FromM3toAMG

How many of you drive your cars year around? How does the E perform in the snow? Are snow/studded tires enough? I live in Western Washington so snow it's a huge deal, it didn't even snow this year.

3BNick

I'd say pick up a cheap beater fwd or 4wd for winter if you can. It would be way safer and would keep your amg free from chemicals used to melt ice. Now, I have never had my 55 in snow but I did spend 25 years of my life in Massachusetts so I understand winter driving.

JayE63

I've driven mind the last two winters- last year with A/S tires and this year with Dunlop winters. Did ok last year and great this year- only issues are if snow is too deep, and dealing with the other idiots on the road. For reason #2 I'll probably get an old Jeep this year, but the E does fine.

ArmoE55

Snow - Yes - I see no issues with snow, it's just 'solid' water. Just like driving in the rain. I'm not that **** to not drive when it rains, this car is great in the rain, too.

Salt/Sand on the roads - no, never have, never will.


I have a 2001 Toyota Camry with 156K miles as a beater that loves the winter months!

FromM3toAMG

It doesn't snow enough here for me to justify buying a beater AWD car.. Just wasn't sure how it would do with out a LSD.. Never owned a car that doesn't have LSD..

GregMB

Wintertime is the one time you'll actually LOVE the ESP nannies...

Keep the transmission in "C" mode when you need to travel through fresh snow (the transmission will start in 2nd gear to reduce tire spin), and let the ESP do it's thing. I run a set of Blizzaks (non-studded) in a 245 section width at all 4 corners and my car does fine. I live at the top of a long, hilly road and have never failed to get home even in the middle of a snowstorm. I currently still have an open diff, but will have a Quaife installed before next winter. Looking forward to snow driving once that happens, actually.

The ESP will severely cut throttle. My car is a 2006 (lots of ESP intervention) and I can literally FLOOR it going up the hill and the car will just climb at a nice steady 20mph....maybe up to 30mph if it starts to get some momentum and better traction. Owning a rear-wheel drive car in New England seemed like a really stupid idea to me at first, and I was sure that I'd regret it... but with the ESP it is actually very easy to drive and not scary at all.

On steep downhill decents, I always keep the car in "2" and let engine braking help me maintain a steady, controlled pace. That technique has served me well also.


-G

zeus1

i have an e55 but bought my car last march and drove it last winter and plan to for as long as i have it. i live in nh we can get a good deal of snow. car did pretty well. i bought a winter wheel and tire package that worked great.

BlueML99

I was wondering about this also as I live in NY and am looking to buy an E55. If all else fails I have my ML as a beater that performs like a champ im the snow.

sunil517

Drive it....They love the snow...
I have a DD FWD that I drive as a AWD...
I will not drive it in snow over 4" or where I can rip off under liners...but like driving it year around and a good cleaning when winter is gone.
Its a car and its purpose is to drive...

IndiumGreyE63

I also live in Western Washington. I have a set of Michelin snows I swap out each winter. The E performs very well. But I always worry more about the other drivers when it snows.

One problem that I had in the past was the front end was acting like a snow plow if the snow got too thick - and parktronic would go crazy. So I opt not to drive when it gets too deep.