Does my minivan need winter tires or all weather tires?

[Dagumol]

I have a 1999 Jeep GC 2WD (yes, Jeep makes a 2wd for whatever reason....I got it for dirt cheap). Anyway, I have all weather tires and he handles just fine. Gotta watch out for over accelerating and cornering a lil bit but it handles fine. FWIW, I also go to work at about 06:00 when the sun is still down.

[Sonic_Spork]

Originally Posted by otterprods

There are very many other existing threads about this in this and other sub forums. You should search those, but the short of it is that opinions vary by driver and location. If you want to be safer in winter get good winter tires and if you ager still get them studded. There's no substitute for good driving but most people assume no one but themselves is a good driver, so why even go there?

I actually might be one of the few that doesn't assume that. I assume that many other drivers are more capable than I, or at least have vehicles with better snow features (4WD/AWD) and more importantly a higher degree of confidence in their own abilities when driving on wintry roads. The only ones I get fussy about are the tailgaters.

I know my limits. As in, I have been in an uncontrolled slide before, attempted to apply technique I had heard about (steer into the skid, don't brake or accelerate) and because it all happened so fast and I was terrified, nothing went in any way as planned and I could not regain control. I know that if anyone had been in my way that day, I would likely have killed them. An out of control minivan isn't a nice thing. In light of the fact that I'm not skilled at regaining control in such an instance, I do everything I can to avoid it...hence driving slower than granny in the right lane, mumbling "go around...go around" under my breath. lol

[Carrera32]

Sonic - From your description, it appears you've had a pretty traumatic experience. I can sympathize. I consider myself a pretty good driver in snow and ice, but I recall that years ago, I hit a large patch of black ice at night as I was making a left turn at moderate speed off a dry busy road. In a split second, I was in an uncontrollable snap spin. Luckily for me (and my passenger) I hit a curb that kept me from going off the road and into a culvert. Instead I bounced off the curb and wound up doing a 360 in the middle of the road and ended up pointing in the right direction. Other than a bent wheel rim, there was no damage. I was pretty shaken up though. Moral of the story is that no matter how experienced or skilled you are, things like what happened to you and to me can happen without warning, and when it happens you're basically along for the ride. That said, it sounds like your experience left you pretty skittish about driving in these conditions. I can recommend a winter driving clinic by Masterdrive here in Colorado Springs. It's not terribly expensive and they're running a special right now. If you watch their video on the website (Click Other Programs, then Seasonal Programs) pay attention to the testimonial by "Chris." Chris is the Chief Driving Instructor for the the local region of the Porsche Club of America. He's also a veteran of the Pikes Peak Hillclimb, with a first and second in class wins. He's a very, very skilled race car driver. In the video he says he took the course and feels it helped him when he lost control of his car on ice and hit a mailbox in his neighborhood (it really can happen to anyone). I also took the course a couple of years ago and feel it helped my winter driving skills as well. It's only a one day course and it's fun. You use their closed facility with a skid pad and your car. There'll be an instructor with you at all times. If nothing else, I think it would help your level of self-confidence in wintry conditions. Check it out and good luck.

[dr.frog]

Originally Posted by Sonic_Spork

I actually might be one of the few that doesn't assume that. I assume that many other drivers are more capable than I, or at least have vehicles with better snow features (4WD/AWD) and more importantly a higher degree of confidence in their own abilities when driving on wintry roads. The only ones I get fussy about are the tailgaters.

I guess I've done too much winter driving when I've seen folks go barrelling past me in a big SUV when it's snowing hard, and then not too much farther up the highway I see that same big SUV off the side of the road in a ditch..... 4WD isn't going to save you if you think it makes you exempt from the laws of physics.

[Colorado^]

Originally Posted by otterprods

There are very many other existing threads about this in this and other sub forums. You should search those, but the short of it is that opinions vary by driver and location. If you want to be safer in winter get good winter tires and if you ager still get them studded. There's no substitute for good driving but most people assume no one but themselves is a good driver, so why even go there?

Just to clarify, you can't stud a stud-able tire once it's been driven on. Either you get the studs when the tires are mounted, or you go without.

[Sonic_Spork]

Originally Posted by Carrera32

Sonic - From your description, it appears you've had a pretty traumatic experience. I can sympathize. I consider myself a pretty good driver in snow and ice, but I recall that years ago, I hit a large patch of black ice at night as I was making a left turn at moderate speed off a dry busy road. In a split second, I was in an uncontrollable snap spin. Luckily for me (and my passenger) I hit a curb that kept me from going off the road and into a culvert. Instead I bounced off the curb and wound up doing a 360 in the middle of the road and ended up pointing in the right direction. Other than a bent wheel rim, there was no damage. I was pretty shaken up though. Moral of the story is that no matter how experienced or skilled you are, things like what happened to you and to me can happen without warning, and when it happens you're basically along for the ride. That said, it sounds like your experience left you pretty skittish about driving in these conditions. I can recommend a winter driving clinic by Masterdrive here in Colorado Springs. It's not terribly expensive and they're running a special right now. If you watch their video on the website (Click Other Programs, then Seasonal Programs) pay attention to the testimonial by "Chris." Chris is the Chief Driving Instructor for the the local region of the Porsche Club of America. He's also a veteran of the Pikes Peak Hillclimb, with a first and second in class wins. He's a very, very skilled race car driver. In the video he says he took the course and feels it helped him when he lost control of his car on ice and hit a mailbox in his neighborhood (it really can happen to anyone). I also took the course a couple of years ago and feel it helped my winter driving skills as well. It's only a one day course and it's fun. You use their closed facility with a skid pad and your car. There'll be an instructor with you at all times. If nothing else, I think it would help your level of self-confidence in wintry conditions. Check it out and good luck.

*nods* I've actually heard of this class. One of these days I just might.

My experience was in Iowa (lived there 8 years, so I do have some experience with winter driving.) I was heading in to work early one morning on mostly packed snow. I was going slowly and trying to be very careful. Ahead, a traffic light turned yellow. I had plenty of space and I very lightly and slowly began to brake. It was at that moment that all hell broke loose. I must have hit a patch of ice (the way packed snow gets sometimes, as it did yesterday here.) My back end slid out from under me. My van careened across the street, hit the median curb and richocheted back across the 2 lanes to land "WHUMPF!" in a snowpile on the side of the road. A wave of snow flying up into the air. I was maybe doing 10-15 mph when this started...but it seemed my slide was somehow much faster...yet I don't recall hitting my gas or brakes after I began to slide. I have no idea really what happened because it happened very fast. I am just glad it was the wee hours of the morning and no traffic was on the road...especially no cars smaller than my van.

I have noticed since then that if I load weight into the back of the van, it helps prevent the rear end from sliding as it did that day. So when I expect bad weather I sometimes go stock up on cat litter... Despite my experience, I do not drive in twitchy fear, I stay calm and focused these days, but my point is no one is going to make me speed up if I'm not comfortable doing so. As for the people behind me...well it is their obligation and not mine to make sure they don't drive so fast they can't brake and slow down or stop as needed. It is in everyone's best interest that I stay in control of my van.

Originally Posted by dr.frog

I guess I've done too much winter driving when I've seen folks go barrelling past me in a big SUV when it's snowing hard, and then not too much farther up the highway I see that same big SUV off the side of the road in a ditch..... 4WD isn't going to save you if you think it makes you exempt from the laws of physics.

Yes, we used to laugh about these people back in Iowa. Usually folks who think their "magical" 4WD will allow them to stop or turn or drive fast on ice and nothing bad will happen. Almost all of the vehicles in ditches in Iowa were SUV's.

But I would rather anyone barrel on around me, any day, than have them ride up on my bumper as though they will intimidate me into driving faster than I feel safe.

[mic111]

Originally Posted by Sonic_Spork

I have been in an uncontrolled slide before, attempted to apply technique I had heard about (steer into the skid, don't brake or accelerate) and because it all happened so fast and I was terrified, nothing went in any way as planned and I could not regain control. I know that if anyone had been in my way that day, I would likely have killed them. An out of control minivan isn't a nice thing. In light of the fact that I'm not skilled at regaining control in such an instance, I do everything I can to avoid it...hence driving slower than granny in the right lane, mumbling "go around...go around" under my breath. lol

To become a little more confident you may want to go to an empty church parking lot on a icy day and practice putting yourself in and coming out of skids, slides etc. Once you practice the techniques you've read about they become more second nature because you know what they feel like and your mind will not be panicking.

This isn't to get you to drive faster because I think your doing the right thing. But you want to gain some experience with winter driving techniques so you can put the techniques into practice should you need them.