Exactly what Camaro 69 said. I got my license in winter so that's how I learned to drive my car. As he said, cars aren't unsafe, the drivers are. Any good driver can drive anything in the snow and be fine. It just takes getting used to. A FWD will act differently in every aspect than a RWD. Whether it be dry, wet, snow, ice, everything. And in certain situations, yeah each is better than the other.

From personal experience, RWD is fine in the snow with 2 things in mind. You know how to drive it, and you have good tires. True snow tires (with the studs) will let it go just fine. I had performance tires on mine this past winter and still drove thru 3 inches of snow. You just gotta know how to react to the car. It will do what you tell it to as long as you do it the right way.

A story for you, and I'm 19 years old and have had my Camaro since I was 16 (like you would be). This past winter it literally came a blizzard where I live and I had to be at work in 15 minutes. On my way, 2-3 inches of snow came down and my car had performance tires on it. To prove to you no car is better than another, I watched an S10, Dodge Ram, Toyota Camry, and Honda Civic all wreck right in front of me within 5 miles of work. Let's see... 2 RWD and 2 FWD... Crazy huh? I drove completely sideways 75% of the time but a lot of practice and staying calm and just KNOWING how your car drives will keep you out of a ditch. I even manage to make it up a big hill that way...

So I stand by Camaro 69 in saying it's not the car, it's the driver. And you wanted facts... Well I'm living proof that it's true.

 

i have a 1994 z28 and it does just fine in utah winters. I have even drove during snow storms to go snowboarding a few times. Other than getting the car rolling, i didn't mind driving my car in the winter. However, compared to my fwd escort or 4wd truck, it loses everytime in winter driving.

 

Camaros are bad in the winter.

1) They get stuck very easy

2) They do spin, A good driver can prevent this, but you are very young. Even if you think your a good driver, you are not very expierinced and that can catch up to you.

3) Because of the way you sit in the car in a head on collision your legs are prone to serious injury. This is fact and I can prove it if you want.

With all this said any car can be dangerous. the fact he thinks a Camry is safer is laughable. A camry is made using a very poor chasis that is much durable then that of a camaro. At a low speed crash a camry and camaro would both be damaged with no serious injury. A high speed crash and both cars would be totled and both cars could result in an injured driver. Like others I would wanna see some hard facts that a camry is at all safer then a Camaro. Sure it's less prone to fishtail, and less likely to get stuck, but as far as impact ratings go. Both arent very good.

With all this said I only drive my Camaro in the Summer,Fall and Spring. I have a 4wd Safari/Astro Van for the winter. Back when I was 19 I had just 1 car. I had a 87 firebird. I drove it year around. I never once wrecked it. Fact is though it wasnt fun to drive. The salt put on roads during winter monthes eats your cars underbody esp. since these cars set so low. They are prone to sliding, and worse of all they get stuck in nothing. I live in the country (North indiana). Your roads in Michagin are mirrow images of ours. If you live in town you likely wont get stuck much, but if you live or like to drive on county roads you are bound to have some problems.

Bottom line: I love my Camaro, I loved my Firebird, but fact is they arent good in winter. They arent designed for winter. The camaro is CHEAPER to repair then a camry. On impact both cars are very similiar. Be honest to yourself about these issues, but if you want a camaro it is your money. Do not let someone else including your dad tell you what to spend your money on. Do remember in most cases he does want whats best for you and atleast hear him.

Personally I'd get a Camaro and I think you will too. That doesnt mean get one right now. You could easily get a beater for the winter and continue to save money. Realistically 3 grand isnt enough to get a nice camaro anyways. save up around $4500 and then get one. Take your time and purchase wisely. You can find steals in this economy. You could easily end up with a car with roughly 80-100k miles on it in very nice shape in that price. Keep in mind most posters here arent from your area so there perception of winter driving and used car prices are going to be different then ours.

 

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If you can, buy a Camaro right before, or during the winter. You'll get a better deal on a "fair weather car" because they are harder to sell that time of year. Or at least don't wait till spring, start looking for one around February.

 

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Check e-bay motors. If you're willing to do a little traveling you can save big. I found my camaro on craigslist but had to drive 150 miles to look at it. The trip turned out to be well worth the trouble.

 

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If you need more proof on saftey. Have you Dad get insurance quotes on both cars. Insurance companies don't play favorites. If a car is more dangerous in a wreck it cost more for full coverage. If you are more likely to wreck it your base coverage will cost more. On olders cars like these they will pull from a data base of 100,000s of wrecks.

 

RWD will always cost more due to the nature of it in the rain and snow. And a "sports" car on a younger driver will be insane. In reality, a camaro has excellent impact ratings except the front. The front is prone to leg injuries but it takes quite a bit of speed for that (45+). The chassis is very well built and much more durable than your average sports car.

But do whatever you want man. Yeah it will be worse in winter mainly because traction issues. Some people can learn to react to their cars correctly, some cannot. Those who cannot are the people you see crashing in the rain and overcorrecting in a skid. I once hydroplaned on the interstate and went into a skid sideways and drove it right in the median and right back out like nothing ever happened.