Hi all,

I'm looking into buying a 2011 G37 Coupe, AWD. I've been in love with this car for years now - my only (although significant) worry is how it handles in the winter. (I've noticed how most of the G Coupe owners hibernate their car over the winter here and that concerns me)

I live in Alberta, Canada, and we get several months of intense snow. My commute to work contains some hill climbs/falls at maybe a 30-40 degree angle. Several years ago, I was driving a Mazda 3 and couldn't stomach the drive each day during winter so moved to an AWD SUV, which in the winter has been fantastic (and then summer comes...)

So, for all the G owners, do you have any thoughts on the following:

1. Is the G37x Coupe sufficient/good for winter driving?
2. Are winter tires a must, or all seasons sufficient?
2a. Is clearance an issue - would it be able to clear high packed snow (maybe 1 feet to 2 feet of snow?)
3. Is the G Sedan any better re: winter driving?
4. If I am driving this as an all season car, is it a terrible waste to be putting the car through the harsh winter months?

Thanks in advance.

 

1. Is the G37x Coupe sufficient/good for winter driving?
If it's half as good as the sedan then the answer is yes. I see a couple of coupe X's driving around my area each winter and they have no problem. I didn't notice if they put winter tires on.

2. Are winter tires a must, or all seasons sufficient?
If you drive on snow or icy roads, at grades you mentioned, you should use snow tires - IMO. I use winter tires on my X sedan and it handles amazing in snow. Winter tire are 'priceless' and while you have them on, your other tires are lasting that much longer. I still have my original AS tires although this will be their 4th and final season used.

2a. Is clearance an issue - would it be able to clear high packed snow (maybe 1 feet to 2 feet of snow?).
Did you realy mean to say 1-2 feet? I dont know any coupe or sedan that will drive through that. In my sedan I can drive through 6" of soft packed snow with out issue.

3. Is the G Sedan any better re: winter driving? The RWD or X?
The RWD sedan is about the same as the coupe. The AWD X is a tank when you put on snow tires.

4. If I am driving this as an all season car, is it a terrible waste to be putting the car through the harsh winter months?
This is up to you. Do they salt the roads there? My understanding is it's typically to cold so they dont salt. That would be the main deterrent if its corrosion you are concerned about.

 

^Ditto....although I would say you're okay with snow up to a foot in the X sedan, although it's going to be blowing a lot of snow up over the windshield making it hard to see. Mine sure did in a couple of ddozy snow storms here. Not sure about the clearance in the X coupe though.

 

*points at sig*

1. Yes

2. I personally say it depends how much you drive. Regardless though, if you can afford it, get winter tires.

2a. You're going to get stuck in 1-2 FEET Though I survived an Edmonton winter (and a bad one for snow at that) with my Eibach PK lowered X Coupe. Just need to be careful about where and how you drive.

3. Can't comment.

4. Definitely not. If you are worried about corrosion, etc, get rust proofing done. Also, spray the underside/wheel wells of the car once a week or so and things will be okay.


Hope you buy the X Coupe, then I will have a fellow AWD friend

 

^^^^ what evrybody said +

-our winters in toronto arent as bad as yours, i havent used winter tires on mine and wouldnt bother to be honest with you. sure winters are better but i find them unnecessary on the x.

-as for terrible waste to use a g in the winter...it's only a G, on top of that an AWD G, it's not a maserati, a lil snow wont hurt it. I agree with ^above, get it rustproofed at least once or twice and you'll be fine.

good luck with purchase

 

Thanks all for the comments.

Sorry about the "feet" conversion - I originally posted in the buy/sell/leasing forum where I assumed it would be mostly American readers, but a member told me to repost here as that forum gets little traffic.

I'm in Calgary - 30 cms of snow or so? I drive an SUV now so I go plowing into drifts no problem.

 

You couldnt stomach driving a mazda 3 in the winter so you want to get a G37X coupe . If it made you feel bad driving an econobox i am not sure how you would feel better driving a luxury sports car.

I drove for years in the winters with rwd cars and trucks, I am sure a semi skilled driver would be fine in winters with an AWD coupe. Winter tires make a huge difference in the vehicles winter capabilites my wifes car is garbage in the winter until I put the winters on night and day difference.

 

Sylvan - thats exactly the thing - I love the G Coupe and I really want it, but I know my limitations in the winter and the roads I have to contend with so I don't want to make a choice on this car purely because the summer drive is awesome.

I guess my second option is to have a summer and a winter car?

 

Spend some money on some 3m clear bra and a good set of winter tires and drive the G37X all year around. I have a buddie that drives a GTR all year around in Edmonton it is cheaper than maintaining, insuring registering and owning two cars I would buy it and drive it

 

^ +10000

 

I have an 08 G37S coupe (RWD) and it's just fine in the winter with winter tires. Drive it...

 

+1

btw, are you talking about B*Town from 780?

 

I drove my 6mt sedan from February on this winter with 75% tread 245/45 winers and it was very good. Even the poorest of awd systems will aid in winter traction ten fold. The X should be an excellent all year car with winters. Being an X, you should have std brakes, so you can fit cheaper wheels with narrower tires if you really want good winter traction.