lemonjihwan

iTrader: (5)

Winter is coming up...
And I just wanna to know If 350Z is dangerous in SNOW?
Because It's RWD. Isn't RWD's are weak on Rainy/Snow days.
So Is 350Z fine? to drive around in the winter?
or is it gonna slip alot?

jedoublery

yep, you'll slide....

Haven't driven mine in the snow yet, but not planning on it. Bimmers are bad in the snow, I would imagine Zs are worse.

lemonjihwan

iTrader: (5)

damn, no wonder why everyone is getting a winter beaters... hmm..

ares

iTrader: (2)

you atleast need snow tires, most RWD cars are of a higher level... think about it, you know any crappy beaters with RWD? as a not quite direct result, rwd cars also tend to have wider tires. Z included of course.

so first thing it needs is thinner tread, let it cut throught the snow to the pavement. as far as rwd... yeah not great, but not exactly a curse either. just have to be more cautious, instead of the wheels just not pulling the car, they may push it sideways. with all the power the Z has you will also want to start in 2nd gear to limit the power.

teh215

iTrader: (8)

I have driven mine in the snow but it was only about 1/2" deep, not much. Like ares said, start in 2nd and use the gas pedal very sparingly. I wouldn't recommend taking any long trips in it with snow on the ground but, trips to the store would be OK.

LBSOHK

hopefully it wont snow that much

zzzya

iTrader: (2)

Do not attempt to drive the car in the snow with the stock tires!!! I did this last year and was scared for my life. The rubber compound turns very hard, almost like plastic which does not work well with snow. I now have a set of Blizzaks for this winter so it will be interesting to see the difference. RWD cars are fine in the snow with good tires, and proper winter driving. I also put some weight in the hatch last year which helped a little, but should help even more with the winter tires. We get a lot of snow here in northern Iowa and I am not worried at all about this winter. I drove my RWD 240sx in the winter for years. I personally like RWD cars in the winter because they are easier to predict and control when you loose traction. With a FWD car, if your front tires break loose, you lose you stearing!!!

BigBadBuford

I would definitely not drive the Z in the snow on the stock tires, as stated above it is very dangerous. I was out with just a dusting on the roads and I barely made it home. I also drive a 240SX in the snow for two years and never had a problem with the right tires on the car. I would recommend getting a winter beater though, you won't have to worry about your new Z getting plowed by an idiot driver or getting the salt/cinders/sand all over the paint.

Jetpilot718

It also depends on what type of areas you live in... Im in NYC or at worst, the city of Nashua, NH, so the roads do see good and frequent plowing. But yeah, no cars are "good" in the snow, some people think SUV's are because they can get moving really quick, but try stoppin those ugly mothers...

kbomb

iTrader: (12)

its rainning like crap today in MD...this is my first rwd car.
I drove 65 at most today. Took the 795 exit to Owings Mills and there are some uneven pavements..going 45 and man I was scared...slid quite a bit....

Definitely get a beater for winter but if not,,,just drive really slow at 60 or below and look out for those uneven pavements and stupid drivers with beaters themselves going 80mph and cutting everyone else.

LBSOHK

i actually like the way my Z handles in the rain , i feel very safe and comfortable , but last year in snow i couldnt get out of my parking spot

350zluvr

In Texas, the only snow we see is in pictures, but it does like to get icy every once in a while. All I could suggest is forget that your car even has brakes (don't use them) unless you are completely sure that you are not on ice, or can just barely touch them to the point that the tires don't lose traction. Use the transmission to downshift in order to slow down - just do it smoothly. Oh yeh, and extremelly gentle and small steering inputs. - Good luck

perucho

I live in Syracuse, NY where we get like 110 inches of total snow accumulation during the winter time. I made the mistake of driving my Z in the winter. OMG, this thing would slide on less than 1 inch of snow. I propably did a 90 degree slide about 5 times. One time I did slid and was facing the opposite traffic, but thank god no one was coming. This happened while I was doing 15mph! I will never drive my Z in the winter ever again. I have a crappy winter beater now. The good thing about storing your car in the winter (in a garage) is that the salt won't mess your paint up.

In short, do yourself a favor and store the Z for the winter

jedoublery

Well said.
If the roads aren't dry and clean, I don't drive mine, cause I won't have fun in it anyways.
I find it easier and more relaxing to drive my 93 Probe. Here are the advantages of it.
---I don't have to park a mile away from the shopping mall entrance worring that someone will ding my door.
---I get to follow cars without worring that they will spit rocks at me
---I don't have to wash my car
---I can see out of my rear view mirror
---Cheaper to insure.....it actually justify the cost of having a beater and having to buy snow tires if I drive my Z

rouxeny

Very simply, if you value your life and your car, just don't drive the Z in the snow.

This may sound a like exaggeration, but it's not. The Z is really just not safe in the snow. You will easily slide while going at very low speeds.

If you have to drive in the winter, buy some winter tires or get another car.

Anyone2u

iTrader: (1)

Read this thread by Zboy and I doubt that you will drive your car in the snow. This was written about a year ago and was one of the the first experiences anyone with a 350Z had with snow. The snow won!

rouxeny

Ha, I was hoping somebody would dig that thread up.

I haven't heard from Zboy in a long long time.

He was one of the first people on this board to have wrecked his car.

patrickswg

i'm so glad i live in the south dont have to worry about snow and if it snows everythin closes

Boomer

We don't get a lot of snow here anymore, climate has changed, but I have all season tires for most conditions. Buy dedicated snow tires if you get a lot of snow and it stays on the ground all winter. The Z's weight bias is 53% fr and 47% rr, so it shouldn't spin the rears too bad, if you have a light throttle. Start in 3rd if you have a 6MT and let a 5AT creep in gear until you are rolling.
Forget driving in snow if there's more than 6"s, the Z's nose is too low. You should be fine on graded roads Just go slow at first, until you see how the Z handles in snow, and adjust accordingly.

NEVER, EVER, DRIVE WITH THE OE TIRES IN SNOW, THEY ARE UNSAFE EVEN ON A DUSTY ROAD UNDER 50 DEGREES, THE TREAD TURNS INTO SLIPPERY ROCKS W/O TRACTION!

2Fishy4U

Aside from the fact that the Z sits low to the ground the key is the tires. If you plan on driving on snow and ice get much softer tires.

Being from Wisonsin I will not drive my Z on snow because they salt the roads so heavily. You folks in other states might want to consider the salt issue. Bottom line is if you State uses salt it is best to keep the car in the garage.