Ato

Well I'm board at work so I figured I would make a new post. What you should know first is that the Mustang is my DD although my fiance and I also have a 2009 Fusion that I drive every now and then. Also, my last 2 vehicle, both of which I took through the same winters were trucks. The first was a 2005 CMC Canyon 4x2 w/ just a few sand tubes in the bed. The second was a 2007 f150 4x4 w/o any weight in the bed. Very rearly, did I use the 4 wheel drive in the f150 b/c it just usually didn't seem necessary. Neither of these trucks, nor does the Mustang had or have snow tires.
Anyway, on to the story. A few hours before I had to work at midnight the snow starts falling pretty heavy and the fiance starts getting nervious. My drive to work is 19 miles each way and she suggests I take the Fusion instead since it is a bit better manored in the snow. I say, "no way, I need to take the car out sooner or later in the snow to know how it will do and this is as good a time as any." By the time I left the house there was a few inchs of snow on the ground and the side and town roads weren't very well plowed, especially at the intersections. Pulling out of the drive and putting it in first I immediately start kicking out sideway and start to rethink my whole plan, not just w/ taking the Fusion, but driving the Mustang in the winter in general. I tell myself suck it up and press on. Through the next few intersections I continued to kick the back end out a bit but I was starting to get the hang of the throtle control in the snowy conditions. By the final intersection before the highway I found that by simply bogging the car down a bit and pulling away in second it solved much of my traction problems. Turning TCS off in the deeper snow also seemed to help although once I got going I put it back on.
Getting up to speed on the highway I simply kept the car a bit bogged down in a higher gear 30 in 4th, and 40 in 5th seemed to work pretty well. Once I was up to cruising speed (which in these conditions the concensius was around 50 mph by the majority of drivers on this 65 mph highway) I really had no problems what-so-ever controling the car. During the drive I did not use cruise (which in bad weather is a bad idea no matter what you drive) and let up on the gas whenever I crossed a rough part of the road, overpass, etc. One thing I did not do was try to move into the passing left lane at any time since it had not been plowed in quite a while if at all although I was not the only one. Aside from a few rigs and idiots in awd or 4x4 w/ a false sense of security everyone pretty much stayed to the right.
My overall impression is this, once you make it out of the deeper snow and get moving a cruising speed the Mustang handles just fine in the winter. After all it is just like any other car. Under little or no load a car whether is be fwd, awd, 4wd or rwd is just as likely to understeer or oversteer where weight distribution plays a bigger roll then drivetrain. Certainly though there is no question snow tires would increase traction w/ all drivetrains.
There is one thing I have developed as a driver since I bought this car and that is respect. A respect that came in the form of almost fear that I haven't had since I first got behind the wheel when I was 16. I think this kind of respect for a car is important that many people just take for granted in driving a fwd or awd/4wd vehicle. it's that false since of security that luls drivers into not changing their driving habits even in the worst weather. I respect the mustang for its possitives and its detraments. These detraments remind me of what the limits of a car are and why I shouldn't take them for granted regardless of what vehicle I am in.
If anyone else has any winter stories or bad weather stories I would love to hear them.

nicknitro25

Haha you will come to not only feel comfortable driving in the snow, but realize its an absolute blast.

At no other time do I feel more connected and feel like I am in complete control of my car then when I am driving through a snowstorm. You almost need to bond with the car (Gone in 60 Seconds with Nicholas cage "We will get through this together Elenor").

I am only 19, got my GT when I was 17. The car I learned to drive on and had the previous year was a 4- cylinder FWD Honda Accord, so there was definitely a learning curve going to RWD and up about 150hp.

I feel your pain on the back side slipping out. I remember one time I had to drive about 45 minutes home from my University and it was down twisty turny roads. I had snow tires on and had driven in snow before, but not this type of storm. I have an Automatic so its a bit more difficult to control what gear I am in, whenever I would push the pedal the car would rev up, back would slide out and I would have to ease off and steady her out. I think my average speed was bout 15mph lol.

Pretty much if there is a storm out, I don't go over 25 mph..if I am on the highway I will go about 50 at most as well.

Ato

This is exactly it and I really didn't stress it before. Driving to work tonight I actually felt comfortable and in control. I knew what the limits of the car were and I didn't push them. Just last week I was driving the fiance's Fusion through a rain/snow mix late at night. There was no accumulation and all the other car were passing me, I was nervous and I had to keep reminding myself to loosen up my grip on the wheel. I think the reason is simple, I felt like I was so used to rwd and knew the limits of that vs. fwd that I don't drive much and have no idea what the true limit is. Fwd has such a false sense of secuity that goes along w/ it, that to me it has such an all or nothing situation. One minute your driving along, the next you are in a ditch and you have no warning. Rwd is just the opposite, you know exactly if not close to it where the limit is, you work your way up that curve and know pretty well when you are about to cross it.

07musclemustang

i have been driving a mustand in the winter (alberta canada winter that is) for 5 years and have not had a problem. untill an idiot made an illegal left hand turn and took out my last one (i didnt even see him untill i hit em) no way to avoid itwinter or not.
I agree that a rwd with posi is the best vehichle to drive in the winter period. your drive tires can spin and spin and you still have steering . the beter driver will be more comfortable with this but the worse driver will perfer a fwd or awd car for a better sence of security. but the problem that the dont understand is your steering is limited. witch is more important the getting going.
Ha ok funny story. we have about 4 inches of snow here now and 3 of them new today not plowed at all and i had a buddy help with his truck to take my tool box to my new work but anyways i was playying around at almost every turn (off major roads) and after doing block long side to side fish tails he asked me if i can teach him how to drive. I said sure and then he asked in my car. deals off but long story short i took him for some turns in his truck. hes got alot to learn but hes getting the hang of it counter steer and flick and steer and flick throttle solid and up and solid and up. anyways i was gonna add sand bags bought 2 of them and yeah i scrape coming out of the parkade so they came out fast. it was either that or the wife.
winter tires help but still if i were to get them i would only put them on the front.. so i can play with the rear and not burn the rubber right off.