wcgman

My personal experience is that your statement is not true. I used to drive my 97 with studded snow tires in up to 8" of snow on a regular basis for at least 3 years and then once in at least 16" of snow when I was caught at work unprepared, then my 06 and 10 with Blizzaks if I was having problems with my explorer when the snow was flying. I'm not saying I liked it, but I had no problems. The right tire can make a world of difference. I don't have any experience with the Pirelli's, but the stock Bridgestone's were not good in the snow and ice. Then with a summer performance tire, just cold even on dry roads can be a bad experience. I think it boils down to the right tires and driving skills when it comes to the snow.

05xrunner

I agree that brazen statement is false. We had a pretty harsh winter here with a good amount of snow and ice and I had no problems. Maybe you need to upgrade your driver mod for bad road conditions. I watched people in their SUV's, AWD and fwd cars wrecked in ditches as I kept on going without any issues. So to claim these ares care awful and cant go is just flat out false. So back in the day when cars were only RWD and the tires sucked did everyone just crash into each other in the winter. People got around fine then and you can get around even better now with stability control, way more advanced tires for seasons.

jz78817

yeah, I don't buy it either. When I had my 2010 GT I got caught out in a February snowfall, and even with a light coating on the road it was a pain. Even if I did nothing but ease off the clutch to get moving (not giving it any gas) the rear slid down the road crown with the traction control chattering away.

I have a feeling that people saying these cars are "fine in snow" are really saying "I haven't managed to get stuck or rear-end anyone yet. My ABS module might be operating constantly but hey, not stuck!"

I disagree. When I had my SRT-4, I went out precisely once in winter with the stock BFG KD/W2s, and it was... not pretty. With a set of Blizzaks, it was unstoppable.

That said, I have a 4WD Ranger now because I wanted one, not specifically for winter driving.

I'm honestly really surprised to read this. Maybe newer RS/As are different, but from the experience I had on an '08 Mazda 3, the RS/A is the worst excuse for an "all season" tire I've ever experienced.

05xrunner

no my abs light has yet to come on and neither has my traction light. I drove up a 20degree grade hill that was a solid sheet of ice with no issues. I guess people think cause the car sucks *** with summer tires or some crappy all seasons the car cant go. get soe tires that work and learn how to drive in bad conditions

Cruzinaround

To get around in the Snow..... you need a manual and good snow tires. In fact the tires are the most important factor to consider. So don't cheap out in this area.

The GT's have a lot of low end torque so an automatic hitting shift point will be morelikely to kick out the rear on you even with the best snow tires on. So a manual and an rpm pocket between 2000 to 2500 is the best way to drive these cars.

Also keep about 150lbs of salt or kitty litter in the trunk during the winters. That 3 50lb bags. It will help distribute more weight over the tail end where you need it. Momentum is important. Keep the car moving forward and point the wheel where you want to go the rest will follow. Start out in 2nd gear if the ground is loose.

Also if you're going slow and about to hit an area of deep loose snow and know the tail end is going to kick out...you might want to put the traction control into sport mode. With the full traction control on it tends to bog down too easy and if you don't keep on it the car will stall. And then that salt and kitty litter in the trunk will have another purpose.

I can only stress that the one area that makes all cars equal....is ICE. If the roads are ice..then stay home...Even if you have an AWD with Snow tires.... You'll be sliding all over the place. Unless you enjoy white knuckled driving and turning ghost white by the time you either hit the wall or shut it down.

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05xrunner

the best thing is you just need to plan ahead when driving them in bad conditions. if you see a turn coming up start to plan for the bend if the road is bad way before you get it. most of the time I either just let off gas and drift through the bend in 4th with no gas or put it in neutral to slowly take the turn. same goes with very cold when road looks wet or see something like a slick patch coming off get off the gas totally and let the car just coast over it or in neutral. i rarely ever go over 2000 rpm if its bad out just 1st to get going then right to 4th.

jz78817

uh-huh.

05xrunner

Sorry that you sucked in your car in bad weather and used crappy tires then giving a general statement that the cars cant go in winter

Cruzinaround

There are a LOT of comparable RWD vehicles that are like our Mustangs with lots of HP and TQ. Mecedes, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar. These were tested with top end Snow tires Vs All Season Vs Summers and driven in loose fresh snow, wet snow and packed snow. Then Wet roads, sub freezing temperatures and ICE.

Needless to say... with the proper tires Your Mustang will stop shorter, turn better and maintain traction in the snow far better than the majority of vehicles, whether RWD, AWD or FWD, without winter tires. In fact many Winter tires are comparable in performance to most Summer tires when used in the Summer. The compounds they are made of are softer and heat up quicker than summers tires. They will also wear much quicker....


Just Saying...


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Cruzinaround

It literally depends on the type of ice. But ...Yes it can be done. If its a slick sheet of black ice then its total BS, unless you're equipped with studded tires. And then its still going to be SLOW going and perhaps a sideways climb.



I make a climb up a similar 300 yard long 20 degree incline Mon thru Fri and go back down it each evening. The ice that's covering it is a crumbly rock candy looking Ice since its traveled a lot and hit with salt then rain then freezing temps. But it is literally a sheet of ice. If I get out to walk it...I'll definitely need hiking poles to dig in or i'm slipping.

And my 2011 Mustang GT makes this climb look easy. Its equipped with Pirelli Scottozero Serie 3 shoes.... they just stick and climb. I believe there is something with the siping on the treads and the resilient compounds that just make these type of tires stick under the weight of the vehicle and react with any salt on the road... like placing SOFT rubber over an acetone treated surface.... it just sticks. In fact I often find myself at my destination looking at the tire covered with the ice it ripped off the road.

I think you just really can't picture a Mustang doing what so many other high performance RWD cars do all around the world... the difference is they are equipped with proper tires for the seasons and road conditions they are driven in.



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