The short answer is yes!
Any ski-bound Coloradan in the market for a new car begins their hunt with one thing in mind -- drivetrain -- and it seems like it's all about all-wheel-drive. Only the true enthusiasts, and people who moved here from warmer states, seem to stick to the rear-wheel-drive platform. But when the snow falls, are they really at that much of a disadvantage? The salesperson, your AWD-wielding friend, and even a family member might say so, and they're right. But not that right. Because winter driving really only comes down to one thing: winter tires.
Up until the mid-to-late '80s, most cars on the road were rear-wheel-drive, which means that for nearly 80 years civilization continued just fine without the letters AWD stamped on the back of the car. So if you do have a work truck, or another form of rear-wheel-drive-oriented car, you don't have to get a new one. You may just need a nice set of Blizzaks. Winter tires, unlike all-season tires, are made of a softer rubber compound, which means they maximize their footprint (very important when it comes to traction) even in cold temperatures. They also are designed with tread patterns that are engineered with snow in mind. A side-by-side comparison shows that they more closely mimic the off-road-oriented tires you're likely to see on SUVs rather than the smooth rain-wicking performance tires of a Corvette.
So how does the rear-wheel drive car get a bad rap? Well, more often than not, rear-wheel drive cars are performance-oriented cars and thus come with performance-oriented tires that are abhorrent in the snow. Even a lot of all-season tires (especially if worn) don't really do that well, and most SUV owners can attest to that. Need to see it to believe us? Here's a nice visual of two cars going uphill on what seems to be a sheet of ice.
The rear-wheel-drive BMW is equipped with snow tires, and the SUV with summer-oriented tires. So if you live here in Colorado, go ahead and get that rear-wheel-drive car you've been lusting after. Just be sure to get a good set of winter tires. If you just traded into a crossover, you should still get winter tires -- then blizzard and snow days can be ski days.
