Hello everyone,
I am Denise and I am new to the board. Don't currently own an E yet but I am seriously thinking about getting one. My coupe cannot hold all my outdoor toys anymore. A question for all you fellow midwesterners. How does the E perform in wintery conditions? Does it provide good enough traction? Do you think getting the 4WD (or is it AWD) version is worth it? Thanks in advance.

Denise

we've had a couple snowfalls already, and i think it handles great! the AWD is real-time, which means it activates when the front wheels slip, sending power to the rear...i'm sure someone will chime in here with exact percentages, all i know is that it works quite well!

Hi Denise,

I've had an E since before Thanksgiving and so far it's been great. It handles nicely in the snow we've had so far. I got the 4wd version and it's nice though I don't think completely necessary. The E AWD is normally operates under front 2wd unless the car detects the car slipping, then it turns on the read wd as well. For me it is was worth it but do I need it? Absolutely not 99% of the time.

Another question. Did you get any incentive (rebate, low apr) from Honda when you purchase your E? I am calculating the incremental cost of getting a new car right now.

Welcom to the EOC Denise!!!

I think you will do well to get the all wheel drive, for snow conditions. We opted for it when we got ours. My wife loves it. She was driving an Isuzu Trooper 4x4 in the snow for 10 years before changing to the E .. She tells every one it's like driving a tank in the snow, it just go's.

I dont think it's like a tank at all, but it does go well.

This is another link to a thread on this forum:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19268

The E has handled great in the snow for me - I'm very pleased with it. I have the AWD and do think it's worth it if you are anticipating dealing with snow. The research I did on the vehicle prior to purchasing seemed to indicate that the 2WD didn't have nearly as good traction either in snow or even on wet pavement (I haven't read what others here have experienced, but there is an entire thread on "2WD vs. AWD" if you do a search).

The high profile gets a little action when the midwest winds really pick up - but that will happen with any SUV large or small.

People on this website haven't been too superpleased with the tires, but I got my E in July (and yes, got the 1.9% financing) and my tires are in great shape, so it hasn't been a problem. May be something I consider tending to before next winter if I put enought miles on the tires.

I absolutely love this vehicle. Why not go test drive one on a snowy day where you are?

I have the AWD E and it performs magnificently in the snow and winter weather. I believe it prefers the challenge. The high profile has never been a problem. The gas mileage is not the best (20) but if that is not a major concern I think you would be very happy with the E in the midwest.

Denise-Welcome to the EOC! I have had my Element for about two years here in Central, IL. While we haven't had many heavy snows we have had a couple. Last year the day before Thanksgiving we had a real heavy snowfall and it took some people hours to get home. I was extremely pleased with my Element and the way it handled the roads and the snow covered hills. The roads hadn't been plowed and many vehicles were stuck. I had zero problem in the Element just driving home. It did great. I do have the AWD ... don't need it often but when you do it is priceless.

This will be my third winter with my AWD E, and it's great for our climate. Several friends have CRV's (same drivetrain) and say the same thing. It's hard to know when the AWD kicks in, but I know it does because I can climb hills that nobody else can (that's fun!). Is AWD totally necessary? Probably not, but it depends where you live and the kind of driving you do (we frequently visit my wife's family in rural NW Minnesota, and I wouldn't dream of going up there without 4WD or AWD in the winter). Maybe you could do almost as well with FWD and 4 good snow tires. Either way, I would recommend getting the ABS. The AWD is so good it's easy to get too confident and think the roads are better than they actually are, so be careful on bad roads no matter what you drive. The ABS will help a lot most of the time, but it can't save you if you're going too fast and the road is solid ice.

I'm here in Central Illinois and I think the E handles well, although the stock tires do spin a bit. I'm going to resolve that soon hopefully. I'm saving for some better tires.

That being said, an occasional spin is not a big deal and can be had in basically anything on the road. I'm just saying that I'd like an upgrade.

I highly recommend the E for a variety or reasons, and getting around in snow in the Midwest is yet another reason to buy. Keep us posted! Glad you found the EOC to help you during your search. ;)

I tested our 4WD when we had the "big snow" and it did very well. The 2WD may be good enough. My Accord is front 2 wheel and gets great traction. 4WD may be overrated but you do get the sunroof with it. Good luck in your search....:twisted:

I am in Montana and the E is fantastic on the snow..

I have a 2006 ex manual

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