Might be buying a Nismo..winter?
 

Thinking about buying a Nismo as daily driver, the only problem is I live in chicago so i'm worried about the winter. Does anyone use their Nismo as a daily driver in snow/winter? I know it must suck in the snow, being RWD and all but any advice would still be appreciated. Thanks!

Yea, get a set of "Winter" wheels and slap on some blizzaks on them.

just buy a 4wd beater, you can probably get one for the cost of a decent set of snow tires and rims. plus you don't want to be driving it in all the salt and crap

Live in DC, fell in love with the nismo at first sight. By the time my brain caught up with me, it was in my garage with the factory tires. 2 months later, I got caught on the capital beltway in a snow storm without snow tires. With literally only 2" on the road, I almost didn't get it home. Out of the showroom w/ factory tires, it's got to be one of the worst snow handling cars in the history of death traps. Don't get me wrong, completely worth it for those sunny spring days, but you gotta come up with a plan for the snow. I just steal my wife's car.

I got caught in just a small dusting of snow on the roads here in PA this past winter. There were multiple hills I couldn't make it up and I had to park it in a parking lot and walk home. This car is definitely not good in snow. I ended up buying a cheap 99' Pathfinder to beat around when the snow comes and now I just DD that.

With the stock summer tires, in the snow... You will die. I don't know how else to put it. :)

Actually the stock tires are pretty bad just when it gets below 40 degrees, and if it's rainy, too... Take the bus. Or drive slow.

But those stock tires are not designed for cold temps and not at all intended for use in snow. You could put some cheap wheels & Blizzaks and do OK depending on where you're at but I see you're in Chicago; I'd recommend you buy a beater.

Agreed.

Just to give you an idea. I had summer tires on my sentra and couldn't get up my drive way with an inch of snow. And no... my driveway is by no means steep. Any lowered car can go up on it without scratching. I cannot imagine the nightmare it would be with a Z.

Can the stock nismo do well in the winter? No.

I have many MANY years of driving in the snow. I would definitely call myself an expect. I have driven RWD cars in the snow before. The Nismo cannot do this. It sucks. In even a quarter in of snow on the ground, it will slip and slide.

Do yourself a favor and get blizzaks or even better, get a POS winter beater.

Get a winter beater is definitely the way to go even if you have a second set of wheels/tires for winter. I mean you CAN drive it in snow with a good set of winter tires without problems. But make sure you get paid for plowing the snow. And I guarantee you will have scratches on paint here and there. Not to mention the salt damage to your Nismo.

Just pick up the AWD conversion kit from Z1 motorsports after you buy it. If you have a buddy willing to help, you should be able to install it in one weekend.

AWD 370Z FTW!:icon18:

we have several 370z owners that dd their car year round in Chicago. if you want to ask them questions pm me and I'll point you in the right direction.

This, and don't go with too wide tires either if you can. There is no reason you can't drive a RWD car in the snow, you just need to be aware that your not in a FWD or AWD car and adjust your driving accordingly.

Why risk crashing a brand new Nismo with the rough winters in Chicago? You'll save a lot of money purchasing it in the winter just to turn around and slam it against a pole. The Zs are NOT adequate for driving in rain, snow, sleet... May I suggest picking up a DD that would fare better during the winter and use the Z for better weather?

:iagree: We dont get snow here in NOLA, but I know I sure wouldnt want to chance it.

The Z can be driven in the rain if you leave VDC on and have good tires. I was out driving this weekend around DC on purpose in the rain to see how the Michelin SS2's would feel and work. I purposely drove through puddles and standing water to induce a slide or hydroplaning and it went straight through with no issues. I was cruising at highway speeds of 75 without issues and I went on backroads with twisty turns and it was fine driving at 7/10ths of what I normally drive. For snow, I agree that you need Blizzacks though.

Again, I highly recommend a winter beater. A good sets of winter tires + winter wheels will cost you $1k-2k. That is enough of money for you to get a beater + insurence. That will resolve all your problems during winter and give you peace of mind. I used to drive my lowered G35 coupe in snow storms. No one says you can't but I got scratched up everywhere and cracked my front bumper by hitting an ice/snow/salt/sand ball. So do you really have to drive a nice car during harsh winter which you can have other options that don't really cost you much more then getting winter tires/wheels and so on...

Thanks for all the advice everyone! All great suggestions. I'll let ya know when I end up doing

Sounds good. Good luck.