Help....Any driving in snow advice???

[casperfun]

Well it finally snowed here in Virginia Beach where it snows here once every 6-10 yrs. It never really snows down here much. When ONE snowflake falls they CLOSE everything down here.

As you expect, NOBODY here knows how to drive in snow because it rarely snows much in Hampton Rds. Hence, tons of accidents.

Well I can't do anything about their driving but is there any settings I should make in my Rogue? Or is everything automatic?

Even though my Rogue has:

Intuitive All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Xtronic CVT® (Continuously Variable Transmission) 2- or 4-wheel Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS)

Brakes 4-wheel vented disc brakes 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD)

I still heard people that still had crashes in snow while others said their Rogues drive like a dream while everybody else got stuck in snow.



I want to be safe
Modified by casperfun at 7:59 AM 1/30/2010

[Robteesit]

Hey Casper - I don't know how old you are - but I have found that most things that are new are handled better with the more experience you have - and having the wisdom to know that comes with age. I live in the south central part of the state and we have been having more than our fair share of snow this year. You still see alot of people in the ditches and skidding off the road here too - I think maybe it is a lot of inexperience kids or people that panic because or lack of experience and a lot of people that don't know how to handle the snow. Now when your stuck in ice - God save you because experience has nothing to do with it. Any way I have the same type (SL AWD) Rogue as you and durning the last big store down here - 18" I had no problem getting around. I have 40+ years driving experience and I have driven all types of vehicles - but this Rogue is the most stable I have ever driven - when coming to hills, where everyone else is sliding around, I would just flip the AWD switch and with a steady speed I would go around and up the hills with no problem. Anyway what you say is true give the other guy plenty of room and use a steady foot and head and you should do fine. I you feel nervous don't drive because it is not the vehicle that is going to save you it is your head.P.s. it is snowing here right now - about 5"s so far.

[going rogue]

Do what every Canadian does when he learns how to drive (some repeat this every winter just for fun): Find a large empty space in a quiet parking lot and see how your car reacts to various maneuvers.

[RubenTheRogue]

Remember All Wheel Drive doesnt necessarily mean ALL WHEEL STOP and that is when most mishaps happen. GO SLOW, give yourself plenty of room behind the car in front and BRAKE EARLY and GENTLY. Coast thru curves and corners if you slide DONT panic with your AWD steer INTO the turn and give gentle gas pedal to pull yourself out of the slide.

[kerrton]

That's good advice.

All the things you listed regarding your Rogue are very nice to have as added safety gadgets, but the difference between a safe driver and an unsafe driver is not the vehicle but the driver himself. Although skill and experience is important, it's actually driver attitude that is the most important. I know many experienced drivers who have great skills but they are overconfident, and when they get in road-rage frame of mind they are by far the most dangerous drivers on the road.

Here in Alberta there is tons of snow and ice, and the verhicles that I most often see in the ditch and in serious accidents BY FAR is the 4x4 trucks and SUV's. And judging by how I see these people drive, they are overconfident because of the AWD and drive poorly because of this false sense of security. Don't get overconfident because you've got AWD, or you'll find yourself in trouble in a hurry. AWD does NOT help you to stop, only your speed and tires and decision making can help with this. For example, leave lots of distance between you and the cars around you. It's these simple tips that will keep you safe, not high tech AWD and ABS systems.

[going rogue]

I just heard Virginia got some freezing rain. If that's the case, do what most Canadians do and DON"T GO OUT unless you have to. Here's what a little freezing rain can do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPE8vL5hlFA
Modified by goin' rogue at 1:51 PM 1/30/2010

[RogueGuy45]

All automatic. Just don't make any sudden moves when it's slippery and multiply your normal following and stopping distance by 5 and you should be fine.

[RogueGuy45]

I just heard Virginia got some freezing rain. If that's the case, do what most Canadians do and DON"T GO OUT unless you have to. Here's what a little freezing rain can do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPE8vL5hlFA

Modified by goin' rogue at 1:51 PM 1/30/2010

Hilarious video. How about the guy in the Trailblazer reving his engine with absolutely no control?

[philipa_240sx]

Hahaha, funny!

Just one comment about the VDC:

It works better if you follow the old winter driving tip: Do not brake and steer at the same time. When the ABS is active trying to stop the wheels from locking, there is little room for the VDC to do it's work. So let off the brakes, then steer and the Rogue will follow your commands much better.

[[email protected]]

I've been driving in snow all my life. Most of the vehicles I have driven were pretty heavy. I found that the Rogue handled as well as the Murano I had accept in turning. The extra weight of the Murano made for better control so I had to take turns a lot slower with the Rogue. Otherwise one was as good as the other.