Living in the mountains of Western
North Carolina, winter weather is inevitable.
Despite the beauty and excitement snow brings, it can be a pain if you must
get to work or it hits when you are already on the road. We are not even a full
month into 2018, and there has already been hundreds of collisions here in
Western North Carolina related to the snow and ice that we’ve had this year. Even though January is almost over, it looks like there is still a long haul before we get rid of this winter weather. Being
from the Piedmont region of North Carolina, I am still ignorant when it comes
to driving in and preparing for winter weather, so I decided to talk to our
Service Manager, David Rodgers, for some tips.
What to Carry on Winter Trips:
- Jumper Cables
- Air Pressure Gauge
- Flashlight
- Warm Clothes: Coat, Gloves, Scarves, Blankets
- Cellphone (Make sure it is charged before heading out)
Vehicle Ready:
- Get it serviced!
- Drop tire pressure 5lbs to get better traction (Make sure to
check your tire pressure first because temperature changes can increase or
decrease your tire pressure)
- Have A/C checked because without A/C your defrost won’t
work.
- Make sure your coolant is up to date.
- Check High and Low 4 Wheel Drive
Winter Versus All Season Tires:
All season should do the job if you are just driving on the
highway, but for individuals driving up steep driveways, winter tires are your
best bet.
Great Cars for Winter Driving According to U.S. News:
Subaru Outback (All Wheel Drive)
https://www.andyshawford.com/used/Subaru/2017-Subaru-Outback-e677ddff0a0e0ae844812eb15520f9bf.htm?searchDepth=1:2
https://www.andyshawford.com/used/Subaru/2013-Subaru-Outback-cf46afb20a0e0a6b40de81f56c436aa7.htm?searchDepth=2:2
Ford Fusion (All Wheel Drive)
https://www.andyshawford.com/new-inventory/index.htm?search=fusion&saveFacetState=true&normalBodyStyle=&cityMpg=&normalEngine=&normalTransmission=&normalDriveLine=&lastFacetInteracted=
https://www.andyshawford.com/used/Ford/2014-Ford-Fusion-526540080a0e0a6b5f69b838a1830e00.htm?searchDepth=2:2
https://www.andyshawford.com/new-inventory/index.htm?search=fusion&saveFacetState=true&normalBodyStyle=&cityMpg=&normalEngine=&normalTransmission=&normalDriveLine=&lastFacetInteracted=
And,
of course, 4-wheel drive vehicles work better if you are going up a steep hill.
