Winter time issues
That's a very good point you almost never hear anyone mention.
I drove 10+ years with RWD and snow tires, so i know it can be done with no issues. While driving is okay, parking is the part that makes me nervous. Most often a few days after a storm, the roads are still messy and when you part on a sidestreet, there is usually 1-2 feet of deeper loose snow you basically have to throw have the car on top of. So, what happens if you purposely put 1 rear tire in snow, and 1 on pavement...and you have an open differential? You spin the tire stuck in the snow since you are trying to push through deeper fluff rather than packed snow on the roads. A limited slip does help here, vs an open diff
Same issue with the end of your driveway. If you live in a metro area, the plows tend to plow in the end of the driveway with heavy snow. Come home late at night in a storm, and you gotta get through. Sometimes with RWD, you get the front wheels stuck and the car tries to just plow the front wheels through the heavy snow rather than roll up over it. It's even worse if you manage to get the fronts through and then get the rear hung up.
I know i frequently hear "You don't need AWD, just get snow tires", but those two examples are situations where 4 wheels pushing are better than 2 wheels. It makes parking easier, and it makes pushing through the "plow wall" easier when all 4 wheels push.
I run All-seasons now on my AWD. Have the Continetal Extremecontact DWS on them. Just this AM, I made the mistake of driving down a road that was not plowed, so there were 6-8" of messy piled snow everywhere. I thought I would get stuck, but was pretty impressed that the car easily pushed through the snow without too much fuss.
But yes, snow tires DO make a difference, but AWD does make some situations a little less stressful with those other 2 wheels to assist.
PLUS, those of you who drive 4WD trucks. What do you do in the snow if you want to turn and the truck goes straight? You give it gas! Powering the fronts helps turn the vehicle if you start to understeer when trying to turn in the snow.
I drove 10+ years with RWD and snow tires, so i know it can be done with no issues. While driving is okay, parking is the part that makes me nervous. Most often a few days after a storm, the roads are still messy and when you part on a sidestreet, there is usually 1-2 feet of deeper loose snow you basically have to throw have the car on top of. So, what happens if you purposely put 1 rear tire in snow, and 1 on pavement...and you have an open differential? You spin the tire stuck in the snow since you are trying to push through deeper fluff rather than packed snow on the roads. A limited slip does help here, vs an open diff
Same issue with the end of your driveway. If you live in a metro area, the plows tend to plow in the end of the driveway with heavy snow. Come home late at night in a storm, and you gotta get through. Sometimes with RWD, you get the front wheels stuck and the car tries to just plow the front wheels through the heavy snow rather than roll up over it. It's even worse if you manage to get the fronts through and then get the rear hung up.
I know i frequently hear "You don't need AWD, just get snow tires", but those two examples are situations where 4 wheels pushing are better than 2 wheels. It makes parking easier, and it makes pushing through the "plow wall" easier when all 4 wheels push.
I run All-seasons now on my AWD. Have the Continetal Extremecontact DWS on them. Just this AM, I made the mistake of driving down a road that was not plowed, so there were 6-8" of messy piled snow everywhere. I thought I would get stuck, but was pretty impressed that the car easily pushed through the snow without too much fuss.
But yes, snow tires DO make a difference, but AWD does make some situations a little less stressful with those other 2 wheels to assist.
PLUS, those of you who drive 4WD trucks. What do you do in the snow if you want to turn and the truck goes straight? You give it gas! Powering the fronts helps turn the vehicle if you start to understeer when trying to turn in the snow.
Why no one mentions about rwd+snow+parallel park in deep snow. I've brought this up twice in two different forums and no one commented on it afterward. No one = the ones who said rwd+snow is all you need.
Maybe they all have house/driveway and don't live in a big city. 
I've been running Michelin X-Ice Xi2's on my 03 RWD G and the car did awesome in snowstorms. Never got stuck once even driving in bad Minnesota snow storms. In my opinion, tires and driver make the biggest difference. AWD isn't needed if the car is fitted with a good set of snow's, and a good driver behind the wheel.
DaveB (one of the experts on this forum) can chime in as well. I read that you've driven for many many winters on rwd+all season and never got your car stuck. What about parallel park?
It may not necessary be deep snow. Just parallel parking into 4 or 5 inches of harden/slippery ice/snow and getting out afterward. Another situation would be you parallel parked into a spot. Then you go somewhere for 5 hours and you come back with 6 to 8 inches of snow. What do you do now?
If I was in that situation with my AWD it would be like that movie "Gone in 60 seconds" and I'll be on the road again.
Last edited by mikeee2; Feb 3, 2011 at 04:16 PM.
I've always carried a bag or two of kitty litter and a small emergency shovel with me to get me out of snowy situations. I learned this from my days of driving my 94 Z28 in the winter. THAT was scary. Anyway, I have gotten stuck in my G trying to get out of a snowy inclined parking spot (nose facing downward). I simply compacted the snow a bit behind the tires (front and back) and threw down some kitty little behind the rear tire and a little pile just at the base of the tire. Pulled the car out without a problem.
To the OP, the tires I'm currently running are Falken Ziex 329s, but I've also run Avon MS550s and Turanza EL42s. The traction level among the tires seems comparable. Maybe the issue you're having is that you've got wider tires than myself. For my three season setup, I run 18X8 235/45 PZeros summer tires. These are the same size tires you're running for all seasons. The tire contact patch is over 1.5 wider. I could see that being an issue in the snow. You want narrow tires to bite through snow. My winter setup is the much narrower 215/55R17 setup.
As for traction in deep snow, I've got it now. They're called AutoSocks and are freaking amazing. See the attached video of me going down my steep cul-de-sac, stopping, and going up the 3" to 4" snowed cover hill with no spin.
Last edited by DaveB; Feb 3, 2011 at 05:33 PM.
DaveB, yeah I read that autosock thread. So in a way, you do acknowledge that rwd+snow+deep snow parallel park is an issue. The autosock is still on the go method not pullin out from parallel park right?
I never thought of inclined or hilly parking. Then again I don't foresee any issue with awd. Maybe just a few more wheel spins.
I never thought of inclined or hilly parking. Then again I don't foresee any issue with awd. Maybe just a few more wheel spins.
I don't know. The Autosocks help tremendously with braking so it's possible that running them in the front could help you steer in/out of a spot especially if you dig a little path for the front tires to go.
I don't live in a big city, and never have to really parallel park. I do in my school lot, but i have no issues going through that bit of snow.
If you like AWD, good for you. More power to you. Your like my dad, but I really have no use for it and get around perfectly in my RWD+Snows. If I had to deal with plowed snow in a city, then yea, I'd consider one, but I don't.
The X Factor is getting blizzaks for his AWD next winter, and then we will see how AWD is better. But for now, I have more faith in my RWD and snows than his AWD just due to the tires..
If you like AWD, good for you. More power to you. Your like my dad, but I really have no use for it and get around perfectly in my RWD+Snows. If I had to deal with plowed snow in a city, then yea, I'd consider one, but I don't.
The X Factor is getting blizzaks for his AWD next winter, and then we will see how AWD is better. But for now, I have more faith in my RWD and snows than his AWD just due to the tires..
So I'm wondering how to wash my car or get it cleaned up with it being really cold here in DFW. Temp of 18 and wind chill of 3 isn't really ideal conditions to wash a car, but I'm going to a meet this Saturday and I want it to look halfway decent lol.
Suggestions?
Suggestions?
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From: MN/ND
This would probably be better answered in the https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-sed...on-thread.html.
If you have a garage, use a bucket and warm water and wipe it down, and make sure you dry it off well when you're done. That's my suggestion.
If you have a garage, use a bucket and warm water and wipe it down, and make sure you dry it off well when you're done. That's my suggestion.
I just don't. Yeah it sucks and bothers me, but I'm stuck at work all day and every weekend has been cold or snowy. I haven't washed my car in 2 months due to constant snow and slush everywhere.
If it ever gets warm in the upper 30's, I usually drag out the bucket and hand wash.
Yup, often times when I have to park on the streets, I plow my way into a spot (soft snow) and wiggle the car in so it's close to the curb. Many people hang their front or rear of their car out the street when they back into a spot and I would never do that because some idiot or plow truck will run by you one day and leave you with a hanging side mirror.
I agree completely. I've been through this plenty of times before. Plenty of situations I've been in that made me nervous and not just driving.
For example, come home at 1am the day after a storm and nowhere to park. Best spot I can find has some loose soft snow, but a good foot tall or so extending out almost to the lane. When i had rwd with snows, I'd sometimes just pull in the lane, toss the hazards on and dig it out a bit with a shovel i carried. Or other times I would just ram it in there and wait til morning when the sun is out and hope it softened up enough to get out. There were plenty of nights I left my rear sticking uncomfortable out into the road because I was too afraid to try to dig it in further.
I packed a trunk full of kitty litter, a shovel and some old floor mats to jam under the tires plenty of times. Sucks having to get out and do it though, but you do what you gotta do and hope its only a few times per year.
I three years with awd, I have not got stuck yet. When I get in spmemdeep stuff, it just requires flipping the snow button and turning vdc off and just spinning my way through. I did run snows one season, and it is a big difference, but I sold then one summer and am just running all seasons this year. We have had twice as much snow as a normal year and I've gotten around fine.
Not trying to start an AWD vs RWD debate...but in my experience and the situations I find myself in, I'm much more comfortable with awd and all seasons than rwd plus snows.
Depends on the all seasons. Go drive The X factors with cheap ****ty Falken Ziex 912 tires and tell me you feel comfortable. He can't take a corner unless hes doing 5mph. Otherwise it just lets go and pushes the front wheels.
I dunno...I ran my oem goodyears down to the wear bars and still took it out in the snow.
Granted, I had to drive a bit more careful, but I still couldn't get the car stuck.
Granted, I had to drive a bit more careful, but I still couldn't get the car stuck.
I don't live in a big city, and never have to really parallel park. I do in my school lot, but i have no issues going through that bit of snow.
If you like AWD, good for you. More power to you. Your like my dad, but I really have no use for it and get around perfectly in my RWD+Snows. If I had to deal with plowed snow in a city, then yea, I'd consider one, but I don't.
The X Factor is getting blizzaks for his AWD next winter, and then we will see how AWD is better. But for now, I have more faith in my RWD and snows than his AWD just due to the tires..
If you like AWD, good for you. More power to you. Your like my dad, but I really have no use for it and get around perfectly in my RWD+Snows. If I had to deal with plowed snow in a city, then yea, I'd consider one, but I don't.
The X Factor is getting blizzaks for his AWD next winter, and then we will see how AWD is better. But for now, I have more faith in my RWD and snows than his AWD just due to the tires..
I am not at all against rwd and do envy you guys with rwd+6mt.
This is my second awd car. I drove a m/t Eagle Talon tsi for about 5 or 6 years so I've driven awd for 12 years in NY. Not once was I stuck. Uphill, downhill, slushy, soft snow, hard snow, ice, parallel park, you name it.
I agree completely. I've been through this plenty of times before. Plenty of situations I've been in that made me nervous and not just driving.
For example, come home at 1am the day after a storm and nowhere to park. Best spot I can find has some loose soft snow, but a good foot tall or so extending out almost to the lane. When i had rwd with snows, I'd sometimes just pull in the lane, toss the hazards on and dig it out a bit with a shovel i carried. Or other times I would just ram it in there and wait til morning when the sun is out and hope it softened up enough to get out. There were plenty of nights I left my rear sticking uncomfortable out into the road because I was too afraid to try to dig it in further.
I packed a trunk full of kitty litter, a shovel and some old floor mats to jam under the tires plenty of times. Sucks having to get out and do it though, but you do what you gotta do and hope its only a few times per year.
I three years with awd, I have not got stuck yet. When I get in spmemdeep stuff, it just requires flipping the snow button and turning vdc off and just spinning my way through. I did run snows one season, and it is a big difference, but I sold then one summer and am just running all seasons this year. We have had twice as much snow as a normal year and I've gotten around fine.
Not trying to start an AWD vs RWD debate...but in my experience and the situations I find myself in, I'm much more comfortable with awd and all seasons than rwd plus snows.
For example, come home at 1am the day after a storm and nowhere to park. Best spot I can find has some loose soft snow, but a good foot tall or so extending out almost to the lane. When i had rwd with snows, I'd sometimes just pull in the lane, toss the hazards on and dig it out a bit with a shovel i carried. Or other times I would just ram it in there and wait til morning when the sun is out and hope it softened up enough to get out. There were plenty of nights I left my rear sticking uncomfortable out into the road because I was too afraid to try to dig it in further.
I packed a trunk full of kitty litter, a shovel and some old floor mats to jam under the tires plenty of times. Sucks having to get out and do it though, but you do what you gotta do and hope its only a few times per year.
I three years with awd, I have not got stuck yet. When I get in spmemdeep stuff, it just requires flipping the snow button and turning vdc off and just spinning my way through. I did run snows one season, and it is a big difference, but I sold then one summer and am just running all seasons this year. We have had twice as much snow as a normal year and I've gotten around fine.
Not trying to start an AWD vs RWD debate...but in my experience and the situations I find myself in, I'm much more comfortable with awd and all seasons than rwd plus snows.
I don't even carry a shovel or kitty litter anymore.
I've actually gone out and tried to get this car stuck and just can't do it. Of course, a little more ground clearance in the winter would come in handy.
I wish I didn't the awd, but I do. When I was shopping for my g35, they had a brand new 2008 black/black 6mt sedan for $28k otd after rebates. This was right when the economy tanked. I was so tempted to pull the trigger, but I valued awd over 6mt due to my specific needs.
