Has anyone driven in the snow yet?

[GuyManDude]

Second time driving my 2.0 RWD in the snow. Surprisingly the car does really well but I haven’t been in anything more than a few inches.

 

[westcoastGT]

View attachment 1726 Second time driving my 2.0 RWD in the snow. Surprisingly the car does really well but I haven’t been in anything more than a few inches.

What tires on it ?

 

[GuyManDude]

What tires on it ?

I didn’t do any tire swap so just the stock all seasons.

 

[Kazz]

I have 18" all-seasons on my AWD GT. We got about 5" of snow and the temp dropped like a rock. Yesterday we got another 5-6" of the white stuff at very low temps making it a fine powder. That's just a really slippery situation where chemicals haven't been applied or aren't working due to the low temp.

Even in snowpack of a couple of inches, the car does move fine. I'm not used to the throttle input, let alone with the different settings, so I can't say how much tirespin there may be. I'm used to vehicles that flash on the dash if there's tirespin. I kept looking for anything like that and haven't seen it. Now, in turning on this ice rink, it can definitely under- and over-steer. I've not been ballsy enough or in the right situation to really figure out how it slides, what I can correct with more steering input, or how much I can count on the AWD to pull me through.

So far, I'm satisfied enough. She's taking a road trip for New Years in well-below-zero weather starting tomorrow. But that's more about how it will handle being out in -15 Fahrenheit before any wind chill - even outdoors overnight.

I do look forward to the day when I've run the all-seasons to their wear bars and I get dedicated snows on!

 

[GuyManDude]

I did play a little with some sliding the back end out while traction control was on. I didn’t get to crazy with it, by the time TC activated I was already correcting. So far in not to deep of snow “powder” the car wasn’t unmanageable at all. I will wait to see once/if we get a heavier snow how it handles. I have a feeling with it being so low when snow gets under it will be a tricky drive with a RWD anyway. Wishing you safe travels and a Happy New Year! Cheers!

 

[Kazz]

I have passed over some somewhat sizeable, frozen blocks of snow/ice that fall out of fenderwells, etc. and haven't heard anything. My previous cars would have scraped. LOL So, I'm happy with the clearance so far!

 

[Neanderthal]

Specifically what is the make and model (e.g., Nexen Classe Premiere CP671) of the OE tires? TR doesn't list it, nor does DT. Thanks.

 

[jwhollan]

My GT2 AWD is on the 19” summer tires. Started snowing while at work on Friday and had to drive home after about 1-2 inches fell. Highways were plowed pretty well, but the side roads by my work and by my house were not...

Definitely experienced some excessive wheel spin and rear end slid out on me like 3 different times, but I never felt like I was losing control of the car or felt unsafe trying to drive it home. I expected worse on those tires. Certainly not preferable though and I’ll be switching them out for all-season probably before next winter. I think I’ll just drive my Forte for the rest of this winter when it’s below freezing.

 

[westcoastGT]

My GT2 AWD is on the 19” summer tires. Started snowing while at work on Friday and had to drive home after about 1-2 inches fell. Highways were plowed pretty well, but the side roads by my work and by my house were not...

Definitely experienced some excessive wheel spin and rear end slid out on me like 3 different times, but I never felt like I was losing control of the car or felt unsafe trying to drive it home. I expected worse on those tires. Certainly not preferable though and I’ll be switching them out for all-season probably before next winter. I think I’ll just drive my Forte for the rest of this winter when it’s below freezing.

I swapped out the stocks before delivery and with good UHPAS tires I think it is working out great . I've done this with my last 3 cars , prior I was putting on dedicated winter tires and rims which is optimum , but in fairness I never have never felt a compromise in any season so I'm sold this is the way to go , especially with AWD . Hey the stock 19" staggered tires are a big item for all the guys driving German cars and there is a good market for them ( mainly in Spring ) you may want to convert sooner

 

[GuyManDude]

They are Potenza RE97AS-02 225/45R18 95V

 

[Waynerm002]

They put some GT tires on the car, but that one in particular is not great overall. I'm surprised they went with that tire. When I saw them on the car, I figured they would have to be replaced if I was going to get one in the winter. I'd throw some winter tires on or a different set of AS tires.

 

[GuyManDude]

I probably won’t go through the trouble of switching tires or have a different set of winter rims. So far they seem to be ok. I think they are worse on just cold asphalt then on wet or snow covered road.

 

[Waynerm002]

I hear you. Just be careful out there with those tires, they are one of the lowest rated for the group overall. Maybe they updated the design but they were not liked much as OEM tires. When I got in to the hybrid, I did my best to deal with the OEM Kumho tires, lasted almost a year then ditched for a set of Pirelli P7 AS+, really changed the dynamics of the car. Lol, yeah I know I said dynamics when talking about a hybrid, the weak link was the tires, it was making me dislike the car. While I drive a hybrid, I still drive it like a normal car, I enjoy driving. This 2017 has better dynamics and better Kumhos. I know I'll be getting a set of winter tires so I can drive the snot out of the Stinger no matter the season. The ride height will also make this possible.

Back in 2009 when we had our first huge snow storm, I picked up my 535i days before the storm, had tirerack overnight my winter wheels and tires, I ended up having to take some folks to the airport during the storm. They were shocked that a RWD car was doing better than the rest of the cars on the road when some cars were weaving and SUVs spinning out, I had no such issues. Coming home the roads were worse but I was able to maintain 50 with no issues, hills where other cars were sliding down, I took and made it going slow and steady. Cars, SUVs and busses were all in the ditch or gave up trying because they couldn't make it. At the top folks wanted to know if the car had some special system or AWD, I told them nope, it was the winter tires. They were shocked tires could make such a difference.

Been a few years since I have owned a RWD car ut that is how I plan to get my stinger. Be safe out there and keep enjoying that beautiful ride.

 

[PartieArtie]

My Stinger came with the Michellin Pilot 4's. Can anyone give me feedback if I should swap them out for winter tires in Alabama winter weather? We occasionally get freeze warnings and a couple of days during winter there will be ice on the roads. I go to work at 5 in the morning so I am concerned about this. Would it be ok to just switch drive mode to Eco and just take it easy on those days with the Pilot 4's? My previous car was a 2009 Mustang GT with a 5 speed manual transmission and there were a few times the ass end of the car slid around on me enough to give me a good scare but I never got in an accident. One of the reasons I bought the Stinger was I wanted an automatic transmission so I could feel more confident driving in rain and winter weather. Advise?

 

[westcoastGT]

My Stinger came with the Michellin Pilot 4's. Can anyone give me feedback if I should swap them out for winter tires in Alabama winter weather? We occasionally get freeze warnings and a couple of days during winter there will be ice on the roads. I go to work at 5 in the morning so I am concerned about this. Would it be ok to just switch drive mode to Eco and just take it easy on those days with the Pilot 4's? My previous car was a 2009 Mustang GT with a 5 speed manual transmission and there were a few times the ass end of the car slid around on me enough to give me a good scare but I never got in an accident. One of the reasons I bought the Stinger was I wanted an automatic transmission so I could feel more confident driving in rain and winter weather. Advise?

There are tires that are very good in all seasons , I swapped the stock 19s for Ultra Hi Performance All Season Tires .Check the Tire/wheel section on this Forum for the review I posted , I put the BF Goodrich tires on , they work great !

 

[GuyManDude]

I drove in snow twice so far only 1”- 3” with no problem in my 2.0 RWD. Also the temps where I am have been in the teens for the past couple of days. I will say the car does worse on the cold asphalt than it does in then in the inclement weather. To sum it up, if you drive to the conditions you should be fine. Side note I have Potenza tires on mine. I wonder why there isn’t any consistency with the tires it comes with.

 

[Charly]

Edmunds.com did a comparison of summer, winter, and AS tires and it made me afraid to take the summer tires within sight of snow without blinders.

 

[Waynerm002]

You can wait a bit until the end spring to pick up or get a set of winter wheels and tires or swap on some good AS tires then put the summers back on.

 

[Kia Stinger]

My Stinger came with the Michellin Pilot 4's. Can anyone give me feedback if I should swap them out for winter tires in Alabama winter weather? We occasionally get freeze warnings and a couple of days during winter there will be ice on the roads. I go to work at 5 in the morning so I am concerned about this. Would it be ok to just switch drive mode to Eco and just take it easy on those days with the Pilot 4's? My previous car was a 2009 Mustang GT with a 5 speed manual transmission and there were a few times the ass end of the car slid around on me enough to give me a good scare but I never got in an accident. One of the reasons I bought the Stinger was I wanted an automatic transmission so I could feel more confident driving in rain and winter weather. Advise?

Just my opinion but I think you'll be a LOT better off in the Stinger as opposed to the Mustang GT. Just take it easy and be cautious. You SHOULD be fine. I don't know how reassuring that is but maybe others will chime in on their experiences who have the same tires...

 

[Kazz]

If your Stinger did NOT come with "all-season" tires, your tires are likely borderline dangerous at under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're driving in those kinds of temperatures, you need to get something that can handle it. The compound the tire is made of becomes hard and slippery.