Snow driving

[kel varson]

I will add to what I've heard other CRV owners say which is that they drive very well in the snow. Mine's a 2000 w/4wd, and I took it out on several occasions last Winter in the N Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Two occasions were particularly bad. One was a late March storm that dumped about 8 or 9 inches of snow in 6 hours. I took the CRV out in the worst of the storm driving hilly country roads with very few tracks in them. The vehicle was doing well, but opted not drive over small but steep mountain with practically zero tracks. Mainly because the temps were 32-34 degrees and the snow was heavy as concrete.

One other really significant snow came near Valentines day last year when we 7 inches of sleet. I drove out late the next morning through my neighborhood before the plows had come through. It was more or less like driving in deep sand. After that much sleet is driven on, it doesn't pack, it piles like sand and is a big mess. The CRV handled well on both occassions. Hopefully we'll get some decent snows this year as I'm planning on upgrading to Michellin all-season tires.

[Black Pearl]

Welcome to the club. I bought an 07 in June, and I was hoping to never see snow again, but I guess that only works for people with 4WD who want to drive it in the snow. Glad to hear they handle well, but I hope to never find out.

[kel varson]

You'll get snow. You live in Pittsburgh.:)

[2RedV's]

Just remember that with the V's Real-Time AWD system, you HAVE TO keep your foot on the gas, hard to keep the system engaged. I use 1st gear (auto tranny) and keep the RPM's up high. When it starts to flounder, NAIL the throttle and keep it there. Use the steering wheel to keep you going where you want by "pointing" the front of the vehicle. NEVER LET OFF the throttle or try to get thru really bad stuff by going real slow. If you do, you will get stuck.

[kel varson]

Great advice. The one time I did have trouble last year was when I took my foot off the gas. This is great to know.:)

[tsmithvt]

Something else that I personally think is important when driving in snow is one's state of mind. Confidence in one's own skills and the capabilities of your machine can make all the difference. I have frequently witnessed timid drivers with very capable machines in a ditch or stopped half way up a grade only because they were white knuckling and stiff as boards. I'm not saying that crazy is the answer, just confidence. Confidence and a tolerance for things being a little loose both come with a little experience/practice.

One thing that CR-V owners have going for them is a surprisingly capable machine. The advantage of a FWD machine with the added tractive effort of 4WD when required is, in itself, huge. In my younger years I owned a string of traditional (part time) 4X4s (Scouts and 4X4 pickups) and none of them could equal a CR-V in snow, if for no other reason, because they were all RWD machines with a manually engaged front driving axle. Highway driving frequently demanded that I drive with my right hand on the front axle engage lever (yes they were levers back then) because traction was not quite bad enough to use 4WD and in 2WD, the rear end would get loose in a hurry when traction got bad. Because the CR-V is basically a front engine, FWD machine, it usually wants to go where the front wheels are pointed as does any FWD car. When traction degrades, the machine does all the work.

Confidence in the CR-V should be a no brainer. The only thing left is a little operator confidence and that comes with practice (maybe a little trip to an abandoned parking lot when the first snow comes).