bdubya wrote in message . ..
I've got a great vehicle for getting to the slopes; I just have to
figure out which one it is.

Since before the dawn of time, my ski conveyance has been an old Civic
Si with a roof rack and a good set of snow tires. With the exception
of the low ground clearance (4"), it's been outstanding. The only
failings have been once when the last five miles of road to the cabin
had about eight inches of new, unplowed and drifted (with more coming
down, at about 2 AM) leading discretion to trump valor (i.e. we
grabbed a motel room), and several occasions when friends with
pickemups (2wd) or SUVs (4x4) have done 180s or nearly gone in the
ditch trying to keep up with me. I've been able to compare it
back-to-back it with an Exploder of the same vintage, and ground
clearance aside, the Civic tracks, stops and turns so much better in
the snow that there's no comparison at all.

But this summer has seen the addition of a nice late-model pickup
(4-liter Ranger with the entry-level offroad package). It's got over
twice the ground clearance of the Civic, plus 4wd, but it's got
all-season tires, inferior handling (I'd even call it truck-like), and
a lot more mass in motion.

So when heading north for a few days on the hills, which should I
take? Or should I take one and my girlfriend takes the other, so as
to cover all our bases? Decisions, decisions.....

bw


Before the dawn of time? I can remember before there ever was a
Civic.

Anyway, some dedicated snow tires would improve your go chances with
the truck, and you could use that vehicle whenever you're heading out
in the face of expected snowfalls. Otherwise, I'd opt for the comfort
and handling of the Honda.