RX 8 driving in snow and winter months
11-24-2010, 02:23 PM
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RX 8 driving in snow and winter months
I just picked up my RX 8 few weeks ago so have not experince this car in the winter. I can get a garage and try to garage it but will cost me about 175.00 month to do this, So was wondering anyone that has drove this car in the snow and winter to chim in. I'm aware of rear wheel drive so thats why i'm asking and fyi my last vechile was a jeep wrangler with 30's on it lol.
11-24-2010, 02:41 PM
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Thanks bro So you drive yours in snow how does the body hold up in winter months.
11-24-2010, 02:44 PM
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11-24-2010, 02:45 PM
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^ +1. Besides, 175/month is a little steep! Get some cheap rims and good winter tires, and you should be set 
Read this to give you some ideas https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/congratulations-you-got-8-a-202548/#post3666147
beat me to is shaunv74!
Read this to give you some ideas https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/congratulations-you-got-8-a-202548/#post3666147
beat me to is shaunv74!
Last edited by RX8Soldier; 11-24-2010 at 02:48 PM.
11-24-2010, 02:53 PM
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^ +1. Besides, 175/month is a little steep! Get some cheap rims and good winter tires, and you should be set
Read this to give you some ideas https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?p=3666147
beat me to is shaunv74!
Read this to give you some ideas https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?p=3666147
beat me to is shaunv74!
Thats the same year and color I have bro
11-24-2010, 03:00 PM
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https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/new-potential-owners-start-here-202454/
Entering the 4th New England winter with my 8, and not worried at all. Except for the salt. I dislike salt. I was hoping to be just driving the Miata this winter, but doesn't look like that will happen.
If you don't have snow tires though, stay off the road. It isn't worth the risk.
Cold Weather
I would recommend working on getting a set of alternate rims and winter tires. The rims can be complete garbage (mine are mismatched ), but it makes any winter condition drivable, and even fun! (as long as you are still clearing the snow with your air dam, but if you aren't, no one else should be on the road there anyway, the government would probably be shut down) If you take this route, buy them sometime between now and September, when the prices start climbing on them again. Get them in the summer when no one is looking and you can pay significantly less.
Cold itself is nothing to worry about unless your ignition system is weak. Stay on top of your ignition system (learn to subconsciously pay attention to the stability of the revs and how smooth, or not, the power band is, etc... Start feeling that hesistation and roughness, and it doesn't go away with WOT runs to redline, your ignition system is starting the downhill. Doesn't mean it will go right away, but the longer you wait, the greater and greater your flood risk, power loss, and mileage drop.
Also throwing in that I have driven my 8 through the last 3 New England winters. The car you have doesn't matter for anything but sheer ground clearance. FWD vehicles and SUVs are more likely to have more winter friendly tires on OEM, sports cars are more likely to have OEM summer tires, and this is where the difference is. As long as you have ground clearance though, my 8, with winter tires, will out-drive any SUV or jeep on OEM tires. My work is on a hill, the highest point in the state, and each winter I regularly climb the last steep hill into work, often winding my way around stuck SUVs and trucks.
Outside of tires, the 8 is low torque, more weight over the rear than most big engined sports cars, and a great set of driver aids. My only concern for driving it in the winter at all is the salt. The only time I got stuck was when it started dumping snow and the plows were not sent out until literally half of the state was stranded in gridlock and ditches, and the snow was simply too deep to push through. The low ground clearance was a bonus though, I was one of the first stuck, and thus got one of the only tow trucks. The tow truck got stuck on my street about 30 yards from my driveway after dropping my 8 off. Even he needed the extra weight at that point.
I would recommend working on getting a set of alternate rims and winter tires. The rims can be complete garbage (mine are mismatched ), but it makes any winter condition drivable, and even fun! (as long as you are still clearing the snow with your air dam, but if you aren't, no one else should be on the road there anyway, the government would probably be shut down) If you take this route, buy them sometime between now and September, when the prices start climbing on them again. Get them in the summer when no one is looking and you can pay significantly less.
Cold itself is nothing to worry about unless your ignition system is weak. Stay on top of your ignition system (learn to subconsciously pay attention to the stability of the revs and how smooth, or not, the power band is, etc... Start feeling that hesistation and roughness, and it doesn't go away with WOT runs to redline, your ignition system is starting the downhill. Doesn't mean it will go right away, but the longer you wait, the greater and greater your flood risk, power loss, and mileage drop.
Also throwing in that I have driven my 8 through the last 3 New England winters. The car you have doesn't matter for anything but sheer ground clearance. FWD vehicles and SUVs are more likely to have more winter friendly tires on OEM, sports cars are more likely to have OEM summer tires, and this is where the difference is. As long as you have ground clearance though, my 8, with winter tires, will out-drive any SUV or jeep on OEM tires. My work is on a hill, the highest point in the state, and each winter I regularly climb the last steep hill into work, often winding my way around stuck SUVs and trucks.
Outside of tires, the 8 is low torque, more weight over the rear than most big engined sports cars, and a great set of driver aids. My only concern for driving it in the winter at all is the salt. The only time I got stuck was when it started dumping snow and the plows were not sent out until literally half of the state was stranded in gridlock and ditches, and the snow was simply too deep to push through. The low ground clearance was a bonus though, I was one of the first stuck, and thus got one of the only tow trucks. The tow truck got stuck on my street about 30 yards from my driveway after dropping my 8 off. Even he needed the extra weight at that point.
Entering the 4th New England winter with my 8, and not worried at all. Except for the salt. I dislike salt. I was hoping to be just driving the Miata this winter, but doesn't look like that will happen.
If you don't have snow tires though, stay off the road. It isn't worth the risk.
11-24-2010, 06:18 PM
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i live in calgary canada and the winter here is just ******* crazy and im driving my 8 with blizacks LM-60 and the car handles and drives better that most of the cars out there ( way better than my civic and my gfs cobalt )
11-24-2010, 07:22 PM
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I just picked up my RX 8 few weeks ago so have not experince this car in the winter. I can get a garage and try to garage it but will cost me about 175.00 month to do this, So was wondering anyone that has drove this car in the snow and winter to chim in. I'm aware of rear wheel drive so thats why i'm asking and fyi my last vechile was a jeep wrangler with 30's on it lol.
11-25-2010, 08:12 AM
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11-28-2010, 02:07 AM
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Last year was my first winter with the 8 and it was a bad one. I have Wintersports on another set of stock rims and I throw 1 sand bag in the trunk. As far as traction goes, I've got no complaints, and it's alot of fun. Anymore than 4-5" of snow at a time though, I will leave the car set for a day or 2 until they get the roads plowed some. I'm not a fan of plowing snow with my air dam.
11-28-2010, 08:41 AM
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I live in ohio, and take a lot of back roads that trucks don't even touch. The RX-8 is surprising an amazing car in the snow for me, of course u will run into a sliding situation but the 8 is so easy to control. So as long as u have tread and not taking off quickly u should be fine. For the body holding up i never had a problem. I hit black ice and slid off the highway going 55-60 hit some snow on the side of the highway then got right back on. no damage. just be aware of black ice.
12-01-2010, 03:58 PM
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I live in Alberta, Canada where it can reach -40 C during the winter.
I bought a set of Blizzaks with steelies. I dont have a garage so the car sits outside all the time. We have already gotten a cold spell where it hit -35 C overnight, and my car has started everytime with no problems.I find it pretty easy to drive in the snow but you NEED snow tires, not all seasons. I had all seasons on it when I bought my car and I couldnt get a set of snow tires on before it snowed so I had to drive it to my dads place so I could put my winter setup on and it was straight up dangerous to drive, I had to go like 30 KM/H the whole time. Once I got my blizzaks on, it was 100 times easier to drive.
I bought a set of Blizzaks with steelies. I dont have a garage so the car sits outside all the time. We have already gotten a cold spell where it hit -35 C overnight, and my car has started everytime with no problems.I find it pretty easy to drive in the snow but you NEED snow tires, not all seasons. I had all seasons on it when I bought my car and I couldnt get a set of snow tires on before it snowed so I had to drive it to my dads place so I could put my winter setup on and it was straight up dangerous to drive, I had to go like 30 KM/H the whole time. Once I got my blizzaks on, it was 100 times easier to drive.
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