Interesting. Yeah it behaved rather well with the ice this morning but that was without any snow pack. The roads were mainly wet and ice patches. With the slightest amount of snow it seems to fish a bit but then it gets back in line. This is not hitting it hard at all but just a slow start off. Course yesterday was the worst conditions for just about any vehicle. Heavy wet slushy snow. The wide tires made it more like a plow so I guess it makes sense then that the tires will spin on any loads and upgrades would be even worst. Once you get snow hitting the bottom which really isn't all that deep its going to spin out or just stop. I can remember even my old 4WD Toy truck would have a hard time of it in the sort of snow we had yesterday. After the difficulty I don't think I want to try any other snow. Dry stuff might be a different story but I don't want to be caught going to work and causing a traffic jam because the car will not move. I have a few inclines going to work and places that I remember were difficult for any sports car. Not sure tire spikes will improve it any but it might some but they make a lot of noise I think. The heavy wet snow is a test for most any vehicle. I might go for a used Honda CRV once the RX is paid off but I'm keeping the rx.

I drove my all last winter as well and had no issues as long as I babied the throttle. If you step on it in the snow and esspecially ice your back end will slip out from behind you...not good:Eyecrazy: . Oh and don't try and go up any steep hills from a dead stop, you will not make it!:lol:

I got stuck in Golden on Saturday night.. tried to leave, got stuck on the road to E470, couldn't make it up the ramp to E470, made a U-Turn, got half way back to parking lot and couldn't make it up hill without going sideways.. finally got into the parking lot and got stuck. Had to have my buddies push me into a parking spot.

Yea, looks like I'll be driving my beater a lot this winter. I really wish I had a 4WD car for CO snow.. I don't like how ugly my 8 looks now either.. lots of winter road grime on it.. but it doesn't make sense to wash it every other day it's not snowing..

On the days last year that I couldn't/didn't drive the 8, there was about the same amount of snow that would've had me parking my old 6i as well. Depending on your comfort level with winter driving, and gentle pressure of the right foot, the 8 CAN make it with light snow. A rally car it ain't. I'm lucky enough to live fairly close to work, or at least close enough to light rail if I have to go that route. On the really bad days, I'll just work from home.

Is the 8 an ideal winter ride? No, but in the metro Denver area, it'll get you through a solid 90% of the time when the roads are dry or lightly packed. Other parts that see more significant snow, I'd make sure to have a different vehicle.

Take today for example. I took our Honda Accord with All Seasons on it. Yes there were shots that is started slipping and you sure needed more distance from the car in front of you because all that traffic made the roads a packed down ice mess on C-470. I might have made it to work with the RX but not sure so I chose what I thought was the safest to drive. With the heavy wet stuff we had last weekend I would say any vehicle and even 4WD would have some difficulty. The RX was no match to that stuff. So when it snows above 5 inches or so and with any amount of wet snow its best just to park that baby. I wonder what tire spikes would do? Then I would not want that clacky noise with the tires when the roads are dry so its best to stick with what you have which is either All Seasons or Snow tires. Of course is you keep the OEM summer dry racing tires on, its a sure thing the car should stay off every street. Such is the nature of CO snows. One day we have snow, then we get 68 degrees and then another cold front comes in and more snow driving. I think tomorrow (Friday) the temps should warm up.

anyone know if Omicron still around on here? I would like to see his views on the snow experience with his RX. I think one year he had Blizzacks on and now changed to another brand.

Yeah, that's why I passed up snow tires. Sunny and 60 something one day, snow and 20 degrees the next, then back up again but like huzer21 mentioned about Denver, 90% of the time here in the Springs, getting around is not a big deal as the main streets are plowed very well. It's the volume of slow traffic and other's stranded blocking lanes that will screw your travel in the RX-8 on a nasty day, often forcing you to stop at the bottom of hills or whatever and putting you in the same situation as them. Today's trip home from work will be interesting for me. My Kuhmos are on their last leg (nearly balding) and I think I waited too long to get replacements. The streets look as if they are getting bad quick and I think the heavier snow will be later today. We'll see how the RX handles the situation. I think I am going to go w/ a set of the Kuhmo ASX's again but a 235/40/18 this time. Two winter's ago I used some of those cheap spring-type chains you see at Pepboy's during a couple of those heavy blizzards we had then (I was actually stuck in a parking lot on a hill on Academy in the Springs and could not go back the other direction or up the hill due to everyone else that was stuck) and they actually got me back home. These dramatically increased the traction but they were hard to get on and off (especially in 12" of snow) and had a tendency to slip off. One piece came unlatched and slapped the rim of my fender leaving a nasty gash in the paint so I probably won't use these again unless I'm in a pinch. I also would not want these on my car on an uncovered street and would not go over 30-35mph w/ them on - I just like having them in my trunk in case I'm stranded somewhere.

BTW haven't seen anything from Omicron in a while now that you mention it.

How did your RX handle yesterday going home Jrichter? Mine stayed in the garage. Perhaps I should have had studded tires on? I bet if the RX does have those, the tire noise on dry pavements would be pretty high. Lease it sounds that way on other cars. Not sure what to do now with the tire combo for CO snows. Our streets up here in Littleton are plowed but the street outside me home is not and so right now its a white ice rink. A mix that the RX can't handle at all. Things are starting to melt today so the roads will be good for tomorrow perhaps.

Yesterday, I took the 8 to my offsite training class (Park Meadows area). On the way down (from downtownish), I took side streets, and on the way back, I took the highway. I've also got summer tires on the car that need to be replaced. I made it down and back ok, leaving plenty of room in front of me to stop, although that led to a lot of people cutting me off. Only one time did I break traction, and that was because of black ice, not snow. Did I enjoy it? Not really, but I didn't feel unsafe.

I debated dedicated snows or a winter beater last year. Financially, it didn't make sense to do either. Granted everyone's situation is different, as I live within a few blocks walking distance to light rail. If I had to choose, I'd opt to get a beater and just keep the 8 parked.

I did a google research with the tires I have on the RX. They are Potenza RE 960AS Pole Position. It has excellent ratings by Consumers but I did not go beyond that to see how to work on this car. From what I am reading its basically a no go with this tire set up. Even tirerack does not show these. Basically we need to try out snow tires with new wheels, I assume the 17" types. I am in for cheap wheels too and so I might start researching this some to see what the combo would cost me but I could kick myself for not checking out how these perform in any snow before I forked out so much money which really hurt. Since its Christmas time I doubt I can afford another wheel combo now. Well'll have to see though. I did go through the snow but corners and parking were a nightmare. The slightest touch of the gas pedal and the rear started to swing out with with traction assist on. The little yellow swaying light came on often athough I could feel the car resisting going straight before the light came on. Anyone know anyone in CO with snow tires on their RX and how the car handles?

This is funny: I looked at the do it yourself threads and there's one there about winter tips for the RX. A short list of interesting things to remember. Here is the one for tires "Tires-
The OEM RE040 tires are NOT WINTER TIRES. They dont have the tread for snow and they turn into bricks when it gets cold. If you expect to travel much this winter on snowy roads or in consistently below 35F temps your downfall will be the RE040s. Please, please, please get a set of steel wheels with some dedicated snow tires. They will save you allot of hassle and us allot of “the rx-8 sucks in the snow” threads. Really the rx-8 drives fine. Just remember it’s a RWD car, which many of you might not be familiar with, and get those snows on!

So I guess I will look for steel wheels and a snowtire combo to see how this car works with them on. I was trying to avoid this but it looks like I might be stuck with the separate wheels and snow tire option to keep me rolling with the RX for the winter. We are lucky we don' have a lot of snows but when it does I would like to drive the RX but when the snows are 6 inches and above, the car will stay in the garage.

Wasn't too bad. I25 (and sloped onramps/offramps) were already clear and Garden of the Gods Rd (a main street) had sand down already but the side streets were a different story. The car stayed in check on these streets for the most part but w/ me really babying it. I would lose rear traction during acceleration (especially on the 2 long curves) but that is always expected. The slippage light blinked often on these side streets. My apartment complex was an ice rink (as was the gas station I stopped at) though and any steering would give me some loss of traction in the rear but the fronts stayed surprisingly planted. It seems my car will always oversteer more than anything on snow/ice. The overall conditions last night were still not as bad as I thought they would be down here (left work a little early to avoid any 4-6 pm traffic) so not really a good test. I am about to order fresh tires though cause I don't want to take a chance in any conditions even slightly worse than last night.

Wow! Well don't get the Pole Position tires I just bought. They are no good at all in snow. This is becoming my RX complaint thread. My wife took the RX to school to pick up my grandson and she called and said the car is dead. Nothing. I just had the dealer under warranty put in a new more powerful battery last year. What is with this car? I guess I will buy my own battery and will be most likely and Interstate battery. What battery are you using?

I'm still on '05 stock battery w/ no starting problems to date (as I knock on wood). Can't even remember what kind it is or anything. I would have the battery tested to make sure that is the problem and not something else. What is the full name of the Bridgestone Pole Positions you got? I just wanted to see what the tread pattern looked like compared to the ASX's. I've attached a pic of them.

My tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position Tires They are very good but you know even Firestone does not say anything about their use in snow. I thought they are M/S rated. Man oh man. I'm starting to feel stupid with tires now. I should have checked further before I bought them. Your ASX looks like an excellent tire. What is the full name?

I'd say the UHP (ultra high performance) designation of the Potenzas, despite the All-Season rating, would make 'em crappy tires for any type of cold weather, although it does mention "light snow" on the Tire Rack site. I know my Fuzions are absolute bricks in cold temps. You've got a good warm weather tire, however.

The other tires JRichter listed would be Kumho Ecsta ASXs.

yes I am finding out these tires are crap for snow driving. Light snow I agree. Like the light dry stuff but any amount of accumulation I am stuck. Amazing the Firestone people did not warn me. I must be a sucker for a tire sale then.

Yeah, Kumho ECSTA ASX KU-21 is the one and just checked the actual description (below) which at least mentions the snow for whatever its worth. :)

Looks like your tires fair much better than mine. I just need to get different wheels and then see. After the battery problem, I have visions of trading the car in but its just a thought. I will be able to tell hopefully what is going on when I see the car tonight.

Yeah, it's a shame you can't count on the tire retailer to even guide you in the right direction these days. I just stumbled upon the ASX's by accident when I was still living in Texas w/o even thinking about having to get something that would be suitable for CO weather (even though it was weeks before I moved here). The are a rather inexpensive tire and probably don't last near as long as the Pole Positions will but for now that's what I'll go with again. My complaint w/ the ASX's (besides the short tread life I experience which is probably just my lead foot driving style) is that they can feel really lumpy, hard, and make the RX-8 wander around the road a little bit until they are fully warmed up. I'm sure the Pole Positions are an excellent tire beyond heavy snow so I wouldn't worry about it too much if you can manage through the snow days.

whats up my fellow rocky mountain chiefers

I'm running the stock 18's with brand new, siped Nankang NS-II's

so far so good, and I even ventured into wolf ranch / monument / black forest area last week when it was snowing good. The ATX helps. The biggest key is not to be a dumb ass.

Really? Surprised to here the NS-II's perform pretty good in snow. Was tempted to get these because of good price but assumed they would not be very good in snow/ice. Let us know how they do tomorrow too. You get your plugs in alright - still haven't done mine.

I bought Blizzak's last year when I lived in Ohio and they seem to work ok. I had to drive to the airport in a blizzard with lots of black ice on the road and just going slow and being careful, they worked fine. There was still plenty of sliding but if you know your car and aren't going too fast, you can handle it. I think if I had some weight in the back it would have been better. I have it parked this winter here in the Springs. Don't want to get all the dings from the gravel :eyetwitch

Hope that helps.

Drove in to work this morning. Slow sleddin', but no problems. That said, I'm getting a work bonus next week, and may just suck it up and buy some snows.

Ok I just bought the Blizzack LM-25s yesterday from Big Ole Tires. Still cost me a grand. Tried them out last night and for a change I actually was able to get around. I was going up a hill after getting the tank filled and three cars wiped out into spins. One looked like a Lexus and it hit a curb and stopped with flashers on. I thought I would be next but the car went straight with no issues. This morning our street is filled with packed ice/snow. The car slide at the stop sign a little. A little back end movement to the side a couple time but this was only slight and slide traction control light came on a few times. Driving to work was ok as the streets were plowed somewhat but at hills where you had to stop for a red light the tires slide a little when the light was green and the traction control started working and so was able to move up the hill as long as I took it slow and easy. I am impressed with the snow tires. Get this, when I had the tires put on the battery (Mazda and only a year old) decided to quit. They had to hot shot it to get it started. I drove it directly to the Mazda dealer here in Centennial. The battery was replaced for nothing. The dealer is selling the same Blizzack and at about $100 cheaper!! That was very surprising. I had prices from Firestone (the most expensive), Discount Tire and Big tire folks too. I never thought to have a dealership quote the snow tires. I had a little discussion with the dealer and he said no other tire will work on this car except snow tires. All Seasons just will not work which is what I found out the hard way. They knew it right away and so did Big Tire but Firestone failed to give me any advice about the All Seasons. I have yet to go back and get my All Seasons because they will not fit in the RX. I'll go and pick them up tonight with another car. So its advisable to get snows on your RX but its not a 4WD Honda or something else but its a bit better than some cars. I am not sure what kind of tires the other cars had. I took out our Honda Accord last night which has Mitchlin All Seasons. It slide and spun the front tires but it made it through the snow. I thought the Mazda handled better and had a shorter stopping distance than my Honda. I guess that is because snows are soft rubber and are better equipped specifically for snow and ice. That's the best I can do. The only other option would be to use studded snows but its advantage is on ice and not so much with snow. That's the report I read from Consumer Reports. Hope everyone else is able to get snows on their RX. The sun is out now so I suspect the ride home will be slushy Mag Choloride road junk all over the car. Hopefully by Saturday I can wash that junk off the car. The dealer told me yesterday they were seeing a fair number of RXs not being cared for much with some showing rust. Has anyone had any rust problems? I haven't yet. That's all I need is to see some rust on the fenders or elsewhere.

This morning was pretty slick and I slid a little here and there (back end coming out upon acceleration and steering) but the interstate (most of my daily trip) was already cleared very well so no big deal and no worries of getting stuck. I''m still on semi bald all-seasons, BTW.

Interesting, unless it's just some minor surface rust from perhaps some scratched paint or something I don't see any RX-8 beginning to rust for years and years to come. I would think the coating and rust protection the metal parts of any modern car is subjected to should be more than enough to keep major rust from happening for a long while but I'm no expert.

Anyways, good to know the snow tires work well - that should give you some peace of mind - and you still have the all seasons you can throw back on when the weather gets better. That's crazy the snow tires were cheaper at the Mazda dealer - I would have never expected that.