Winter Time Driving
 

My Camaro is my daily driver and since I am in high school I plan to drive it all through winter. Does anyone know or have experience on how well the can handles in the cold/snow months of the year?

as long as you leave the nannies on and have decent A/S tires AND don't drive like a (insert favorite descriptor hear) they actually drive pretty good being so heavy. that being said I leave mine home on bad days....a: no traction (haha) and b: it's not that I am worried about my skillz on the road but all the OTHER (insert) on the road! don't like taking a chance being hit by someone else! good luck OP and let one of your diesel 4wd buds drive on snow days! you know you have at least 1! haha...

You'll get opinions--- no, statements of fact--- regarding how driveable these things are in the snow, and they'll run the entire spectrum: MY opinion is that they are great in the snow and ice.

The ground clearance may not be great, but the traction control works beautifully, keeping the car gliding along without wheel slippage. Of course, traction control can be turned on- off, which is helpful for certain circumstances that might require wheelspin (whether for the enjoyment of drifting, or to dig down through the snow to get to solid pavement).

Again, you'll get people saying it can't be done, it shouldn't be done, or that it's a cardianl sin. However, others, like me, will tell you it's fun as hell, it handles well, and there is no reason to park it when the winter is spread out all over the roads!

(Incidentally, while the owner's manual expressly prohibits the use of chains/ cables (apparently the vibration/ shock presented by doing so can screw up the ECMs, and wheel clearance is not great anyhow), but, for those who still want some sort of traction control device, for legal purposes or just to get out of a jam, AutoSocks are great. Easy, effective, and not terribly expensive. I know, most folks in the Midwest don't typically need/ use traction control devices, but in the West, we've got steep hills and curves on our mountain roads: The curves mean you can't have TOO much momentum going into them, but the hills/ grades demand speed... traction control devices are sometimes the only way to compensate for those contradictory requirements!)

x2 on the ground clearance. They are low cars, and you can't drive if the snow is too deep. However, mine is also my DD and I run 2 sets of rims, and a dedicated set in the winter has good Blizzaks on the car.

The car does great in the snow. You just have to take it easy, and not be a fool.

In my case, mine is a DD as well. I put snows on all 4 corners and about 250 lbs of salt in the trunk. (Dad, always did it when we were kids) Idk if the extra weight helps but I have never gotten stuck or slid. As others have stated drive with caution and look out for the other guy.

DD drive mine, BFG's on her... she's been in ice, snow and rain... all the way down to -10*. Like what has been said above, common sense (as with any vehicle) and watch your clearance. :thumb:

I've done it for two seasons and love it. With the winter tires on, the car drives like a tank. I can drive along while others are stuck on the side of the road. cruise

Speaking from my experience with my previous three 4th Gens, the issues isn't traction if you have good tires, it the low ground clearance of Camaros. Other than that, it wasn't a bad experience, especially since all of my cars were manuals.

I've only had mine in the snow for two weeks but I've driven other RWD in the snow before. What I have found to work the best is turning the nannies off when taking off from a stop but once I'm rolling turning it all back on. Drove it through a blizzard this week and that worked great for me but just my $0.02

It is critical that you have at a minimum all season tires. Summer tires are not going to cut it in Kansas in winter. Look for a tag of “M+S” (mud and snow) on the tires to be sure.

I run all seasons on mine but can afford to leave it home if it really snows. If you have to drive it every day, a dedicated set of snow tires on separate rims would be the best best as others have said.

Do be careful though, that the outer tread is the M+S part, and it does wear off quickly on most all-seasons. Even if you have 50% treadlife left on the tire, the snow pliability is probably long gone.

That was more for the older days when the axle didn't have as much weight on the drive wheels, the v6 is a 50/50 distribution car, and the SS is pretty damn close. Doesn't hurt to have the salt for extra traction if you need it (by opening the bag), but you probably don't NEED it in the trunk for the weight.

Good point. I just put new tires on my Toyota that my teenage son is driving for that very reason.

All-seasons will not have the stopping power or traction like winter tires. I've had the all-seasons on with less than an inch, and the car was sliding. Best bet is to get good winter tires like Blizaks :)

I have good winters and throw some weight in the back. Sandbags or steel plate is what I use. Never use salt as it's more expensive and I wouldn't want the bag to accidentally rip. Ive yet to be stuck but this will be my first winter lowered so well we how that goes. Take your time get used to the roads it's not hard. Cars of yesteryear drove rear wheel threw the snow on shit tires no reason our camaro's can't.

Also if someone ever asks why do you drive that car in the winter, just say gm put a window defroster in it for a reason.