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Car Forum / Mazda / Mazda Miata / August 2005miata and snow?
We're moving from sunny California to snowy Spokane. Are Miatas any good in snow and slush? TIA. Art, '91 > We're moving from sunny California to snowy Spokane. Are Miatas any good > in snow and slush? Yes, IF you use four real winter tires like Blizzaks or Graspics, and the snow isn't deeper than around 6". Keep a set on steel wheels, and swap them as necessary. --- Lanny Chambers '94C, St. Louis http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html >> We're moving from sunny California to snowy Spokane. Are Miatas any >> good [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > the snow isn't deeper than around 6". Keep a set on steel wheels, and > swap them as necessary. I have never tried my Miata in the snow with snow tires, but I can say it's pretty scary on all season tires the few times I did get caught out in snow. I hear a lot of good things about Blizzak snow tires. Four of them should do the trick. Alan >>> We're moving from sunny California to snowy Spokane. Are >>> Miatas any good in snow and slush? [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > did get caught out in snow. I hear a lot of good things about > Blizzak snow tires. They're good in snow, but they suck on dry pavement. Nokian WR<somethings> are almost as good in snow, and far, far better on dry pavement. The Arctic Alpin was decent on pavement as well, but not as good as the Nokians.  SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! Yow! It's a hole at all the way to downtown visi.com Burbank! >>> We're moving from sunny California to snowy Spokane. Are Miatas any >>> good in snow and slush? [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > out in snow. I hear a lot of good things about Blizzak snow tires. > Four of them should do the trick. All season tires are good if all your seasons are in the southern U.S. In serious snow country they are 3 season tires only. I have owned cars with summer only tires, so-called all seasons (the first and last I will ever own), a few sets of different snow tires, and a set of the world's best Nokian which were also quite narrow (175). An all out snow tire is quite adequate for the Miata. I have a set of ice capable snows on the steel wheels now and it takes some of the fun away since the rear becomes difficult to swing out in all but the slipperiest conditions. The irony is that the warmer your climate, the more you need an ice/snow tire because the most difficult time to find traction is around freezing. Around here we see weeks of -20°C where you get limited, but predictable traction. Cold dry snow is easier to get through compared to the warm wet stuff. Driver skill is also a big factor. I've driven the Miata home in an early snow storm on bald OEM summer tires. That came from years of practice in a '70s RWD car with a light rear end and bias-ply summer tires. But I'd rather not. <snip> > Driver skill is also a big factor. I've driven the Miata home in an > early snow storm on bald OEM summer tires. That came from years of > practice in a '70s RWD car with a light rear end and bias-ply > summer tires. But I'd rather not. That can be entertaining and frightening at the same time. I've driven 30 miles in hard, driving snow on worn Toyo T1-Ss. I don't think the wheels stopped spinning the entire time, I had a white-knuckle grip on the wheel, and I had to *seriously* plan my approach to the slightest incline or turn...but I made it. There's a running joke with my buddies that says deep down, we all just want to see if we can make it through the storm. Signaturetooloud Remove nothing to reply... >> I've driven the Miata home in an early snow storm on bald OEM >> summer tires. That came from years of practice in a '70s RWD [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > *seriously* plan my approach to the slightest incline or > turn...but I made it. I think a lot of us have stories like that. With me it was negotiating the first snowfall of the year on Potenza RE010 tires that came on my 96M: proud to have made it through the experience, embarassed that I had to. SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! Oh my GOD -- the at SUN just fell into YANKEE visi.com STADIUM!! >>> I've driven the Miata home in an early snow storm on bald OEM >>> summer tires. That came from years of practice in a '70s RWD [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > tires that came on my 96M: proud to have made it through the > experience, embarassed that I had to. Exactly...the most embarrassed I got was when I parked on a pretty good incline at work, it snowed four or five inches, and I went to leave and the car was stuck, spinning in reverse *downhill* with my cow-orkers watching. I actually had to get out and *push* the car downhill, jump in, jerk the wheel, and slam on the brakes to spin it around and spin away. Signaturetooloud Remove nothing to reply... > We're moving from sunny California to snowy Spokane. Are Miatas any good > in snow and slush? TIA. Art, '91 They can and do rust, so check the underseal and get all cavities wax-injected first, assuming the local highway people put salt on the roads. Art, Be very careful in the snow. I had a 1999 model here in NYC. I got caught in a snow storm and damn near got killed. The 50/50 weight distribution is great on dry pavement but horrible on snow. I could not get enough traction to move through traffic lights when I was standing still. Ended up creeping all the way home going about 5 mph on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. It would have been faster to walk. Granted, I did not have snow tires so I don't know if that will help. I had a room mate from Spokane who used studded tires every winter, I'd suggect you go that route and drive very cautiously. Or, buy a cheap, used 4wd jeep or something for the winter time driving. Good luck, Squat > We're moving from sunny California to snowy Spokane. Are Miatas any good > in snow and slush? TIA. Art, '91 > Be very careful in the snow. I had a 1999 model here in NYC. I > got caught in a snow storm and damn near got killed. The 50/50 > weight distribution is great on dry pavement but horrible on > snow. A 50-50 weight distribution is great in snow for exactly the same reasons its great on dry pavement. > I could not get enough traction to move through traffic lights > when I was standing still. You had the wrong tires on the car. > Ended up creeping all the way home going about 5 mph on > Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. It would have been faster to > walk. > Granted, I did not have snow tires so I don't know if that > will help. With snow tires, a Miata handles great in snow. > I had a room mate from Spokane who used studded tires every > winter, You don't need studded tires. Any good snow tire will work fine. I used to recommend Nokian WR, but it looks like it's been replaced by the RSI. > I'd suggect you go that route and drive very cautiously. Or, > buy a cheap, used 4wd jeep or something for the winter time > driving. Every winter in my Miata, I drive past a _lot_ of jeeps and other 4WD SUVs sitting in ditches. SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! LOOK!!! I'm WALKING at in my SLEEP again!! visi.com >A 50-50 weight distribution is great in snow for exactly the >same reasons its great on dry pavement. Which is? Leon SignatureLeon van Dommelen :) Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .) rammm@dommelen.net http://www.dommelen.net/miata EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen) >>A 50-50 weight distribution is great in snow for exactly the >>same reasons its great on dry pavement. > > Which is? IMO, the main advantage is you get to decide whether the front or back has more traction in a corner by adjusting the throttle. SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! Is it FUN to be at a MIDGET? visi.com >>A 50-50 weight distribution is great in snow for exactly the >>same reasons its great on dry pavement. > > Which is? > > Leon Leon, In my 1999 miata, the 50/50 weight distribution means that all four tires spin/slide equally well. (usually at the same time, in snow.) I found this out by swapping ends in traffic, at rush hour on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. I was going so slow that, when finished, the car slid, ever so gently into the curb (no forward motion, mind you) with both passenger tires just kissing the curb. I could not replicate that move on dry pavement for all the tea in China. I've driven FrontWD cars in heavy snow and RWD cars in snow and had no problems. the Miata is dangerous in snow, in my humble opinion. Once you lose what little snow traction you have, you are just a passenger... Squat > Once you lose what little snow traction you have, you are just a > passenger... That applies to any vehicle. The obvious solution is to improve traction, by fitting real winter tires all around. The upside to a Miata in snow: it's much, much easier to stop than, say, a 3-ton SUV with 4WD and a thousand pounds of rotating mass. Lock up a 75-pound wheel, and it's tough to get it spinning again to regain grip. --- Lanny Chambers '94C, St. Louis http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html > In my 1999 miata, the 50/50 weight distribution means that all > four tires spin/slide equally well. (usually at the same time, > in snow.) If that's what ou want to happen. > I found this out by swapping ends in traffic, at rush hour on > Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. I doubt that the weight distribution was the problem. More likely bad tires or bad driving. > I was going so slow that, when finished, the car slid, ever so > gently into the curb (no forward motion, mind you) with both > passenger tires just kissing the curb. I could not replicate > that move on dry pavement for all the tea in China. I don't see the point. > I've driven FrontWD cars in heavy snow and RWD cars in snow > and had no problems. the Miata is dangerous in snow, in my > humble opinion. Nonsense. Miatas with the right tires handle far better in snow than a 2WD pickup, better than all FWD cars or other RWD cars I've driven. > Once you lose what little snow traction you have, you are just > a passenger... And that's not true in other cars? SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! And furthermore, at my bowling average is visi.com unimpeachable!!! >> In my 1999 miata, the 50/50 weight distribution means that all >> four tires spin/slide equally well. (usually at the same time, [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > snow than a 2WD pickup, better than all FWD cars or other RWD > cars I've driven. Wrong, I drove, for many years, an old Dodge Omni024 with plain toyo tires. That car, although a horrid piece of junk, could be driven in snow much more easily than the Miata. (I used to drive around on solid ice roads in the DFW area just for fun.) The FWD, although not my preference for performance or maintenance, is best for snow/ice. The extra weight over the drive wheels makes it much better suited to poor traction conditions. That old Dodge was light enough to still be controllable in foul weather. I am not saying that you can'r drive a Miata in snow, I just would not advise that you do so. The original questions was, are Miata's good in snow & slush. My vote is no. There are more appropriate alternatives for snow & slush, maybe not as fun but easier to handle in foul weather. Believe me, I loved the Miata that I owned. I think it is one of the best cars I ever owned. Cheers Squat >> Once you lose what little snow traction you have, you are just >> a passenger... > > And that's not true in other cars? |
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