Xhale707

Well im going to be heading up to snow this winter if we have some lol.
I've been to the snow once before when i was 12 but that was ages ago.
I really would like to take my car and have some fun to see how it does.

My issues are ive never driven in snow before anything to worry about?

Also my tires are ContiSportContact 3 Max Perf summer tires...

Because these are summer tires am i going to be sliding around and getting stuck?

Thanks

tommy

Summer tires cannot see below 15 degree weather - the compounds aren't designed for it at all. You'd be better off walking.

The donuts would be mad impressive, but wrapping your car around a tree wouldn't be. I wouldn't do any driving with your car like that in winter conditions at all.

fookoo303

please dont take your car into the snow. The driving characteristics are drastically different. RWD with summer tires are the WORST conditions for it. You won't even make it up a very slight hill with that combo. You wont be able to stop or turn.

For RWD, you can't brake inside of a corner, or accelerate coming out, you will get sideways and if you don't have experience in it, you probably won't be able to regain control.

I've lived in snow conditions all my life, and even with decent all season tires, I occasionally slide unintentionally and i am very aware of how to avoid slides.

Xhale707

Alrighty you guys said enough to make me not wanna go.. It's not something i wanna risk.. I didn't know summer tires couldn't be below 15 degrees

Thanks again ill look at enterprise

Alex 3

NEVER run a car in that configuration in snow!!!
I grew up in the snow, learned to drift a VW bug from the 60's in snow and there is no way I would drive a MB even with 4 Matic without snow tires at all four corners. You are heading for disaster. Even up here on Vancouver Island my winters are better in the heavy rain than my high end 3 season tire (they say all I say 3).

eesjunin

besides the tires...i have driven the C320 in the snow for over 5 years now....if you know how to handle the RWD then the fun is there ( hint ESP button)...otherwise dont make a fool out of yourself- its extremely easy

samaritrey

I have very good all seasons on my c320 and have really never had an issue in snow. Obviously once you start pushing snow with the bumper it is game over but up till then i am fine. The only times i have trouble are when the snow is deep and have big *** hills to climb. I have been driving in snow since I was 8 so 12 years of driving around the farm in snow taught me a lot on how to handle a car in it. My first car i drove on the road was a 97 J30 with snow tires. I remember the first snow we did not have the tires on it and we had to use the tractor to get it into the barn. But with the tires on it was flying though the fields in the 5 inches like nothing was there. Tires are so important but most people seem to overlook them.

SunnyRayToronto

While most of you Yanks are talking about changing Summer Tires to All Season,... the Canadian (Alex_3 of Vancouver) is smart enough to talk about WINTER tires for the snow. Which reminds me,... it's already November,... time to change go from Summer/All Season tires to Winter tires,... as per the requirements on my car insurance (November to March).

BTW,... since nobody mentioned this,.... if you're going to drive in snow,... don't forget to change your transmission to Winter Mode! IE,... the "W" and "S" button near your transmission gear shift.

pcy

I lived in Michigan and Chicago (combined) more than 25 years without 4 wheel drive vehicles including BMW 328i. Simple rule to follow while driving in snow - no sudden changes (braking/turning/accelerating). Leave few cars length of space in front of you always. That's it.

I do agree good winter tires makes a huge difference no matter what the car is.

fookoo303

You guys are making it sound like driving in the snow is simple and not so different than driving on dry pavement. This is not true at all, I am strongly emphasizing the dangers of it to people who have no experience in it. It's not as easy as giving extra room and no sudden changes. You need to have an eye for black ice, packed snow, ice beneath snow, etc. You need to know how to react in case you do slide or if someone around you slides, among other things.

samaritrey

+1000000 so true

OneOfaKindTrini

Rofll. These tires will fail in the snow. Just get a set of winter tires since those are summer tires if your budget permits. If not just dont use in extreme winter weather situations, not only applying to snow, but general low temps below 32 f.

BF_JC230

40 degrees...Change to SNOW TIRES.

Xhale707

The thing is i don't wanna get new tires because im only going to go one or two times.. i just don't wanna hit anything is what im scared of.. How does the ESP work in these conditions? I don't plan on going off roading into huge snow.. I just wanna go up to julian when it snows for the day.

tommy

ESP would be totally useless. There has to be some traction somewhere for it to work, and max summer tires would have no grip anywhere.

It's a pretty simple concept. Don't drive on sub-freezing roads with those tires, even with no snow or ice. Anything else, and you're playing with your life.

SunnyRayToronto

At the corner of my street is a autobody shop,... they get a lot of insurance business, luxury cars, nice cars and average cars. I see all the damaged cars in their back lot. Their busiest time is of course winter,... but not the middle of the winter when its coldest with the most snow and ice,... its usually right after the snow storms,... especially the first snow storm at the beginning of the winter,.... because drivers aren't prepared for winter driving,... cars don't have proper tires and driver still mentally driving in summer mode.

In snowbelt country,... lots of drivers have "winter beaters",.. spare beaten old cars that they only use for winter driving. There's a reason for that,... to save their primary (summer) cars.

If your car isn't properly equiped and you're not used to winter driving in the snow,... driving up an icy mountain isn't the time to learn. You might be better off to rent a 4x4 or SUV (with proper tires) that day.

fookoo303

yes you should definitely rent an SUV or truck... but dont get too confident just because your in it. I live in colorado and I go snowboarding in the rockies every weekend. I see guys from out of town rent their big SUV's and will run past me in an uphill straight but a few miles down the road they are always in a ditch.

Moral of the story: dont ever let your vehicle make you too confident. Always be on edge and always be careful.

A big truck that can accelerate can't always stop or turn.

Xhale707

Yeah true alright the benz will stay in the garage for winter trips.. enterprise isn't that much to have fun for a day or two.

Just sucks you have to be 25 to rent a car =(

eesjunin

ESP? you mean Extra Small *****? he he he

Actually if you turn it off thats when all the fun begins!

ML55CLA45

as mention previous...

buy some snow tires...

I use to run on all seasons but 3 years ago i purchased a set of winter tires...

I noticed a huge difference between the too....

-carino

OneOfaKindTrini

4WD+Open Parking lot=

samaritrey

Yeah the 25 thing sucks when i was in California i wanted to rent a really nice car i thought it was usually 21 tough?. I was finally able to find a place that would rent to you as long as you had a license and your insurance was verified to cover there rental car. So i rented a 2006 G500 lol
http://www.bwrentacar.com/

BTW oneofakindtrini
2wd+Open Parking lot=