Are we seriously debating this...AWD is clearly, clearly, clearly, the best system for snow/ice. Let's do a google "best cars in the snow":
FFS, How many times, the best car in snow and ice might be AWD
BECAUSE 4 DRIVING WHEELS WILL START YOU MOVING BETTER THAN 2,
ANY TIME YOU NEED MORE POWER IT'S COMING FROM 4 WHEELS.
however, it WILL NOT help you TURN better, or at different speeds, because there are still ONLY 2 TURNING WHEELS, and it won't help you STOP better or quicker, BECAUSE YOU STILL BRAKE ON 4 WHEELS just the same as any other car.
unless you've found a way to defy the laws of physics, (I'm guessing that you haven't.)
AWD is NOT a safety net. it gives you a feeling of improved handling because it has better traction to drive, as it's driving on 4 wheels rather than 2. that doesn't make it safer.
We are beating a dead horse here...it is time to close this thread...where are the sensible mods? We've been off topic since about page 2 as well.
Personally, I'm not closing the thread, because I wouldn't say it's out of hand, there is no flaming going on.
you want it closed why? because people disagree with you?
The long and the short of it is that you asked people to give you reasons to justify getting a car,
the only reason for getting a car is to get about.
you posted the car that you were getting, and we are finding it hard to find justification for that.
simply for the fact that you sit there saying about safety whilst also talking about all the mods that you can put in it to make it faster so you can race your friends, I don't really see where safety and being able to go faster come in the same sense, (actually I do, but you have to have a really crap car before being able to go faster makes you safer).
I've got one question for you...
since your dad is buying this car, is he going to be happy about you modifying it?
I assume that he's paying for the insurance as well, will he be happy about you pushing the cost of that up?
you said that you'd want the car so that you could get home from schol quicker and get on doing our homework and stuff. where will you find the time to modify this car if your day is rammed tight with that much stuff to do?
Finally on the AWD topic.
a few posts back you said something like "I need AWD, and if you don't think I do you've clearly never driven in the snow in Buffalo"...
but clearly you don't your friend (?) gets along fine in his FWD VW golf, your teacher gets along fine in their Civic, (again FWD).
but you can't drive FWD in the snow?