Good start to a new discussion and great tips too.

 

Good post. Putting snow tires on the front only is a mistake I made years ago on a Nissan Sentra. Fishtail city!

Some of us who learned to drive in rear-wheel drive cars probably rave about the Elantra's snow capabilities more than we should. But the truth is that any lightweight front-wheel-drive car with good ground clearance and skinny 15-16" tires is a pretty darn good snow machine compared to those old RWD sleds.

As for AWD, having owned it I definitely wouldn't slag it. But I would argue vigorously that AWD is overrated by the majority of people who spend the extra dough and then hit the online forums. I mean, they drive through a little snow and then rave about how amazing it is, simply because they didn't crash. I'm allowed to say that because I used to be one of those guys, if you go back to the Santa Fe forum circa 2008.

 

I'm mostly used to FWD in snow, but even with chains, I've had my share of spin-outs. My '92 Nissan Stanza was the worst. I was taking a friend home in their extremely steep, hilly Beaverton neighborhood, and the whole street was covered in a thick layer of packed snow. I was going up a hill, and the chains seemed to be gripping on OK, but then as we were descending back down another hill, the back end of the car slid around and I was sliding backwards down the hill toward someone's fence.

If it hadn't been for the snow melting away over a man-hole cover, creating a deep hole, I wouldn't have stopped. However, my tire miraculously caught in the hole, and I stopped just short of the fence.

Didn't drive the Elantra much in snow, but never spun out in it when I did, even in my steep neighborhood, so that was good!

 

you are 100% correct. FWD cars even if you use chains still one wheel is spinning thats why & the rest of the three doesnt. i will try to avoid steep hill or maybe buying a Jeep Cherokee SRT8.(interesting SUV)

 

I learned to drive in snow without ABS, TCS or whatsoever. Nowadays, ABS, TCS and ESC are mandatory on all new vehicles, making cars much more safer in winter, leaving the driver's focus on steering and keeping track of where he's going.
. The added safety may make drivers too confident, feel like there is no need to slow down, etc... But overall, with good tires and common sense, it's become harder to cause crashes.

 

Man I'm going to miss my Dodge Dakota 4X4 truck for winter driving. Never had any issues, no matter how much snow. This will be my first FWD car that I'll be driving in this up coming winter. Should be interesting!!

One thing I like to do when driving a vehicle in the snow, is test out the vehicles limits in an empty parking so I know what it can and cannot do.

 

One thing I like to do when driving a vehicle in the snow, is test out the vehicles limits in an empty parking so I know what it can and cannot do.

I did that once, and I was then able to drive more confident knowing what I was able to do with my car without any of the modern safety controls that cars are now required to come with, as mentioned above.

That really is a must. If you don't know what your car can/t do, then you might be the one creating havoc for people behind you, not just yourself, either by driving too slow for conditions or by blocking them once you've spun out.

 

Ahhhhh, the ol handbrake trick, gotta love winter.

 

Jeep srt8 MONSTER! Very steep deep snow hill climb #2 INSANE - YouTube

 

Which tire does the spinning in the Elantra? Passenger or driver?

Also if I have 17" tires, does that make a difference in snow? (vs the 15-16").

Wondering if we have a light winter if I can get by with current radials. Anything to prevent another expense at this time.

 

Which tire does the spinning in the Elantra? Passenger or driver?

The wheel that has less traction will spin faster... Classic drawback of the differential. One wheel on ice, one wheel on asphalt, the wheel on ice will spin alone.
If there were no differential, the wheels would be locked at the same speed, the car would have to go straight...

 

TBH I use the stock all seasons for winter, due to the fact that I bought brand new 18" rims/tires. This will be my second an last season I will use them since they were new.. I purchased my GLS last December and I didn't have much problems driving.. One thing I found that it is better to have Eco off in the winter cuz it allows u to accelerate better on slippery roads...the only thing I didn't like was the breaks.. On slippery conditions I notice when u step on the brake with force its grinds and doesnot come to a complete stop.. I'm sure it's the stock break setup.

 

TBH I use the stock all seasons for winter, due to the fact that I bought brand new 18" rims/tires. This will be my second an last season I will use them since they were new.. I purchased my GLS last December and I didn't have much problems driving.. One thing I found that it is better to have Eco off in the winter cuz it allows u to accelerate better on slippery roads

No offense, sir, but you are obviously nuts :grin::57:

It took only one Ottawa snowstorm to send me and my Elantra GLS down to the nearest Frisby Tire for proper rubber. I went with downsized 15" steel rims and BF Goodrich Winter Slalom KSis. Great in snow, adequate on ice. But waaaay better than the OEM banana skins.

One thing that surprises me is that you find it better with ECO off. I would have expected low-RPM gear changes to be better in winter, not worse. My 2011 doesn't have active eco.

 

Haha last winter wasn't that bad plus the tread on my tires were fresh so I didn't have trouble on the snowy roads. Plus when u have manual trans it's easier to drive and downshift to avoid sudden breaks. I agree it's smarter to get winter tires but I believe I can use my a seasons for one more winter

 

Haha last winter wasn't that bad plus the tread on my tires were fresh

Now that you mention it I do recall cursing the lack of snow after I bought my winter tires. Ain't that the way? But your luck might run out this winter. All-season tires go fro "fresh" to "craptacular" in a hurry. :57:

In slippery conditions if you step on the brakes with force and it grinds isn't that just the ABS kicking in?

Yes, it is. And with all-season tires on snow it just grinds and grinds while you slide and slide, wondering if you'll ever stop. Let's start a pool to see when 6-speed-vandal gets his new winter tires. I've got December 15.

 

not trying to be an a** ut imo

not once out if my 6 years driving in Manitoba winters or even my parents since owning their first car in 1990's have owned winter tires up until 2 years ago when my mom got for her 09 corolla. i have noticed the improvement and its scary how much better they are. Worth the investment but not everyone has that cash just to dish out. ence why i'm finally buying a pair this winter when actually have the cash.

your #1) i would disagree , they are safe, driver needs to know how to adapt to your car and conditions...if driver can't do that then it is unsafe and also for the people around that driver

your #2)never put only 2 winters on front or even rear. Same goes to you should not mix winter tires together. Always set of 4 of same tire.

your#3) have a feeling you may not think it is beast due to that you are use to driving a dodge 4x4 truck in winter which the dodge truck is in a completely different category...its like comparing a rally car to a pruis


"I like my Elantra , but when snow storm is going we take the 4x 4 truck instead to do the 20 mile highway drive into work , way safer."
I use to driver 50+ km a one way trip to college and work in nothing but FWD all season tire cars, never had an issue...mentioned before, if driver knows how to adapt, driving in winter is easy(example. drove fom regina to winnipeg in a February storm with up to 2 feet snow on road in places with all seasons(rear were bald) meanwhile passing trucks that were in the ditches)


Lots of people that can drive RWD &/or FWD can drive an AWD or 4x4 in winter.
Lots of people that drive AWD&/or 4x4 forget or cant drive a FWD or RWD car in winter

don't forget 4x4 and Awd are not the same, they are different

 

It's worth mentioning again that ABS and the traction and stability control nannies can only work with available tire traction. While they can help to minimize the chance of the driver losing control due to excessive wheel or pedal movement, they won't help the car overcome the laws of physics or obtain more traction from tires that are worn or not suitable for cold weather. With that in mind, the thread asking about the Elantra's winter road prowess can also question the snow/ice capability of the OEM tires - Hankook Optimo on the Ulsan cars and the Continental ContiExtremePanic on the Alabama cars. The same car can behave like two different cars with two different brands of tires installed. With that in mind, I'd like to hear some feedback from those Elantra owners who have driven their car on the OEM rubber through various winter conditions.

 

Thats the thing, my Sonata is really good in the snow until it gets hung up which is very easy. As for a 4x4 being better at stopping I highly doubt it with it's heavier mass, 4x4 does noting to help you stop better.

 

As for a 4x4 being better at stopping I highly doubt it with it's heavier mass, 4x4 does noting to help you stop better.

Actually it does stop better in 4X4. From my personal experience with my Dakota 4X4, when it was in 2wd mode the truck's front brakes would lock up and skid in the snow when coming to a stop. In 4X4 mode, for some reason the truck reacted so much better in braking that it would nearly spot on a dime in the snow. I wish I could explain why?

 

Some clarification is needed in this thread.

What sometimes causes a vehicle to bog down in snow is technically not electronic stability control, but rather traction control. They are really two different systems. ESC engages individual brakes when drifting off-course in a turn, and feels like your car has been kicked sideways. Traction control cuts engine power when wheel slippage is detected, and feels like your engine is stalling. The confusion between the two probably arises from the fact that the ESC button overrides both.

There is no doubt that clicking ESC off is necessary sometimes to get rolling in snow, especially on hills. But later, when you go into a snowy curve with a bit too much speed and the front end starts plowing towards the ditch, ESC is like an unseen hand giving your car a gentle smack in the direction it needs to go. It works.

No offense to other members here, but switching ESC off every time it snows is just plain misguided. You're missing out on one of your car's most useful performance/control features.

 

Some clarification is needed in this thread.

What sometimes causes a vehicle to bog down in snow is technically not electronic stability control, but rather traction control. They are really two different systems. ESC engages individual brakes when drifting off-course in a turn, and feels like your car has been kicked sideways. Traction control cuts engine power when wheel slippage is detected, and feels like your engine is stalling. The confusion between the two probably arises from the fact that the ESC button overrides both.

There is no doubt that clicking ESC off is necessary sometimes to get rolling in snow, especially on hills. But later, when you go into a snowy curve with a bit too much speed and the front end starts plowing towards the ditch, ESC is like an unseen hand giving your car a gentle smack in the direction it needs to go. It works.

No offense to other members here, but switching ESC off every time it snows is just plain misguided. You're missing out on one of your car's most useful performance/control features.

whoa smart guy! except,,, it's not unseen hand, it's just 4 different foot modulating 4 brakes on each
I'm just pointing out it's not gonna win over law of physics but I think YOU already knew that.

I plan to carry 40 heavy duty 30inch zip ties in the glove box when i travel to canada around christmas time

 

^ all season tires were named all season cuz they suck all seasons round

 

forget about stopping. were talking about how it handles in snowy, icy road conditions during winter, braking is part of it but we should expand this coz were talking about winter wonderland & i never seen in this thread talks about how do you feel inside the car during winter (but again dont say its cold and dry), i mean does it perform good also in the inside. example : before turning-off the vehicle, try to set the heated seats then turn it on again the vehicle - and that the heated seats do not (cold winter days this is unacceptable specially if you have engine starter).

 

 

Having the seat warmers turned on without anybody sitting inside is a very inefficient way to warm up the air in the car...

 

just like turning on stovetops to warm up the house lol
(actually, on second thought, stovetop works LOL, i did it when i was living in canada with central "heating" if you wanna call those tiny radiators that)

 

Do you have a garage that you can park the car in? Even if it isn't heated, you'd be amazed at the difference it can make. Maybe get an engine block heater if a garage isn't available?

 

winter in montreal is crazy. not only snow but freezing rain is one of the worst no matter what. I learn from that city and always i drive like theres a coffee on my hood.

 

are you sure

 

Not so sure now. :blink::crying:

 

Hey all, new to this forum, but thought I'd put in my 2 cents

I remember a tire expert saying that with winter tires, it's not necessarily the tread pattern/depth, but the compound. Winter tires are made with rubber that stays more pliable in lower temperature and thus gives better traction. The all seasons (especially in Calgary, where we got -20 centigrade on a regular basis) get like wagon wheels (no, not the chocolate ones) in the cold.

Back in the day, I drove a 350 v8 Pontiac Ventura with balding tires and somehow avoided crashing it in winter after winter. I did slide down many hills and through many an intersection, but I guess I had a guardian angel or something....

 

I remember a tire expert saying that with winter tires, it's not necessarily the tread pattern/depth, but the compound.

This is partly true. But the thread pattern also plays a role. The large space between the blocks helps clearing snow; the many sipes found on winter tires help gripping on ice. I have winter boots with similar sipes under the sole and they do help walking on bare ice.

 

Yes I think you guys are right about the weight sensors. I forget the exact weight, maybe 85 lbs. Also what does this have to do with winter?

I'm nervous about snow this year. Only driven in very light snow several times in my life.

 

You're right, not much to do about winter except that it's related to heated seats I guess.

I get a little nervous about the first ugly snowfall of the year. That's the one where, if it happens during the day, my 15 minute ride home from work will take about an hour because there will be at least two accidents on the road home slowing things down. After the 1st snow fall people seem to get it and quit driving like it's summer.