Yesterday as we were unpacking Alvin and his gear from the car after a day at the office I noticed three people across the street trying to push a black sedan off a snow-packed section of the road. By the time we got into our condo and put everything away they had recruited some extra help and quickly got the car moving again. The reality is that since the first of the two blizzards that hit Denver in the past two weeks our street has been completely packed with snow and ice.
At first it was light and powdery and covering every one's cars. Then some brave and some less intelligent souls starting blazing trails through the 20 inches of white slickness. Eventually enough cars wore down the snow to where most vehicles could pass over it. The next hurdle for people was to get out of the spot they had been stuck in for several days.
Today the major roads are all clear of snow and dry for the most part. However neighborhood roads like ours are packed with several inches of snow and will probably remain that way for weeks. The sight of a stuck car spinning its tires has become ubiquitous around here. My car pushing total has reached seven and one of them included changing a flat tire. Pushing cars has been kind of fun and good exercise two. I feel like I've got the rocking technique down pretty well.
Enough about pushing cars -- let's talk about the car you want when faced with these circumstances. Of course the all wheel drive Subarus and the 4 wheel drive SUVs are the most popular around here but to my observation they aren't the best. I followed many of these vehicles and watched them fish-tail, slide, and simply spin their tires to no avail. Pickups, such as the Ford F-series, have an even tougher time. There was a full-size van across the street from us that spent two days trying to get out. I pushed compact cars, full-size cars, and even a four-wheel drive SUV our from their snow traps. So what car has had no problems with the winter driving conditions? That's right -- the '97 Honda Civic sedan.
I'll have to admit, I've been in some spots that I was unsure of and that would have voided this whole commentary but the Civic hasn't let me down. With its front wheel drive, newer tires, and light weight the Civic has been cruising around like an elf on snow in Lord of the Rings. Its actually been a lot of fun to find the snow-packed streets and let loose on them rather than taking the cleared off streets. So if your thinking of living in a place that might get a little snow I suggest you try your luck with a Civic.
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