What do you guys in the Northeast do in the winter?
 

Hello:

I am seriously considering getting the Z as my new car, but concerned about the winter.

I would need to use the Z as my daily driver but noticed they all come stock with summer tires only. Living in the Northeast this could be a problem!

For those in that live in areas that get snow and ice, what do you do? Keep it in the garage until spring? Use snow tires? Replace the stock tires with all season tires? Drive with the stock summer tires and hope for the best?:eekdance:

You can pick up a set of 18" rims and snow tires for around $1200, which is probably your best bet if you don't have another car you can borrow on snow days. At least two of our members have done this via TireRack.

All-Seasons are OK, but with the Z snow performance will be marginal at best.

I drive another vehicle during snow days (and the aftermath). Otherwise, if the roads are dry I use the summer tires, and they will grip fine once they warm up. Cold, they aren't dangerous, just don't be a lead foot. If you have to drive in the snow, you have to have another set of tires, and snow tires area awesome in that weather. But, they will wear quickly on dry pavement, especially if you delay changing them out as spring shows up.

If I had to drive my car every day, I would put snow tires on - in other cars I have enjoyed the Michelin Alpins.

If I had to drive the Z as a DD in the Winter I would have not bought the car.

I commend the guys who drive the Z in Winter(Snow) but not me. I'm to "picky" about my car, that is why I have a truck as a DD for Winter.

Even here in the mid-south, I won't drive my Z in the winter.

Had it have to be my only mode of transportation, I wouldn't have bought it...instead opting for a truck or SUV, which I have now, that I will drive should I need to in the winter.

Wife and I carpool in her Civic...and there's really not a reason to not carpool since we work fairly close to each other.

I store my Z for the winter, I bought it with no intension of driving it in the snow. I have a maxima as a daily driver and the high performance all seasons are pretty sketchy at best in the snow. I would highly recommend winter tires if you plan on driving in the snow, particularly since its a RWD car. I have Dunlop winter M3's on my maxima, its a decent all around winter tire thats not noisy.

Winter tires usually run 1'' less in diameter then stock, are narrower for getting through slush and snow, and have a much softer tire compound for traction in the cold. Winter tires IMO are a good insurance policy, if they keep you out of one accident they were worth the money.

I have plenty of PTO stored up

Yea mine is stored in an indoor heated facility. It sleeps next to a ZR1, SLR AMG, 997 911 Turbo, 09 Viper and a Maserati Gran Turismo. It's in good company to say the least lol! I drive an Audi A4 in the winter.

Just had a couple snow storms in NJ. I got snow tires on my z and it handled well enough.

Snow tires will help significantly but i have to say it's pretty sad watching folks driving sports cars (roadsters are worse) in the snow all covered in corrosive icemelt and salt.

Just not the right tools for the right job.

Mine has been hibernating since 12/1. :)

Some of us can't afford the luxury of a winter car to replace the Z. So, my Z will tolerate snow, salt, slush...it's still a car. I have yet to see any proof that it's built differently and can't tolerate what any other car can take in the way of corrosion.

Although, I can afford a DD during winter, I most definitely agree. It is still a car..:tup:

A few more years and residency will be over. As long as Barack doesn't mess up my reimbursements, I'll have a winter car and summer sports car :).

i put winter tires on 18 inch wheels from the base model and drive it in winter. if anything, its actually safer to drive and handles better than the folks above me who talked about a truck or suv. with appropriate winter tires and vdc on, the car is safer and better handling than most other sedans and trucks out there on the road.

as for the whole thing about icemelt and salt, i wash my car very frequently, up to 2-3 times a week if the roads are covered with salt. that should cut down the corrosion. there's absolutely no reason why a 370z cannot work in the winter.

and one more thing, all season tires are no season tires. get proper winter tires for winter and summer tires for summer

I've been using a yard pesticide sprayer to rinse the car with fresh water after drives in the salt grime. Unfortunately, I think it's more for my peace of mind than any real benefit. I'm going to hit a local self-wash once or twice a week just to remove the road grime layer.

honestly, I keep the Z garaged and drive a camry

Yeah as most others have said here, it's not a great choice for the parts of North America that get crappy winters. The best bet is to park it from Nov - Feb and have a Winter car/truck to use for that time period.

I'm in Western Canada and I do see 350's and 370's being driven year round with winter tires on them but even with the best Winter tires the car is still marginal at best for that kind of weather.....why risk it, not to mention bad Winters are not great for the body, paint, moldings, etc of the car.

...and for $1200 can't you buy a pretty decent beater better suited to drive in the snow?

What kind and what size winter tires did you use for the base model 18 inch rims?

Haha, snow day = take the day off. I like the way you think. :tiphat:

:iagree:

Yes, but then I wouldn't get to drive my Z every day! Different priorities I guess.

My Z with Blizzaks on 18's has fared better than our "better" snow car - my wife had a little accident the other day... :(

http://www.the370z.com/members/schru...9-13-33-11.jpg

So instead of driving my Z with Blizzaks, I'm supposed to risk my life in a $1200 piece of crap car with bald tires that someone put 100,000 miles on? I don't see how that's a better alternative.

Parking spaces are also a premium in big cities. Having an extra car then costs you another pretty penny to either put the Z in storage or buy another space.

Can you rightfully say that a Z will drive well in snow?

I can't. I think driving the Z in winter would be akin to riding a snowmobile on water in summer instead of a jetski...or "muddin with a Z"

Some tools are better suited for other purposes. While you might be "safer" in your Z should get in an accident, you're more likely to get INTO an accident with the Z in winter, than with a "$1200 POS w/ 100K miles on it".

Storage units cost what, $75/mo? (I know around here they are $130 for ones large enough to store 2 cars) How much will your insurance go up, and how much will a rental cost you, and how long will you be without your Z...and how likely is it that you may total your Z or it not be "perfect" ever again?

Think of it as a $75/mo extra insurance policy that you'll have it come spring melt-off.

I paid $1500 for a 2001 Audi A4 Quattro with 6 airbags with 140,000 miles with Blizzaks. The term "piece of crap car" is relative in this case. I DD'ed an S2000 and I had many close calls. Lesson learned. In any case there are very good deals out there to be had.

Yes. I have a 370 with Blizzaks and I've been driving it in the snow. I came from a 2008 Audi A4 with Quattro and the Z brakes and corners better than the Audi did (with A/S tires).

I had two Audi's before my Z. The amount of money I spent on repairs once my warranty was up quickly added up on my 2000 A4. For $1200, I went with winter tires and my Z can deal with snow. An old Audi, from my experience, is a money pit.

what tires can we put on the base model 18s...i want to get the blizzaks....whats the exact size and best place to get them

I dunno, I guess I go with the point of driving a POS in winter, because it's not just my driving ability that I have to worry about, it's other people.

But hey, it's your car. Hope you have GAP insurance.

Hey man, I was going through the same issue that you are going through right now. A little about myself, I live in West Virgina, and work in the Washington DC area as a professional firefighter. Unlike other government employees, we get no liberal leave days, and when everything is closed, we still got to go to work. I was thinking I would just take it easy with my Z, as it was my daily driver, and I could get through the snow.... THEN REALITY SET IN!!
The Z is a sports car, and it was built as such. As the temps went below the 40 degree mark, the tires started losing their grip, and what little amount of ice I did drive over was terrifiying. Sure, you could put snow tires on your Z, but that doesn't change the fact that it still has 330 horses going to the back wheels, and the car sits close to the ground. So, even if you could get over the fact that your have a lot of power to the rear wheels (which are, by the way, summer performance tires), you wont be able to get far, as it is close to the ground.
Some members on this site have outfitted their Z's with winter tires and rims. I believe that is going to run you somewhere around 1500 dollars. That is great, but remember, you are still going to be subjecting your car to the salt, and overall grime that is going to get all up over and in your car. Not to mention the overall danger of wrecking it! Do yourself a favor, and get a beater.... I just purchased a 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee, fully loaded for $2000.00 . That is 500 more that what a set of winter tires and rims will cost you, and you can keep your Z in the garage. I know for a fact that Jeeps don't hold their value AT ALL, and you can get a nice one for just a little more than you could by the tires for.
The Z wasnt made for the snow, and you will only be subjecting yourself to a very long, stressful, and perhaps costly winter!
Hope this helps!
:tiphat:
On another note, there are members who drive their Z's during winter, through snowy conditions. My hat is off to them, they are better drivers and got more balls than I do!

I seriously am considering getting rid of my Z because of how horrible it drove in the snow. Not even a small amount of snow is drivable. Today I'm going to look at Nissan Versas. If I'm gonna keep the Z...only time will tell.

Is it possible to transfer the car and the payments over to someone else easily? I'm looking for potential buyers.

Uh ... tires? You can't drive any vehicle with Summer tires in any amount of snow ... period. You should have checked this out going in. Buy 18" Winter tires if you have 18" wheels and be happy, or get a cheap winter vehicle.

can i put the blizzaks in 225/50/18 on all four tires on the stock 18s or do i have to go with the stock staggered set-up ?

The reason that you spend so much on a winter ride is because it was an Audi, they are known to be money pits. The very reason I didn't buy one. I had a subaru legacy w/4wd i bought for 1500 bucks, drove it for four winters and spent money on oil changes and a timing belt, then sold it for $1200. Definately worth it IMO. Subaru w/ winter tires = win

In the Jersey/ Delaware area we got anywhere from 8-14 inches of snow last weekend. My car was shoveled out and cleaned off and has not yet moved. If there is any amount of snow or ice on the roads..I'd much rather let it sit.Not taking any risk in a Z. My 350z drove like **** in the snow. Like someone already said..I have plenty of PTO accrued. I don't mess with the snow!

The 225/50/18 is technically too narrow for the 9" rear rim but it would fit anyway, and look a little stretched. Given that in NY area it's not snowing that often the staggered setup will offer better dry grip, and do fine in the plowed and not too deep snow. The Z can't handle anymore than about 3 inches of snow anyway because of the ground clearance.

I wouldn't mind the $1200 subaru option but parking in Chicago costs a premium. I'd have to find a local storage garage but I'm not that motivated and would rather drive my Z with the snow tires.

:iagree: soo a pos rustbucket with the engine blowing smoke, sagging suspension, leaking dampers, bald worn out tires, brake pads worn all the way to the rivets, floorpan falling off, windshield cracked, headlights weak, wipers unoperational is actually safer than a brand new state of the art sports car with snow tires, advanced suspension, high lateral grip, low ride height, excellent steering feel and communication of the road condition to the driver, along with abs, traction control, and vdc? say what? u sure it wasnt salvaged? over here an a4 2001 costs at least 6-10000 depending on condition and mileage. 1500 would get you exactly what i mentioned above: a pos rustbucket with the engine blowing smoke, sagging suspension, leaking dampers, bald worn out tires, brake pads worn all the way to the rivets, floorpan falling off, windshield cracked, headlights weak, wipers unoperational

:bowrofl::roflpuke2::icon18::inoutroflpuke: downgrading all the way down from a z to a versa cuz of a little snow. at least get a wrx or an evo instead. come on man, anything but a versa!

How do you know I even need GAP insurance? Maybe I own my car outright or made a decent down payment. Let me worry about me.

Thanks for all the input. Its going to be very hard to decide what to do.

When I have a car, especially a new one, I like to drive it everyday! I would get down and frustrated if I had to just look at my new Z all winter sitting in my garage. I'd go nuts!! Plus in NJ the last thing you want is to have to pay insurance on two cars, one of which sits unused all winter.

I do apprecite all your input. This seems to be a very active board (even more that the Maxima.org where I usually lurk!), so if I do get my Z I will be sure to return!

Thanks again

Regarding insurance, you should speak with your insurance company. Most will let you drop coverage on a car while you initiate coverage on another for part of the year. Just be sure to keep comprehensive coverage on whichever car you're not using.