JSH198

I'm looking to buy a new car in the next few months and I've narrowed it down to 3 cars: 2005 G35 Coupe 6MT, 2005/6 Mazda RX-8 6MT, and Acura RSX Type-S. I know that these are very different cars and I have different reasons for liking each one. One of the reasons that I like the Acura is because it's a front wheel drive and I wouldn't have to worry about buying a second set of rims/tires for winter (I live in Pittsburgh, PA). My question to you is: would a rear-wheel drive car like the G35 or RX-8 that is equipped with winter tires handle as good if not better than a front-wheel drive car like the RSX in snow and ice? Thanks in advance for your help.

dwynne

All season tires suck - they are no good in the dry or wet and barely usable in the snow.

Get summer tread tires for the dry and wet and switch to snows for the winter - or get a winter beater and put it on snows.

To answer the questions in the title I would rather have RWD and good snow tires than FWD and all seaon tires.

My '96 Subaru with AWD and 4 snows is the best snow set up I have ever had, though.

Dennis

draco067

anything with snow tires will be better in the winter.

Roaddemon

I run snows on my rx8 in winter. It's better in snow than my 626 fwd with all seasons. Get the snows. Tire Rack always has good prices and the right tires for your car. I bought an extra set of rims for my snows. They're easy to put on and off. Tire rack has rims for your car too. My winter setup was around $1200.

cowboyup75146

Man i feel for yall in the the deep north (PA) having to buy 2 sets of rims and tires for the winter time.
I wish in TEXAS we could find some tires that don't melt in the summer time ( lol) .. we usally have 2 bad whether days in jan or feb in thw Dallas area , good luck in the winter..
Today 99 degrees , count in the humidity and it is like 105-107

blue freeze

If you can wait a while, do like I did--- wait until it's -40C, icy with snow, get a salesman to de-ice and warm up an 8 to take it out for a test drive. Trust me, if it doesn't have snow tires on they probably won't let you go with it! Then you will really know how it is in winter.

My old car was a fwd (admittedly no traction control or abs, all season tires) but I was surprised when I felt more secure test driving the 8. After the test drive, got back in the old car, slid around all over, and decided it was time to start dealing :D

vectorwolf

FWD/AWD do only one thing for you in the snow, and that is helping you take off slightly more easily (FWD is kind of iffy... and it hurts more than helps if you're on a steep incline, which is where most people have problems anyways). Neither drivetrain will help you corner more easily and avoid slamming into a guardrail, or stop more quickly to keep from plowing into traffic, both of which are FAR more important issues than launching from a stop. Summer tires (and some all-seasons), with their large tread blocks and minimal gap, basically become rubber snowshoes in winter... But, with a good set of snow tires, just about any vehicle becomes a tank in the snow. These tires are specifically designed to dig into snow (and ice, if you have studs). I'll never risk going through another winter without 'em.



My last car (which I owned for about 3 years) was a 1997 Miata. Up until I owned this car, I'd never experienced snow tires, I just got by with whatever was on the car. Once I threw a set on during my first winter, I was stunned... It was, hands down, the best winter car I'd ever owned. It was so good, in fact, that I made a point of travelling down the uncleared side streets after heavy snows just so I could fool around. :D In the 2 1/2 winters with the car, I only got stuck once. Ironically, I did so while helping another Miata get un-stuck, and was just on a HUGE patch of ice, which any vehicle would have been stuck on.

Now the RX-8, with a far superior chassis/suspension setup, and all sorts of nifty electronic safety systems, will undoubtedly be even better. I already know it's far more stable in wet weather (the miata, with it's short wheelbase, could become tail-happy VERY quickly if you got too crazy), so I'm sure it'll be great in the snow as well.

silvercloud

I had a ' 92 Prelude with all seasons- it was pretty bad in the snow.

My 8 with snow tires is better than my old civic and accord in the snow and ice.

If I were you even if you get the RSX- I'd get snow tires

mauricio

Well I don't think many people say oh it's snowing let's go for a ride. all season would do if you are careful and plan to stay home if a snow storm passes through. I don't use my 8 if a storm approaches get what I'm saying.

I have avon tech all season and they are very good.

HeelnToe

In my experience in the snow, a RWD car with a LSD > a FWD car without one.

sfRXgr8

I lived in Wisconsin driving rear wheel drive for 9 years. Never had a problem when snow tires were on. Barely even had a problem with 450 horsepower from my Trans Am in winter.. just be careful to not accelerate into turns and you'll be fine. Winter tires, smaller rims, and make sure you wash it frequently. RSX's are not only weak, they are also too small for full grown adults.