MR2 bad for driving on SNOW?

fghijk · 01-01-2007, 04:29 PM

Hi, I had a bad experience driving my 93 mr2 n/a on snow. I had lost control of the car a couple times in a two lane-two way highway where there's opposite traffic coming towards me (really dangerous situation

). I think the snow was about an inch thick. The tires I was using were Falken ZE-512. I've drove another car (FWD 2004 honda civic) in a similar situation and I found it much more comfortable and easy to control in snow.

Is Mr2 (mid-engine, RWD, with different weight distribution compare to civic) a bad and unsafe car to drive in snow? What can I do to gain better control of the car in snow? Does changing to snow tires provide a great improvement? Which all-season tires provide better handling in rain and snow?Thanks.

Mekkahfire · 01-01-2007, 04:46 PM

Instructions for driving an MR2 in the snow:

1) Do not accelerate while taking a corner.
2) Do not lift off the gas while taking a corner.
3) Do not brake in the middle of a corner, or hard before a corner.

And youl be fine.

I love MR2's in the snow, it brings excitement to parking lots while you practice chain-drifting.

Enthalpy · 01-01-2007, 05:37 PM

All Season tires are really no-season tires. What you need for snow (yes, need) are really great snow tires. If you have a lot of ice storms where you live, consider studs. Make the tires narrow and put them on a 2nd set of rims so they are easily installed and uninstalled when a storm comes.

You would be simply amazed at what really great tires give you in the snow!

After that, you just have to modify your driving technique so you aren't a retard on the snow. Feather the throttle, give yourself plenty of room, slow for lights, watch out for patches of ice on dry pavement. You know, the basics!

SpeedballTrix · 01-01-2007, 06:05 PM

^^^ QFT

MR ED · 01-01-2007, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mekkahfire

I love MR2's in the snow, it brings excitement to parking lots while you practice chain-drifting.

+1

Fazed Out · 01-03-2007, 01:30 AM

I use Bridgestone Blizzaks for winter tires. The trick is, you have plenty of traction in the rear (you can go forward and reverse fairly easily if you don't mash the gas) because of all the weight back there. However, you can sometimes lose traction on the front tires because there's nothing to press them into the snow. You can put something like sandbags or roofing shingles in the frunk, but keep in mind that you don't always want a ton of mass swinging around in the snow (notice semi trucks have it bad in the ice/snow too, and they're heavy).

Your best bet is to go slower than anyone else on the road. I had a wonderful time last month in one of the worst ice/snowstorms in our cities history and never lost traction. I even had to stop up a steep hill and got going again with no problems. The Camaro in front of me wasn't so lucky and had to get a push, and the 3 trucks on the side of the road had it even worse. I had more of an issue with my front end being a snow plow than grip (lowered car).

But yeah, the most fun is down empty parking lots or streets where you can practice sliding around

Enthalpy · 01-03-2007, 01:40 AM

No doubt about it, weight is a detriment in the snow. The best way to gain traction is to reduce your contact patch area on the tires. This means running smaller tires on the axles that lack traction.

You are absolutely right about driving technique! Giving yourself PLENTY of room and time to stop and maneuver is key. I have NEVER owned an AWD car and I have gotten stuck once stuck in my 15 years of driving in the Colorado mountains. That was when I was a retarded kid and I had a pickup. (as opposed to being a retarded almost-mid-lifer, I suppose).

01-01-2007, 04:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
fghijk No Skills Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	MR2 bad for driving on SNOW? Hi, I had a bad experience driving my 93 mr2 n/a on snow. I had lost control of the car a couple times in a two lane-two way highway where there's opposite traffic coming towards me (really dangerous situation ). I think the snow was about an inch thick. The tires I was using were Falken ZE-512. I've drove another car (FWD 2004 honda civic) in a similar situation and I found it much more comfortable and easy to control in snow. Is Mr2 (mid-engine, RWD, with different weight distribution compare to civic) a bad and unsafe car to drive in snow? What can I do to gain better control of the car in snow? Does changing to snow tires provide a great improvement? Which all-season tires provide better handling in rain and snow?Thanks.

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01-01-2007, 04:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mekkahfire Gone But Not Forgotten Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Westerville OH Posts: 1,359 Thanks: 9 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/75% )	Instructions for driving an MR2 in the snow: 1) Do not accelerate while taking a corner. 2) Do not lift off the gas while taking a corner. 3) Do not brake in the middle of a corner, or hard before a corner. And youl be fine. I love MR2's in the snow, it brings excitement to parking lots while you practice chain-drifting.

01-01-2007, 05:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
Enthalpy EMS Harmonizer Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,211 Thanks: 8 Thanked 53 Times in 42 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	All Season tires are really no-season tires. What you need for snow (yes, need) are really great snow tires. If you have a lot of ice storms where you live, consider studs. Make the tires narrow and put them on a 2nd set of rims so they are easily installed and uninstalled when a storm comes. You would be simply amazed at what really great tires give you in the snow! After that, you just have to modify your driving technique so you aren't a retard on the snow. Feather the throttle, give yourself plenty of room, slow for lights, watch out for patches of ice on dry pavement. You know, the basics!

01-01-2007, 06:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
SpeedballTrix Foul Weather Drifter Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 871 Thanks: 4 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	^^^ QFT

01-03-2007, 01:30 AM	#6 (permalink)
Fazed Out I'll write your name Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tulsa, Ok Posts: 369 Thanks: 5 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I use Bridgestone Blizzaks for winter tires. The trick is, you have plenty of traction in the rear (you can go forward and reverse fairly easily if you don't mash the gas) because of all the weight back there. However, you can sometimes lose traction on the front tires because there's nothing to press them into the snow. You can put something like sandbags or roofing shingles in the frunk, but keep in mind that you don't always want a ton of mass swinging around in the snow (notice semi trucks have it bad in the ice/snow too, and they're heavy). Your best bet is to go slower than anyone else on the road. I had a wonderful time last month in one of the worst ice/snowstorms in our cities history and never lost traction. I even had to stop up a steep hill and got going again with no problems. The Camaro in front of me wasn't so lucky and had to get a push, and the 3 trucks on the side of the road had it even worse. I had more of an issue with my front end being a snow plow than grip (lowered car). But yeah, the most fun is down empty parking lots or streets where you can practice sliding around

01-03-2007, 01:40 AM	#7 (permalink)
Enthalpy EMS Harmonizer Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,211 Thanks: 8 Thanked 53 Times in 42 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	No doubt about it, weight is a detriment in the snow. The best way to gain traction is to reduce your contact patch area on the tires. This means running smaller tires on the axles that lack traction. You are absolutely right about driving technique! Giving yourself PLENTY of room and time to stop and maneuver is key. I have NEVER owned an AWD car and I have gotten stuck once stuck in my 15 years of driving in the Colorado mountains. That was when I was a retarded kid and I had a pickup. (as opposed to being a retarded almost-mid-lifer, I suppose).