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.
Potenza tires in winter? There is your first clue. I recommend Nokian Nordman snow tires with or without studs.
The best winter cars I ever had were Subaru legacy wagons with full time all wheel drive and good snow tires. Second best was a '65 VW Beetle with a modified suspension and 4 good snow tires. The FWD SAAAB 99's were also decent and could be remarkably fast on packed snow. The absolute worst was a '80 GM pick up RWD. Even studded snow tires did not help all that much.
With a really steep icy driveway and expecting guests in FWD cars... sand it. Keep a barrel of sand at the top during the wintertime.
Otherwise, having good snow tires is key. Also going slow and NEVER stopping midway.
About ten years ago, my boyfriend in my Civic with Nokian snow tires was at a friend's house with a steep icy driveway. The other FWD cars didn't have snow tires on and couldn't make it up that driveway. My boyfriend made it up fine and then did it again with stopping at various points along the way. He was trying to show them how much better my Civic's traction was with snow tires.
We got another 1.5" of snow this week and the sheet of ice was still underneath it. I tried driving the Mazda 3 up my driveway again and still couldn't get it up the driveway going forward. I put it in reverse and it worked like a charm. If it was my car I would definitely buy snow tires (I even have snow tires on my Audi Q5 which performs adequately with all-season tires), but it's not my car and not my money. Thanks for the ideas guys.
I just bought a KIA sportage with FWD, I thought it had AWD. I have a short but very steep hill up to my new apt and I live in NY and have 2 small children. I am concerned about traction going up the hill in winter or icy conditions with only front wheel drive. Are my concerns valid? Both my husband and the car dealer say I shouldnt worry.
I have a steep 300 ft driveway that is often icy during the winter. My wife and I both have heavy vehicles that are AWD so we haven't lost traction driving up when it's icy or has a foot of snow. This weekend we had 1" of snow. Our friend came to visit and she couldn't make it up the driveway in her little Mazda 3. We spent 15 min trying to drive it up the hill, but the little POS kept sliding back down. I don't know if it's because it's FWD or because it weighs 1 ton less than either of our vehicles. How do people with compact FWD cars deal with New England weather? I'm sure it's fine on flat roads, but I can't imagine being stopped uphill at a red light driving one of those things.
Also some advice on how we can invite our friends over during the winter would be appreciated. We have a large flat area with room for 10 cars near our garage, but the problem is getting a compact car up the hill.
FWD is a problem when conditions are bad, especially going uphill. Your weight is shifted to to the rear (non-powered) wheels when going uphill. Moreso, tires are a big issue. I had a 4x4 p/u with decent all-seasons at my first house out here, with a steep driveway. Far tooooo many times (well, 1 is too many), I went sliding backwards down the driveway with all four wheel locked. Hard packed snow, with warming conditions making it slick, or with ice, were terrible. Luckly there was a nice snow-berm at the bottom across the road to land in. Broke down and got studded snow tires-no more problems. Granted it was about a 15% grade.
With a FWD on an uphill grade, try backing up it if it's not too long.
I just bought a KIA sportage with FWD, I thought it had AWD. I have a short but very steep hill up to my new apt and I live in NY and have 2 small children. I am concerned about traction going up the hill in winter or icy conditions with only front wheel drive. Are my concerns valid? Both my husband and the car dealer say I shouldnt worry.
Depends on where in NY. I grew up around Buffalo, there weren't enough hills to worry about. But if you have a steep driveway or grade to deal with, yes it is an issue. I'd suggest putting on studded snow tires to get by-but wait, you live in NY. Such devices that make your life safer are not legal there. Honestly though, most places in NYS plow/SALT/sand often enough that the roads are decent, and with cold weather traction is pretty good. It's right around freezing where things get ugly.
I have driven mostly small, lightweight, front-wheel-drive cars, and I live in Maine. Studded snow tires are the answer. I routinely have to go up a rather steep hill, where it is not possible to get a run for it (starting from almost a dead stop at the foot of it). Without the studded tires, it would be impossible to make it; with them, the wheels don't even slip!
People don't realize what a difference they make until they actually have them. But they are absolutely necessary on small, light-weight vehicles, and especially on anything rear-wheel drive. You might be able to get by without them with four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, but those systems aren't adding any traction to each individual wheel; they don't help you stop any quicker in an emergency, and they aren't going to hold traction for you around a curve.
Studs are not "absolutely necessary" on any vehicle except maybe an ice racer. For everything else, conventional snow tires will do everything studded tires will do 98% of the time.
In the mountains I keep 2 sets of mounted tires snow tires for winter and highway tires for the summer.
If I am going off the mountain where there is no snow for a significant distance I put on the summer tires and use snow chains for getting off the hill or getting home.
Cables satisfy the law but good quality snow chains are superior in every way.
There is a configuration called spider chains that can be applied very easily ,but i don't know if they are still available.
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.