hey guys... for you members in the Detriot area..... how well are the roads cleaned up during the winter months?

four wheel drive a must in the winter?

-carino

 

not from detroit but i would def get 4 snow tires

 

I would recomend a different set of snow tires for the snow.

 

I'm in OH and it is horrid driving in the winter, even with the W setting and snow tires. Its fun if you want to break loose every so often, but with the assisted braking and lag @ acceleration, it makes for some serious skilled driving not to do something stupid..

 

Detroit doesn't get a lot of lake effect snow. As a result the average total winter snowfall is only 40 inches. Single storms of 12" or more are very rare.

As long as you have a reasonable touch with the throttle and good winter tires, you probably won't have any issues driving your W203 through a Michigan winter.

If you get a winter beater, 4WD is helpful but not required and is definitely less important than the winter driving capability of the tires.

 

thanks for all the great info guys...

 

Im not from Detroit but im pretty close, in Chicago......I don't have snow tyres and it is a pain to drive if it snows more than 1.5+ inches......The ESP never turns off; every time i tap the accelerator it starts to blink like crazy.....What snow tyres do the ppl with them recommend if they help at all?

 

I've been using Hankook W300 Ice Bears for the past 2 winters. I haven't had any problems with the snow or ice. They tend to aquaplane a bit on slush though. Next time around I would probably go for some Nokian Hakkapeliitta's.

 

Speaking of winter, how often do you guys wash your cars? Do you go through automated (touchless or Scrubbers) or do it yourself?

 

$2.00 at self service with hose water to spray the salt off

 

if its a harsh winter just power wash it in a gas station. i got some winter pirellis they are siiick check tirerack.com

blizzak are siiick too

 

I too have the hankook ice bears, not a bad snowtire for ohio weather. As for washing, if the temps are above the 30's i'll take it to a coin op to remove most of the dirt and salt and then use a no rinse solution and two bucket method to really clean the surface. for more info visit autopia.org. detail forum.

here's a link on how to ONR

http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/...r-how-311.html

 

Thanks to all of you that helped to answer my question, dirtdiggler-that autopia website didn't work for me but the detailing thread helps much (never knew it would be that easy)....... and thanks to others that recommended that wash ideas.....one more question about tires ...what do you all think of the Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3?...I heard that Beemers come with them as an option/but are they any good or how about the MB preferred Continentals???

 

I'm in Chicago too. All-season or snow tires are a must. I have Pirelli PZero Nero M/S all-seasons and they work great! IMO dedicated snow tires are overkill here. They plow and salt the roads well so you really just need a soft tire that can handle the salty slush. If you go with all-seasons there's really no need for summer tires. Having two sets of wheels and tires can get expensive.

Just my $.02

 

indeed!