First time in Colorado to ski and plan to visit near mid-March. I will be renting a car from DIA and driving to aspen. Is a 4WD/AWD absolutely required for the trip? I know CO has traction laws but not sure how bad conditions they need to be to go into effect. I also know very few/none car rental companies offer snow chains.
Posted Feb 13, 2022, 6:04 PM UTC
Tires are the real important thing. 4wd rentals tend to have more appropriate tires for inclement weather. 4wd is definitely not necessary on its own though. Especially that time of year unless there is a bad storm.
If there is a snowstorm, yes you will want AWD. If not, you’ll be fine.
Economy two door. Murphy's law will bring the snow.
I just got back from Aspen. 4wd is a good idea. Lots of spots are icey. If not a 4wd then front wheel
Depends on the weather if you’ll want AWD/4WD. If it snows, your trip from Denver to Aspen could take quite a while. Usually it’s not recommended to go past Vail on 70. ;)
Please do not drive if you don't already know the answer to this.....
You don’t need four-wheel-drive unless you plan on four wheeling. 99% of the times the highways are in very good condition. But I don’t think a SUV or All wheel drive or any more expensive so just be safe get an SUV
4WD and AWD are Definitely not required. Good tires are a must thus the traction laws. It really comes down to how confident you are driving in the snow. We have a VW Golf in Aspen and it does just fine.
Thanks. Someone told me traction is always active during these months though on I-70? Is this accurate?
I know that means at minimum snow and mud rated tires.
It's important to understand why this law is in place. There were many accidents on I-70 simply because people's tires were too worn. 4WD isn't going to do any good if the tires are bald.