BRZ vs. Snow?

[serith]

Obviously with how new this car is, no one can say with 100% certainty, but I'm really curious how this car will hold up in the snow. I currently have a similar sized vehicle that I throw 4 steel wheels & snow tires on from November through March. Unfortunately for me, the part of upstate NY I live in regularly receives between 100" to 200" of snow every year -- the worst part is that it starts sticking around thanksgiving and doesn't go away until March. I've never driven a RWD car before (I understand the differences between FWD & RWD though), and I know that the BRZ has a limited slip which will help, but with the weight of the engine over the wheels being absent on this vehicle, how do you guys think it will fair in a snowy climate? It's the one thing that's holding me back from buying this car. I'm on the fence between a BRZ and a WRX. All wheel drive would be killer, but I'm not a huge fan of the styling, the lackluster mileage, or the higher insurance costs. Boost & AWD would be nice, but I'd rather have a BRZ for so many reasons. The BRZ would be a DD for me, so I can't just keep it home when the weather gets ugly. Any thoughts?

[trackmagic]

I drive a rear wheel drive 318i in the snow for a few days every year (probally not as much as you have in NY). It has an open diff and it normally is ok if I drive slow. Once I had bald tires and it was a little scary. I think if you had snow tires you would probably be ok. Good excuse to get a second set of wheels?

[R8]

I was terrified at first of driving my RX-8 (RWD, limited slip, 50/50 weight - similar to the BRZ) in the snow.

But I've been through 8 winters with it now, with many snowy, 20 mile commutes. As long as you have good snow tires, it's not a big deal as long as the snow isn't too deep for the lower ground clearance.

Both cars also have low torque at low revs, which makes it easier to manage wheelspin.

And if all else fails, Stability Control is there to catch spins (though don't rely on it).

To be honest, some of THE most fun I've had is driving empty, snow-packed roads, lol. It's a chance to *feel* the wonderful balance of a sports car

[brzninja]

I'm having the same worries...where I live in PA we either get pounded with snow or have a very light winter. Guess I'll be getting another set of wheels! Though I am glad to hear that others with RWD cars are not having much problems!

[thill]

Tires, tires, tires. Buy dedicated snow tires (not all season) and you should be fine. That said there are differences between RWD and FWD in the snow and I would recommend taking the car out in a empty parking lot after the first snowfall and practice. For me (in a manual) I sometimes try to start in 2nd gear, and you have to watch how much power you are applying in turns, etc.

And yeah, make sure you have traction and stability control turned on.

[Sovran]

I'm planning to get a set of steelies with snow tires for March-April (give or take). I've driven RWD in ice and light snow before, so I'm not too worried. The AT has the snow mode, too, which should help. As people say, just get some snow tires, experiment somewhere safe, and you should be fine.

What I'm not as sure about is the advisability of adding weight over the rear wheels for the winter. Weight over the drive wheels is good, but I don't want to mess up the dynamics too much. Thoughts?

[RaceR]

Buy the best winter tires for you car.
Drive with all aids on and be safe all the time.
Put all aids off and have fun all the time! :p
It is very easy to learn how to drift in the snow if the conditions are good. Start on a big abandoned parking lot with all aids off...

If im not driving rwd in the winter, it is a a boring winter!
If friends of me, or people in the car community here buy winter cars it is usually one with RWD since their normal car is a boring fwd or awd..
Have fun and drive safe!

[serith]

Originally Posted by thill

Tires, tires, tires. Buy dedicated snow tires (not all season) and you should be fine. That said there are differences between RWD and FWD in the snow and I would recommend taking the car out in a empty parking lot after the first snowfall and practice. For me (in a manual) I sometimes try to start in 2nd gear, and you have to watch how much power you are applying in turns, etc.

And yeah, make sure you have traction and stability control turned on.

Yeah I keep a dedicated set of 4 steel wheels & snow tires on my tC for the winter, and it does okay in the snow. I'm just hoping that the BRZ does as well or better. If it's much worse I'll probably regret buying one, which is what I'm afraid of.

[serith]

Originally Posted by Sovran

The AT has the snow mode, too, which should help.

No "snow-mode" with the manual? What exactly does it do? I don't want an auto :/

[Sovran]

Originally Posted by serith

No "snow-mode" with the manual? What exactly does it do? I don't want an auto :/

If I understand correctly, it just allows the car to start moving in second gear instead of first. If you get the manual, you can do that yourself. It's only an advantage compared to other autos that don't give you the 2nd-gear start option.

[Subie]

Originally Posted by serith

No "snow-mode" with the manual? What exactly does it do? I don't want an auto :/

The main thing it does is simply to start-off in second gear. It's totally superfluous with a manual transmission.

[brzninja]

Originally Posted by serith

No "snow-mode" with the manual? What exactly does it do? I don't want an auto :/

Snow mode
To prevent slipping, 1st gear cannot be selected when in snow mode.

[BioRage]

$1K Snow tires will do the trick.

Or winter storage.

[the_3d_man]

I don't understand the whole starting off in 2nd gear thing. I've never had problems starting in 1st. I am perfectly capable of modulating the power on my own and gently starting without slipping in first. Seems like something the older generation always advises.