I was just wondering which Z drives better in snow with & without snow tires. Please share your stories! Thanks

 

Mt will always be better than AT in snow; more control.

From what I've read here, no one in their right mind drives a Z in snow without snow tires.

 

MT for the control. I can start outta 2nd and minimize wheel spin. Auto=teh sux.

EDIT: and yeah, no snows=no go in a 350Z. Putting on my Dunlop winter sport M3's soon.

 

Neither, they both suck.

 

It really shouldn’t make much difference whether the car has a MT or an AT. It might be a little easier to drive the AT when it’s slippery, but that isn’t any surprise since AT’s are generally easier to drive. You might think having the ability to select gears manually with a MT is an advantage (going to a gear with less torque), but the Z’s AT allows manually selecting gears as well. The fact that the AT’s torque converter is always applying some amount of drag on the rear wheels might also provide a small advantage for AT.

Something you didn’t ask about (but that is significant) is the electronic stability control gear on your car. TCS and VDC (TCS is included on VDC equipped Z’s) can be very helpful when driving on slippery roadways. TCS can prevent fishtailing when you apply too much power. VDC does this as well, and can also straighten the car if it begins to rotate.

Although these stability control devices (TCS and VDC) are usually helpful, there is at least one instance when you must turn it off. If you are on a very slippery surface, TCS can hinder forward movement by killing power to your slipping wheels.

There’s no reason to compare “with or without” snow tires since you cannot drive a high powered rear wheel drive car safely on ice or in snow without at least all season tires (and snow tires are much better on ice and in snow). I wouldn’t drive the Z on ice or in snow without mounting four snow tires.

--Spike

 

I have gotten through some snowy/icy conditions in my Z with manual transmission and snow tires without any real problems. I did have to drive very carefully though.

 

Neither is a wise idea.

 

last time there was just snow blowing across the road here not even really sticking much. I was going down the road sideways at 25 and people were passing me at like 45. Im not spending on snow tires so she will stay put up when it decides to come down.

 

I think the thing that really gets these sports cars in slippery conditions is that the suspension is sprung so tightly. Cars with a more fluffy suspension will allow more roll side to side before the tires slip out, while a stiff suspension will not give much and the tires will want to slide sooner. I don't know if that's true but it's the impression I get.

 

Tires and weight distribution is everything. Any car with summer tires will get nowhere in snow. Many people think AWD = great traction. Think of it this way. If the world's best runner were to run in stilletto heels he wouldn't get very far very fast.

According to Tire Rack, the best vehicle for snow is the Bimmer 3 series with Blizzak tires. They do extensive testing every year so I tend to agree. I kinda got off track from the original question but so many people don't realize just how important those four little contact patches are.

 

I just run all seasons on mine... too lazy to keep switching them!

 

Thanks for the replies, i was just wandering, I've been here in chicago all my life and have experienced some rough winters. I guess my question really was sparked from a comment I heard about the Z being difficult to drive in rain & I disagree. Was this comment over dramatized? Do other people agree that the Z is not that bad in rain? This is why I assumed that a MT had more dynamic accelleration and therfore making it more difficult to control in snow.Can I get by with sandbags? Here in chicago its really only bad on the day it snows and then after that streets are pretty well plowed.YES i own a AT...

 

Excellent info, nice post. And coming from a 5 time over 3 series owner with Blizzaks or the like, I can comfirm that a RWD BMW is insane in the snow...especially the M3 with it's LSD rear.