Were thinking of getting a used C5(02 or 03) for use as a daily driver all year around! As you know winters here in Toronto Canada can be pretty harsh at times. My question is has anyone driven one of these in the snow before? and how was it? the other car were considering is the porcshe Boxster which I have read are pretty good in the snow?? Of course either car would be fitted with winter tires and any other acessories that may help.

Zack

 

Hello and welcome

read this thread from yesterday and it touches on the same thing

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=969843

as long as you don't drive in snow over 1 or 2 inches you should be okay..any deeper than that and your vette will be a snow plow

 

It's all about the ground clearance baby. I think you'll be stranded more than you think if you pursue this option.

 

use to live in the mid-west & there is no way I would try & drive a vette thru the winter

 

I drive mine thru the winter...

However, in slick conditions you will go nowhere. The tires will not provide any traction, the wide contact area and narrow sipes just can't provide a good bite.

ABS and traction control helps, but in heavy snow (no ground clearance) and in icy conditions you better have another vehicle.

Can you spell, Snowmobile???

 

In icy conditions, you will feel like you are on skates that have no "stop" button. Zero traction. Same with VERY heavy rain (on the stock GY runcraps)

I'm in CT and I drove mine to work today (with a very light dusting of snow on the roads) and it was fine. Anything more than that and I'll be sliding home sideways.

I have a DD Ricer - suggest you do the same. Lived in Waterloo, ON - and yeah, the winters are brutal.

Good Luck

EG

 

Firm, I got caught in the first snow storm of the year a few years back...thought I could get home in time....but it came down pretty hard... an inch or so I was alll over but could still move.... until i had to go UP a hill from stand still....got stuck ...burned about 1/2 my rubber off trying to move. Thankfull i was right in front of a firestation and after the firefighters were finished laughing at me...they pushed me into their lot and let me keep it in their bays overnight... it went into storage the next day.... Winters here suck...dont kid yourself

 

I would still pick up a C5 for most of the time driving..and just get a beater for really bad weather or times when you can't use the vette.

 

We do have a beater for really bad days(95 Caddy STS, which plows through snow like an army tank) and the Vette would definatly have winter rims and tires so that would take care of some of the slippage??? The car that currently makes the run daily is an 84 Camaro with snow tires in the rear only. It's gone though every snow storm since it was new in 84 without a problem. I do realise Vette's are alot different though. Any thoughts on the Porcshe??

 

I've driven my C5 in the snow before, but it is really not something I like to do. As long as the snow is not too deep, it will go, but traction will definitely be limited. If you plan to drive this all year long, you may want to get some M&S EMTs for the car.

 

My first two Corvettes were year around cars. Both were big blocks and I put studded snows on the rear of both. Many times I gave rides up my hill to people who couldn't get their cars through the deep snow (there is a technique to doing this). I was never stuck in either car. The problem with the C5 is finding good tires that will give you some traction. I am not impressed with the winter EMT tire from GY. The tread design is similar to a GY tire I used on another car and it just couldn't get the job done. Going well in the snow requires a higher profile and narrower tire which I don't think you will find for a C5. Several things in the C5s favor are the limited slip diff, stability control, traction control and ABS as long as you have a good set of tires.
Bill

 

How bad do you want to beat up your car from the low ground clearence. Frozen snow cuncks can be a buster but dodging them can tail spin you with surfaces that have hidden conditions. Salt and road chemicals on you under carriage are your next problem in bad storm. If have a good car wask OK. Car washs with a under carriage wash in my area will not take vettes because of the low clearance

 

I get around just fine on slippery, plowed roads with a set of ContiExtreme Contacts. When streets are unplowed with more than a couple of inches, drive something else. Just for the record, my Contis handle full boost on cold (35 -50 degree) pavement in 2nd gear and up (465rwhp maggie, 6spd).

 

Welcome aboard fellow Mississaugian!

I drive mine everyday, but this is also my first winter. It has done well in the light snow we've gotten so far, even on the stock rear tires! I am getting Pirelli P Zero Neros for the back (to match the ones I put up front in the summer) and it should handle light snow even better.

As long as the snow isn't too deep for the front end to clear, these cars will do just fine. The traction control works well and with the automatic's second gear start feature you can get moving on slippery surfaces pretty easily as long as your tires aren't bald.

When you really look at it, our winters in Mississauga are not bad. Not compared to up north! We get our roads plowed and salted very fast, so there really are only maybe 5 bad snow days per season where you would want to leave the C5 at home. The rest of the time the roads are just slushy and salty. I take care of that with frequent car washings. I know my car won't be 100% mint after going through the winter, but I would rather drive it and enjoy it all the time, and keep it 95% mint, than to only drive it occasionally in order to keep it 100% mint. Besides, from 5ft away my car will still look brand new even after going through the winter, it's only when you go over it closely would you notice a difference.

Where in Mississauga are you? I'm near the 401/Mississauga Road area.