Changed: so I got an offer to do even trade for an 04 sti. whats better? is it worth giving up the luxury of the G? i dunno if i wanna lose that.. again main concern is snow when moving.

I am now living in hawaii but plan to move to the mainland. Of course itll probably be somewhere with snow. most likely iowa.

I currently have an 03 coupe.

is it worth it for me to invest in an AWD car? or would the G be able to do fine there with snow tires for daily driving?

I can keep the G. Or sell/trade it in, take a loss, and buy a new car. but dont know if its worth the investment or if its needed.

Please help me out. thanks!

 

The Midwest can get a decent amount of snow, but Iowa isn't exactly mountainous, so I don't think you really need AWD. If you absolutely, positively have to be able to drive 24/7/365, then get an AWD SUV. Otherwise, a well-balanced car like the G35 with good winter/snow tires will perform just fine in the winter. You'd have to get those same tires on the SUV anyway, so save your money and give it a try. I have an AWD G35 up in Michigan, and while it's an absolute monster in the winter, I'm not entirely convinced I need AWD. Tires are far and away the single most important component for driving in winter, including whether you have AWD or not.

Worst case, buy some good tires for your Coupe and try it out for a winter. If it doesn't work out, then make your decision at that time. But I think you'll be happier giving up a little winter performance in order to keep the G35. And no point in taking a loss on a car unless you absolutely have to.

 

true. thanks for the info. I just have been reading around and it seems people with rwd vehicles that are weighted more in the front seem to have some trouble. I also plan to move from there after a few years also so im just wondering if I should prepare now. Also I do have an offer for a trade so i might take them up on it that way we have an even trade and i dont take a loss.

 

There are very few front-engine cars that are not at least a little front heavy, but the G35 is pretty good with about a 53/47 weight ratio. It's not like a front-engine, FWD where you're getting closer to 60/40.

 

I would never buy a g without AWD. Not for snow purposes, but I love the way it drives. If your buying it for snow purposes only, then I would also wait to see how it actually does in the snow before jumping the gun on AWD.

 

true. I guess I dont wanna end up buying snow tires etc and using it for a few days before getting a new car. test drove an evo x yesterday/ handling was really nice. makes me want one for more than just snow..

 

rwd g isnt awful in light snow with snow tires, but steep hills can be a problem

 

No matter what you drive you will at least need a good set of all-season tires. The summer tires that come stock on the G35 coupe, Evo, STi, etc, will get you killed if you attempt to drive in snow (even if you have AWD). I bought a G35xS as my daily for the sole reason that I have to get to work even if it snows. The AWD setup works very well in bad weather conditions. I own an Evo VIII as well but it stays garaged in the winter. In addition, to having summer tires on it, I will not abuse my Evo with winter road salt.

 

For what it's worth, my RWD G35 with Blizzaks handle Chicago winters just fine, so you don't really need to swap your G for AWD just for that reason. Now if you have other reasons, then go for it.

 

+1 on that! I live in New England and I don't have any problems at all with my RWD G35 in the winter. I use Dunlop Winter Sport M3's for my snow tires.

If you just love the Evo/STi then I say go for it. I wouldn't do it just because you are concerned about the winter.

 

seems like its very doable with good snow tires. I just am worried since one of my relatives had a 350 and they ended up getting a g37x coupe for winter due to the 350 getting stuck, when snow piles up in a parking lot. I also am considering a fwd car. I have an offer to trade for an rsx+cash so I might go that route. another thing to factor in now is i can at least get some money back so thatd be nice. I am still considering an evo just cuz i love it though.

 

FWD doesn't compare to AWD in bad weather. Front wheel tire spin sucks.

 

fwd isnt awd, but its much easier to deal with although I had 245/45-17 lm-25s on my g and our civic had 195/60-16 ws-60s and it was pretty unstoppable this winter, the G was tolerable but i had a rough time getting up the driveway

rsx's are good all around cars too, surprising amount of stuff will fit in there with the seats down, decent mpg and gearing that makes the lack of torque less evident

 

yea seems like a pretty good car. its my uncles too so i know its not beaten to hell by some kid. I guess I have a lot to think about before making this choice.

 

is it a base or type S?