This car scares the hell out of me in snow

[gravitylover]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

Winter tires have more grip on dry pavement than summer tires when the temperature drops below 40 degrees. Then definitely give sloppy handling, but you will stop shorter. The rubber compound used on summer tires simply gets too hard in cold winter weather to offer much grip. Winter tires are super soft, so you get squishy handling but it also means the rubber is still soft at low temperatures, and is therefore able to grip the road.

Originally Posted by phrosty

This. Unless the tires have studs (illegal in many places due to road damage), you're not buying snow tires. You're buying winter tires.

Winter tires do help in snow, but it's not enough to let you gas it or even safely drive at posted speeds if there's any good amount of snow on the ground. Their real benefit is when it's dry. It was 8°F and dry tonight as I drove home from work and my winter tires have more grip than the stock Primacy HPs do in the summer.

I only had the car a few weeks before I put the Conti EWC's on but I think I prefer them over the stockers in many ways. They are a nicer ride and considerably quieter. Overall handling differences I can't vouch for but on cold dry pavement they are fantastic. I couldn't even let the clutch out without serious slippage when the temp was below 40 on the stock rubber. They actually do let me drive the car hard in the snow confidently as long as traffic is light.

Originally Posted by sunset_blvd

This, also put something heavy in your trunk. With the stability control that is standard on this car, you shouldn't have any more issues.

No please don't do that! The ass end will choose to lead the front too frequently about halfway through a corner or on any steeply crowned road. You just can't throw the balance off that much and expect good results anywhere other than on initial acceleration. If anything put the weight in the back seat just ahead of the rear wheels.

[Mr.Impreza]

Don't listen to any of these punks above...they are just secretly working for tire companies and want to sell you winter tires....

I have summer tires on my car and it's fine....I haven't driven it out of the garage for 3 months....and the summers are fine.

(well that was my approach to a joke...:p)

Realistically man, i had a bmw 335i coupe with winters and could not make it up small hills, so i have no idea how your even driving with summers.

Safety is a priority on the road, and even if money is tight, get used ones, you could always find good deals.

[Lo]

I wish it [in winter you need winter tires] would be a question on the driver's license exam that people have to pass in order to get their license. This isn't the first thread about someone "having a bad time" in their car while having summer tires on. Even funnier, you find replies on here that say "I use summer tire in winter and I haven't had a problem". Not cool. That's putting other people's lives (at worst) and cash (at best) at risk.

Also, it's not because you haven't had problems in winter yet that makes it a smart bet. Like others have said, what's ~600$ to a 25-27k car? I mean really? I feel most people here are true enthusiasts and are really passionate about their cars and wouldn't be afraid to shell out x hundreds or y thousands of dollars for different type of mods, but when comes the time to talk about winter tires, we'll just "wing it". Priorities...

Finally (this is the only part that is directed at you directly OP. Everything before is just a general statement) you already said that next season you'll get the winter tires. Congrats on the realisation that you need winter tires. But why wait? it's still winter. Get them this season. Your tires will still be good for next season!

/end rant

PS : I'm glad nothing worse than a scare happened in your stituation. I really hope you (or anyone else on here) don't think that I'm trying to be condescending, or an asshat or wtv. Safety is important and it just irritates me at how often we see threads on this important and simple safety matter.

[Lurkasaurus Rex]

The point made above that you're buying WINTER tires, not SNOW tires is worth repeating. Also, all season tires are ALWAYS a compromise. They never grip or perform better than a set of seasonal tires. Winter tires in the cold, summer tires in the heat.
The Michelin all seasons are terrible. Even the XGT's that came on my '99 Integra from the factory were shit, so I knew these would be as well. Mine made the 1,000 mile break in before they got swapped for winter tires, and I have a set of Conti EC/DW and new wheels waiting here for when the snow is gone and the temps come back up. Which means, yes, I have a set of stock tires sitting here that I should just sell to a drifter. (A person that drives drift events, not a hobo.)

I just went to the General Altimax Arctic for the winter. While I notice quite a bit of tread squirm, the grip is great in the cold, and they're not expensive. Also, this car and winter tires make for a nice package. It's very predictable and a lot of fun. Sure, the uphill grip isn't the best from a standing stop on a slick surface, but that's just been giving me an excuse to find the long way around stuff. I find myself looking for roads that have a couple inches of snow left on them so I can practice my car control at a leisurely 15mph.

[Ethereal05]

After seeing that video posted, I wouldnt be caught dead driving around in that. I don't know how you guys do it....

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Ethereal05

After seeing that video posted, I wouldnt be caught dead driving around in that. I don't know how you guys do it....

With a huge, sh*t-eating grin on our faces. I'm not kidding, once you know what you are doing, its a ton of fun to drive this car in the snow (with a proper set of winter tires, of course).

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by Ethereal05

After seeing that video posted, I wouldnt be caught dead driving around in that. I don't know how you guys do it....

By doing the kind of stuff in my other video, which is how you safely learn car control and become comfortable driving in the snow!
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-CGeQnd6WQ"]When it snows all day, the Toyobarus will play! - YouTube[/ame]

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

By doing the kind of stuff in my other video, which is how you safely learn car control and become comfortable driving in the snow!

I notice a lot of cars running the stock rims with winter tires - has anyone compared the stock sizes to say, 16s?

[Stang70Fastback]

My car in this video was running 16" steelies with winters. Soft plushy ride!

[richardM]

I'm using 16" steel rims and Blizzaks. Having the tires mounted is the way to go... when you drive up with 4 wheels in the back it's fun to watch the tech. "Wow.. they really fit?"

[PWBRZ]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

By doing the kind of stuff in my other video, which is how you safely learn car control and become comfortable driving in the snow!

Wow - I like the SF Bay area but that looks like a LOT of fun... thanks for the cool video!

[kpamir]

im gonna have to echo the snow tire sentiments.

Last weekend we had a fairly heavy snow fall and i went over to my friends house around noon, the roads by his house are usually the last to get plowed and there is a pretty big hill on the way there.

When I got to said hill I went up it without any issues, albeit I was going up it with my car at roughly a 15-20 degree angle with my tires turned enough to keep my forward momentum. But it was easy and there was no confusion as to what my car was going to do.

This is a far cry with the stock tires, where in not even an inch of snow on the ground my car was slipping and sliding at the slightest blip of the throttle.

TL DR: snow tires make this car easy as heck to drive in the snow (go figure). You will not regret it.


That video looks fun as hell! i need to do that before this winters done!

[Itzed]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

I notice a lot of cars running the stock rims with winter tires - has anyone compared the stock sizes to say, 16s?

I haven't compared them, but I'm running 16" Blizzaks on aluminum wheels because Tire Rack recommends dropping to a smaller size rim for winter tires. I'm happy with them.

[Stang70Fastback]

Yeah. Taller sidewalls, and a narrower cross-section are better for winter tires.