FWD car okay for chasing?

[Ben Holcomb]

So I've been wanting to post on this thread for awhile, but got distracted multiple times before finding the video.

I'm proud of this video, shot in the Oklahoma panhandle near Eva, OK last year on April 15th. I'm on about as muddy of a road as you can get in my FWD 2011 Ford Taurus SEL. I managed to keep 'er between the ditches, although at one point I really thought we were goners.

Video shot by @Tony Laubach

Starting at 0:36

 

[Taylor Wright]

So I've been wanting to post on this thread for awhile, but got distracted multiple times before finding the video.

I'm proud of this video, shot in the Oklahoma panhandle near Eva, OK last year on April 15th. I'm on about as muddy of a road as you can get in my FWD 2011 Ford Taurus SEL. I managed to keep 'er between the ditches, although at one point I really thought we were goners.

Video shot by @Tony Laubach

Starting at 0:36

That's one of the better videos I've seen of that tornado.

We were a mile or two west, in a 4WD vehicle, and got stuck for 4 hours on this day. Slid off the road due to it being covered in hail. These situations happen more often than not with northward moving supercells if you don't have good road options. So it's more about driving capabilities than whether or not the car is 4WD. That being said, 4WD is a nice peace of mind when you are barreling down those muddy roads, or if you end up in a situation where your escape route is a completely sopped, rutted out muddy road. This happened to us on May 16, 2016 in the TX panhandle with a hail core barreling down on us, and we barely made it out. I don't think we would've made it down those roads without 4WD.

There's no way to anticipate the conditions of roads you're looking at on maps, so it's always nice IMO to have 4WD as a backup. The only downside is the higher center of gravity for 4WD SUVs make it much easier to slide off into a ditch. If you put All Terrains on a FWD coupe you'll probably be fine on most roads you encounter while chasing.

 

[Brian Brachel]

You'll be fine. A FWD Honda still has a better chance than a RWD car for navigating questionable roads. Good tires should be considered though, as that makes a huge difference.

As for your worries about crash safety, figure modern cars are safe in general. But think about what you're getting into (rain, wind, slick conditions), and consider that an SUV or truck inherently wants to roll over in an emergency situation due to high center of gravity. All of this is neither here nor there though, just be aware of your surroundings and other traffic, and don't drive like an idiot.

lol I would add Don't Crash!


Sent from my iPhone using Stormtrack

 

[Travis Cruz]

Tires are easily the most important thing you can add, but of course it does help to have 4wd. So far we haven't found a mud road that we couldn't conquer, and we've been in some extremely sticky/slippery situations, but I can't count on that forever. I'll link just one of the muddy chases that we happened to get on camera, and a picture of the truck afterwards.

A lot of it also comes down to knowing how your vehicle handles and knowing how to react when you start to slip or spin tires as well.

These are the tires we run as well. They're an agressive all terrain tire that actually ride extremely well and wear very slowly. The four on the rear of the truck have 55k miles on them and still easily have another 20-30k.

 

[Matt Hunt]

I love my Honda Accord. I avoid mud roads like the plague. Even if your vehicle can handle it, you're going to be moving so slow, I don't see the point. Just go on up to the next paved road. If it means I'm going to be 5 miles away from the tornado, so be it. Scott Peake drives the same vehicle. Hmm, has he gotten close to any tornadoes?

 

[ScottCurry]

Here's my experience:

Ability
4x4 > AWD > FWD > RWD

Gas Mileage
FWD > RWD > AWD > 4x4

What's most important to you?

I chased in a FWD for the past 3 years, and just upgraded to 4x4. Why? Because every year, I would slide off the road at least once, usually in deep hail, deep snow, or ice. I always carried a tow rope, and had to get towed out of the ditch / side of the road. Had I had a 4x4 or AWD, I feel like I would have been able to drive off on my own every time, and possibly not have slid off the road in the first place. But there is a downside to switching from FWD to 4x4. My gas mileage has dropped from 23mpg to 17mpg. Doesn't seem like a lot, until you consider my cost to drive 25,000 miles a year just increased by $1,150 / year from $3,260 to $4,410.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Scott - You pretty much nailed it. I have AWD, never been stuck (yet), however I definitely pay for it in fuel costs and have to be hyper aware of my gas gauge. Having a turbo AWD certainly doesn't help matters. On a heavily mobile chase, I'm lucky to get 18mpg. But I also have the sense of security that A) I can handle most roads and B) I can GTFO fast if I need to.

 

[James Hammett]

In addition to the poor gas mileage on my turbo AWD, the small tank and premium gas isn't ideal for chasing. But it's been solid and the knobbies get me around well. Turbo is great for passing but I'll spring for a NA/regular gas engine with AWD next time.