Anyone driving a G35 in the snow? I'm a little worried about the RWD in my climate...

 

rwd doesn't make the biggest difference. it boils down to driver ability too.

if you have all weather tires and are a decent driver you should be ok. i've had rwd that are better than fwd. it all depends.

 

Had mine (sedan) out all winter. Didn't want to, but my other car I was planning on driving had some problems and I didn't feel like fixing it in the cold. Anyway...

In the Midwest the snow isn't bad as what you guys get out East (used to live there a long time ago). Regardless, we did get a couple snowfall amounts between 6-8 inches. The G handled great, and the VDC did a lot to make that happen. I turned it off once to see what it was like in the snow, and it scared the crap out of me. It handled just like a Vette or Camaro would in the snow. VDC is your friend in the winter. Other than purposely causing a spin, the car handled very well for a RWD - better than my wife's FWD.

Regards,

JC

 

I drove mine last winter. A good solid 3 months of snow. One of the worst cars I've had in the snow. To be fair though, I'd have to say it's probably the tires fault. Traction control don't mean diddly when the tires don't have any traction! If I can't find a descent winter beater this year, I'll at least invest in some all weather/snow tires. Hell, I couldn't even get in my driveway, and it's flat (no hill).

 

Oh yeah, I'm a East Coast driver too. N.J.

 

For a RWD car, traction control and all season tires just isn't enough in the Northeast. You NEED to get 4 snow tires. While I havn't got my G yet, (THIS MONTH!!!) I've owned a few Bimmers. I have a very, very steep hill on my street, and even with a RWD car with no traction control and an open diff, with good snows, the front spoiler becomes the limiting factor, and the steepest hills are manageable. When the snow is so deep that it's above the lower edge of the front spoiler, the pressure on the front of the car can cause the rear to become very light, and loose traction. Weighting the rear with a couple of bags of sand in the trunk is also helpful.

Also, if you really demand the best winter performance, consider studded tires, especially in the rear. I've never used these, as when it gets too bad, I drive my Jeep. But nothing really works on ice except studs, and metal wheel chains. I would never use chains on a car I cared about; I've seen way too many come loose and do tremendous damage.

I had very good results on my Maxima using Blizzaks. They make a 17" tire that will work well with the G. I will be buying a new set come December.

04 G35 6MTS Aero Kit/Nav/Prem/Wint (Hopefully Sept 03)
Warning: Objects in Mirror Are Losing!

 

I think an AWD G35 sedan will be available mid-December. That's the car I'm waiting to buy providing the price is reasonable. The points made above about the tires are valid. I'm hoping with the AWD an all-season tire will be standard.

 

The cloth version of the G35 Sedan comes with 16" rims, so we know 16" wheels will fit. A set of cheap 16" steel rims with snow tires can carry you through the winter less expensively.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

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A set of cheap 16" steel rims with snow tires can carry you through the winter less expensively.

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Agreed, but YUK! Who wants their car to look like crap for the whole winter?

My plan is to put snows on my stock 17's. Then get a set of 19's with summer tires. I will dispose of the 17" tires that come on the car on Ebay.




04 G35 6MTS Aero Kit/Nav/Prem/Wint (Hopefully Sept 03)
Warning: Objects in Mirror Are Losing!

 

You'll have to buy dedicated snowtires. I live in Colorado and bought Blizzacks (the LM version though, for a higher speed rating, better dry handling and cause it doesn't snow THAT much here.) The VDC helps quite a bit, but makes it seem like the car slips a lot just cause the light comes on a lot. If the light wasn't coming on, I wouldn't even notice the slip that much. It's definitely a RWD car, and handles like one in the snow, but that really just means you have to start off slowly from a stop. The biggest issue is just that the tires that come on the car are NOT made for snow. They have virtually no traction in snow. With a good set of snow tires however, I haven't found this car to be at all scary in the snow, and haven't gotten it stuck.

 

Well, cheap alloy 16's then....

The advantage to steel wheels is that you don't care if they get dinged up in the bad weather, and replacement hubcaps are only about $20 for a set of 4.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter