Winter beater

Duc_Z09

I agree with you about tires being important, but I definitely don't agree that oversteer is preferable to understeer. Understeer is predictable; oversteer is not. Also, 4 wheels turning absolutely helps keep you straight when cornering compared to just spinning the rears. Ice is ice, but I've purposely drifted my Cherokee in snow through enough (slow) turns to know the difference... If I tried that in the Z it wouldn't end well. I also doubt that power was ever a factor in my wife's or my v6 Mustang offroading adventures. Those cars have none

I literally got my Z stuck on a flat side street in less than 1 inch of snow last January. Sure, the summer tires didn't help. But you can't tell me it compares in any way to a 4WD platform that I've taken up steep logging trails through several inches of snow and ice, regardless of tire choice.

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2009 370z #206 (all mods are Home Depot)
2009 Ducati 848 (full Ohlins, Termignoni, etc)
2003 Grand Cherokee (long arms, big tires, 4.56, lockers)

JDubya

Yea, I drove my Z on summer tires in the snow once (just outside my house to see how bad it was). It was comical.

And yea I'd definitely much rather have something with a 4WD platform if I'm driving on roads that haven't been maintained that have steep inclines, so we agree there

And I swear I'm not trying to rock the boat, but 4WD and AWD literally do nothing to keep your car on the road when you turn. It's all about the grip of the tire to the road, and power to the wheels doesn't create extra traction when turning.

Shotta

Took me almost 10 years of driving to learn it's got everything to do with the tires and almost nothing to do with the 2wd vs 4wd for normal winter roads (off road and mountain climbing excluded). For example, my wife drives a 4wd Ford Escape for the winter. That thing was scary as sh!t to drive in the winter with the factory all season tires, absolutely no stopping or accelerating ability. I threw on snow tires for her and it grips like no tomorrow now.

For people that have driven only rear wheel drive cars their whole life driving in the winter is a piece of cake, in fact I can get around most of the time without even getting the traction control to engage so I'm not slipping and sliding anywhere.

4wd with snow tires will make it easier and more forgiving for the majority but I wouldn't drive a junker half the year just because of that reason. On the other hand if we are talking bustin through snow drifts and driving off road I will take the 4wd. I had a jeep cj back in the day and enjoyed going to the jeep offroad events.

Everyone just needs to drive what they feel comfortable in.

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7AT - designed for enthusiasts

HEK

what he said

ayrton88

I grew up with RWD and I much prefer oversteer to understeer. What I find scary here in the midwest is all the idiots that get a 4WD SUV and think that they can drive like its summer. I must admit I get a good laugh at all the SUVs into the walls on the Eisenhower expressway every time it snows. I see much more of them in the wall than Mustangs or any other RWD cars. I think it has more to do with experience driving than anything. It's funny, but most taxis here in Chicago are big old boats with RWD and I see very few involved in accidents in the snow.

kenchan

you mean like a winter beater.

HEK

did anyone say winter beater......

kenchan

made a whole circle

back to page1!!!

HEK

And people pay big dollars to have their cars wrapped. New England does it free for me...

Attached Images

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NissanGuy23

Yea my AWD subaru is far better in snow than my RWD Jeep was on the same tires. Acceleration is a huge part to driving a car (it makes it go) and having twice the grip makes the difference. The Jeep would just spin when i got to an incline, or get stuck, Subaru just rips up any hills and is controllable around corners (while accelerating) where as the Jeep is dangerous.