[Packard V8]

The Bolt has been perfect for our daily local needs.

However, one of us believes we also need an SUV with AWD, possibly a PHEV. To that end, I've followed the Motor Trend SUV of the Year for 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, they chose the Genesis GV70 and for 2023 the Hyundai Ioniq 5. In my limited experience, both are highly styled excellent daily drivers, but neither has any pretensions toward sport-utility-off-road use.

Truth is, this is what the majority of buyers will actually use, but many SUVs have been forced to carry several thousand dollars and hundreds of pounds of off-road capability few really need.

In reading discussions with engineers of the Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga, Range Rover, Jeep, et al, they all say they could make a better, more practical, less expensive vehicle if it were not for the marketing department insisting it have serious off-road chops.

Now, agree, Motor Trend, as with Consumer Reports, is not an unbiased source. However, just as the Honda Ridgeline/Ford Maverick is the pickup most really will use, isn't MT telling us the tall two-box is all the SUV most of us need?

jack vines, who's prepared to say an AWD Bolt would be the answer to northern tier needs.

 

[SpicyBolt]

The Bolt has been perfect for our daily local needs.

However, one of us believes we also need an SUV with AWD, possibly a PHEV.

jack vines, who's prepared to say an AWD Bolt would be the answer to northern tier needs.

Electrek's vehicle of the year is the svelte $25K Chevy Bolt

The lowest-priced EV in the US is somehow also one of the best. Now in its sixth year, the Bolt...

electrek.co

JP, who's prepared to say our FWD Bolt with snow tires is the answer to our (Minnesota) northern tier needs.

 

[Maritime]

Bolt + winter tires gets me everywhere in the worst winter weather, climbs my steep drive just as good as the AWD Pilot. Only time it has issues is if the snow is deep enough to lift the front tires off the road and that's ground clearance not traction.

 

[finch4ever]

I always had small cars or sport cars with FWD in the winters of Quebec and never had a problem. Friends and folks around me shopping for a vehicle are all asking for a AWD SUV like if it is now a must. They are talking like if it is impossible to go through winter without it. Then you see people drive like crazy with their AWD SUV like if the thing will never slip or will always brake on time and first thing you see when there is snowfalls, SUV's in the ditch. I wonder how my parents and grand parents did without a SUV especially when winter tires were not mandatory. IMO this SUV thing is a trend and will fade out while gas price and car price will go higher and higher.

 

[OkieBolt]

who's prepared to say an AWD Bolt would be the answer to northern tier needs

If the EUV was AWD it would be in my garage right now.

What I do need right now is an EV that seats 7 and costs less than $60,000. Basically Chevy needs to Electrify the Traverse.

 

[Maritime]

I always had small cars or sport cars with FWD in the winters of Quebec and never had a problem. Friends and folks around me shopping for a vehicle are all asking for a AWD SUV like if it is now a must. They are talking like if it is impossible to go through winter without it. Then you see people drive like crazy with their AWD SUV like if the thing will never slip or will always brake on time and first thing you see when there is snowfalls, SUV's in the ditch. I wonder how my parents and grand parents did without a SUV especially when winter tires were not mandatory. IMO this SUV thing is a trend and will fade out while gas price and car price will go higher and higher.

Yep, AWD does not replace proper driving skills in winter. It makes false confidence and first turn on a slippery road is the SUV going straight into the ditch because they were driving way to fast. AWD/4x4 will get you moving easier than a FWD or 2wd but it WON'T stop or steer any better usually worse.

 

[finch4ever]

Yes AWD will move easier especially from a stop compared to FWD but then again when the light is green people press the gas pedal like if it was race and they over spin the tires and make it more slippery. The real secret is to adapt with the road conditions and stop pushing it. Leave earlier for work, keep your distances and take your time, AWD SUV or not. I hate it when I see this big SUV pushing me in the a$$ when I feel my car doesn't have full grip and driving safely. People don't care about sharing the road and respect the other

 

[OkieBolt]

again when the light is green people press the gas pedal like if it was race and they over spin

Oh how I miss my Forester XT with winter tires in the snow. I would put the 4EAT into 2nd gear, brake boost and when the light turned green would launch like I was on dry pavement and as the power came on would do a 4 wheel spin but still accelerating like a scalded ape.

That said going down a hill on ice AWD provided no benefit at all.

It has also been clearly demonstrated that a FWD car with snow tires is far superior to an AWD car without snow tires.

 

[Voldar]

A lot of people think that the AWD are better than FWD all around. Problem is, the AWD is better for get-up and go but not for stopping.

 

[Zapster]

Something I'd like to see, though it'll never happen, is an EV restomod of an AMC Eagle wagon. It set the table for all the crossovers to follow. And as a bonus, it killed off the Pacer.

 

[jdunmyer]

I drove Jeeps (4WD) for a number of years after growing up with RWD vehicles. That was great in Michigan's snow! Then, when the first gas crunch hit in the early '70's, I switched to FWD, starting with a Honda 600 Sedan. I found FWD nearly as good as 4WD, as others have noted above. Actually, I've managed winters with FWD and have never used snow/winter tires on any of them. That's over the past 40 years or so. Yes, 4WD/AWD is nice, but certainly not necessary for most. If I had a steep driveway maybe, but our area is pretty flat.

 

[Packard V8]

What works for you works for you.

We've driven in the northern tier for fifty years, first with RWD, then FWD, then FWD with snow tires. We've only owned one AWD SUV in all that time. With more ground clearance and AWD, it just makes winter driving less stressful.

The Bolt, with snow tires, has about average FWD traction, but it is imposibly low for worst winter conditions. We're constantly dragging bottom and occasionally getting high-centered crossing snow plow berms. My wife wants more and better for winter and road trips.

jack vines, who admits to a ridiculously steep driveway.

 

[SpicyBolt]

What works for you works for you.

We've driven in the northern tier for fifty years, first with RWD, then FWD, then FWD with snow tires. We've only owned one AWD SUV in all that time. With more ground clearance and AWD, it just makes winter driving less stressful.

The Bolt, with snow tires, has about average FWD traction, but it is imposibly low for worst winter conditions. We're constantly dragging bottom and occasionally getting high-centered crossing snow plow berms. My wife wants more and better for winter and road trips.

jack vines, who admits to a ridiculously steep driveway.

Every situation is unique. We live in the metro area, half a block from a snow emergency route. So it's plowed quickly. The private contractor plows our alley quickly too.

In 30 years as a Letter Carrier, I had the option of taking the bus to work when the snow was really bad. I did that maybe two or three times. So basically that's how many times I could have used AWD, in 30 years.

At work, I never drove anything but RWD or FWD vehicles on my route. And now we are retired, so if it's that bad, we stay home until it isn't.

JP, who's also driven in the northern tier for 50 years, and has never owned an AWD/4WD vehicle, but has owned lots of snow tires.

 

[BoltEUV]

A FWD car with proper winter tires is going to perform so much better in winter than an AWD car with "all season" tires.

 

[Packard V8]

JP, who's also driven in the northern tier for 50 years, and has never owned an AWD/4WD vehicle, but has owned lots of snow tires.

FWIW, I'm known as the only guy in the northern tier driving a 2WD Ford F250 Super Duty diesel. I bought it because it was literally half the price of a 4WD. I've had plenty of time to regret that decision; it can get stuck on flat ground. With snow tires, some weight in the bed and sixty years of driving truck, I get around, because I'm too stubborn/cheap to pay $60,000 for a new 4WD when my old truck still runs.

jack vines

 

[BoltEUV]

FWIW, I'm known as the only guy in the northern tier driving a 2WD Ford F250 Super Duty diesel. I bought it because it was literally half the price of a 4WD. I've had plenty of time to regret that decision; it can get stuck on flat ground. With snow tires, some weight in the bed and sixty years of driving truck, I get around, because I'm too stubborn/cheap to pay $60,000 for a new 4WD when my old truck still runs.

jack vines

I've owned plenty of AWD, FWD, 4WD and RWD cars. Proper winters tires make a tremendous difference.

 

[SpicyBolt]

FWIW, I'm known as the only guy in the northern tier driving a 2WD Ford F250 Super Duty diesel. I bought it because it was literally half the price of a 4WD. I've had plenty of time to regret that decision; it can get stuck on flat ground. With snow tires, some weight in the bed and sixty years of driving truck, I get around, because I'm too stubborn/cheap to pay $60,000 for a new 4WD when my old truck still runs.

jack vines

I've never owned a truck or a diesel anything. Our EUV is the closest thing to an SUV I've owned, and it's certainly not that. The last time I owned an ICE vehicle with more than 4 cylinders, was 1984.

I would be too cheap to pay $60,000 also. The most I've ever paid for a car in today's dollars was ~$32k for my 2001 Miata. That was about $21k new at the time. And that was a splurge due to an unexpected inheritance, as it was a 2nd car, and never saw a Minnesota winter.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Bolt + winter tires gets me everywhere in the worst winter weather, climbs my steep drive just as good as the AWD Pilot. Only time it has issues is if the snow is deep enough to lift the front tires off the road and that's ground clearance not traction.

We've gotten a fair bit of snow here in Vancouver lately, and I have to traverse the unplowed back lane to access my garage. I have no problem with traction, but what happens is that you get a ridge of crunched-up snow in between the two tire tracks that eventually freezes itself into ice. And then I can hear the underbelly of the car scraping on that stuff all the way down the lane. I cringe all the time, although so far it doesn't seem to have caused any serious damage (>knock wood<).

 

[BobBolt]

What I do need right now is an EV that seats 7 and costs less than $60,000. Basically Chevy needs to Electrify the Traverse

Me too....exactly why I bought a plug in Pacifica....not only does it seat 7 but will haul 4x8 sheets of anything and move college dorm rooms in total comfort.
It is a BEV for 95% or more of our use...
I'm also not limited to EV infrastructure being available...it handles northern Ontario with ease.

 

[EV Trek 37604]

I always had small cars or sport cars with FWD in the winters of Quebec and never had a problem. Friends and folks around me shopping for a vehicle are all asking for a AWD SUV like if it is now a must. They are talking like if it is impossible to go through winter without it. Then you see people drive like crazy with their AWD SUV like if the thing will never slip or will always brake on time and first thing you see when there is snowfalls, SUV's in the ditch. I wonder how my parents and grand parents did without a SUV especially when winter tires were not mandatory. IMO this SUV thing is a trend and will fade out while gas price and car price will go higher and higher.

My dad never bought snow tires in the winter and also didn’t get his first FWD car until 1988. We were living in Louisville Ky, where we got plenty of snow while I was growing up.
I even took my drivers test in snowy conditions in 1969 in a car with regular tires. And I did not have a FWD car until 1984 and only put snow tires on the rear of my 1989 Chevy full sized pickup.
One thing I have noticed about AWD cars and SUVs is that people take too many chances while driving them, they will still exceed the speed limit many times on snow covered roads, they seem to not realize that AWD will not stop faster in snow and ice. Overconfidence is a killer when driving in snow.