Yaris vs. Ford Explorer 4x4

[BailOut]

My 6'5", 350lb coworker who also commutes over Mount Rose Highway every day has jokingly but incessantly teased me about my Yaris since the day I got it. He drives a Ford Explorer 4x4.

He says things like, "Don't go too slow over Mount Rose or I'll drive right over you. It'll be like hitting a speed bump.", or "Did you remember the crackers for the hamsters?". Other times he'll walk by my cube and whisper, "Four wheel drive. ugh ugh ugh". hehe

Well, the weather around here over the last 24 hours or so has been absolutely craptastic. Along with hurricane-force winds it snowed for most of the night above 6,500ft. and dropped an inch on the valley floor (4,500ft.). As I expected the plows had moved and mashed most of the snow on the 2-lane highway down to an inch-tall hard pack making for a slightly treacherous but fully doable run.

In a very tight section around 7,500ft. I came across an odd sight. I was in a group of 3 vehicles doing about 35 MPH in the southbound lane and on the northbound side there was a lone vehicle facing southbound and stuck in the 1.5m wide, 1m deep ditch on the shoulder. It was bordered both in front and in back by a pair of Nevada Highway Patrol vehicles that were up on the road.

I thought, "That Explorer looks awful familiar... I wonder if that's him..." and right then my coworker walked around the front of the vehicle, talking with one of the Troopers.

I arrived safely at work 30 minutes later. In my Yaris.

[nsmitchell]

lMAO! That rear wheel drive can get squirrely in slick conditions. Front Wheel Drive is great in the snow unless it is just too deep and you are snowplowing.

[Thirty-Nine]

I remember driving home from college in 1997 in my FWD Mitsubishi during a nasty ice/snow storm in Wisconsin. I counted 19 vehicles in the ditch; most of them were 4WDs that thought they were invincible.

4WD might be good for off-roading and in the snow, but when it comes to braking, it's all a wash.

BTW: The "Exploder" is not exactly a manly-man's SUV, IMHO.

[nsmitchell]

I worked with a guy that had a souped up WRX 4WD. He could't get out of his apartment complex because he had zero traction in any kind of accumulation of snow. We would laugh so hard at this guy. Happened all the time.

[Yaris Revenge]

Holy crap, BailOut, PLEASE tell me you tooted your horn as you went by!

~YR

[kurokoma-kun]

I remember driving in a blizzard in my '79 corolla and going by a Jeep on its roof on top of a 9' tall snowdrift... so much for 4x4 traction (volunteer search & rescue squad acquaintance said at the time that this is not at all uncommon--says 4x4 makes lots of drivers overconfident).

When it was my turn to lose traction, however, the corolla handled it like a champ. Did a graceful 360, bounced off snow piled by roadside, got back and track, and as I passed the worried-looking drivers in opposite lane I was just like "TA DA!!!!"

[PetersRedYaris]

Four wheel drive allows you to speed up faster, that's it. All cars have four wheel brakes, SUV's can't stop any faster. The fact is, tires make the biggest difference.

A few weeks ago we had some nasty weather and on my commute I was passing cars like they were standing still. I was only going 55 MPH on the Interstate which has a speed limit of 75MPH. After awhile I noticed a Ford Explorer Sport-trac following me. Not more than five minutes later I look in my rear view mirror and he's fish-tailing left, then right, then left again, finally spinning all the way around and into the ditch. He didn't roll, luckily. I kept going but had to laugh out loud. Can't even keep up with a Yaris with 17 inch low profile tires.

[Yaris Revenge]

My Dad's had a 4x4 practically all my life, and actually knows how to handle it (27 years of driving one will do that, I guess). He says a 4x4 will get you into trouble in a hurry on snow and ice. If all 4 wheels are on ice and at least 2 kick in (1 front 1 back, usually), then round you go!

Oh, you guys may or may not have seen this. Talk about some squirrelly conditions!

http://www.king5.com/sharedcontent/V...andhomevid.wmv

~YR

[Vervepipes]

I traded my Exploder for my Yaris... gas guzzling unreliable hunk of junk. They are, however, a very capable vehicle, but it all rests upon the gas pedal/steering wheel actuator (driver) to drive it responsibly. 4X4 isnt an invincibility feature.

[Astroman]

Originally Posted by Yaris Revenge

Oh, you guys may or may not have seen this. Talk about some squirrelly conditions!

http://www.king5.com/sharedcontent/V...andhomevid.wmv

~YR

That's Seattle for you, the city practically shuts down if it gets any snow Most people there don't know how to drive in the snow. I took drivers ed during the worst snow season in over 25 years and learned you just have to take it slow, and have some decent traction. During my trip to southern CA for Thanksgiving I had to take HWY 97 thru Oregon. I couldn't believe how well my yaris did, and I only had the tires that came with it on, goodyear all seasons. I just went as fast as what felt safe, plenty of SUVs on the side of the road though, lol. I have some pictures of the snowstorm I'll post when I can get home.

[forpinks]

NEVER EVER GET WIDE TIRES WHEN DRIVING ON SNOW!!!

The 185mm snow-tire is the best with snow. 4wd is only good on mud!

[Quatro]

I'm 6'5 myself and I switched to Yaris from Expedition several months ago. Of course big car is a big car and there are certains aspects of it that I miss. But overall I don't regret switching to Yaris and I don't think I ever will.

[eTiMaGo]

I guess it's an advantage of not having all that much torque, much harder to break traction in snow

[mkaresh]

Originally Posted by PetersRedYaris

Four wheel drive allows you to speed up faster, that's it. All cars have four wheel brakes, SUV's can't stop any faster. The fact is, tires make the biggest difference.

A few weeks ago we had some nasty weather and on my commute I was passing cars like they were standing still. I was only going 55 MPH on the Interstate which has a speed limit of 75MPH. After awhile I noticed a Ford Explorer Sport-trac following me. Not more than five minutes later I look in my rear view mirror and he's fish-tailing left, then right, then left again, finally spinning all the way around and into the ditch. He didn't roll, luckily. I kept going but had to laugh out loud. Can't even keep up with a Yaris with 17 inch low profile tires.

It's all about the tires. I started using snows on my Maza Protege5 a couple winters ago. HUGE difference. Now I just worry that people without proper tires will lose control and hit me.