I agree. Having driven in Montreal, Ottawa and now Toronto Nokian snows and slowing down a bit make a big difference. Sadly we cant do anything about the idiots in front and behind us with half worn tires.

tip= buy a hoopty

For a grand or less you can get a set of rims and winter tires. Blizzacks, Nokians or the new Conti ExtremeWinter tires will work. The G35, coupe or sedan, has excellent weight distribution front/rear. The RWD cars that don't do well in snow have most of the vehicle weight on the front.
You probably shouldn't put more than 50 lbs. in your trunk. Remember that more weight = more momentum = longer stopping distances. If you have never driven on snow or ice with winter tires, you would be amazed at how the newest generation of these tires work.

Thanks; I'm doing okay so far with the Blizzak W60s. The only problems seem to be when there is ice on an incline and I am starting from a dead stop. Turning off VDC seems to help, since the power won't be cut just when I am starting to make some progress!

The reason for my original question could have been better stated; I was interested in the theory of rear wheel winter driving versus all-wheel or front wheel. For instance, in my AWD if I went around a corner and goosed it, no problem. Point and Shoot. Now I am experiencing the pleasure of feeling the back end break loose.

I guess I am learning by doing- better than theory I suppose.

Well, ice on an incline is going to put any car/drivetrain/tire combo to the test, so don't use that as a guideline for you car's performance.

Hey, no need to wink, I do it all the time and I enjoy it. And there's no reason you can't do a point and shoot with your RWD car. My old Porsche 924S was awesome in the winter. It was RWD, but was well balanced (like our G's) and had snow tires. I'd take a turn like you do in your AWD. Start a turn, goose it, ease off when you're pointed in the right direction, and let the tires do their work.

I can drive this way in my X as well because I always turn off the VDC in the winter. Basically, driving a RWD requires good throttle control. And practice. But I think a well balanced RWD is a close second to an AWD for reliable and safe driving in the winter (snow tires are a given).

leave your keys at home

Don't worry, I do. For the winter I use my spare set of keys. I have a Blizzak key ring that gives me better traction when turning the ignition.

^lol