I'd agree with that, the people you see driving like maniacs in the snow are SUV drivers...probably from California.

 

You are right........too early to be talking about SNOW + Salt.
I had it on my mind as got new replacement Blizzaks a couple weeks back. No more having to go through 4-8" with confidence in passing everybody by on WI I43 and drifting single lane on county hwy 20. 8 inches in town driving on side streets not plowed, while FWD drive cars and SUVs with all season tires are struggling, brings smiles as I go around them.

Sorry for mentioning this topic so soon and thought ANOTHER thread was in order.......... Brings out the best in people.

 

I drive mine year round here in SE Michigan - and have a 45 mile each way commute daily.

No extra weight in the car, and on the stock Pirelli's. I have never gotten stuck or had any problems.

 

I've driven my 2013 V-6PP in the snow a couple of times when my old winter beater (Eclipse AWD) was down for the count. It is NOT fun when you're slip-sliding around on Pirelli summer tires that have turned into hockey pucks! Correction: It's fun to hoon around an empty parking lot (watch out for those light poles!), but the pucker factor rises when semis are flying by you in the middle of a blinding blizzard at 1am. I'm usually one to turn traction control OFF when I get the chance, but it saved my bacon a few times in the snow, especially on the many hills in my hometown.

In this case, though, I blame the tires rather than the car since I've had some similarly frightening winter experiences in my last summer tire-shod car (2007 Mazdaspeed3). The MS3 was a snowmobile when equipped with snow tires, though. Another Mass MF'er drives his 2013 V-6PP in the winter with snow tires and he says its great. I'm sure it is, and I'm not afraid of RWD in the snow when equipped with snow tires (my first car was a Nissan 240SX with snows). I am, however, wary of road salt and the corrosion it causes. Corrosion killed my 240SX and Eclipse, I don't want it to to turn my 'Stang into a Rustang.

 

Not to worry if you have Ziebart Rust Proof and sound deadened.
Then run through the occasional auto car wash with under body flush!
Be not afraid........ I have 4 chip marks on the hood from the road salt over the 4 years I drove interstate with it. Been waxing over the chip marks with Fire Glaze Plus once a year when it is due.

 

...providing it was rust proofed before EVER seeing moisture and I mean right off the assembly line or off the truck at the dealership (and assuming the factory drove it dry). I've seen plenty of cars that were rustproofed at some point in time AFTER they were driven off the lot and whatever was on the frame, DESPITE THE PRE-APPLICATION PREP CLEANINGS, resulted in more rust and damage than had it NOT been rustproofed. Just sayin'...

 

I'd completely understand if it were a 1000cc sportsbike, but weather happens and the thing about cars is you don't get soaked and cold. My dad avoids getting on his Hayabusa if there's any risk of rain or even if he had a couple of beers the night before...

Even with the standard tires, I was mostly fine this winter, but I really would only drive once the street had been plowed. Blizzaks would've been great a couple of times pulling away on hills, but even then, just turning off TCS and using 2nd instead to pull away worked out ok. With nobody interested in buying my old 16s I'm thinking a lot about getting some Blizzaks for those and having a set of front rotors and pads for winter with them.

 

The only car I will drive in the rust belt during winter is a rental when I fly home for Christmas... I don't care if you rust proofed the car, it will never be as easy to work on as a car that has never seen salt.

 

In NY the fluffy snow gets deep fast and your low front end shovels the snow up and under. You float and lift your wheels.

Positive Traction to keep you from crabbing sideways.

Stick your two outside wheels on the Wake-up bars to overcome a slippery steep spot.
Get some undercoating protection from the salt.
Frozen batteries park on a slope (pop clutch in second) get new/or trifle charge battery.

 

I live in florida so i dont have to deal with this, but i would buy a winter beater car if i lived in a place where it snowed.

when its snowing out its not like your going to be pushing the performance limits of the car , that combined with the salt would get me buying some old beater 4wd vehicle which would be more fun and more suited to drive in those conditions.