A few basic questions

[Celica00]

Get good winter tires. Don't go cheap. This last winter I used a questionable quality snow tire and my snow drives became fish simulators with how much my rear was wagging.

[86-75309]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Sure, that's what they tell you it does, but I found out the truth during Atlanta's Snowmeggedon event in 2014.

And here are my impressions from driving in 4" of snow, on top of 1" of ice, on Primacy tires that day.

I liked the part where you talked about the thaw the next day. Around here, any thaw wouldn't happen until the next month. The last time I tried to drive on snow and ice with a front engine rear wheel drive car and summer tires was with my old fox body Mustang. Any application of the accelerator pedal would be met with a sideways slide off of the crown in the road toward the ditch.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by 86-75309

I liked the part where you talked about the thaw the next day.

Yea, there's no need for real snow plows in Georgia. Most I've ever seen something stay on the roads to where they are impassible is maybe 3 days.

I remember one winter growing up in the sandhills of NC where we got an unusual foot of snow one day, and the next day the temp was nearly 70 degrees.

[86-75309]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Yea, there's no need for real snow plows in Georgia. Most I've ever seen something stay on the roads to where they are impassible is maybe 3 days.

I remember one winter growing up in the sandhills of NC where we got an unusual foot of snow one day, and the next day the temp was nearly 70 degrees.

On the other hand, we woke up to frost this morning- May 30!

[Spektyr]

I regularly drive my S-10 in the winter - it's my go-to if the weather turns bad and there's any hint of unpredictability (which is part and parcel for living in Kansas).

My current "zip-around" car is a Yaris that'll handle anything flat and slippery without any trouble, but if you get off the road or into deep water/snow/etc you're screwed.

So when you talk about front-engine, RWD, trucks are the worst for whatever you're talking about in terms of traction. There's basically no weight in the back of an S-10 unless you put it there yourself. I can do a U-turn on a residential street, dry pavement in one move if I'm willing to make a lot of noise/smoke doing so.

The main reason I drive it in bad weather over the Yaris is that I don't care if I dent the truck, and it has way better ground clearance if I do something dumb and end up off the pavement.

Of course the truck has light-truck/passenger all-weather tires on it, and I'm not saying that every front-engine/RWD is something that you can take out in the snow without being certifiably insane. If you want to go get groceries in an 800hp Hellcat on street slicks after a snow storm, probably the best you can hope for is to be in a single car accident.

But it sounds like, based on the variation in reports of how poorly an 86 handles in snow, that for people used to the challenges of driving a RWD with "traction issues" don't find it to be a particularly dangerous vehicle. And I misspent more time than I probably should have going sideways in a 1970 Ford LTD in a snowy parking lot as an irresponsible teen.

The tail coming out doesn't rev up my heartrate unless I'm going highway speeds. I'm not going to jump in a car and just drive it like I'm invincible (learned different as an irresponsible teen). But a little cautious experimentation will most likely prove my theory that between snow mode, traction-nanny, and my own driving experience I could (if I had any good reason to) A-to-B the 86 in winter weather.

And to be clear - that doesn't mean "drive normally". That's stupid in any car or truck. You always drive a bit slower, give yourself a lot more room to stop, and so on. Driving in the winter is just about getting where you're going without any new dents or scratches (or tow bills).

Unless you're going to an open parking lot to do some donuts and drifting. Maybe. To relive a little slice of your youth.

You know, for scientific reasons.

[2020BRZtS]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

In anything below 40 degrees the summer tires can be treacherous no matter if there is snow or not. There is no "I will be fine if I pay attention" about it and these should not be used where even mildly low temperatures can be expected..
In anything much below freezing the all season tire start to be iffy. Not bad but can take you by surprise. They suck with any amount of snow though and should be called Three Seasons not All. They would be the minimum I would even consider driving on in Kansas sort of conditions.
Anyplace that gets real cold and snow then proper winter tires are a must. These cars can be a tank in the snow with decent winter tires. Still no AWD with equivalent tires but really no issue.

There is a difference between can't and shouldn't and this description hits the mark.

There really should be a pamphlet distributed with our cars in regards to the stock tires, taped to the steering wheel. At temps below 40, the outer tread and sidewall become compromised. You may make it to your destination safely, but a future drive in better weather can result in a catastrophic failure. The manufacturer can tell when a claim comes in if the car was driven below 40 degrees because cracks begin to form on the outer tread and sidewall. I asked my mechanic about this and he simply said - follow the warning.

[Spektyr]

Originally Posted by 2020BRZtS

if the car was driven below 40 degrees because cracks begin to form on the outer tread and sidewall. I asked my mechanic about this and he simply said - follow the warning.

I don't remember anyone mentioning that.

So this car comes stock with tires that are damaged by normal winter temperatures in the vast majority of the countries its shipped to?

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by Spektyr

I don't remember anyone mentioning that.

So this car comes stock with tires that are damaged by normal winter temperatures in the vast majority of the countries its shipped to?

No, it comes with Summer-only tires that DO NOT work in winter.
And by do not work i mean they give you absolutely 0 grip in winter conditions, no matter how careful you may try to drive, or think you can get away with some short distance driving.

Any cracking/damage/etc is dependant on the condition of the rubber and how the rubber is affected by the weather (which i think just hardens and ends up becoming like a hockey puck)

You're way overthinking it. This isnt the only car that ever gets equipped with OEM summer only tires.

Any car can handle winter as long as you know what your doing and are properly equipped for it.
I think some people just put on "winter performance" tires and expect to be able to go autobahn running with very little issues.....then they cry that their overpowered performance machine cannot be an overpowered winter performance machine because you know...winter.

Every winter im seeing SUV's and trucks in a ditch (in addition to the random car). If 5 cars are getting stuck going down a slippery or snow packed road...i sure as hell arent going to try being "that one guy" who MIGHT make it.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Spektyr

I don't remember anyone mentioning that.

So this car comes stock with tires that are damaged by normal winter temperatures in the vast majority of the countries its shipped to?

Have we not been very very clear that these cars have SUMMER tires? It is a performance oriented car that comes with performance oriented tires as stock.
Most cars come with "All Season" which can take at least a little cold but still are no substitute for real winter tires where people have real winters.

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

@Spektyr welcome to the forum.

As someone who has driven an 2013 AT FRS in what passes as snow in Atlanta, GA, no, the car is not safe in snow on summer tires. There are plenty of folks on here that daily their car through snow @Tcoat comes to mind) but the car is properly equipped.

I have since changed to all-seasons and have not had any issues. Driving it on the Primacies though, I had to abandon it in the driveway of an accommodating stranger and pick it up later after the snow had melted to drive it home. I have real experience driving RWD in snow (not "Atlanta level" experience) and it was not good, even with Snow mode turned on. With Snow mode and appropriate tires it is not an issue.

I can pretty much +1 @Dadhawk here, almost verbatim. I have a 2016, have had a set of winter tires for it since I bought it, and got caught in an unexpected snowstorm just a handful of days before I was going to swap over to those winter tires a few years ago.

Unlike Dadhawk, I live in New England where actual winter happens (but not up as far north as @Tcoat where winter wreaks havoc like the Eye of Sauron), and there was no getting home in the snow on those stock tires. They're just good enough to be crappy summer tires, and just bad enough to turn into hockey pucks within 10 degrees of freezing temps. I was defeated by a long uphill and maybe a half inch coating of snow on the road. I managed to somewhat gracefully roll back into the driveway of the home I was in front of to get turned around, basically ski back down the hill and turn back onto the road of my workplace. Parked it in the lot and got a relative to pick me up and bring me home.

If you intend to drive the car daily in all types of weather, buy an inexpensive set of wheels that will fit and put good winter tires on them to use in that season. That, in combination with not driving like you're invincible like most of these SUV and crossover drivers do, will serve you well and you'll find yourself cruising along while said SUV is struggling. If you'll barely see winter like Dadhawk, you can probably get by with all-seasons just fine, with the understanding that you're sacrificing some of the dry weather handling the car is capable of for the increased chance of having traction in any environment.

Summer tires are intended for summer conditions, just like winter tires are intended for driving in low temperatures on roads that have snow covering them. You don't want to use either tire in their opposite extreme condition, because they're not designed to work in that environment.

If you intend to only drive the car during the nicer parts of the year then the tires the car comes with will serve you just fine.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

I can pretty much +1 @Dadhawk here, almost verbatim. I have a 2016, have had a set of winter tires for it since I bought it, and got caught in an unexpected snowstorm just a handful of days before I was going to swap over to those winter tires a few years ago.

Unlike Dadhawk, I live in New England where actual winter happens (but not up as far north as @Tcoat where winter wreaks havoc like the Eye of Sauron), and there was no getting home in the snow on those stock tires. They're just good enough to be crappy summer tires, and just bad enough to turn into hockey pucks within 10 degrees of freezing temps. I was defeated by a long uphill and maybe a half inch coating of snow on the road. I managed to somewhat gracefully roll back into the driveway of the home I was in front of to get turned around, basically ski back down the hill and turn back onto the road of my workplace. Parked it in the lot and got a relative to pick me up and bring me home.

If you intend to drive the car daily in all types of weather, buy an inexpensive set of wheels that will fit and put good winter tires on them to use in that season. That, in combination with not driving like you're invincible like most of these SUV and crossover drivers do, will serve you well and you'll find yourself cruising along while said SUV is struggling. If you'll barely see winter like Dadhawk, you can probably get by with all-seasons just fine, with the understanding that you're sacrificing some of the dry weather handling the car is capable of for the increased chance of having traction in any environment.

Summer tires are intended for summer conditions, just like winter tires are intended for driving in low temperatures on roads that have snow covering them. You don't want to use either tire in their opposite extreme condition, because they're not designed to work in that environment.

If you intend to only drive the car during the nicer parts of the year then the tires the car comes with will serve you just fine.

The irony is that if you live anything above about Boston you are north of me. If in the upper regions of Main then I am closer to Atlanta than I am to you.
We don't get the real cold that most of Canada get's but since we are surrounded by the Great Lakes we can get huge amounts of snow.

The biggest issue I have seen is the use of the term "snow" tires. People seem to think they are only intended to use in snow when really the are meant for cold and snow. The snow part is secondary to the cold so they should be called "winter" tires.
Don't even get me started on the "all season" term!

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The irony is that if you live anything above about Boston you are north of me. If in the upper regions of Main then I am closer to Atlanta than I am to you.
We don't get the real cold that most of Canada get's but since we are surrounded by the Great Lakes we can get huge amounts of snow.

The biggest issue I have seen is the use of the term "snow" tires. People seem to think they are only intended to use in snow when really the are meant for cold and snow. The snow part is secondary to the cold so they should be called "winter" tires.
Don't even get me started on the "all season" term!

Theres also All-season and All-weather!
all season being 3 season (summers with light snow ability)
all weather being 4 season (more or less repurposed old winter tires that actually wear normally in summer)

What i could never understand is the Performance winters vs snow & ice.
Cuz Snow & Ice winters are best for heavy snow packed conditions (where i live...that would be the ones i have to use), but performance winters just seems made for high performance/expensive cars but give no real rhyme or reason over regular winters. (except maybe less snow/ice capability)

[LimitedSlip]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

We don't get the real cold that most of Canada get's . . .

I'm in the lower 48 but north of Tcoat. When it gets cold here I don't swap tires. I swap vehicles.

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The irony is that if you live anything above about Boston you are north of me. ....

I'm in Southern New England (and a few hours south of Boston), so all of Canada is north of me, and therefore full of cold and snow and yetis.