Mr. Al wrote:
> I feel like getting a CRV next time, but
> wanted to know some opinions. I live in New England and if we have another
> winter like last winter, I will definitly consider the CRV or the like. We
> get heavy rains, peasoup fog, blizzards and have poorly lit, windy and
> hilly roads, so the need for a safe and capable car/suv is vital in my
> eyes. I want a 4 wheel drive and then I was thinking has anyone driven the
> CRV without ABS and if that would be a bad idea or not because it already
> has 4 wheel drive?

I live in Toronto, and in the middle of one of the worst blizzards of
the year I had no trouble scaling a steep hill with 2-3' high snowdrifts.

A Jeep Cherokee behind me was NOT able to make it up.
He ended up turning around.

As far as ABS goes, it doesn't make any difference in snow.
In fact, it can even slightly increase your stopping distance.

What it *does* do is give you control. Consider slamming on the
brakes when your right wheels are over snow or wet slippery leaves
and the left wheels are on dry pavement. With a regular car, you'll
immediately spin around counterclockwise. With ABS, you come
to a perfectly straight stop.

My wife's driving instructor said that if you don't get any other
feature for your car, do get ABS. It means you don't have to worry
about modulating your brakes in an emergency. Just "stomp and steer".

You could also consider other "cute-utes" like the Subaru Forester
or Toyota RAV/4; I just found the CR-V the best bang for the buck.

Avoid the "real" SUV's, their handling is awful and they're gas pigs.