So we got our first snow of the year here in Paducah, KY. This is my first winter with a rear wheel drive car. I have always hated driving in the snow. I've always had problems. Even going super slow in a front wheel drive I've still ended up sliding around. A few years ago I had a VW Jetta. I turned going 5mph and fish tailed. WTF! Is it just my luck? Anyway tonight on the way home from work. I pulled out of the parking lot at work, started off in 2nd. No trouble driving until I had to slow down. In my old car, '98 Honda Prelude, on ice I would downshift to slow down with no problems. Well I downshifted in the RX8 and my baby was like **** you I don't wanna play in the snow anymore! Yeah I ended up on a sidewalk. No damage thank god. I was able to back off back onto the road. I made it home safely. So... I've learned to use the brakes to slow down on snow in this car. I checked everything out and I don't have any leaks. My rims and tires aren't damaged either. I hate winter!

 

i get a ton of snow each winter i live in ne
pa by the poconos which is why i dont drive my 8 in the winter. its not just the snow but the rock salt, the brine stuff they put on the roads that eats your car, and all the a**holes that cant drive in the snow. gl man

 

so how many winter threads do you think we'll have where people are driving on the wrong type of tires for the conditions? hmm.....

 

I'd suggest taking your 8 to a mall parking lot or something on a snowy day and just spend some time getting to know how the car handles in the snow. I'm in Michigan and grew up driving RWDs in the snow. You should get a feel for working both the throttle and brakes to maintain control when sliding. After a while it's actually a lot of fun to blip the throttle just enough to kick the rear out just enough to slide you right into a parking space (don't try this for quite a while, especially with cars around). Just drive smoothly and don't make sudden corrections, which usually lead to over-corrections, which usually lead to being in the ditch. I think most problems come when people drive too uptight. Don't be worried about a little slipping, just know how to handle it and relax.

 

Roads are salted to prevent ice and increase safety you dumbass. That's like saying seatbelts are for people who don't know how to drive, get bent.

 

Excellent suggestion. Get as much practice in as you can. The car itself has a ton of Save Your *** electronics, but it can't drive itself and can't fix everything. Glad you're ok and the car is fine. Stay Safe.

 

He wasn't saying that rocksalt is for people that don't know how to drive. He said Rocksalt and people that don't know how to drive are two of his reasons for not driving in the winter.

That being said, rocksalt doesn't do nearly as much damage to your car as people think it does. The way some drivers talk, you'd think one cruise on a salted road is going to result in your car exploding before you even reach your destination.

 

I have snow tires. You can have them after I move to florida this spring.

 

Yes, practive driving in the parking lot.

Ask an old school guy for advice.

 

Alright, for the misinformed:

It isn't the car, it's your tires and the nut behind the wheel

Summer tires and even all season tires for that matter, are not winter tires and will not handle on par.

This car will handle just as good on snow as any other RWD will with a level head and at least 2 snow tires on the rear.

Salt does and will accelerate rust on your car unless you wash it everyday after driving on any road that has it, especially underneath. Best thing you can do is at least wash the car at a touch-less car wash once a week to get the under carriage.

 

Handles even better with 4 snow tires on the rear

 

Indeed it does, I said at least 2, you don't need 4 to get around fine. I've never in all my life used 4 snow tires on my RWD vehicles and go around with out an issue. I would go right on by people in the passing lane with out an issue and if the rear end got loose from having to stop quick or whatever, easily corrected. I only get 4 if it's a FWD or AWD, or perhaps in the rare case that my front tires on my RWD are absolute ****.

I would recommend 4 however to those who hardly see snow and have limited or no experience driving in it. I grew up with snow coming and going for 5-6 months a year, experience is everything.

 

Right?! It's crazy how many people just don't understand the importance of them.

Here's how I practice in snow/ice. Video: http://www.altspace.com/rx8/winter/rx8_snow_fun.html

 

LOL...yeah I know. It's just the way you wrote "at least 2 on the rear" made is sound like it's possible to have more than 2 on the rear. It was funny to me , at least..but than again, I'm weird like that.

 

respectfully, i disagree. the front tires are still very important for braking.

Putting snows on the rear will definitely help you get going (much like AWD gives you an advantage) but its stopping that really counts... Also snows only in the rear would give you understeer in the cold/snow, which is no fun.

 

If someone needs 4 to get around fine for a RWD when the front tires are in good shape (unless they're non-grooved drag tires) then well I'd have to say they don't have much experience in the snow. 4 is superior, but you don't need all 4 to get around fine. In this aspect, it has to do with the nut behind the wheel and knowing the vehicles limits with what you got on it.

Yes your braking will perform better, but it's not going to perform alike to driving in the summer time slamming on the brakes. Secondly, if you hit the brakes to lock up on snow you just screwed yourself and entered understeering losing control. This is true for both 2 and 4 snow tires. Locking up brakes = no traction or steering, period. You don't do this. You have to learn to lightly work with the brakes and the gas to get around the issue. Anyone with adequate experience in snow knows when you get in a jam about to go off the road with snow, you get on the gas and try to power out of it. For slamming on the brakes well, you better not be close behind someone on a snowy road whether you have 2 or 4 winter tires.

 

No. I don't have the right kind of tires for the current conditions. The current conditions typically last 1 to 2 days in my area. Spending 250-300 for tires I'm gonna use 2 days a year is hard to do. Especially when they will probably dry rot before I get to use them 2 seasons.

 

If you have 2 sets of rims that fixes your rotting away prob. You may think that its not worth it but for those days it may save you your car

 

Oh, in that case simply do not drive you car for those 2 days. Problem solved.

 

<3 winters in the 8, nothing like the feel and fun of the car in the snow! Granted I run nice winter tires which make a world of difference (to the point where I can get around easier then some of the FWD and even trucks that I see out on the road). To combat road treatments, any time the temps get to 30f or above I hit up a car wash and flush her out.

 

OP - aren't you running summer tires? That would be much of the problem. Don't blame the car if it's the summer tires and your decision to use them.