I live in an area with A LOT of snow, and as a nurse, do I need an SUV?

[BlueChocolateCat]

As a little background for you:

I am a new grad RN that has accepted a position in a large hospital that is MOSTLY highway driving, about a 30 minute drive in good traffic. HOWEVER, I live in Northeast Ohio where we often get a lot of snowfall, and sometimes suddenly.

Throughout nursing school, I had a medium sized SUV with all wheel drive and good tires. Well, that SUV is over 200,000 miles and starting to become unreliable. I'm in the market for a new vehicle and I am considering purchasing a medium sized car with front wheel drive.

Only problem is, I just had a paralzying visualization of getting stuck in the driveway or in the middle of my road that is often unplowed early in the morning when I may need to be leaving for work. (I will be working day/night rotation). Of course, especially as a new grad and new hire, the last thing I want to do is start off my employment being stuck in the snow because I decided to buy a car and not an SUV. I understand that everyone finds themselves having car problems here and there; however, being a nurse, it just seems so much more important to be able to get to work on time.

My question is, does anyone have any advice for me that may have found themselves in a similar situation?

[schnookimz]

How about a car with 4 wheel drive instead of an SUV?

[BlueChocolateCat]

I have searched for cars with AWD/4WD, and the options are very limited... also, my main motivation for getting a smaller car/not all wheel drive is to get better gas milage. I'm wondering if I need to reconsider?

[loriangel14, RN]

No you don't need an SUV. I live in Canada and in a snow belt area.I get a LOT of snow. I drive a small Honda Civic. You need good snow tires and if you SLOW DOWN and give yourself lots of time you will get there in one piece.

Fancy cars and expensive tires make no difference if you drive like a maniac. Spending a fortune on 4 wheel drive is not necessary.

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Check out Subaru, ALL of their vehicles are AWD and the gas milage is still pretty good, not to mention the reliability. They are also reasonably priced!

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

Personally, and this is totally opinion, I think 4WD is a bit overrated. Front wheel drive, in my experience, is just fine for a driver experienced in driving in the snow. I grew up not far from NE Ohio and got many lake effect surprises from Lake Erie. This evidence is totally anecdotal, but there is no real advantage to 4wd. I say, get a reliable car with FWD. (2 cents icon goes here)

[ShelbyaStar]

I do ok with a car with front wheel drive, better now that I have weather tires instead of performance ones. While my next car will probably have 4wd, I've only gotten stuck when at farms that don't plow and have steep driveways, and that was with performance tires. I live in mn.

You should be fine. 4wd is not a fix-all, and in fact plenty of people end up getting in accidents when they are overly trusting of it! I haven't noticed much difference between my current car's capabilities and my past F250. In fact as a college kid when I lived in a place that got surprise ice, the little junker of a civic I had at the time could make it up the driveway while my dad's F350 couldn't.

[BlueChocolateCat]

Thank you for your input everyone, and keep it coming!

I can definitely say that it would be absolutely mandatory for me to invest in really good snow tires (and not just all season tires) if I were to buy a FWD car. Fortunately, I do have two family members close by that have AWD cars who would likely be able to drive me in a pinch...

This is something I will need to ask in my rapidly approching orientation, but I wondering what some hospital's policies are regarding "attendance points/infractions" during severely inclimate weather.

[Guest219794]

Millions of people have driven billions of miles without an SUV. Or 4 wheel drive.

You will have to think ahead a bit, park at the bottom of the driveway, buy snow shovel, etc.

I can get the Subaru up and down the driveway through a pretty impressive amount of snow. the Vibe/Matrix, less so.

Do not believe the myth of all season tires. Buy a set for winter, and one for summer. You will get better ride and mileage in the summer, and better traction in the winter. And, assuming you intend to keep the car for the lifespan of two sets of tires, there is essentially no extra cost.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

I drive a rear wheel drive sports car in the snow. It's not necessarily ideal, but it's absolutely possible.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

How about a Toyota RAV 4? Good gas mileage and 4WD

[nursemeanie]

I recently got a CRV that has AWD. I also bought a snowblower, so between the two, I'm pretty sure we won't get any snow for the next few winters! :-)