We've had some heavy snow fall in the DC metro area lately, and it got me thinking about the AWD on my Santa Fe.

I've been able to drive no problem over compacted snow/ice. However, while I was backing into my driveway today, I got caught for a minute. The plows haven't been through my neighborhood yet. I hit the "AWD lock" button, rocked it a few times, and then successfully backed through 18" of snow to park safely.

I read the AWD sticky and my owner's manual, but I'm still wondering...does the AWD lock function while in reverse? I had my front left tire stuck in the high snow, but the rear wheels were clear. I understand the lock differential button forces 50% power to the front and 50% to the rear. Does that mean if the front tires are stuck - while in reverse - the rear tires will actually pull the vehicle?

Rear wheels do drive in reverse, first hand experience
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Yes, AWD works in reverse, and "Lock" is the best way to get unstuck.

It takes a heavy right foot to get things moving in reverse (thanks to conservative throttle mapping), and once you do the factory Bridgestones get quickly packed with snow and add little traction. Get some snow tires, or at least light-truck all-seasons, for better grip.

Yeah, the factory bridgestones are quite bad in snow! I generally just stick with all seasons in the winter, and these are probably the worst I've had. They do, however, seem to perform well in the summer, and in the snow.

I went with Michelin XC all-seasons (a Canadian Tire/Sears private label similar to LTX light truck tires). While they still feel a bit slippery on ice due to the long-life rubber compound, they handle deep snow like a winter tire thanks to the truckish tread blocks. Excellent ride and fairly quiet too.