Is it ok to drive in the snow?

[MBS]

Originally Posted by heRS

I do know what I'm talking about. I've driven my Camaro in snow, about six inches of fresh wet stuff, on the P-Zeros, and it handled great. I was impressed! I was whippin' by everyone on the highway that night. It was an isolated event, late May snow, pretty easy stuff to manage.
I've driven rwd vehicles (80s monte carlo, 2 el caminos, ford van, and so on) on winter roads for years, and I live in a snow belt (18" outside my door as I type), and I still say to our OP (who is from Florida and has little to no experience driving in snow) buy a beater and LEARN HOW TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW.
Call me the voice of reason but I see no sense in telling a snow-noob to go take his pride-n-joy out in the snow and wreck it. Honestly OP, if you are not familiar with how your car breaks loose, and how to correct and compensate for the conditions, buy the beater and learn how to slide and correct yourself before you crash your Camaro.

One other thing about winter roads - you are not only subjecting your car to idiots and salt, most states use this wonderful stuff they call "sand" which is a lovely blend of sand, sodium chloride, and gravel. The sand & gravel helps tires find purchase on the icy surface while the salt melts the snow. This creates sandy, gravely slush. When oncoming traffic drives through this, it gets slung up into the air and splats against your car. This process tends to strip your paint off much like a sandblaster does. Honestly, you can just take handfuls of gravel and throw it at your car in your driveway, it will give you the same effect.

If it's "just a car" to you, as so many of our forum members opine, then by all means get the snow tires and have at it. If it's more than "just a car" to you, buy the beater. Let us know how it goes!

I hear mixed reviews on the p-zero' not surprisingly, ,I just get so frustrated with fellow Camaro owners who never have drove a inch thru snow saying it wont do it. Why even answer or attempt to if you have not even tried / or tried with the proper tires. Keep on driving rain sleet snow cold and sun

[911medic]

If you listen to what some are saying here, all cars in this neck of the woods would be nothing but rusty bare metal.

There are some valid points being made though, if you're moving from Florida to the snow belt, you should try to get accustomed to driving in the snow--particularly in a rear wheel drive vehicle--before taking it on on a daily basis. Snow tires also a big yes.

Oh, and my cars, with 140,000 and 130,000 miles of year round Minnesota driving (lots of salt/sand) have zero body rust. Will cars driven in these conditions develop rust more quickly than a California or Arizona car? Absolutely. But if you take care of the car, repairing anything that causes exposed bare metal as it comes up, you will drive many many miles with no issues. Modern paint techniques are much better with corrosion resistance than they used to be.

[ZED SLED]

There's 3 kinds of people that drive in the snow. The ones that drive too fast, the ones that drive too slow, and those of us that try to stay the hell out of the way of the other two!

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by mclark10

There's 3 kinds of people that drive in the snow. The ones that drive too fast, the ones that drive too slow, and those of us that try to stay the hell out of the way of the other two!

I love your car! black top, black hood, black wheels and candy-apple red...gorgeous!

[C586]

Originally Posted by MBS

What does high pressure water do then? uugghh , I love salt baby, the more the better

The body will still look nice. But everything underneath and the door jambs and exhaust will all still rust. Any car I care about at all will not see salt while I own it and I don't buy cars from the salt belt. I have a 26 year old Fiero. Every nut and bolt I've touched on it has come out easy. The same car driven in salt but washed would not only still be rusty but also swirled and in need of a paint job. If the OP cares about his car he won't drive it in the snow/salt mix.

[MLL67RSSS]

Go find yourself a snow covered deserted parking lot and have some fun!
It occurred to me the other day that I did a form of "drifting" long before there was drifting. When I was in High School in '76-'77 I worked nights at a Wendy's. I'd get off at 1 or 2 AM and there was this big open parking lot kind of across the street. If it was all covered in virgin snow I couldn't help myself. I go over in my families Pinto Squire wagon (Yeah I know) and set up a little course around light poles and parked cars. Pitch it sideways and pivot the nose around obstacles and just be lovin' it. Until I'd realize I'd burned through a 1/2 tank of gas going in circles and go home. Never once even grazed anything!

[got adrenalin?]

Originally Posted by mclark10

There's 3 kinds of people that drive in the snow. The ones that drive too fast, the ones that drive too slow, and those of us that try to stay the hell out of the way of the other two!

Amen!!

[Bucci]

Definitely need at least all season's, but after that I have been driving mine as a daily driver in the snow w/ no problem...

Learning to drive in the snow is key, so I would also suggest a bit of practice in an empty school yard...

[Rockhound]

General G-Max AS-03 Stock size.

This car is like a tank in the snow!
Really enjoy driving it year round.

[BenningJ]

I drove my 2011 1LT for 2 winters and now my 2013 SS through this winter without any issues. I used the General Gmax AS-03 tires on both cars. I haven't had any issues with either in snow. Very capable car in the snow. Good luck.

[backbaconrules]

My 2011 LT works great in the winter with winter tires of course.

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

Mine does fine on the A/T BFG's in the snow when I have to travel to Flagstaff, AZ (7000' elevation) for work. But I did grow up in Peoria, IL, back when it "really" snowed there.

I'll add my support for practicing in parking lots. It's not only fun, but you get a real sense of what it takes to get it to slide and how to correct it.

John B.

[tomlink]

Originally Posted by MLL67RSSS

Go find yourself a snow covered deserted parking lot and have some fun!

Your car has two significant disadvantages in the snow: rear wheel drive and wide tires. That being said, a little experimentation in a parking lot will reveal what you need to know about the car's winter weather handling.

Do you need to avoid the snow: no.
Will it handle like a 4WD Traverse: no.

Unlike North Carolina where I live they actually take pretty good care of roads when it snows up North. When it snows in NC we have two kinds of drivers on the road:
- Real southerners who really have no clue about driving in the snow
- Transplants from up North who *THINK* they know how to drive in the snow until they end up in a ditch.

I find snow days are good to work from home.

Your car has great traction control. It will help, as well as self-control on your part. Keep that power way back and controlled. Even the V6 has much more power than you need in the snow.

[Jay_LHD3]

I think it will void your warranty.