Snow and Ice in a 451

[dbwill]

Anyone up north have thoughts about winter tire use in the US. Am in the central Kansas
City area

[SmartBob]

In NJ we don't get that much snow to justify the need for snow tires. Do you get much in Kansas? Most "all season" tires should do. For a compromise one could get the Bridgestone Blizzak tire just to have a slight edge. Just my 2 cents

[dbwill]

I essentially agree with you and have not used snow tires in the 17 years we have lived here, so I don't see a problem. That said, "She who must be obeyed" is nervous about having a rear engined rear drive car as it will be replacing a 4 wheel drive vehicle. We have had a front wheel drive but our last two cars, in addition to the 4 wheel, have been rear drives and we have tended not to drive them in snow conditions, so I can understand her concern.

I am hoping a few of our northern friends will chime in with their experiences using a 451 in snow.

[jwight]

Check out this thread:

My Smart and the snow

[jonnysan]

Originally Posted by dbwill

I essentially agree with you and have not used snow tires in the 17 years we have lived here, so I don't see a problem. That said, "She who must be obeyed" is nervous about having a rear engined rear drive car as it will be replacing a 4 wheel drive vehicle. We have had a front wheel drive but our last two cars, in addition to the 4 wheel, have been rear drives and we have tended not to drive them in snow conditions, so I can understand her concern.

I am hoping a few of our northern friends will chime in with their experiences using a 451 in snow.

As I probably will get the chance to drive the 451 in some snow, (hoping for a Jan or Feb delivery) I plan to forward onto this forum all my initial driving experiences. I had thought to install Nokian WR's on it right away, but I am not sure if they make the sizes needed. I have those tires on the Acura and Taurus and have had very good experiences with Nokian tires for that last 20 years....a friend who convinced me to try them over regular studded snows 20 years ago told me they were as good or better than studded snows and he was right! So I've stayed with them ever since....kinda pricey but I consistently got 50-60K+ miles on them and great Winter traction as well. Just got a new set of WR generation 2 (G2) put on the '03 Acura so I can say with experience that they are a superior all season radial tire. They are unidirectional, however, so cannot be rotated side to side. That will be a disadvantage on the Smart due to front-to-rear tire size differences and as such may not be a good choice for it. Ihoboy or Fish had said in a recent post that perhaps the rear wheels may be used on the front so that the same size tire can be used front and rear and then proper rotation could be accomplished. I would certainly be one to do this on my Smart if it is feasible to do so as rotating tires can add many many miles to the longevity of the tire when done at proper intervals. (I do them every 6000 miles on the Acura and Taurus)
So this is something we'll have to find out about in good time I guess.

PS. I have had conversations with some Canadian friends who I met last Summer when the street tour was in Albany/Cooperstown. They all told me that their 450 diesel Smarts were great on snowy, slippery roads with good snow tires. I am not concerned that the 451's will also handle well in snow once we can arrive on what will be the hot tire setup to get for it, that is.
There is a member on here who posted pics of his 450 grey market Smart in our last snowstorm up here and his experiences were also good. Showing my age and poor powers of recollection for names.....
Sorry...whoever you are...

[dblreeder]

I live in northern Minnesota and for us winter traction is a serious issue. I have been running Nokians on all my cars for the past 10 years and they are great year around (aside from some excess road noise during the summer). However, I have checked with my tire dealer and Nokians are not made in sizes for the Smart. I should take delivery in late fall. The best I can figure out at present is to put Bridgestone Blizzaks on the rear and leave the all-seasons on the front. With rear wheel drive and the weight of the engine over the rear axle this should be an acceptable set-up. The Blizzaks are a bother since they cannot be run in the summer and must be rotated off in the spring and reinstalled in the fall.

[jonnysan]

Originally Posted by dblreeder

I live in northern Minnesota and for us winter traction is a serious issue. I have been running Nokians on all my cars for the past 10 years and they are great year around (aside from some excess road noise during the summer). However, I have checked with my tire dealer and Nokians are not made in sizes for the Smart. I should take delivery in late fall. The best I can figure out at present is to put Bridgestone Blizzaks on the rear and leave the all-seasons on the front. With rear wheel drive and the weight of the engine over the rear axle this should be an acceptable set-up. The Blizzaks are a bother since they cannot be run in the summer and must be rotated off in the spring and reinstalled in the fall.

That Nokian makes the 175/55/15 by next Winter, dbl. I am going to acquire an additional set of rear wheels and use them on the front as well. That way I will be able to rotate the tires and can hopefully get a set of WR G2's by next Winter. I wonder if a letter/email to Nokian would accomplish anything?
As you mentioned, the Blizzaks are the next best choice but will have to be removed seasonally.

John

[Karl Roth]

Four steel wheels with dedicated snow tires on all four wheels is what I am looking for. That said the stock all seasons have handled everything so far. The car has good balance works well in snow.
karl

[jonnysan]

Originally Posted by Karl Roth

Four steel wheels with dedicated snow tires on all four wheels is what I am looking for. That said the stock all seasons have handled everything so far. The car has good balance works well in snow.
karl

Here in Albany, snowfalls have not been that bad this year. This morning there was 4 inches of very wet snow and just as a test, I backed out of the garage into the snow in the driveway (before snow blowing it off) and did a half K turn to head forward and leave. I could feel the tires squishing down into the wet snow, packing it down making a slippery ice pack beneath the tire...usually setting the stage for wheel slippage. I shifted into drive to pull out and the wheels began to spin alittle but then caught traction and out the driveway I went. I was alittle surprised it went as well as it did in that kind of snow with those tires.
The worst road conditions we had were there in our development/cul-de-sac and they were not that bad, really.
Traction test passed, I uneventfully made my commute to work. All in all, it once again handled very well in the snow ruts and slush on the roads.
I am certain now that with good all season radials or snow tires, this car will go as well or better than most front wheel drive cars in the snow....assuming one uses reasonable driving techniques while driving in it, that is..... (second and third gear at speeds up to 35mph, 40-50mph in 4th seemed to work best****-5th too high for adequate power unless on the open road with little snow cover.) lugging the engine too much, I felt.

John

[Karl Roth]

Careful with the L word. True lugging will cause damage just as certain as over revving will. let to my own devices I would always be running in a lower gear than lil Booger picks for herself. Must say it seems to work. Grit your teeth it will downshift when it "needs" to.
karl