Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I drive an 18 year old Mustang year-round in Pittsburgh. Snow tires not only make it drievable in the winter, but I often get through road conditons that many sedans/small SUVs/crossovers with all-seasons have trouble. I can't recommend snow tires enough.
Hard to know what "enough" means. There are always risks that cannot be eliminated.
What steps to take in relation to the known risks depends on the level of risk. The OP lives in Rockville, Md. which gets an average of about 19 inches of snow a year, and has only three months with more than six inches.
Under these circumstances I would suggest that 4WD or AWD is going overboard. They increase the cost of the vehicle and the operating costs.
Snow tires? That's another question. Since you always have to have four tires on your car, the main added expense to using snow tires is the semiannual changeover, not the cost of the tires. Given that snow tires are made from a softer rubber that should improve traction even in non-snowy winter conditions, they seem like a good idea for the OP.
Snow tires, AWD, 4x4, it's all good stuff, but the most important thing is the person behind the wheel. It's all about having experience and proper mindset.
This is spot on, but snow tires are a lot more forgiving when you make mistakes. Even the most experienced winter drivers can make mistakes, and winter tires will give you more traction when trying to brake hard or swerve to avoid a collision. I have 20+ years of experience driving on snow and ice, and I still don't consider myself a great driver in winter. I have been running winter tires for 3 years now, and I will never go back to ATs.
I personally think that All seasons and the proper driver are just fine, if you drive smartly. Not quite as good as snow tires, but it will get you where you need to go if you slow down.
I personally think that All seasons and the proper driver are just fine, if you drive smartly. Not quite as good as snow tires, but it will get you where you need to go if you slow down.
You can never predict what other drivers around you will do. Sometimes you will have to make quick maneuvers whether it be hard brake, hard acceleration, or swerve. On snow or slush dedicated snow tires will make your car respond faster and better.
I lived 4 winters in Burlington, Vermont as a college student driving a RWD car with summer tires. It takes considerable planning as you drive but I never had a problem getting around and I never got stuck. Part of the planning when you have minimal traction is to avoid hill starts at all costs. Avoid any sudden acceleration, steering, and braking inputs. Know the control envelope of the car. Take it very easy going down hills and approaching corners.
I also used to take a Mustang with summer tires skiing every weekend for a couple of years in my early 20's. I can remember putting the car in 2nd gear in an icy parking lot, popping the clutch, and getting out to push myself to get rolling.
I'm older and far more affluent now. I winter at a ski resort and get 200" of snow in my driveway. I always use snow tires. Why wouldn't I? It dramatically improves traction. It dramatically improves the control envelope of the car and my safety margin. I'm a fairly competent winter driver but it's simply night & day comparing stock tires to good snow tires.
Until recently, I went many years driving a series of VW GTIs with Nokians as my commuter car and a series of SUVs with studded Nokians as my ski/boat towing car. Because of the weight of the SUV, the GTI was always a much better snow car on plowed, snow-covered roads. The SUV only had the traction advantage in deep unplowed snow where the GTIs didn't have the ground clearance. Even with studs, the heavy SUV wanted to go straight no matter what you did with braking and steering inputs. On black ice with stock tires, the SUV was downright frightening. I collapsed those two down to an Outback last March. I had one black ice experience with it when it was a couple of days old. It was a challenge to keep the car on the road. The winter wheels show up on the UPS truck tomorrow. I'll get Nokians mounted in early November and get them on the car before I need to snow drive with it.
I've been a Nokian user since the 1990's. I tried one Tire Rack Blizzak WS50 special in 2007/2008. I only got 12,000 miles out of the Blizzaks before that amazing grip went away. If I had infinite money, I'd run Blizzaks and replace them every fall. When new, they really are that good. I've run the Nokian Hakka Q, R, and R2 on my VWs. They still have adequate grip at 40,000 miles to coax them through that last season. I wouldn't recommend studded Nokians on any car that gets driven much. It makes the car handle like farm equipment. The latest Blizzak WS80 is said to have improved the tire life but I have no first hand experience. If I didn't have brand loyalty to Nokian, I'd also likely consider the Michelin X-Ice.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
