Any RWD owners in Snow/Icy regions?

[kenbefound]

I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned this important point. If you are going to risk your life driving in frequent snow and ice with RWD, be sure to put 200 lbs of dead weight (like sandbags) in your trunk.

My ‘12 RWD Genesis is no problem in the snow. I keep it in the garage. We don’t get much snow in Richmond, VA.

If you have a car with 50/50 weight distribution does it matter if the drive wheels are in front or the back?

 

[EdP]

If you have a car with 50/50 weight distribution does it matter if the drive wheels are in front or the back?

I've seen tests that prove the benefits of both. I guess you can make your bias show as best if you know how. On flat road, I don't think it is a big deal. The FWD guys always point out that RWD is like pushing a string up a hill. My money is on AWD on a slippery hill.

 

[devo848]

Just got dumped 15” of snow last night, always perfect weather in Montreal ..

Snow tires are mandatory here and I’m alot less worried about snow but the increasing amount of freezing rain.

I guess freezing rain is bad in any car, maybe studded tires are the solution

 

[NLJ]

If you have a car with 50/50 weight distribution does it matter if the drive wheels are in front or the back?

For FWD, if you have a LSD and tuned suspension with reduced your scrub radius like the Civic Type-R, then it would be close to its RWD counterpart performance wise!

 

[PMCErnie]

If you have a car with 50/50 weight distribution does it matter if the drive wheels are in front or the back?

An RWD vehicle verrrrry rarely comes from the factory with 50/50 weight distribution. Most RWD drivers overlook putting extra weight in the rear during the winter. THEIR MISTAKE!

“Pulling” (FWD) always works better than “pushing” (RWD) in snow without the critical need for extra rear weight.

I can understand how a new, or young, driver might not inherently understand these facts of life.

 

[canucklehead604]

I used to put bags of kitty litter in my trunk when I had a RWD Infiniti. To serve as weight and pour down traction if I ever needed it!

^ as an added measure this week with the snow i put 150lbs in my. doubt i would have needed it, but the only thing it can hurt is my fuel economy.

didn't stop me from having some fun though:

 

[joschneider]

Greetings from downtown Las Vegas and our once in a decade snowfall! My RWD 3.3 did great in the snow today, driving in comfort mode all the way to work. I only slid a little bit while turning into the parking spot, it was slushy and I got a bit of tire scrub

 

[TW428]

Living in Toronto with the Sport 2.0T has not been a problem so far this winter. I head north to ski country every weekend and so winter tires are a must (I have Xi3s), and provided you are not overly aggressive with the gas pedal, the car responds well on snowy roads.

 

[canucklehead604]

^ how do you keep your rims so clean with the Sport Brake pads that come with our trim? they dust like crazy. awesome pads, but wicked dust. we are sub-zero out here right now.

i can't wait to wash up my G70 soon. we don't have the indoor wand wash places that are found everywhere else in Canada.

 

[jimmy buoy]

I learned as a kid with a RWD Toyota Corolla 5 speed NOT to use a couple of cinder blocks in the trunk for extra weight over the wheels. One radical oversteer around an icy corner (fun factor 10) had a bad ending when the new road was clear and dry. The tires gripped the dry road, the car's lateral slide stopped abruptly but the cinder blocks kept going and crashed into the side wall of the trunk making a very loud bang which could actually be felt. After pulling over over and taking a look it was obvious from the dent poking OUT from the side of the trunk what had happened. Crap. Kitty litter or sand bags would have been a better solution for sure!

I've had both an 09 and 12 Genesis RWD before my current 15 AWD and yes, I agree that it is much superior to the RWD in snow and ice. That being said, if you know how to actually drive a RWD car in winter you probably won't ever get stuck with the RWD - it just might take longer to get there. Assuming you have a good set of 18" Winter Tires for winter weather of course...

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[TW428]

^ how do you keep your rims so clean with the Sport Brake pads that come with our trim? they dust like crazy. awesome pads, but wicked dust. we are sub-zero out here right now.

i can't wait to wash up my G70 soon. we don't have the indoor wand wash places that are found everywhere else in Canada.

The picture I posted was taken only a few days after delivery, hence its cleanliness. I agree that the wheels are tough to keep clean. I usually wait for the odd day when it gets above freezing and then head to my local self-serve car wash to hose off the dirt and grime from the underbody, wheel wells and wheels.

 

[GenesisYEG]

The G70 2.0T Sport RWD does really well in the snow. I definitely recommend sandbagging the rear just to get that little extra but the LSD and manual definitely make winter driving easy for a RWD vehicle.

With that said, I still prefer the AWD G70, particularly the 3.3T Sport AWD as the LSD and AWD system make for some engaging handling while still having the AWD safety net pull me out. It's laugh-out-loud fun!

 

[PMCErnie]

Greetings from downtown Las Vegas and our once in a decade snowfall! My RWD 3.3 did great in the snow today, driving in comfort mode all the way to work. I only slid a little bit while turning into the parking spot, it was slushy and I got a bit of tire scrub



View attachment 18196View attachment 18197

Doing anything in Las Vegas is a bit of a gamble.

 

[Toddasaurus]

Doing anything in Las Vegas is a bit of a gamble.

I see what you did there!