Blizzard?

 

There was a big storm here i think about a year ago... I had to drive my crappy corolla to class.... man... that wasn't fun at all lol...

 

Winter tires are not "unnecessary" on a car just because it has all wheel drive.

There is no question that the X can haul better than average with A/S tires in snow but on icy roads its a level playing field and thats why we buy snow tires. We want to stop safely.

All Seasons are designed for spring, summer and fall use in wet and dry conditions.
If your winters meet these conditions then A/S tires are all you will ever need. If you have snow covered roads you might seriously consider putting on some snows.

The cost of buying snow tires is offset by the reduced wear on your summer or A/S tires lasting longer. 2 sets of tires used on the same vehicle last longer than 1 set.

 

The poster didnt ask if they were necessary - he asked if they were necessary in Northern VA. IIRC all the threads like this that have come up before end up with everyone who thinks they are necessary being from Northern Michigan or Canada.

And the answer is absolutely not.

I've had the stocks on my car for two winters now and its laughable how well this car drives in the snow. Snow tires are a complete waste of money in this area for the G35x. We just dont have days where it snows and there is still snow on the ground 2 or 3 days later. You're on dry pavement by then if it hasnt melted already. And then you would *really* be burning your snows. Now I had them on my 350z but thats a different story. When I buy new tires in a few months I'll be getting the Kuhmo ASXs.

In the last two winters I've not had one time when I felt snow tires would have made any difference. IMO the one bad ice storm we had - and it was 3+ INCHES of ice in most spots - snow tires arent going to do a damn thing and you should be inside watching the news. What good is stopping safely, if you can, when everyone else was flying around the road righ into you? In the last 13 years I've lived here there hasnt been one winter as bad as a New England winter. When it gets cold and dusts a half inch people lose their mind.

Snow tires on the X in Northern VA = waste of $$

 

thanks!! That helps alot dcmidnight.... thank god there is some1 in nova in g35driver!!! hehe.... off topic to this topic, do I have to get diameter as the stock one? I was looking at it and it only makes few miles difference in speed... anything bad for the car?

 

Your AWD will help on acceleration, but that's a small percentage of your time on the road. AWD does nothing for you while braking and very little for most cornering, which is the most important time to have traction. You're not going to crash you car because you can't get it moving, but you will if you can't stop or turn it.
You've survived 5 years (including the 1 or 2 that you've actually driven) because you've been fortunate enough not to have to make a sudden hard braking maneuver or hold on to an unexpectedly slippery curve.
Settling for adequate traction on acceleration and poor traction while braking is what's nuts, not the $600. You get the $600 back when your summers last 30% longer.

 

Like I said, the question wasnt whether or not snow tires make sense in Northern Canada. The question was whether they make sense in Northern Virginia.

And dont take this the wrong way but for people who have never lived here and dont know the weather here - or who live 500 miles North of here - it makes no sense to pass judgment on this question or the responses to it - any more than I would give an opinion on what kind of tires make sense in British Columbia or what kind of tires make sense in Florida. Tire requirements are something that vary greatly by climate.

This is not the weather profile of a climate that demands snow tires on a car with all wheel drive:

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxcli...graph/USVA0007

Compared to Ottawa:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/trave...omnav_business

Just using those averages, there are threeish months in Ottawa where the average *high* does not get above 25*. In Alexandria VA there is no single month where the average *low* goes below 25*.

Like I said, different climate, different answers.

 

Damn, I miss Alexandria, VA.




There are a few from the NoVA/DC area here, do a search. They get together on drives. I also belive there is a group of 350Z/Inifini's that do a Skyline Drive trip.

 

I didn't read where anyone said the OP MUST put snow tires on.
In my post I even said "All Seasons are designed for spring, summer and fall use in wet and dry conditions.
If your winters meet these conditions then A/S tires are all you will ever need. If you have snow covered roads you might seriously consider putting on some snows."

 

I do realize that the OP was asking about VA.

I was responding specifically to disagree with Wannabe's somewhat niaive statement about winters and AWD.
The point of my post is in line with yours - that your climate determines whether you need winters, not your drive train.
If you really need them with RWD, then you also need them with AWD. If you don't need them in VA, then AWD/RWD is not an issue.

 

seriously!!? I'm in Alexandria, VA haha that's awesome... i gotta find out more info!

again, thx for the info guys!!

 

Here is the National G Club Forum.

Below are threads of events happening this weekend:
140 +car meet Nov 15th (Including Exotics)

Skyline Drive Nov 16th 2008, Sunday

 

Silly question: I bought my car used, how would I identify whether I have summer or A/S tires?

 

Check the tires out on tirerack. Some say A/S on the tire but not all of them do.

 

Look at the side wall. All Season or M + S should be listed. Non A/S tires don't usually say summer, all season usually do.