MCarsFan
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Disclaimer: This is not the GT350, but I dont see why the same wouldnt apply to GT350. I m considering adding snows for that car.
I have been driving RWD sports cars in cold northeast almost a decade now. I have been through "the dilemma" of should I use snow tires or should I get an AWD suv. I have considered Jeeps, trucks (even a raptor), honda pilot, x5, and you name it. In the end, I could never bring myself to drive a car like those simply because of 2 things : I despise the way they drive, corner, and stop. Big, bloated, and heavy. Makes me feel like the time I was obese (I really was at one point and took a lot of hard work to get in shape) and I couldnt go up a flight of stairs. The other reason is these big cars give the driver wrong sense of safety and superiority. You sit high and feel disconnected from the road. A smaller, nimbler, RWD car makes me much more careful driver and I pay attention to the road more.
Anyways, I have always run snow tires in my cars and I always have people come up to me (including family) and say "why dont you get a car that can handle the weather" or "how do you manage with a car like this in snow". Unfortunately most of these people are uneducated in this matter and always make me explain that a car with snow tires even in rwd form is far more effective than their 5500 lbs SUV that can turn into a death trap because its on all season tires.
You see part of the problem people never understand is, you cant win it all. There is no such thing as handling well in summer and dry pavement and then doing the same in snow using the same car and same tires. What people also miss many times or they just dont want to put up with is the right choice is usually the one that equals to the most amount of work/effort/money so they choose the easy way out.
I have experienced what I am about to post many many many times and every year I see the same stuff unfolding, but now that it happened fresh 10 minutes ago I wanted to come and post here:
- I woke up today to about 5 inches of snow. Weather temperature outside now is 25F without windchill and it was raining ice.
- I run snow tires on my M5. This is probably as bad as a car can get for snow. Its RWD. It has over 550 torque and 600 hp (bmw underrates the car) and that torque is there beginning 1500 rpm. I genuienly think gt350 would do much better because its stick shift and its not forced induction
- As I always do when it snows, I got my car out to drive around.
- Incident 1: One of those big ass buick suvs, the one with the ugly rear stop lights. The guy left his drive way (on a hill) and could not go up the road. He tried for 5 minutes various things. Car wouldnt move. He went backwards and parked the car on the side, couldnt even get back into his garage. My car was able to do a dead stop on that incline road and take off fine.
- Incident 2: Jeep grand cherokee. Made a right turn on the main road to a road that declines as it turns. He spun out 360 degrees. My car makes that turn fine.
- Incident 3: BMW X5. Stopped at a redlight thats on a hill. Couldnt go up. Kept sliding and almost hit me. I got out of my car and pushed his car to the side with 3 other people. My car went up the hill fine the very same moment.
Lesson: AWD is not going to save you in snow. Tires are more important than AWD. A RWD car with snows will be a much better car than a car with AWD and all seasons. AWD helps getting car going, it doesnt help handle better. Incident 2 is a perfect example of how lack of traction due to all seasons caused an AWD car to spin out.
I should say never but I ll say in this case. I will NEVER own an SUV. Even if I had no money and couldnt afford a sports car. I would still drive a small sedan or hatchback like focus or impreza. I dont care what anyone says!
I also cannot wait to try my GT350 next year with snow tires. I think this car will be amazing!
I have been driving RWD sports cars in cold northeast almost a decade now. I have been through "the dilemma" of should I use snow tires or should I get an AWD suv. I have considered Jeeps, trucks (even a raptor), honda pilot, x5, and you name it. In the end, I could never bring myself to drive a car like those simply because of 2 things : I despise the way they drive, corner, and stop. Big, bloated, and heavy. Makes me feel like the time I was obese (I really was at one point and took a lot of hard work to get in shape) and I couldnt go up a flight of stairs. The other reason is these big cars give the driver wrong sense of safety and superiority. You sit high and feel disconnected from the road. A smaller, nimbler, RWD car makes me much more careful driver and I pay attention to the road more.
Anyways, I have always run snow tires in my cars and I always have people come up to me (including family) and say "why dont you get a car that can handle the weather" or "how do you manage with a car like this in snow". Unfortunately most of these people are uneducated in this matter and always make me explain that a car with snow tires even in rwd form is far more effective than their 5500 lbs SUV that can turn into a death trap because its on all season tires.
You see part of the problem people never understand is, you cant win it all. There is no such thing as handling well in summer and dry pavement and then doing the same in snow using the same car and same tires. What people also miss many times or they just dont want to put up with is the right choice is usually the one that equals to the most amount of work/effort/money so they choose the easy way out.
I have experienced what I am about to post many many many times and every year I see the same stuff unfolding, but now that it happened fresh 10 minutes ago I wanted to come and post here:
- I woke up today to about 5 inches of snow. Weather temperature outside now is 25F without windchill and it was raining ice.
- I run snow tires on my M5. This is probably as bad as a car can get for snow. Its RWD. It has over 550 torque and 600 hp (bmw underrates the car) and that torque is there beginning 1500 rpm. I genuienly think gt350 would do much better because its stick shift and its not forced induction
- As I always do when it snows, I got my car out to drive around.
- Incident 1: One of those big ass buick suvs, the one with the ugly rear stop lights. The guy left his drive way (on a hill) and could not go up the road. He tried for 5 minutes various things. Car wouldnt move. He went backwards and parked the car on the side, couldnt even get back into his garage. My car was able to do a dead stop on that incline road and take off fine.
- Incident 2: Jeep grand cherokee. Made a right turn on the main road to a road that declines as it turns. He spun out 360 degrees. My car makes that turn fine.
- Incident 3: BMW X5. Stopped at a redlight thats on a hill. Couldnt go up. Kept sliding and almost hit me. I got out of my car and pushed his car to the side with 3 other people. My car went up the hill fine the very same moment.
Lesson: AWD is not going to save you in snow. Tires are more important than AWD. A RWD car with snows will be a much better car than a car with AWD and all seasons. AWD helps getting car going, it doesnt help handle better. Incident 2 is a perfect example of how lack of traction due to all seasons caused an AWD car to spin out.
I should say never but I ll say in this case. I will NEVER own an SUV. Even if I had no money and couldnt afford a sports car. I would still drive a small sedan or hatchback like focus or impreza. I dont care what anyone says!
I also cannot wait to try my GT350 next year with snow tires. I think this car will be amazing!
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