Ideas desperately needed

[morgaina]

I have decided to avoid the Christmas Rush and get started on my worrying now:

Oldest son & DIL are flying into Seattle just before Christmas. Then they will pick up dancing_guru, rent a car, and drive to Moscow. This will be just a few days before Christmas.
When dancing_guru contacted the rental car companies they told her they do not allow chains to be put on their cars and do not have snow tires available for their rentals either. The company said All-weathers should be fine, FOR OVER THE PASSES, ARE THEY INSANE? ARE THEY STUPID?

Does anyone have any ideas how to solve this dilemma?

Comments

[asa-asa-asa.livejournal.com]

I've never used chains either. One of the most important things is to make sure they get a front wheel drive car - I'm from Massachusetts, where you can't get a non-front wheel drive car, and when I moved here I ended up with a rear wheel drive because I didn't ask, not thinking I needed too. That is the last thing you want in snow! Front wheel drive and good tires should be ok, as long as the weather is decent.

[dancing-guru.livejournal.com]

Front wheel not 4 wheel drive? or is it about the same?

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

AWD ir 4WD us better if you can get it.
You have to learn to brake differently with the front wheel drive.

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

really? I've driven a rear wheel drive pickup, a front wheel drive stationwagon and now have an AWD/4WD SUV and havent noticed anything different except that the SUV is so friggin' big I feel like I'm manuvering a tank (OK, its not that big, but compared to my corolla it sure seems it!)

the big difference between the truck and the front wheel drive is that I would test the roads by doing little skids with the truck (tap the brakes, see what happens) but with the corolla? I could never get it to skid.

in the big ice storm last year, the SUV slid around good, but I think anything with wheels ws pretty much doomed in that :)