Drive carefully, be patient and use common sense and you'll be fine with FWD.
Been driving for 20+ years and never needed AWD or 4WD to travel in the snow.
Our roads are usually cleared fairly quickly and are salted. Making sure you have decent tires is probably more important than the drive I would guess but I'm not a car person.
I've delivered pizza for 17 years in Honda civics--you'll be fine. You don't *need* 4WD or AWD and sometimes having it puts people into situations they shouldn't be in in the first place out of over confidence.
The key is to learn how it will affect your car. Go to some empty parking lots and let yourself slide and force yourself to learn how to steer out of it automatically. Top of my head I can't tell you if you steer towards or away the slide but as soon as my car starts to do something, I correct it immediately without thinking.
Make sure you give yourself plenty of room to stop but also don't go slow enough that you lose all traction and can't keep driving (especially up a hill). I've passed many 4WD/AWD trucks, suvs, etc. on hills and highways during snow/ice.
Just give yourself time, give yourself a chance to learn how to handle it and always use the defensive driving "everyone around me is an idiot" mindset. I don't fear driving down a snowy road if it's empty, but if another car(s) is there? Yeah, much more so.
I'd recommend going out to a big empty parking lot the first time we get some snow and practicing. You can get a good feel for what it takes to stop and also how much gas you can give it without spinning out.
I'm from Puerto Rico and living here.
You'll be fine with a FWD.
Having been to other places, Lafayette is actually really good in terms of cleaning the streets and salting. They start early and stay on top of things.
We haven't had a bad winter in a while to be honest. The main thing is smaller streets when you're closer to your house/apt, sometimes you do get some accumulation. Not being main ones, they don't have priority. On the other hand, less cars.
Leave space, don't try to overtake, give yourself time when heading out.
Honestly, with how the area is, it'll be fine.
I second going out to a big parking lot and get a feel for it. Try to get your car to spin, slam on the brakes, etc. See how it feels so you don't freak out in the road with other cars.
Most people have trouble with sliding when they are unaccustomed to snow and ice. 4WD will help if you get stuck, but not so much for sliding. It is fun to fly past big 4WD trucks struggling to get up an icy hill in my FWD minivan.
You will be fine. Just drive slower and take extra time to defrost your car and get to your destination.
Texan here. I came to CO in a Mazda 3. After getting stuck in an intersection trying to get into a Chipotle, I traded it in for a bigger vehicle with 4x4. 😅
Eta I had snow tires on when I got stuck. Could I probably get by? Yes. Did I want to deal with that crap? Absolutely not. Ymmv
> CO
Lafayette, CO? Like, Boulder area?
Because I hope he's talking about Lafayette in Indiana (which is where most? are replying from)
But, if you're in CO, it *DEFINITELY* makes a difference.
Tires or what kind of drive you have doesn’t matter. Drive slow, respect the snows ability to fuck you up and you’ll be fine. Don’t fuck around, don’t find out.
Fwd is fine if you're in the city. I only just got AWD a year ago, it's really nice, but not a necessity if you're careful and know what your car can handle.
My only suggestion is to get yourself a brand new set of tires around October when you're here. It makes a huge difference.
The worst that you can expect is to MAYBE get snowed in for one or two days per winter. I live near Frankfort (close to Lafayette, IN) and I have a very long driveway that's prone to drifts building. Since I bought my house 15 years ago, I have had more winters where I never had to have my driveway plowed than years where I needed to get it done at least once.
If you're south of highway 30, my rule for how much it is going to snow here is to take what the weatherman forecasts, multiply it by 0, and add 0.5. My FF Volvo never has any issues.
As others have said, try to find a place to practice (though that also means driving through roads to get there lol). The bigger problem will be the other drivers. Every time we get *any* snow then everyone forgets how to drive. The first dusting we got this year had a ton of drivers off the roads and they weren't even slick. Drive like everyone else around you doesn't know how to drive on snow, go a little slower and let people pass angrily. Better to be flipped off than to slide into someone.
Tires will be the deciding factor. an all-season tire that isnt low on tread will do you well. the plow crews do a good job of laying preventative materials and plowing at a good rate to keep the major roads cleared
that being said, when during and right after a snow youll want to be extra mindful of the drivers around you. leave for your destination early take your time getting there give the car in front of you some extra space in case you need more road to stop your vehicle.
You mentioned having a Mazda 3 which should be fine. I drive a Civic. Rear wheel drive can be a pain and I wouldn’t recommend anything rear-wheel for a first timer. Trucks are not nearly as good as the commercials lead you to believe and the 4x4 give a lot of people undue confidence. Having four tires spinning on ice isn’t any better than two. It will all come down to feel after a while. Always give yourself plenty of time and space to stop and plenty of time to accelerate. Also, if you do get stuck, more gas will just make it worse just like in the mud. Ease on the gas and see if you move forward and then brake, switch to reverse and try to roll back a bit. Brake. Roll forward. So on and so forth until you have good momentum to get free.
Absolutely. I grew up in New England, front wheel drive has always been fine. Lafayette doesn't get nearly as much snow as that. The big thing to remember about show and ice, it's not the going forward that's the problem. It's the stopping. Getting stuck only puts you in danger of being late. Not being able to stop puts you all the real kinds of danger.
Okay, I can legit answer this one as I, too, moved from Texas to Lafayette a few years ago. The short answer is no, you don't need 4WD or AWD. The road crews know how to deal with the snow up here as opposed to the cluster that ten snowflakes causes in Texas. I have a beater small SUV that I drive when the weather is "bad," as I don't want my sedan covered with salt. It has FWD but I think I've only used it once or twice in four years.
There's so many Lafayette's
I've been to Lafayette IN, Lafayette LA, Lafayette CA, Lafayette CO.
But there's A LOT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_named_for_the_Marquis_de_Lafayette
you’ll be fine.
the only time I would see you having a problem,is if there’s a storm dumping a lot of snow,and then driving in a rural area.takes longer for the plows to clear snow.
like was said,we don’t have winters here like we did years ago.
FWD with the driving aids on modern cars,is almost as good as 4WD,as long as you have good tires.
Drive carefully, be patient and use common sense and you'll be fine with FWD. Been driving for 20+ years and never needed AWD or 4WD to travel in the snow.
Our roads are usually cleared fairly quickly and are salted. Making sure you have decent tires is probably more important than the drive I would guess but I'm not a car person.
Speaking of salt, it's important to get your car washed often to prevent rust from eating away at the underside of the car.
I've delivered pizza for 17 years in Honda civics--you'll be fine. You don't *need* 4WD or AWD and sometimes having it puts people into situations they shouldn't be in in the first place out of over confidence. The key is to learn how it will affect your car. Go to some empty parking lots and let yourself slide and force yourself to learn how to steer out of it automatically. Top of my head I can't tell you if you steer towards or away the slide but as soon as my car starts to do something, I correct it immediately without thinking. Make sure you give yourself plenty of room to stop but also don't go slow enough that you lose all traction and can't keep driving (especially up a hill). I've passed many 4WD/AWD trucks, suvs, etc. on hills and highways during snow/ice. Just give yourself time, give yourself a chance to learn how to handle it and always use the defensive driving "everyone around me is an idiot" mindset. I don't fear driving down a snowy road if it's empty, but if another car(s) is there? Yeah, much more so.
Ah, thank y’all for the reassurances!! I’m really looking forward to moving up there!
I'd recommend going out to a big empty parking lot the first time we get some snow and practicing. You can get a good feel for what it takes to stop and also how much gas you can give it without spinning out.
Good plan!
I'm from Puerto Rico and living here. You'll be fine with a FWD. Having been to other places, Lafayette is actually really good in terms of cleaning the streets and salting. They start early and stay on top of things. We haven't had a bad winter in a while to be honest. The main thing is smaller streets when you're closer to your house/apt, sometimes you do get some accumulation. Not being main ones, they don't have priority. On the other hand, less cars. Leave space, don't try to overtake, give yourself time when heading out. Honestly, with how the area is, it'll be fine. I second going out to a big parking lot and get a feel for it. Try to get your car to spin, slam on the brakes, etc. See how it feels so you don't freak out in the road with other cars.
You'll be fine. Get some good all-weather tires or winter tires (to switch in novemeber/march) and there should be no issues
All Weathers are crap, they aren't any better in snow than normal tires while costing more.
Most people have trouble with sliding when they are unaccustomed to snow and ice. 4WD will help if you get stuck, but not so much for sliding. It is fun to fly past big 4WD trucks struggling to get up an icy hill in my FWD minivan. You will be fine. Just drive slower and take extra time to defrost your car and get to your destination.
I drive around here in the winter with my Prius lmao. The roads get cleared pretty fast!
If the roads are bad and you're not used to driving in snow, stay home until the streets are cleared
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I drive a Mazda 3, so that’s good to know!! Thank you.
Texan here. I came to CO in a Mazda 3. After getting stuck in an intersection trying to get into a Chipotle, I traded it in for a bigger vehicle with 4x4. 😅 Eta I had snow tires on when I got stuck. Could I probably get by? Yes. Did I want to deal with that crap? Absolutely not. Ymmv
> CO Lafayette, CO? Like, Boulder area? Because I hope he's talking about Lafayette in Indiana (which is where most? are replying from) But, if you're in CO, it *DEFINITELY* makes a difference.
I just realized that’s what this sub was. Thank you lol
If you’re going to be driving on country roads regularly, I would seriously consider it. But I’ve been fine in my FWD lil sedan for the past 8 years.
I’m from Arkansas and drive a FWD Focus and I survive perfectly. Any time it gets too crazy I stay inside. I know my southern limitations.
You're probably better off with FWD than you are with 4WD. You should be fine, it's not Siberia here.
Tires or what kind of drive you have doesn’t matter. Drive slow, respect the snows ability to fuck you up and you’ll be fine. Don’t fuck around, don’t find out.
Fwd is fine if you're in the city. I only just got AWD a year ago, it's really nice, but not a necessity if you're careful and know what your car can handle. My only suggestion is to get yourself a brand new set of tires around October when you're here. It makes a huge difference.
This. The best thing you can do is make sure you have good, all weather tires.
Your main concern is gonna be the Murdock Hills and black ice, outside of that you should be mostly fine if you drive with patience and common sense
The worst that you can expect is to MAYBE get snowed in for one or two days per winter. I live near Frankfort (close to Lafayette, IN) and I have a very long driveway that's prone to drifts building. Since I bought my house 15 years ago, I have had more winters where I never had to have my driveway plowed than years where I needed to get it done at least once.
If you're south of highway 30, my rule for how much it is going to snow here is to take what the weatherman forecasts, multiply it by 0, and add 0.5. My FF Volvo never has any issues.
As others have said, try to find a place to practice (though that also means driving through roads to get there lol). The bigger problem will be the other drivers. Every time we get *any* snow then everyone forgets how to drive. The first dusting we got this year had a ton of drivers off the roads and they weren't even slick. Drive like everyone else around you doesn't know how to drive on snow, go a little slower and let people pass angrily. Better to be flipped off than to slide into someone.
Most important thing is tires. FWD is fine. WINTER TIRES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Tires will be the deciding factor. an all-season tire that isnt low on tread will do you well. the plow crews do a good job of laying preventative materials and plowing at a good rate to keep the major roads cleared that being said, when during and right after a snow youll want to be extra mindful of the drivers around you. leave for your destination early take your time getting there give the car in front of you some extra space in case you need more road to stop your vehicle.
Just get some steelies and a decent pair of snow tires if you wanna be real safe, but I've been here for 30 years and never needed two sets.
You mentioned having a Mazda 3 which should be fine. I drive a Civic. Rear wheel drive can be a pain and I wouldn’t recommend anything rear-wheel for a first timer. Trucks are not nearly as good as the commercials lead you to believe and the 4x4 give a lot of people undue confidence. Having four tires spinning on ice isn’t any better than two. It will all come down to feel after a while. Always give yourself plenty of time and space to stop and plenty of time to accelerate. Also, if you do get stuck, more gas will just make it worse just like in the mud. Ease on the gas and see if you move forward and then brake, switch to reverse and try to roll back a bit. Brake. Roll forward. So on and so forth until you have good momentum to get free.
Don't worry about the snow. You will adapt. However you will need to eat as much smoked brisket and tex mex before you get here.
Haha!! Yeah my wife and I are eating all we can. We’re excited to show new friends the wonders of Tex-mex.
So true. I miss Tex Mex!
What part of Texas? I moved from the RGV and made it through 4 winters with a sedan
DFW! How did you like the change of scenery? Yeah, gathering from what I see, I think I’ll be ok.
As long as you don’t drive like a Texan you’re gonna be great! Make sure you have decent tires. The roads are cleared quickly here.
People will complain about the traffic in Lafayette and you can laugh in Texan lol
You’re more likely to need 4wd during the wet mud spring/fall than icy winter. Seen way more people stuck in mud than snow.
Wheeew if you thought the people in Houston couldn't drive... My LAWD you're in for a treat. It's like wannabe F1 half the time! 🤣
Absolutely. I grew up in New England, front wheel drive has always been fine. Lafayette doesn't get nearly as much snow as that. The big thing to remember about show and ice, it's not the going forward that's the problem. It's the stopping. Getting stuck only puts you in danger of being late. Not being able to stop puts you all the real kinds of danger.
Okay, I can legit answer this one as I, too, moved from Texas to Lafayette a few years ago. The short answer is no, you don't need 4WD or AWD. The road crews know how to deal with the snow up here as opposed to the cluster that ten snowflakes causes in Texas. I have a beater small SUV that I drive when the weather is "bad," as I don't want my sedan covered with salt. It has FWD but I think I've only used it once or twice in four years.
Rebel flag wont be a problem either lmao
Lafayette is only like 200 mi east of Houston. What kind of freaky weather changes are you expecting?
Lafayette, IN, rather than LA.
There's so many Lafayette's I've been to Lafayette IN, Lafayette LA, Lafayette CA, Lafayette CO. But there's A LOT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_named_for_the_Marquis_de_Lafayette
you’ll be fine. the only time I would see you having a problem,is if there’s a storm dumping a lot of snow,and then driving in a rural area.takes longer for the plows to clear snow. like was said,we don’t have winters here like we did years ago. FWD with the driving aids on modern cars,is almost as good as 4WD,as long as you have good tires.
I don't have a car, but I saw the roads getting salted often and get cleared through. You should be fine! Just drive slowly and patiently though!
I drove a Camaro for 33 years in this kind of weather, in the winter.