're trying to get to work and they haven't really plowed the roads. Both models have gotten me (and my husband) to work in blizzard conditions here in the NE.
And Wuzzie's post - fantastic tips. I wish more drivers would listen to them.