Yes, that is all well and good, but it doesn’t say how it behaves in snow, you might be thinking. You’re insured, so don’t worry. The 2015 Toyota Corolla will handle winter driving reasonably well because it is a front-wheel drive vehicle. It doesn’t even have all-wheel drive, so how is that possible? Although all-wheel drive versions like the 2015 Toyota RAV4 will perform well in the snow, don’t discount the Toyota Corolla. With front wheel drive, the weight is at the front, increasing its ability to establish grip in slick road conditions. Many vehicles will perform better than all-wheel drive models when snow tires are added to the equation. According to studies, the tires are everything when it comes to handling and driving in the snow.
The thick snows of Ohio won’t be able to stop your 2015 Toyota Corolla or 2015 Toyota Camry if you invest in a solid pair of snow tires. Simply drop by Allan Nott Toyota to speak with our knowledgeable staff or take a new Corolla for a test drive if you want to learn more about the 2015 Toyota Corolla’s winter driving skills. We can tell you that it will exceed your expectations for winter driving.
In This Article...
Which Toyota model handles snow the best?
The 2.5-liter, 176-horsepower I-4 engine in the RAV4 is powerful enough to manage bad weather conditions without experiencing unexpected movements that might happen in overpowered vehicles, making it an excellent fit for the snow. Practically speaking, the spacious back seats and rear doors fit bundled-up passengers without making them feel confined. For the best traction in icy and slippery weather, choose the RAV4’s AWD model.
Do Toyotas handle snow well?
We strongly advise going with a Toyota Camry or Toyota Avalon with AWD if you love cars and don’t want anything larger than a sedan for your winter trip. Many sedans use front-wheel drive (FWD), which improves fuel efficiency but lacks the grip and stability of AWD. AWD systems are optional on several Toyota Camry and Toyota Avalon models.
Toyota trucks and SUVs that are snow capable
All-around, Toyota trucks, SUVs, and crossovers are your best bets for winter driving. If you frequently drive in the snow, we strongly advise any of these cars. For a more detailed recommendation based on your interests and needs, speak with a member of our staff.
Features to look out for with winter driving
Which features, besides AWD, are important in snowy conditions? Safety in the winter and in the snow is a major priority thanks to Toyota Safety Sense technologies. The features listed below are those that you should pay attention to.
- Winter tires are the ideal for driving throughout the winter, while all-season, all-terrain tires come in second. Winter tires should be installed on your car if you have the extra cash. If not, search for used cars with tires that appear to be brand-new or new cars with all-terrain tires.
- Drive modes: In the winter, multi-terrain modes and other names for vehicles with drive modes are your greatest friends. You should specifically look for a car with snow mode.
- Toyota Safety Sense: Adding more safety features to any car is a good idea. With Toyota Safety Sense, you have access to cutting-edge driver assistance capabilities that can reduce your anxiety and offer you an added sense of security.
- Snow can reduce visibility; use LED headlights and high beam assist lamps. The best headlights you can get can help mitigate this. Keep an eye out for automobiles with high beam assist headlights and LED headlights.
Do Corolla hatchbacks handle snow well?
The 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback SE Nightshade has now been added to my list of favorite hot hatchbacks, which I’ve always had a particular spot for. It was a few days before Texas was pounded by a significant snowstorm when I recorded this. The Corolla worked quite well in the snow and even the ice, so we were fortunate to have this as a press car for the week.
The outside appearance is classic hatchback styling plus more. This Toyota Corolla has an aggressive front that gives it a menacing appearance that is unusual for a Corolla. With sculpted taillights that stick out from the body panel, the aggressive design extends to the rear.
We have a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine under the hood, which is standard for the sector. The caliber of the CVT transmission to which it is linked is unusual. By being active during heavy launches to prevent wheel spin, it worked exceptionally well. As we drove to get some much-needed groceries in the snow and snowy conditions, it also assisted in preventing any wheel spin.
The interior was very excellent for being around $25k in price. The interior component with the finest overall feel was the steering wheel. Because of its smaller size, it was easy to hold in your hands, and the road’s feedback was equally excellent. The seats, which offered a high degree of comfort and sportiness, were the next best thing. Despite being made of cloth, they were simple to maintain. The rear seating area was one area where we wished for additional room. Although my child’s seat could fit in the rear, there was not enough room for his legs. If the front passenger seat had been fully reclined, he might have felt more at ease, but it didn’t appear safe to have a passenger there in the event of an airbag deployment.
Overall, the 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback SE Nightshade left us awestruck and in awe. It is absolutely everything a hot hatch should be. Toyota was able to successfully transform the Corolla sedan into a stylish hatchback.
What vehicle handles snow the best?
How We Decided On The Best Snow Cars
- Subaru Legacy, 2022. Winter commutes are ideal. 27 city/35 highway MPG.
- Jaguar F-Pace in 2021. Comfort and luxury are best.
- BMW 3 Series xDrive, 2021. Best for: Cold weather.
- 2018 BMW X1. Best for: Winter driving in general.
- Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2021. Winter recreation is best.
In snow, is a heavier car preferable?
Winter tires are another option, according to experts, for enhancing the traction, efficiency, and safety of any vehicle going through snow.
Champion claims that because new vehicle tires have been increasing larger, there is a bigger need than ever for winter tires.
Unfortunately, it gets harder to dig through the snow the wider the tread, he continues. “It actually makes it harder to hold,”
According to Mark Cox, director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, snow tires are especially crucial for anyone who lives in the Snow Belt since they offer about one-third more traction than all-season tires. The better ones employ a softer compound with a molded-in sipe, a strategically positioned groove added to the tire’s regular tread that aids in draining water.
The majority of vehicles that require winter tires are those with low-profile performance tires or “all-season” tires with V or W speed ratings, according to Champion. On slick roads, both give up performance, he claims.
Before purchasing a vehicle, be sure snow tires are available for it, advises Cox, as there are some high-performance sport sedans and sports cars for which no winter tires are produced.
Prior to buying a specific car, shoppers should also speak with their insurance agent because snow tires may qualify for vehicle safety discounts, which are frequently calculated using winter accident and claim statistics.
Before considering if you need all-wheel drive, you need specifically evaluate how much driving you want to undertake in the snow. All-wheel drive is the best option if you routinely face 10 inches of snow and need to go to work. Your best chance is a front-wheel-drive car with snow tires, which will provide greater fuel economy on milder days, for four inches or less of snowfall.
A worry is also the ground clearance. “When you leave the plowed roads, you have other requirements, such ground clearance, explains Cox. Although the higher clearance of SUVs is fantastic, it also results in a higher center of gravity.” That might make quick twists less stable.
And while some individuals think a large car is preferable on icy or snowy roads, Cox contends that they are mistaken. Undoubtedly, lighter is better.
He explains: “If you weigh more, you have a greater contact patch to start moving, but you then have that much more weight to stop.” “Additionally, you have a lot more centrifugal force. In fact, taking back control is more difficult.”
With more mass, a vehicle can gain a deeper grip, but it will also be more challenging to stop and control.
To help with these issues, ESC systems are now standard on 87% of all new SUVs. These can lower the chance of rollover by 80% or more.
According to Rader, there is no specific research comparing SUVs with and without electronic stability control on winter roads. But we would assume that it would be beneficial.
Visibilityboth seeing and being seenis also important when whiteout conditions make it difficult to see other drivers. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that circumstances involving vision obstruction account for 2.7% of all driving fatalities.
Winter driving requires relaxed, attentive, and aware driving. To that aim, several new cars have amenities like heated mirrors, heated steering wheels, heated headlamp washers, heated washer nozzles, and heated windshields that increase comfort and reduce stress. Most of these conveniences, according to Champion, tend to be helpful, particularly heated windshields, which hasten the defogging process and reduce the need for some scraping; headlight washers, which help keep dust and grime from obscuring the headlights’ bright beams; and heated washer nozzles, which help keep the windshield clear.
Cox suggests one of the more car-like SUVs, known as crossovers, if you need a vehicle for long distances of driving in deep snow.
Crossovers, as opposed to SUVs built around trucks, have superior ground clearance and lower centers of gravity, according to him.
Overall, an automobile with all-wheel drive, respectable ground clearance, and a somewhat low center of gravity is best when operated properly, affirms Champion.
Here, the operative term is vigilance. The way you drive and your attitude will have a bigger impact on your safety on winter roads than the vehicle you drive. Driving in the snow needs smooth braking, respecting and retaining valuable traction, and careful direction adjustments. You might not get it back once you’ve lost it.
Is all-wheel drive good in snow?
When necessary, all-wheel-drive systems automatically apply torque to all four wheels or deliver power to all four wheels simultaneously. All-wheel drive is therefore recommended for navigating icy and snowy routes.
Do Corollas handle snow well?
If you reside in the Bangor region, you are aware of how risky driving on snow and ice can be throughout the winter. The 2021 Toyota Corolla will be more capable of coping with the icy road conditions and winter weather thanks to the inclusion of snow tires. When you hit the roads this winter, snow tires will offer a number of advantages, such as better traction in the snow, more aggressive tread patterns, improved acceleration, and shorter stopping distances. To ensure the optimum performance, we advise you to buy a full set of four winter tires if you decide to buy snow tires.
Toyota Corolla Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control
Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control are included as standard equipment on Toyota Corolla vehicles, which helps keep you safe this winter. When understeer or oversteer is present, vehicle stability control helps reduce sideways momentum. Traction Control, which keeps an eye on and restrains the drive wheels in slick driving situations, will assist you prevent slippage when you speed.
Can the Toyota Camry handle snow?
In the winter and snow, the Toyota Camry performs admirably. It is capable of having an All-Wheel Drive, which will significantly increase its stability when traction is poor. Toyota’s Vehicle Stability Control and Anti-Lock Brake System, as well as a low center of gravity, support the AWD.
PRO: Better Traction in Slippery Conditions
On slick conditions, an AWD sedan will accelerate much more quickly than a two-wheel drive vehicle. When you accelerate in a two-wheel-drive vehicle, it will be more challenging for the wheels to make good contact with the road if there is snow, ice, or mud. This can result in the car losing traction and unnervingly slipping and sliding. The worst case scenario is that you could skid and wind up off the road or into another vehicle. AWD systems enhance a vehicle’s capacity to speed through all sorts of precipitation safely and without incident.
PRO: Less Chance of Spinning When Exiting a Corner
The ability of an AWD system to distribute torque four ways and supply it to four tires, rather of two, minimizes any individual tire’s propensity to spin when accelerating or powering through a corner, just like it does in snow. For experienced drivers who push their cars hard, this translates to faster acceleration from a stop with less tire burn, as well as the assurance to depress the pedal in a corner with a lower risk of slewing sideways or, worse, spinning out.
CON: A False Sense of Security in Wintry Conditions
This is the major problem that AWD sedan drivers must learn to manage, and some people do so the hard way. AWD decreases wheelspin anytime you try to accelerate in snow, slush, and on icy roads, but it has no impact on a car’s ability to stop or turn in those same hazardous situations. AWD sedans aren’t much more maneuverable or better at stopping than their two-wheel-drive siblings. When driving in the snow, most drivers evaluate traction by how readily the wheels spin. Does the car feel shaky, wobble, or fishtail? If so, you inevitably become more cautious.
However, because AWD significantly lessens wheelspin when accelerating, it’s simple to overestimate traction and drive too quickly for the circumstances. If you do that, you can find yourself trying to stop for a red light and sailing through an intersection or off the edge of a corner.
CON: Winter Tires vs AWD
We approached the specialists at Tire Rack, who undertake extensive snow testing, because we had not evaluated how effectively an all-wheel-drive sedan on all-season tires can accelerate on snow compared to a two-wheel-drive vehicle outfitted with winter tires. According to Woody Rogers, director of testing information at Tire Rack, “I can make the outcome go either way depending on the all-season tires I fit to the AWD car” in a drag race on snow. The AWD sedan would have the advantage, according to Rogers, because they are the most snow-friendly all-seasons. However, Tire Rack concurs with our testing findings that AWD makes little difference in terms of cornering and braking traction.
CON: Worse Fuel Economy
In most circumstances, an AWD system will reduce fuel economy since it adds weight and causes parasitic driveline losses. Despite the fact that the fuel-economy penalty would be so negligible, it might not even register on the EPA’s combined figures. For instance, the 2019 Chrysler 300 3.6-liter V-6 sedan, which comes standard with rear-drive, is estimated by the EPA to achieve fuel economy of 23 mpg combined (19 mpg city/30 mpg highway). The combined mileage drops to 21 mpg (18 city/27 highway) with optional AWD. According to the EPA, the difference for some automobiles can be as minimal as 1 mpg or less. In actuality, the Mercedes C300 coupe’s rear-drive and all-wheel-drive models both get the same EPA fuel economy ratings. However, if fuel economy is extremely important to you, AWD may be something to stay away from.