apfairhurst

This is my first Winter here in Calgary and what a start last ween (mid November) it droped to -25 and dumped 6 inches of snow on us. My Chrysler Sebring was all of the place even with all season tyres so I took my self to Walmart and had some sexy new snow tires put on with studs. I am so much more confident on the road now. No skidding or wheel spinning to get up a hill and the car will stop in an emergency if I need to. I figured it was better to invest $500 in good tyres than had an accident that costs $2000. Only problem now is that the weather has changed (it does that in Calgary) and its now +8 and the snow is melting and it sounds like I am driving a land rover. Oh well.

dbd33

I've never tried snow tyres. I found that the Mustang went nicely in the snow on all seasons so long as the traction control was turned off and there were some concrete blocks in the boot.

Souvenir

We've had snow tyres put on our Pontiac Shitfire this year, for the first time. My missus has already had the opportunity to put them to the test because the roads round here are covered with ice. There is a huge difference, apparently, compared with the teflon-coated all-weather tyres we normally have.

Atlantic Xpat

You have a Pontiac Sunfire? Oh dear..................

iaink

What utter nonsense. How often does a deer or a moose jump out in front of a city driver. Country drivers have just as much need of stoping power as city folk who spend there time crawling along in rush hour on nice wide roads with nothing too threatening to hit just off the side of the tarmac.

At the risk of repeating myself ad nauseum, SNOW TIRES ARE ALL ABOUT STOPPING IN TIME. The added "getting going" traction is a bonus, but experience with AWD means that sort of traction generally means you are just going faster when you have to try and stop in a hurry.

All seasons do just fine...until you experience the difference winter tires make, and then its like night and day in the bad stuff.

You cant drive too fast on them anyway as there is always some Bozo scared out of his/her wits on all seasons at the front of the queue anyway.

Souvenir

I'd agree that it's probably not the most exciting car around but I'm not in to cars so I don't really care. It does its job and hasn't let us down in the six years we've had it. It's still in good nick, despite the abuse we've put it through. We bought it over t'internet and it was waiting for us at TO airport when we arrived.

It was built in Mexico, possibly by lesbians.

dbd33

It also allows you to get stuck deeper, farther from home. I think the lack of traction in a RWD drive car on wide all season tyres makes that quite a safe choice (as well as being fun). If the wheels spin all the time and you have to go sideways to get up hills you get used to sliding and are very aware of the likelihood of a skid. In a 4WD I always have to remind myself to slow down.

rae

this will be the quote that will never die. please refer others to thread, lest you are besieged by folk with pitchforks and burning torches from the PC brigade.

Souvenir

Blimey. The subjunctive.

Atlantic Xpat

Hah, there's irony. My gay Brother in Law's partner drives a Sunfire. Yet it's never struck me as a particularly gay car. Ugly certainly but nowhere near as gay as say, ohh a Honda Element.

Souvenir

Fight time!!!!!!

Sits back and waits.

dbd33

The Honda Element is the gayest of gaymobiles; a New Beetle convertible prances less.

printer

Ah but do you get the plastic flower on the dashboard in the Honda. It seems to be in every new Beetle i've seen.

dbd33

You do not. It's a dyke-mobile.

printer

Dare i say it, "Is it driven by Mexican Lesbians"?