4Runner or BMW in snow

B

Black4runner

New member
I don't plan on driving either in snow but there may be a point this winter where I don't have a choice and have to drive a few miles with a dusting of snow covering the road. I live in Georgia so it rare snows but may travel up north some time this season.

Which would you choose if you HAD to?

08 E90 Sportpackage 2wd 17" 161 style wheels with Runflat Bridgestone OEM tires. Has 8000 miles on them.

2007 Toyota 4runner 2wd 17' wheels with General Grabbers HTS with about 25K on them.

Both are 2wd
Both are not good in snow
BMW has newer tires


I have never driven the BMW in snow. I have driven the 4Runner in 2" of snow when the General Grabbers had less than 10k on them. It did ok and didnt get stuck but on steep hills you had to be careful to keep momentum and not come to a stop.
 
Register to hide this ad
Id drive the one with the most nannies and saftey features, but don't pay any attention to this ive never driven on snow. It would just make sense that if they are both 2wd & if the BMW has a better traction control system(I'm assuming) id drive the bmw.
 
They both have traction control, ABS, and stability control. The 4Runner also has the Auto LSD button. I don't know what system is more advanced.

I have read that driving the BMWs summer run flat tires in the snow is dangerous.

I know the 4runner has more clearance BUT I don't plan on driving in any snow more than 1". So Clearance shouldn't be an issue.

If they both had new tires, I would say 4Runner without a doubt. The thing is that the 4Runner has tires with 25k and the BMW with 8ish.

I only hit snow once a year so snow tires imo are not worth it.
 
Just sayin: have to leave the road to get around a problem, or climb a curb, then clearance can make all the difference
 
I would say 4runner(Not because I am being biased due to question being asked on a 4runner board) just because in case anything happens, the 4runner is more resistant due to it's ground clearance, not because you will be driving through more inches of snow, or through snow donkeys..

Ninja edit, Atlanta_man said it best...
 
You are asking for trouble driving either in the snow. RWD sucks in the snow no matter what kind of traction control or how many sand bags you put in the trunk. Once the rear snaps around you are going in circles. I would drive which ever one will cost the least to repair.
 
Drive whichever one has better tires for the snow. If you're worried about going out in the snow then don't if it isn't absolutely necessary.

I used to drive my 72 Mustang all winter long through snow and sleet. I had sand bags in the trunk, appropriate tires equipped and tempered my driving style to the current conditions. Was it my first choice for a winter vehicle? No...but it was my only vehicle. My point in that is that tires and driver experience make all the difference. Even the greatest nanny systems can't make up for summer/bald tires and driver ineptitude/inexperience. Those systems help but they aren't a magic fix all.

I laugh at all the idiots up here in the DC area that take their BMWs out in the snow with their summer performance tires and are surprised when they end up in the ditch.

I'd vote for the 4runner since the tires are probably better equipped for snow and more importantly you have experience driving it in the snow already.
 
Last edited:
That's easy, I'd take the 4runner. If you do find yourself sliding off the road in the snow, the 4runner will take the hit better. Put some snow chains on the 4runner and it will go anywhere.
 
Its difficult because there probably a 5% or less chance that I will have to drive in the snow.
The BMW gets better mpg, is fully loaded so it has a lot of features for driving long distances, and is just more comfortable to drive long distances.

If I knew I were to hit snow, I would just go with the 4Runner but I probably won't
 
They both are going to be so-so. Pick the one with better tires, throw a few bags if sand in the back and pay your insurance premium early.
 
I imagine driving in Georgia in snow is like it is here in Oklahoma. The snow and ice gets bad here sometimes, but it is not my driving or lack of traction that is the problem. You have to ask yourself which car you would hate to get totaled from guy going way too fast for the conditions and creaming you. Guy’s in lifted 4wd ¾ ton trucks drive like they’re in a race. That’s why I drive my 1998 Taurus with 278,000 miles on snowy days!
 
4runner. If something happens, the parts for the beamer will cost more than the runner. Runner has more clearance. And if you hit something. Nothing happens to the runner. Something happens to what you hit.
 
Don't forget that if (when) you do end up in the ditch or needing a pull, it's going to be a lot easier to hook up to the 4runner and pull it out without any damgage than it will the BMW.
 
As has already been mentioned, if the BMW has summer performance tires, they will be useless in snow. Picture them as having all the traction of a bowling ball in snow.

The 4Runners tires, while certainly not on ideal tires for snow, are much more suited to winter driving conditions.

I've been driving in a heavy snowfall area, for nearly 30 years now. If I were in your situation, I would drive your 4Runner on questionable weather days. I would also add a couple hundred pounds worth of bags of salt, a shovel, recovery strap, non-perishable food, warm coat, gloves, and hat to be kept in the 4Runner during winter months.
 
so if we are only talking about 1-2" snow, the 4runner has not ground clearance advantage. here is what i think the pros and cons would be:

BMW
better handling since its a sedan. SUV are just terrible in handling especially emergency maneuvers.

4Runner
As a general rule, SUV are better in crash. Also, if a car and an SUV have same crash test results, that does not mean they are equal. They base the crash test onto a solid stationary object. So if a SUV and car with same crash rating were to crash onto each other the SUV would be better off because they are higher up and heavier.

The 4Runner would handling would be terrrible for slippery and icy roads compared to a car.


take your pick.
 
Gecko123 said:
so if we are only talking about 1-2" snow, the 4runner has not ground clearance advantage. here is what i think the pros and cons would be:

BMW
better handling since its a sedan. SUV are just terrible in handling especially emergency maneuvers.

4Runner
As a general rule, SUV are better in crash. Also, if a car and an SUV have same crash test results, that does not mean they are equal. They base the crash test onto a solid stationary object. So if a SUV and car with same crash rating were to crash onto each other the SUV would be better off because they are higher up and heavier.

The 4Runner would handling would be terrrible for slippery and icy roads compared to a car.


take your pick.
Click to expand...

But in the same token, because suvs/4runenrs are top heavy, it will make him slow down and appreciate more that it is indeed an suv and drive more conservatively than he would his BMW.. I know,
I get it... I once tried to drive my Supra TT on a Snowy day.. Boy was that STUPID and downright dangerous...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 336 (members: 1, guests: 335)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,310
Messages
3,554,080
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top