Hey i'm new to the group and i'm in the denver area.

right now i drive a 2005 ford f150 but i'm 17 and when i go to college i can't take my truck with me since my dad uses it on his farms and i was looking at getting a Z when i turn 18/graduate

But i was just wondering if anyone has had experience with a z in colorado winter weather and just wondering how well the Z handles some cold/wet driving conditions

basically what i'm wondering is how much (if any) snow/slush can the z handle before it becomes dangerous to drive?

thanks for the help
k

 

You def. need blizzaks, aka, Snow tires for the winter time! The OEM's are strictly summer tires only!

 

alright, any guess how much that should cost?

and i should hopefully only ever have one colorado winter witht he Z and then i'll be off somewhere warm for college so the z won't see another winter for at least 4 years

 

I'm looking at getting a 2nd car. LOL For the of a good set of snow tires and swapping them you can get a running w/ heat Honda Civic. LOL I put my Z in a ditch once... I don't plan on doing it again.

 

The Z has a weight distribution of near 50/50. Add a powerful V-6 transmitting through the rear tires and you have a recipe for disaster on slick or snowy roads. Like others have said, having a inexpensive FWD car for the winter is possibly the best option, but I'd also ask if the Z is the best car for you at 17-18? It's not a cheap car, there is a learning curve to driving it well and insurance rates can't be good. The Z is a great car, but after seeing a rash of bent/totalled 350Z's, I'm unconvinced it's the best car for everybody.

 

Even with the best snow tires the car has rather low limits for snow. Approx. 4" of snow and it becomes a plow. If you absolutely need a car that will go every day the Z is not your best choice.

 

I've spent two CO winters with my Z as my only driver. First winter wasn't bad as I worked from my home, but the second winter I had to get winter tires as I worked at an office.

Make no mistake, the Z is absolutely worthless on ANY snow without good winter tires. I have the Blizzak LM-22, more pricery than the 55's($800 installed for a set of 4), however they are also very good performance tires on the dry roads, the 55's aren't. As you know most of the driving during the winter will be on dry roads.

With those, you won't miss much school, but again anything more than 4" of snow as stated is still going to keep you grounded.

 

well thanks for all the help but i also forgot one detail

when it's too snowy, my dad takes the truck and if i needed to i could just take my mom's x5.....

but i was just wondering how often i would have to steal my mom's car

worst case is my friend with a pathfinder can give me a ride....

 

Trust me, without snow tires, even watching the weather every day, you will get stuck a few times. Freak snowstorms, snow coming earlier than expected etc. I've had a few close calls, left the car at work for a couple days etc. Even got stuck in front of my house once after making it all the way home.

 

i've spun out and gotten stuck in less than an inch of snow with the stock Bridgestones. I have have the KDW/2's now, and wonder if they'll do any better. (luckily I have an old beater truck as my daily driver).

 

I replace the Bridgestones w/ the BFG KDW2 a month after I bought my car. IMO they were just an aweful tire. On the way back from Mac Auto one day it started snowing and the KDW/2's did better than the oem pos Bridgestones.

 

ha ha....winter in denver is when a all the mexicans put jackets on. last year we had a total of 20 hours with snow on the roads. total. thats all. that only counts as winter if you came from Texas.
...unless you have a secret for fitting a board and gear into the back of the z to get to the moutains. If you do you should share.

 

Well I do come from Texas. :lol: And I bet we had more snow than that.

 

Keep the F150 and get a Z when you can afford to have both. In the long run it's FAR easier.

 

i would do that, but keeping the f150 isn't really an option

i once i go to college i have to get a new car since my dad needs the truck here for his farm. The tradition in our family has been to get a new car for your 18th birthday so i would rather not wait a day longer than that to get a z ahaha

the next year i SHOULD be in san antonio for college, my sister lived there from august to july and in the entire time, the only time she saw ice was from a freezer. But basically, i should only ever have to go through one colorado winter with a Z and during that time i can easily get a ride from my friend with a pathfinder.

But as your typical guy i don't like asking for rides so i was just curious how often i would have to get an alternate ride.

Anyone have estimates on how many days y ou either HAD to drive a car other than your z or would have driven a different car if it was available to you

thanks
kaiser

ps how much should a good set of snow tires cost?