A lot of my Subaru pals who admittedly are spoiled by AWD & look forward to blizzards so they can show off, warn me to hide this thing in the garage if showers are expected. Now I grew up in a rear wheel drive age of heavy Detroit steel, & also owned a '68 Fiat 124 coupe & '70 Opel Manta, both RWD. I know the challenges of rear wheel drive in the snow, but never really gave rain much thought. Do these cars behave any less roadworthy in the wet than say a 3 series BMW? I'm not about to push the car to its limits, & have respect for the dangers of hydroplaning.Do any of you have a "favorite" all season mid-range performance tire?I haven't registered the car yet, but need to know what to expect "down the road". Thanks again.
Ron.
240s in the rain - deathtrap?
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100Dollar240
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yeswepromise
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Generally it just comes down to the tires and like Yes said driver ability / common sense.. You seem to have plenty of knowledge driving rwd car so it's no biggy.
I actually enjoy driving in the rain and messing around (in appropriate areas) because the handling and the ability to break traction are so predictable.
I actually enjoy driving in the rain and messing around (in appropriate areas) because the handling and the ability to break traction are so predictable.
I dont drive my car in rain anymore unless I get caught in it, but thats because of the crap on roads that flies up and scratches paint.
But I think any GOOD all-season tire would be sufficiant. I never had problem in rain.
I run Firestone Firehawk SZ50s, they are a summer tire, but they are awesome in rain.
But I think any GOOD all-season tire would be sufficiant. I never had problem in rain.
I run Firestone Firehawk SZ50s, they are a summer tire, but they are awesome in rain.
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Cyberkreig
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S14 Wannabe
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themadscientist
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I love these things in the rain. I just wag back and forth at will, drift around corners etc. The S13 chassis is verrrry predictable. It does break loose easy but it lets you know well ahead of time. By contrast the R32 grabs hard then just cuts loose like flipping a switch, kind of scary until you get the feel for it.
100, you had an Opel manta? that kicks ***. I learned to drift in a 72' opel Manta! I had a couple of them and two GTs at one point, fun little cars.
100, you had an Opel manta? that kicks ***. I learned to drift in a 72' opel Manta! I had a couple of them and two GTs at one point, fun little cars.
death trap is exactly the phrase that i've heard used with mustang 5.0's and camaros. i wouldn't say deathtrap, but i would say more dangerous than awd or fwd. up where i used to go to school in northern indiana, pretty much everyone with a sporty rwd car would store theirs for the winter, and the rwd that were left like old buicks filled their trunks with concrete bags. i drove my 240 in the rain 2 days ago though, and with my all season tires (yokohama avid touring, m+s and "s" speed rated) and they performed very well, but i shifted at low revs just in case.
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100Dollar240
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Thanks for all the input. Yes, "deathtrap" is too harsh a term, but it did get your attention. It's just that most younger folks have become used to the drivability & manners of FWD, & good old RWD takes a different approach. I tend to slow down on wet roads, no matter what beast I may be driving. There are simply too many fools out there trying to make poor traction an excuse for a new Olympic extreme sport. Of course, I'm a tad over 30 years old too.My sport with this car may be to autocross it. On the public roads I'll try to "love it tender".
Thanks again, Ron.
Thanks again, Ron.
yeswepromise wrote:there is no problem driving in the rain.the problems start when the driver becomes stupid.
Yes, and I was stupid today. I was gonna show off for some kids eyeballing the car and ended up hopping up on a median after trying to turn left. Too much throttle, not enought correction, all four wheels on the median.
I Got lucky. Nobody got hurt. The car has two dents in the bottom of the intercooler and the alignment is a little bit off, but nothing looks bent or broken. Again, I got lucky. And, again, all due to stupidity.
Went back and told the kids not to pull stupid $#!+ to impress people or they'd end up looking like a big idiot. Just like me.
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Onizuka
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Toast wrote:I have a blast in the snow and rain, I hate ICE. Also more weight in the back is always good if you are getting tired of a light *** during the winter.
more weight isnt always good, nothing is better than all season tires and driving slowly. If anything, people gain a false sense of security with traction control and AWD and heavy cars. Thats why you see stupid people driving 70 mph on the highway in their cadalac escallades, then you see them several minutes later on the side of the road, upside down, with parts scattered everywhere.
J-Spec Tuner wrote:more weight isnt always good, nothing is better than all season tires and driving slowly. If anything, people gain a false sense of security with traction control and AWD and heavy cars. Thats why you see stupid people driving 70 mph on the highway in their cadalac escallades, then you see them several minutes later on the side of the road, upside down, with parts scattered everywhere.
yeah, becareful with the extra weight in the back, It will make you less likely to slip out in the back, but once you are sliding....its gonna be hard to counter the weight and get it going straight again.
Knowing your car is in my opinion always the best thing. Drive it slo to a parking lot and do a little 'testing' so you can understand where, when, and why you will lose grip.
The combination of driving like an idiot plus bad tires can be deadly. When I first got my 240 I took it out in the rain and decided to drift onto the on ramp. Because I didn't know how to drive, plus I was being stupid and the bad tires...I dang near hit a tree. Get some good tires (I use cheap Falken Azenis and have no problems) and drive sensibly and you'll do just fine.
My 240 grips better in the rain on those Falken Azenis than my 200SX does on Michelins. I got both sets of tires within a month of each other. Go figure
My 240 grips better in the rain on those Falken Azenis than my 200SX does on Michelins. I got both sets of tires within a month of each other. Go figure
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Rockenreno
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ca18det_boy
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J-Spec Tuner wrote:more weight isnt always good, nothing is better than all season tires and driving slowly. If anything, people gain a false sense of security with traction control and AWD and heavy cars. Thats why you see stupid people driving 70 mph on the highway in their cadalac escallades, then you see them several minutes later on the side of the road, upside down, with parts scattered everywhere.
its funny cause its true......:ylsuper
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skydragoness
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my two cents...
i really really like my Bridgestone Potenza RE950's, they are directional/all-season high perf rated tires, H-rated i believe, they're going to be my winter set once i get some rims for this year. They're awesome in the rain--- predictable, and stable. But again, i don't push the tire's traction abilities to it's limits in the rain, not even when it's just mildy wet out, that would be just plain stupid.