Does anyone know if the Yaris Hatchback is good in snow?

I’m guessing not that well. It looks pretty light and only has front wheel drive. I live on the edge of the lake affect belt and we have to drive in a lot of snow. Do you know what it weighs?

If you live in the kind of upstate NY that I do, the Yaris is a bad choice for the serious snow, ice and slippery mud that plague us much of the year.

I sprang for a Subaru Forester and have been very happy with its ability to handle snow, ice and mud. The visibilty is good, the weight is decent and the AWD is really necessary. Additionally, it rides high enough off the ground to not drag its belly in moderately deep snow.

Without it, I would have been trapped at home on the occasions that the guy who plows my long driveway was late or delayed.

Before I chose the Subaru in 2006, I spent time on Main St. in town and in the parking lot at the Post Office where I did research. There were dramatically more Subarus than any other brand of car. I wondered whether they were mating and having litters when no one was looking.

The higher the car is off the ground, the better it will perform in snow. Good tires will help as well – I have a 2001 Ford Focus wagon, and while it’s nowhere near as good as my mom’s Forester in snow, having winter tires helps a lot.

I traded my Ford Focus (with serious snow tires) in for the Forester. The Focus was like a matchbook wearing ice skates.

@gailcalled – Oh, I agree 100%. I’d get a Subaru in a heartbeat if only I could afford it. My mom has been driving Outbacks for about 15 years now, and got a Forester last year.