2015 GT in the Snow???

[vlad1966]

I'm really liking the 2015 GT looks and I'm sure the performance will be great. It' one of the cars I'm considering for my next ride. The other contender so far is a 2015 WRX.

Living in the Chicago area, my concern would be driving the GT in the snow, since I can only afford 1 car and will be trading my current ride ('08 GTI).

Anyone here also considering the 2015 GT and driving it in the snow? I'd be pretty nervous, even with a good set of snow tires.

What are everyones thoughts?

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[dabears2322]

Do you park on the street or in a garage/ driveway? Also if you park in a garage is it attached to an alley that doesn't get plowed?

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[vlad1966]

Do you park on the street or in a garage/ driveway? Also if you park in a garage is it attached to an alley that doesn't get plowed?

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I park in a garage. Usually, during heavy snows, it may take a couple of days before the alley gets plowed.

 

[Shark77]

Snow tires work wonders.

Here's a 2013 in the snow.

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[dabears2322]

If you have good snow tires you will be fine. I am also in Chicago. Only problems I ever had was I parked on the street over a night of a bif snowfall and got stuck abd got stuck in the alley once trying to back out of the garage when it was -15. So everything back there was ice and I caught a rut everyone had been driving over. But in normal driving it is fine. Actually fun if you turn tc/sc off

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[williamwally]

I went through not this winter but previous winter with an '11 with 285 wintersports. It was fine in the big snows we got. Had one problem getting up a steep hill after one of the bigger ones, but that was it.

 

[BlackDragon]

The 12' does fantastic in the snow with blizzak tires. Pushed through over a foot of snow without issue. Cant wait to see the improvement the 15' has made

 

[Dirk McGurck]

The 2015 WRX/STI looks like a Honda Civic.

 

[Tony Alonso]

Anyone here also considering the 2015 GT and driving it in the snow? I'd be pretty nervous, even with a good set of snow tires.

What are everyones thoughts?

As others have commented, snow tires work wonders. Also, a "wet/snow" driving mode will be available for the GT, so one might expect even more help to manage.

I have driven my GT in the snow for many years. The only time I had the most trouble was on ice (I was using all-season tires) while going up a hill.

How comfortable are you driving on snowy surfaces?

 

[vlad1966]

As others have commented, snow tires work wonders. Also, a "wet/snow" driving mode will be available for the GT, so one might expect even more help to manage.

I have driven my GT in the snow for many years. The only time I had the most trouble was on ice (I was using all-season tires) while going up a hill.

How comfortable are you driving on snowy surfaces?

I'm pretty comfortable in the snow with FWD or AWD, but I've never driven a RWD car in the snow, except when I first bought an '01 GT snd drove it off the dealer lot in light flurries of snow. Car was slip sliding so much, I thought I was going to die.

 

[bee bop]

I was out in the January storm in GA at midnight picking my dad up in my 2012 MCA with the stock 18" tires with out much issues. You just have to be conscious of the conditions and drive sensibly. I have never been stuck in any of my mustangs due to snow.

 

[Tony Alonso]

I'm pretty comfortable in the snow with FWD or AWD, but I've never driven a RWD car in the snow, except when I first bought an '01 GT snd drove it off the dealer lot in light flurries of snow. Car was slip sliding so much, I thought I was going to die.

The previous generation's traction systems are different than the current vehicle set-up. I had an '03 Mach 1 that I drove on snow with all-season tires with two 70lb tubes of sand. I put one over each rear axle area in the trunk. Except for ice-over-snow conditions, I got around OK. I haven't needed to do that in my 2007 or 2010 GT.

If I were in Chicago, I would get a set of wheels and use snow tires. I see people in FWD vehicles that slide off the road because of uneven inputs (steering, braking, accelerating). If you feel comfortable in a FWD car, it is a matter of getting used to the rear losing traction, rather than the front. The tires and smooth driver inputs make the difference, in my opinion.

 

[Stanger]

Anyone here also considering the 2015 GT and driving it in the snow? I'd be pretty nervous, even with a good set of snow tires.

I'm in the same boat. I learned to drive my first car ('66 Mustang) in the Colorado snow - studded snow tires and sandbags in the trunk. I never had any problems, but did still slip around quite a bit.

As many have noted, your experience plays a huge part. Once you learn how to manage the throttle, that "I thought I was going to die" feeling goes away.

The issue that I struggle with (here and other enthusiast forums) is that everyone displays confirmation bias. If you think a set of good snow tires on RWD is better in the snow than the idiots driving AWD SUVs with All Seasons nothing on the internet will convince you otherwise.

The typical issues that the RWD w/Blizzaks crowd concede are that getting up hills and the stop/start situation are both greatly improved with AWD. Beyond that, it's all confirmation bias. There are so many people online saying I'm fine with a RWD 450hp beast in the snow that I've begun to believe them - whether it's the S550 or the M3/M4.

Literally after I wrote the above something happened. Given I'm in the financial services field and prone to risk aversion...I'll share.

My 16 year old was just delivered to our front door with a gaping hole in his chin, 2 inch long knee laceration (likely broken), and nasty road rash up his entire right arm. The culprit - long board down a hill, misjudged a turn, and slammed into a steel bridge. Wife is at the ER with him now.

How is this relevant? Shit only hits the fan after you've made your choice. :shrug:

My advice - either (a) get the Mustang PLUS a snow/ice car, or (b) get an AWD car. Again, I'm risk averse so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Grimace427]

These are Continental DW summer tires BTW. I saw more AWD cars and SUV's crashed into curbs and ditches than RWD sporty cars. What that likely means is people weren't stupid enough to be driving cars like these in the snow(I know I am!), but that also meant those people felt their AWD made them impervious to the laws of physics. Regardless of what you are driving, you have to learn how to drive in the snow before you can actually handle it. Sure a RWD car is more likely to get stuck in the snow over which you have little control. But going too fast in even an AWD car will still lead to something bad. Take your time, get snow tires if you must drive, or better yet just stay home until the roads are clear.

 

[Tony Alonso]

As many have noted, your experience plays a huge part. Once you learn how to manage the throttle, that "I thought I was going to die" feeling goes away.

Agree

The issue that I struggle with (here and other enthusiast forums) is that everyone displays confirmation bias. If you think a set of good snow tires on RWD is better in the snow than the idiots driving AWD SUVs with All Seasons nothing on the internet will convince you otherwise.

I would not say "everyone". I would say "some-to-many"

The typical issues that the RWD w/Blizzaks crowd concede are that getting up hills and the stop/start situation are both greatly improved with AWD. Beyond that, it's all confirmation bias. There are so many people online saying I'm fine with a RWD 450hp beast in the snow that I've begun to believe them - whether it's the S550 or the M3/M4.

In Chicago, it's fairly flat landscape (although there are places, of course, where that is not the case). Being from there originally, which I didn't mention, that was where I experienced winter driving. When I came to Cincinnati, I had to ensure I had a way to manage hillier terrain than there. And indeed, if you get stopped near the top of a hill and have to restart, it can be challenging, which is why I personally anticipate the traffic or avoid the hill area.

Literally after I wrote the above something happened. Given I'm in the financial services field and prone to risk aversion...I'll share.

My 16 year old was just delivered to our front door with a gaping hole in his chin, 2 inch long knee laceration (likely broken), and nasty road rash up his entire right arm. The culprit - long board down a hill, misjudged a turn, and slammed into a steel bridge. Wife is at the ER with him now.

How is this relevant? Shit only hits the fan after you've made your choice. :shrug:

Sorry to hear about your son. I hope is OK.

My advice - either (a) get the Mustang PLUS a snow/ice car, or (b) get an AWD car. Again, I'm risk averse so take it with a grain of salt.

That's definitely an option, if 2 cars enter the affordability range. If not, then driving a GT in the snow in his current location is feasible, with some provisos of course.

Again, sorry to hear about your son.

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