350z and snow?

[jdshift]

I gotta ask, I did search on this question and nothing. Is the 350z decent in snow driving? In my area we get snow and you see RWD cars slipping and stuck and such. Got to be practical in this area with cars, but if a Z can handle close to say an Altima, I would love to know. Thanks for your time.

[cmfireman]

The Z33 won't be nearly as good as the Altima because it's RWD.

It could do fine with a good set of winter tires, but I would buy a $1500 beater car to drive in the snow if I had a Z33 anyway.

You can get an old 4x4 truck or an old FWD car for <$1500, and it would be well worth it to protect your Z.

[jdshift]

Thank you for that quick response. Let me re-phrase the question.......anybody have a 350Z? Now, have you drove in the snow? Okay, does it handle okay? Bad? Thanks again.

[bobotech]

You can make a RWD car easier to drive in teh snow but it will never be as good as a FWD. I drive a RWD car during the winter and I had no problems but I did put studded snow tires on the rear and added weight to the trunk.

Studs/good real snow tires/weight in the trunk/electronic traction control of some sort/etc and you will have a car that is almost as good as a FWD with all season tires.

Also its a good idea to put more narrow tires on the car for the winter (front and rear). Narrower tires dig in whereas wide tires float on snow.

[Looneybomber]

I don't have a Z, but I do know I would never take my S2000 in the snow w/o proper snow tires. That's the only thing that will save your arse in a 350Z. The Z's weigh more, which can help, but it can also hurt depending on situations. I also believe they're not a 50/50 distribution, so with it being front heavy will cause you to slip and slide all the time. Once you get used to it, you should be able to get around fine until the snow becomes too deep and you're using your front end as a shovel.

Side note: Incase you didn't know, I have an explorer which I use in the cold or if there is any amount of precipitation because I do not want my S getting wet, even from a wet road. I highly recommend getting a 4x4 beater to use in bad weather!

[Dragon13]

My buddy lives on Long Island, his Z sucks in the snow. I wouldn't even try it.

[jdshift]

Guess it would seem Z ain't the way to go...............figure I ask though just to make sure. Guess the next car might have to be the Altima coupe then. Thank you all for your responses.

[Looneybomber]

Guess it would seem Z ain't the way to go...............figure I ask though just to make sure. Guess the next car might have to be the Altima coupe then. Thank you all for your responses.

Nah, you just need a Z and another car, or a wrx or evo instead.

[nsrZ32]

Let me move this to the 350Z forum so you can get input from those who actually drive 350's in the snow.

Also, I'm pretty sure there are a couple threads like this in there so make sure to check those out.

Like this one....zerothread/211024

[PoorManQ45]

um... Guys, RWD cars are better in the snow!

When a FWD car does lose traction you never knw what it's going to do.

With a RDW all that happens is the arse end wants to swing around the front like a pendilum. This can be corrected with steering.

The problem with FWD is that when it does slip, you can't correct it. Why you ask? Because the drive wheels and the turning wheels are the same thing!

Just think of it as understeer vs. oversteer.

[jdshift]

Well, maybe down the road I can have a Z as a " Weekend warrior" and Altima as a daily driver. But just gotta wait until employers " SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!"

[Looneybomber]

um... Guys, RWD cars are better in the snow!

When a FWD car does lose traction you never knw what it's going to do.

With a RDW all that happens is the arse end wants to swing around the front like a pendilum. This can be corrected with steering..

In the snow, I perfer my explorer in 2wd but do have the 4wd option, but that's way off topic.

Uh oh, here comes a dead horse debate. IMO, RWD is better at the limit, but FWD is better everywhere else. You say you wont know what's going to happen if you lose traction, I can tell you, your front end will plow. You let off the gas a bit, turn and hope for the best. Normally you wont have to do that since most of the cars weight is over its front tires.

In a RWD car, you steer with your foot, which is what I love, but does become very annoying when trying to drive w/traffic and you hope you don't understeer going around a turn because you have a car on the outside and don't want to risk sliding your rearend into them.

[envthis15]

holy freakin crap, i live in ohio and we had ridiculous snow this year. my z HAD to sit my garage for 4 weeks cuz i couldn't get it out of my neighborhood. and even if i had, it would have been fishtailing all over the damn place and getting stuck. that car dispises snow. it stucks in the snow like none other. it isn't a good winter car unless you have great snow tires and are really good at getting out of snow drifts higher than the bottom of your car. (doesn't work well) in one day my car got so stuck that by the time i got it home, it ruined my back tires.

[98koukile]

um... Guys, RWD cars are better in the snow!

When a FWD car does lose traction you never knw what it's going to do.

With a RDW all that happens is the arse end wants to swing around the front like a pendilum. This can be corrected with steering.

The problem with FWD is that when it does slip, you can't correct it. Why you ask? Because the drive wheels and the turning wheels are the same thing!

Just think of it as understeer vs. oversteer.

That's ignorance and inexperience talking... from a dead stop your ****ed, and if you lose traction to your front wheels in either car you aren't gunna turn. Turn the wheel in a fwd car and dump the clutch, you still turn! go figure, just like you move forward even when doing a burnout with rwd. You think the people who design these cars are talking out of their asses? Fwd would be useless unless it was better suited for DD in all weather conditions