Well, i've searched around and read all the threads I could find on snow driving, but i've still got to ask opinions specific to my situation. Up until this year I have daily driven an '06 mustang. With Blizzaks and some sand in the back, that thing was perfectly fine on 99% of my michigan winter days. Anyone with experience driving the c5 in the winter, how bad is it compared to other rwd cars you have driven in the snow? If it's not much worse than the mustang was i have no worries, but I'd expect it to be a bit worse. I know this is probably a repetitive question, but you can never know enough before a purchase and I always try to make an educated one. thanks ahead of time guys.

 

Lived in Fairbanks, AK for several years. Never had a C5 there, only a 4wd truck.

BUmp 4 ya

 

I've been caught in the snow one time in my vette. There was about a half inch of snow on the ground. About two miles later (It was a scary two miles) I couldn't make it up a long hill. I had to park the car and call my friend to pick me up. The hill wasn't steep but I had no traction (I have Nitto 555s) and couldn't keep my momentum up the entire hill. In my experience a vette is far worse in the snow than most RWD cars (I have driven a v6 mustang and plenty of german RWD cars in the snow). I don't know how much of a difference winter tires would make but I think the tires are just too wide. I daily drive my vette year round but never drive it when there's snow on the ground.

 

I've done it on multiple occassions. Drove for about two hours from another forum members house on the bypass as well. It's really not bad at all if you use common sense. I haven't had any problems.

 

I have driven in up to about 3" or so on Kumho ASX's. These are "high performance all seasons" and reputed to be "fair" in the snow. It's not a fun experience but if you are careful they have some traction and you can get around OK. A bit more difficult than in my wife's FWD Accord.

 

Did a slalom trying to get the Vert into my garage in Vegas on one occasion



Seriously though, I don't like the A4 in snowy conditions. Too much torque and not enough control for my liking. Just can't find a gear that suits so I'll stick to my manual DD. I have Michelin All Season ZPs BTW

 

with dedicated snow tires it's do-able but nothing i will ever do anymore. i purposely keep an LSD equipped FWD car for winter with snow tires. the rock chips are the WORST part about winter driving and i'd much rather beat up the integra than the vette.

 

drove to colorado last christmas with stock size tires on zo6 (new firestone wide ovals) doable but must drive slow and braking sucks, slides easy and not a warm fuzzy feeling...had to drive on 1/2" on roads and anything over 45mph was scary. tried to stop fast in a parking lot and it slid pretty bad, not recommended...wide tires do not like it. Glad I only had to do it for couple hours....would not do again willingly

 

Hey 8cd03gro I have a question do you also go under the screen name Fairprice?

 

When I first bought my vert I got caught in a snow storm that lasted from Buffalo, WY clear to Salt Lake City. It did okay and taught me to keep a very light foot on the throttle. I was running on 50% tread GY run flats. Scared the hell outa me a few times, especially when a rig would pass me running 70+. I think I took a few core samples out of my seat but it was a great experience. I'll never do it again, not on purpose anyway.

 

no, i do not. Thanks for the help guys, more input is welcome.

 

I have been caught out in the snow with my C5s and while the car will eventually get you where you need to go, it is not the most pleasant experience. With the C5 sitting so low, you almost act like a snow plow when there is more than a couple of inches on the ground. Plus the OEM tires are not an all season compound, so throttle, steering and braking must be adjusted accordingly.

If you can afford the get a FWD beater car for the winter, it would be a much better alternative than driving the C5.

 

I've driven my C5 through 5 Toronto winters now and it's honestly not that bad, with the right tires. I made the mistake of going with Kumho ASX all seasons on the rear and have driven through two winters with those now and they are downright dangerous. I had better luck with the runflats in the snow than these garbage Kumhos! Another good tire in the snow for me has been the Pirelli P Zero Nero M&S, they were great. I now have Goodyear Eagle F1 all seasons on all four corners (just bought the rears this past weekend) and I know they'll be way better than the Kumhos (I've had a set of the F1 all seasons up front for a year and a half now).

In the past I've driven through the winter in two different 5.0 Mustangs, a 95 Firebird Formula and a 95 Trans Am. The C5 is way better than any of them in the snow, thanks to it's perfect weight distribution (those other cars were too nose heavy)

I wouldn't drive this car in the winter if I lived outside of the city where they don't plow the roads too quickly, but for driving in a major city or it's suburbs, it'll get through the light snowfalls without any major drama.

 

I drove a customer's Vette with snow tires in a snow storm a couple of years ago and couldn't believe how well it handled.

 

Your kidding me right. This is the capital of the world for snow. Never drive your vette in the snow unless you like SALT!!!

 

I won't chance driving my C5 in snow, ever.
I had one "change your underware" driving experience in snow w/my old Supra. Never again! 4X4 Tundra

 

Agreed! The only vehicle I drive that sees snow is my 2004 Jeep Liberty 4x4. Even that gets squirrely on me from time to time!

 

I've done it several times, and the vette isn't the worst car I've driven in the snow, but it really isn't great at it. There's no way in h*** I'd try it in an A4 car, there's way too much power going to the wheels and no way to modulate it. If you have a stick and are willing to take your time, you should be fine. Vette's and Mustangs are both RWD cars with a lot of power to the rear wheels. I'm not positive, but I think the vette comes with a little wider rubber on the rear wheels and the ground clearance is MUCH lower than it is on your Mustang.

 

Living in Florida, the same thought came to me this weekend because we are travelling to the high desert when it may snow. Talking to a guy that has been cross country with his C5 and C6 gave me some other things to thinks about. He said that he had no problem with the car being roadworthy when he encountered snow. The main issue he had was from wheelslop and tire spray that salted and sanded roads caused. He said it was like his car was sandblasted behind the tires and wheel wells. /Ken

 

i live in illinois and i have a vette and drove it every day for six years. one thing about winter driving, you either get to be a GOOD driver or you end up with your vette in a ditch or on a flatbed. you have to know YOUR limits and do not exceed them. got to admit tho, it is far better to have a 4wheel drive pu to use in the winter, not as much worries that way.
oh yes, i still have my vette and just got a top flight from ncrs, after 106k miles.