I still don't buy it. First off most folks that I know don't race on the streets, (especially in snow, most cars are stock not HP machines etc.) My rear wheel GTO won't go in snow ragardless of the tires. It's just not made to do so. It always cracks me up how folks use comparisons that mean nothing to real world events. Ice race events. Come on get serious.

We just had about a foot of snow in Seattle which we never get and I see rear wheel cars in the ditches and turned around all over the place. With and without snows. My Mazda 3 just cruised right in. I took my wife to work 24 miles and then drove myself to work with a problem. Seems funny to see so many RWD cars littering the streets. Hummmmmm

I guess when folks start racing there cars on the ice on the street then we can talk about fair comparisons.

 

I am serious. You're coming across as pretty clueless on this topic, given you don't even understand what BMWCCA ice events are all about. These events are very much "real world", the courses are ice/snow covered "roads" where cars have to accelerate, brake and even turn (gasp). These are street cars, often very nice ones. It very clearly brings out the shortcomings of different cars and tires and I can assure you many rwd cars do well, and any car on all seasons is far behind the snow tires.

Your GTO would go just fine in the snow with proper tires, assuming the nut behind the wheel has a bit of knowledge. Lots of people fool themselves into thinking everything is fine because they can get going in the snow. Try some emergency braking or lane changes to humble yourself and those all season tires.

 

I will still take a FWD car over a RWD car in the snow anyday. Most folks on the road are not BMWCCA ice racers, never were never will be!

 

This conversation has nothing to do with "most folks", it has to do with attitudes like yours proclaiming rwd can't be used in the snow and fwd with any tires is better. This is all nonsense. Tires have much more importance than drive type; ie awd won't help you slow down or stop if you're on crappy tires.

Do some research and try a few things in a snowy parking lot before declaring your "knowledge" to everyone.

 

I never said it can't be used in snow, seems to me you said that, I said this "I was comparing a FWD with a RWD car. While snow tires certainly make any car handle better in snow, I have found that a FWD car with all season tires handles markedly better than any RWD car reagredless of the tires. (Except maybe studs.)
Our FWD cars work splendidly in snow using all season radials. Would it handle better with snow tires, without a doubt."

You can say whatever you want pal, I really don't give a rip. I can say without a doubt with first hand experience that my FWD car outperforms most RWD cars even with snow tires on the rear.

 

Pal, you should re-read your own posts, including the one where your own GTO "won't go in the snow regardless of tires." Get yourself to some driver training schools, you need instruction.

 

Don't need to. It won't go!

As for driver instruction, I seem to have done very well for the last 36 years, been to several BMW track days and had many hours of instruction, have taken the GTO to several drag strips and run it on several road courses. Before that I owned a 69 Roadrunner that pushed 425 HP.

Anyway, the debate is fun.
Have a great Christmas and New Years.

By the way do you have a GTO and have your driven it in the snow?

 

Those things look scary! I picked some of these up the other day for the MINI and the Accord.

http://www.autosock.us/

So far, I'm fairly impressed. Of course, it never snows in Seattle but I'm looking at a foot on the streets of my hilly neighborhood. If I thought this would last more than a week, I'd get actual snow tires. The MINI with snows should be great in this stuff. Otherwise, it is a light car with too fat tires and that isn't the best recipe for traction.

 

Those are pretty awsome. It is a snowy Seattle that's for sure. You know I haven't seen one MINI in this mess so far.

If I had a choice I would drive my 4 by if I had one. Not that I have a MINI yet. Hopefully soon. (I hope it's after the snow is gone!.)

I hear tell another snow fall may be coming Wednesday but then a slow thaw after that. (I can't wait. I don't like the snow.)

For those that don't know here are the heaviest snowfalls in the Seattle area:
The largest in the last century was in 1916. 33 inches fell between Jan. 31 and Feb 4. That storm holds the record for the most in 24 hours. 21.5 inches.

During an unexpected storm that began on Jan 13, 1950, Puget Sound was chocked by almost 2 feet that fell in 24 hours. This was the only storm to officially be called a blizzard with 6 foot drifts. 13 people dead and 1 million in damage.

Snowiest winter on record was 1968-69 with a total of 67.5 inches.

Dec 18, 1990 12 inches in and around Seattle.

A series of snow, ice and rainstorms beggining Dec 26, 1996 caused 16 deaths and 57 million in damages in Seattle and King County. One storm dumped 6-12 inches of snow and another 10 inches.

I was around for all after 1950. Never got stuck once thankfully.

I bet if I had those brutes above I could go through anything.

 

I am entering my second full winter with my cooper and I don't have any real problems I have found that if any other fwd car performs about the same the only difference is the mini is probably a bit lower to the ground than some cars and the short wheelbase probably adds a bit of cautiousness. In the few hours after a storm when the roads are not plowed yet and nobody should be on the road your mini like any car will do poorly.

2007 mc in snowy Buffalo NY!!!

 

I'm fairly happy with my MC in the snows here in Northern IL. It goes MUCH better than my Mazda3 which is all wheel spin with even the lightest touch on the gas & clutch. I don't think I have quite the right tires for that car yet (Bridgestone G003) but I have a pretty good feel for predicting how it handles in different conditions now so I feel fairly safe getting around.

Interesting that the OP mentioned good results with Goodyear RS-A. Just look on tirerack or Mazda3forums and you'll notice those might be the most hated tires on the internet.

I kind of like the stock Contis on the MC and am thinking about getting some for my Mz3 when I need new tires.