To drive the 370z in the winter or not
 

Hey guys,

Just wanted to get everyone's feelings on whether or not to drive in the winter. Its getting colder here in southern Ontario, below zero for me and my summer tires just LOVE to slide out right now.

Just wanted to ask peoples opinion on whether or not they would put snows / drive in the winter.

D

You are going to get answers all over the board. Get your pop corn ready.

I'd recommend against it- there's enough stories of the back end kicking out in wet weather, much less snow/ice conditions. I have a lot of experience with ice and snow, as you can see by my location.

I'd recommend for it- There's awesome stories of the back end kicking out in wintery weather, much less wet conditions. I really do have a lot of experience with ice and snow, as you can see by my location.

;)

Without the proper tires, it's a pain with the slightest patch of snow or even black ice! Even if you're driving well, you risk people sliding into you.

Invest in a set of winter tires and if you can rims too. The key to winter driving from my 15 years of driving RWD cars in NJ winters is be careful when pressing the gas and use a higher gear then you would normally to keep torque low avoiding slippage. You do not want to give it gas in a turn in snow you will likely spin the tail out.

Gently accelerating in the straights is fine if you go too much power your rear end will try to over take your front end and you will start to fish tail. This wont happen in a FWD because your front wheels are pulling your rear wheels along for the ride.

The only bad thing about our car that you can't control is the tire width, wide tires don't preform as well as narrow tires in deeper snow.

In all my driving RWD I only had 1 accident my fault snow related. And that was when I was 17 and didn't know **** about driving.

just curious, at what temperature would you start using winter/snow tires?

< 50º F?

I'm asking because it's starting to get cold here in the NE and I need to drive my Z out this coming weekend and the temps are starting to drop.

If you have a choice then don't do it. If you don't have any choice and you HAVE to drive it then you can get away with it, just get some good winter tires. Is the Z a good car for snow? No, simple answer. Anyone tells you different they are lieing and are too full of testosterone.

I don't, but would have no issues with snow tires. If you do, get snow tires, it's really that simple

I have another car, a 2000 acura tl 3.2 but its just not nearly as fun / nice. So i could easily drive that in the winter...

As your attorney, I advise you to buy a set of these and drive through the snow like a madman.

http://www.motorcycletire.com/mercha...PU03220053.jpg

kidding!

With the proper tires... go for it!

Uhm.. The Z isn't known for paint quality with winter comes salt, rocks more road debris. In the winter washing vehicles is a pain. RWD layout..the choice is yours. I will be driving another car.

I like to see people who use their brains. I drove a rwd pick up for years, I would put my snow tires on and would throw sand bags in the back and go. Even had to throw chains on more than a few times. I remember often saying "only wussies need 4x4!" After I got my first 4x4 there was no turning back, then I got an awd that worked amazing in snow........wow the differance is night and day. I look at vehicles as tools. Get the right tool for the job. Yes you can get by using a ratchet as a hammer but come on now.

It amazes me how much time and money people will spend to have the best smart phone for their needs, the best computer, the best TV, the best car, the best mods for their car, then turn around and not get what works best in snow. Ahhhhhh the macho man mentality.

I'm in NY, and will be driving the Z when the roads are clear. In the snow, I'll be driving the beater...mostly because the drivers around here are awful. It's bad enough that people try to Kamikaze me during perfect driving conditions.

Are you in Burlington Ontario?? I would strongly suggest storing the Z for the winter months. It will give you peace of mind knowing that it is safe for you to enjoy in the spring that is not to far off. Plus when you bring it out in the spring it feels so good, it's like it's a brand new car all over again. You'll be smiling ear to ear with a big grin. O ya you will also save your under body from rusting and the exterior will hold up a lot better with less crap being thrown at the bumper.

:drama: got mine ready......

The car is made to be driven. Get the right tires and barring deep snow, it drives just fine perhaps even better than FWD vehicles.

That's my philosophy. I understand why some want to garage their cars for winter but I love driving in snow (with snow tires) so I will never do it. Hell, I love a rainy day for good driving fun. I know many people that have never had their sports car out in rain let alone snow!

Last year there was a day with 1mm of snow on the ground. (less than visible) Mind you this was a downhill intersection but as I slowly braked from 30kmph giving it ~100-150ft to stop. I slid into the intersection. lol do not try it if you are still running stock bridgestone tires.

YOLO I'm driving my 370z this winter! Ohh wait...

If snowing dont drive, if clear drive it. Very simple. :tup:

Can you drive the z in the winter? Yes you can. Is it recommended? No, not from me. But if you have to, be sure to read this thread for the proper winter setup.

http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...k-lm-60-a.html

Post #28 is your answer.

http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...lm-60-a-2.html

some take the risk others play it safe, it all depends on you. I say get a beater and call it a day. :icon17::tiphat:

also depends if ur car is lowered mine for example i'd have a much different problem then the snow wich is clearance
so unless u r prepared to raise the car or throw stock suspension back in i wouldnt drive it

For me, it's about comfort. I know I could slap some snow tires on and be ok, but I've got a Ridgeline as well, so the Z gets parked. It's just more comfortable / less anxiety for me to drive the truck in the snow. Like if I've got to go to Indy (60 miles away) and the forecast is for 4" of snow that day, I'd be scared to take the Z. In the truck, I don't even think about it.

As I get older, I've learned that comfort / ease can be a lot more important than cool / fun.

all you guys south of the boarder :gtfo2: you don't know what winter is, except you guys that are up at the boarder like Michigan and NY state. The rest of you come on snow? how often do you guys even see that stuff?

:icon18: You do have a point.

If I lived in the snow belt up there where I expected to drive on snow on a daily basis I would definitely own a more capable and practical all around car for daily use... but that wouldn't stop me from putting snows on my sports car to take out whenever I felt like it. :icon17: :tup:

I should order snow tires for the S as I really want to be "that guy" during our next snow:

http://fastcache.gawkerassets.com/as...arge_snow1.jpg

Minus the balding. :p

Up here we can get enough snow in 1 hour that my Z would be plowing the sh!t the whole way home! (partially because my Z is lowered but also cause we get so much!)

For instance I love going snow boarding and on my way home which is approx 1 1/2 - 2 hours from where I like going. I can get enough snow that they actually close the highways regularly. Then everyone has to take the back roads if they dare to take on the drive, which is normally me :rofl2:

:icon18: that's an awesome pic! looks like summer time up here...........joking obviously I hope you guys would know that :rofl2:

That happened to me last year... left work with about 1" of snow on the ground. By the time I got home there was about 6"+ on the road and I was having some trouble with plowing. This is in my (then stock ride height) 5.0 so I had more clearance than a Z.

The key takeaway for this area was to close offices early. No one accounted for the rate of snowfall that we had and it created a huge traffic mess.

Normally I don't go anywhere while it's snowing unless I absolutely have to. I know I can get through 4-5" of snow without issue but I don't want to go somewhere when there's 2" on the road only to get stuck in 10" of snow while I'm out. I'll wait for the snow to finish falling and for the main roads to get plowed.

Should I buy a red Z or a blue Z? Whether or not you drive the Z on snow/ice and what tires to use is pretty personal.

Do you know how to drive on snow and ice? If not, I'd leave it in the garage and get something a little heavier and with narrower tires to drive. From the few minutes of experience I have on snow/ice with my Z, it is NOT a Winter car - real light-weight and the wide tires don't help (kinda reminds me of the early, no-weight-in-the-rear Mustangs), but does OK if you slow down and stick to the rules of driving on slick roads.

If your roads are salted, you're going to have to give it a good bath frequently, especially underneath (as someone else mentioned, not a pleasant job in the cold). Corrosion will be your biggest concern if you know how to drive in Winter (and ppl that don't).

Personally, I try to keep mine in the garage when it snows; mainly because very few ppl around here know how to drive on it and I don't want to get hit. Since I live in S Arkansas, that's not but 2-3 days out of the year and the slick stuff seldom stays on the roads for more than a few hours in sunlight. :) I have over 12 Winters experience with snow/ice (I'm no expert, but at least know that you don't lock up the brakes and turn the steering wheel to lock when you start sliding towards something heehee) and if I still lived in N Illinois I'd get some decent winter tires, hit the road, and take her to a heated car wash at least twice a week (or pay someone) to rinse off the salt.

YMMV

:roflpuke2:

I spent a lot of time in N Illinois and, once you learn what you're doing, Winter playing driving can be lots of fun.

Now that I'm in S Arkansas, I have to watch out for the bozos that have no idea how to drive in Summer, much less Winter. :)

Same thing in NOVA. Lots of winter newbs driving around. Every SUV around here thinks it will stop and turn as well as it can go in snow.

I love seeing those SUV guys in the ditch!

Great point. Winter driving is all about controlling what you do and minimizing exposure to crazies who think they're invincible when the cold, white stuff falls from the sky as M4A1 mentioned. Driving a Z in the winter just means you have to give yourself a greater margin of safety as it's not going to be quite as good stopping and going as, say, a WRX. Of course, when the snow turns to ice, it doesn't matter if you have 10-wheel drive, if you drive outside what's safe for conditions, you're slidin'. Bottom line, if you are comfortable with the wear and tear produced on the car's exterior in those conditions, and understand that you need to account for you and your surroundings at all times, then why not?

S.

DISCLAIMER: This opinion given from someone not "north of the border" and who probably/obviously doesn't know as much about winter driving as our august Canadian friends, but a lifetime spent driving in ID and CO makes me feel fairly confident that I may have come across inclement conditions a time or three.

Funny we still haven't had the OP respond in his own thread though........ I still am wondering if he is in Burlington, Ontario! I know that if he is he will have some days when he can't even move his Z, cause if he is in Burlington Ontario he is right on the lake and they get some crazy a$$ snow by the lake especially the south side of it! The Toronto side(north side) gets a little less normally

The Z is a car and can be driven in winter conditions like any other RWD car. It has limits with ground clearance etc. Like any other. Some days will not be good for it and when its that bad, it might not be good to be in any car to begin with.
My neighbor drives his 911GT3-RS 4.0 in any weather. I asked him about that. With a firm and smiling look - he responded, its a car! :) I love the German attitude about winter and driving!

I've long advocated for driving your Z in the winter...at least saying it's not stupid to do so if you have winter tires. That being said, last winter and again this winter I'm driving my father-in-law's Explorer. Nothing beats a big heavy 4WD vehicle in the snow. You'll get around fine in the Z with a good set of winter tires. But snow tires just make a bad situation manageable. A Z is no snow demon even with winter tires. I take a lot more comfort knowing I'm in the Explorer and my Z is tucked away from all the winter nastiness.