Hi

I live in the foothills outside of Denver and commute into town daily (a gain/loss of approx 3000 ft). I currently own a 4wd SUV for snow/ice driving and a regular car for good weather. My son is turning 16 so I'm faced with obtaining a second 4wd vehicle (just trust me when I say that I cannot make it up my drive in 2wd when there is snow/ice on the ground). I'm seriously considering a Hybrid SUV to replace my current car... this will give me just one vehicle that I can drive every day and reportedly comparable gas mileage. My question is... I have heard rumors that the Hybrids may not perform as well in cold weather (temps at or below 0) and also that their heaters won't work as well for my morning commute since most of it is downhill and presumably the engine wouldn't be running as much.

Any truth to these rumors?

Thanks!