Not sure where you live Mike, but we are in SoCal, so the differences in the lowlands aren't a major decision factor either. Still, we have a house in the mtns about an hour north of L.A., and every time we have been there this winter it has taken about an hour to shovel out the driveway. The kicker is we have no chains for the Honda, so even if it CAN get us there we might be turned back. For the Merc we bought chains, but putting those on and off loses its charm quickly...

Steve