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October 30, 2022
So winter has arrived and you don't feel confident in how your 2-wheel drive vehicle does in the snow and ice. You envy all those people with all-wheel-drive (AWD) and 4-wheel-drive (4WD) cars, trucks and SUVs. You start thinking, "I need one of those. I'll be able to go anywhere without any worries." The truth is there might be another option for you that you might not have thought of.
Sure, you've seen the ads that tout the advantages of AWD and 4WD, and some of the videos make it look like they can handle everything Mother Nature can throw their way. The truth, though, is that vehicles with drive wheels at all four corners can't stop any more quickly than those with 2-wheel-drive. Yes, AWD and 4WD vehicle have advantages when it comes to acceleration, but when it comes to stopping and handling, they generally don't.
If you buy a new AWD or 4WD vehicle, you are going to spend thousands of dollars. Maintenance and upkeep costs are higher due to the vehicle's increased complexity and weight, and you're likely to take a hit in fuel economy. So, what's the option we mentioned above? It's simple. Winter tires.
If you have a front-wheel-drive (FWD) vehicle with winter tires, you'll notice a tremendous difference in your winter traction and stopping than the all-season tires that are on most vehicles. One tire company, Michelin, wanted to find out which was better in the snow: an AWD car with all-season tires or a FWD car with winter tires. And they found while the AWD car could get going a little more easily, in most of the other comparisons, the FWD car with winter tires handled equally or better and stopped in a shorter distance. The optimal combination would be, of course, AWD or 4WD with winter tires. But one major consumer testing magazine found that only about 12 percent of their subscribers who drove AWD or 4WD vehicle in the snow for more than 6 days in the previous winter even used winter tires!
So a set of winter tires may give you the handling and stopping you're looking for and for a lot less cash than a new AWD vehicle. Consult your service advisor for some recommendations. You may be pleasantly surprised at how you can handle winter roads without having to handle a new, big, fat monthly payment for a new vehicle.
Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Troy
530 E. Maple Rd.
Troy, Michigan 48083
248.585.2770
https://www.tuffytroy.com/
April 27, 2025
They say your vehicle has one, but you've never seen it. And you might not even know it if you stumbled on it accidentally. We're talking about the jack, that tool that allows you to lift one corner of the vehicle up so someone can change a flat tire. So you say you'd never try to change a flat ... More
April 20, 2025
Let's face it. New vehicles are expensive, so finding a good used one can save drivers a lot of money. It's tempting to look through ads, find a private seller who has what you're looking for and pay a price you think is a great deal. But when you go over to look at a used car, do you really k... More
April 13, 2025
The timing belt in your engine controls the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves. Troy drivers need to replace it on a schedule to avoid failure.Timing belts are very difficult to get to, requiring quite a bit of labor to access. Timing belt replacement is one of the more expensiv... More
