how does the p5 handle in snow??

[redfyre]

Well being from southern Ontario (Canada) I happen to know a little about snow and driving in the snow. The P5 is pretty good in the snow. Some people have mentioned that the stock tires are not that great in the snow, that is true. If you are going to be driving in it, it's best to get a dedicated snow tire.

Another issue I've heard of is that some people don't like the ABS on the car and that it seems to kick in too early. I don't find this is the case. Maybe I've just gotten used to it, but to me, the ABS works perfectly and give me confidence in the snow/rain.

 

[MonsterB]

When I got my 18's, I kept the factory rims and mounted a set of Michelin Pilot Alpin's (Michelin's H-rated "performance" snow tire) in the size 205/50-16 on them. I live in Utah and we get quite a bit of snow. The P5 is nothing short of INCREDIBLE with them on the car. I drove to Montana 4 times between October and March with them on the car and never even so much of hint of a problem, and there are a couple of scary passes between here and there in the winter! Straight line stability in all from light slush to deep heavy snow = awesome. Turning in same = awesome. Braking in same = awesome. I never once wished for all or 4 wheel drive with these tires. Last winter we got 1 really bad storm where it lasted for like 36 straight hours or something. There was literally a foot and a half of snow on the road surface most places. Even plowing with the front of my car (it is lowered) I never got worried about making it where I had to go. The P5 just went there. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. DONT BE SCARED OF THE P5 IN SNOW. But, tires make the difference. (as they do on any car.) They are a 1000% imprevement over the stock Dunlops that I ran for the first winter I had my car.

are these tires you can use year round, or just winter....my tires are still new, so it might be a bit before I need new ones, but if they are that good, maybe I will get them when it comes time to get new ones.....I kinda want tires I dont have to change though, but its not a big deal I guess...

 

[Masshole]

The P5 isn't the best in the snow. They should have included a LSD as at least an option. So the wrong wheel drive is a bit of a pain. The stock tires NEED to go for any serious winter (note: i live in northern Massachusetts, so my definition of winter is pretty severe).
Truth be told, when it starts snowing, i leave my P5 in the lot and drive my other car (audi a6 quattro).

 

[UtesFanRy]

are these tires you can use year round, or just winter....my tires are still new, so it might be a bit before I need new ones, but if they are that good, maybe I will get them when it comes time to get new ones.....I kinda want tires I dont have to change though, but its not a big deal I guess...

I wouldn't use the Pilot Alpin's year round. They are a dedicated snow tire. They do fairly well on dry ground, but snow is their forte. I know it is more $$$, but it is SOOOOO worth it to have summer and winter tires. Your P5 will love you for it!! (hump)

 

[UtesFanRy]

The P5 isn't the best in the snow. They should have included a LSD as at least an option. So the wrong wheel drive is a bit of a pain. The stock tires NEED to go for any serious winter (note: i live in northern Massachusetts, so my definition of winter is pretty severe).
Truth be told, when it starts snowing, i leave my P5 in the lot and drive my other car (audi a6 quattro).

IMHO

I don't think a lsd is all it is cracked up to be in the snow. My friend has a Maxima with lsd and he puts snow tires on it in the winter. My P5 AND the SHO I owned before it would EMBARASS it in the snow. Sometimes, it seems, one tire spinning is more controllabe than two, which is what you get with lsd. I dunno... I base that only on that limited experience and the fact that with the Alpin's, I have NEVER been stuck in my P5. Never. And we get our share of deep, wet stuff here in Utah.

 

[Masshole]

IMHO

I don't think a lsd is all it is cracked up to be in the snow. My friend has a Maxima with lsd and he puts snow tires on it in the winter. My P5 AND the SHO I owned before it would EMBARASS it in the snow. Sometimes, it seems, one tire spinning is more controllabe than two, which is what you get with lsd. I dunno... I base that only on that limited experience and the fact that with the Alpin's, I have NEVER been stuck in my P5. Never. And we get our share of deep, wet stuff here in Utah.

See, my problem is they always run out of budget to plow/sand/salt up in my area, so the snow just gets compacted, or worse yet i have to go out while it's powdery. I've had a few instances where i've had to take a different route home because my p5 couldn't make it up the hill. (Never had the problem with my old RX7 on the same rubber)

 

[AlaskaP5]

I have driven the P5 for two full winters of snow here in AK. Granted I do have a different set of rims with studded snow tires on the, but the P5 is a blast for drive in the snow. No problems. I also have ABS brakes and have not lowered the car. The only complaint/concern about the P5 in snow so far, is in deep snow, on cold days, the disc brakes can sieze up at stop lights. That is the heat from braking melting snow around the brakes, then when the temps are around -15F and the car is stopped, the melted snow around the brakes freeze/sieze. All you need to do is give the car a little extra gas and they will brake the mold.

 

[Action Jackson]

I used some Pirelli 210 Snowsports in the snow.
Too much engine torque even in 2nd or 3rd gear starts causing wheelspin. It's mostly me as I'm lead footed and not used to driving a manual in winter.
I do not find the P5 easy to flick into corners.

Also even on gentle starts, the car would drift a bit to the right, but on braking it tracked pretty straight.

I know the tires have a lot to do with this as they are excellent in the wet and dry and good in snow but not great. Still I never got stuck and passed a lot of dimwits on "all seasons" hogging up the road including many other P5 drivers.
Saved me from accidents too caused by the above dimwits.

Disabled the ABS b/c frankly I've driven in many cars without it that I'm used to it. Besides it kicked in way too early for my taste. I like the brake feel without ABS now, even at the track.

Best winter car for me? The '94 Civic auto with Kumho Azen snows. I could have that car go anywhere I wanted and very easy to flick into corners. Tires were crap in the dry.

 

[pr5owner]

handles awsome with hankook W400 tires

 

[GNO]

are these tires you can use year round, or just winter....my tires are still new, so it might be a bit before I need new ones, but if they are that good, maybe I will get them when it comes time to get new ones.....I kinda want tires I dont have to change though, but its not a big deal I guess...

The nice thing about having a set for winter and another for the rest of the year is you can get tires that perform GREAT during the non-snowy months, rather than settling with an all-season. I used Michelin Artic Alpins, when the snow goes away, I enjoy the quiter ride.

If you don't plan on getting bigger brakes, then get a set of 15" wheels for the snow tires. I know people that use their wheels year round and swap the tires. Removal and re-mount fees start to add up. This isn't a wise choice. Besides that, the bead may start to wear.

 

[UtesFanRy]

The nice thing about having a set for winter and another for the rest of the year is you can get tires that perform GREAT during the non-snowy months, rather than settling with an all-season. I used Michelin Artic Alpins, when the snow goes away, I enjoy the quiter ride.

If you don't plan on getting bigger brakes, then get a set of 15" wheels for the snow tires. I know people that use their wheels year round and swap the tires. Removal and re-mount fees start to add up. This isn't a wise choice. Besides that, the bead may start to wear.

yeah, I have to agree about the mount and re-mount thing.... 2 sets of rims AND tires rocks!!! (rockon)

 

[Poseur]

Theoretically according to some's fit guides, 14's will fit, but I'm kind of skeptical. Looking in there at clearances, my 15's fit as snuglt as I'm comfortable.

DEFINATELY get snowtires if you're gonna be in it alot. low-profile "performance allseasons" don't do dick. Also I really highly reccomend the slight oversizing... an extra5 in the sidwall makes a big difference. steepens your gearing to reduce your torque a bit, gives you a bit more ground clearance, softens up your ride in chain-rutted packed stuff, and more sidewall for squishing into if you ever do manage to slide into a curb (I did that one in my old civic once, was glad to have tall snowtires on) Especialyl since you'll be running a narrow tire on hopefully stock-offset rims, there's no clearance issues at all. Of course this is a funny time to be talking snowtires *L* I really dug my Michelin Arctic Alpins, they impressed me for having such a tame looking treadpattern. but just wow. they blew my mind..

 

[memo79]

REAL Winter driving

Look, don't let these people from WA, MA, and MI (notcool) tell you how their protege handles in winter. :'( BOO-frickin-HOO!!! I drive my P5 in ALASKA, in constant -45, sometimes as low as -60 degree weather, where you spit and it freezes before it hits the ground. Let me tell you, I also have a 2001 Subaru Impreza RS, and the protege out handled it until i bought blizzaks. BOTH, yes BOTH of the Impreza's front tires (Bridgestone Potenzas) blew out (wow) from the cold on the highway. And before that, I can't tell you how many times I picked the P5 to drive over the Scooby based solely on the fact that my protege 5 didn't scare the crap out of me everytime i turned a corner. In the Suby, I wound up in a ditch headed up to the ski hill, but when i went the following week in the P5, same corner (drive) , NO sliding at all. (mj) And believe me, I didn't slow down for it any more than i did with the suby. So go with the less expensive, better looking, less $2.20-a-gallon-of-gas hogging, better handling Protege 5.

 

[MonsterB]

Look, don't let these people from WA, MA, and MI (notcool) tell you how their protege handles in winter. :'( BOO-frickin-HOO!!! I drive my P5 in ALASKA, in constant -45, sometimes as low as -60 degree weather, where you spit and it freezes before it hits the ground. Let me tell you, I also have a 2001 Subaru Impreza RS, and the protege out handled it until i bought blizzaks. BOTH, yes BOTH of the Impreza's front tires (Bridgestone Potenzas) blew out (wow) from the cold on the highway. And before that, I can't tell you how many times I picked the P5 to drive over the Scooby based solely on the fact that my protege 5 didn't scare the crap out of me everytime i turned a corner. In the Suby, I wound up in a ditch headed up to the ski hill, but when i went the following week in the P5, same corner (drive) , NO sliding at all. (mj) And believe me, I didn't slow down for it any more than i did with the suby. So go with the less expensive, better looking, less $2.20-a-gallon-of-gas hogging, better handling Protege 5.

not to ba an ass, but that is a load of crap...there is no way in hell that a front wheel drive p5 will perform better in the snow than an allwheel drive subaru....
end of story....Im not gonna argue the point, its rediculous....I can brarely get out of my driveway, which is like a 5degree hill, any time there is even 1/2 inch of snow on the ground with my p5, yet with the subaru I could pull myself out of snowbanks over the bumper with no wheelspin at all.....
plus it snows more when its around 20-30 degrees, not when its 65 below....you get more precipitation closer to freezing temps, so living in New England it snows all damn week long, sometimes 4 feet at a time like last year...I know what Im talking about......my p5 scares the crap out of me in the snow.....

 

[xxmikkoxx]

i totally agree with you!!! my car is great in the cold, and you dont need a million feet of snow for it to be scary just a thin coat of slush will make me temporary loose control of the car i need snow tires though (eekdance) couldnt tell u how many times i lost control just turning at an intersection times like that i miss my old honda my tank, my boat!!!

 

[memo79]

not to ba an ass, but that is a load of crap...there is no way in hell that a front wheel drive p5 will perform better in the snow than an allwheel drive subaru....
end of story....Im not gonna argue the point, its rediculous....I can brarely get out of my driveway, which is like a 5degree hill, any time there is even 1/2 inch of snow on the ground with my p5, yet with the subaru I could pull myself out of snowbanks over the bumper with no wheelspin at all.....
plus it snows more when its around 20-30 degrees, not when its 65 below....you get more precipitation closer to freezing temps, so living in New England it snows all damn week long, sometimes 4 feet at a time like last year...I know what Im talking about......my p5 scares the crap out of me in the snow.....

The way you talk about your Subaru can mean only one thing..... you don't have the original tires on it anymore.....right? I didn't mean to put the subaru down like that, but their stock tires (potenzas) aren't any good in the snow, even with the AWD. But yeah, once I put Blizzaks on it, it was WAY better, almost like there was no snow at all.. but judging the cars in snow with the factory tires, i'll pick the P5

 

[Poseur]

Look, don't let these people from WA, MA, and MI (notcool) tell you how their protege handles in winter. :'( BOO-frickin-HOO!!! I drive my P5 in ALASKA, in constant -45, sometimes as low as -60 degree weather, where you spit and it freezes before it hits the ground.

Yea, you're right I've got NO clue whatsoever what snow driving is like... (jerkit)

 

[MonsterB]

Hey poseur, no disrespect, I am sure you know all about snow living in Alaska.... I actually bought the subaru with 43k miles and I think it had the stock bridgestones on it, but it was the S.U.S. model and had special wheels so I dont really remember what they were...I did change them out with some super cheap General's right before I sold it, and performance did drop, but the car was still way better in the snow I think...I will have to wait until I get some real tires on my p5 before really judging the car's snow worthiness, but anyways with the stock tires on my p5 I feel the car is just plain dangerous....if you live in Boston, slowing down in bad conditions is not an option, people will run your ass off the road, so you have to be able to keeep up....

Im sure the p5 is a much better car with good snow tires on it.....(friday)
and I dont have the subaru any more, and Im damn glad its gone...

 

[Poseur]

Hey poseur, no disrespect...

Umm, you talking to me???

I'm from WA. I was simply taking offence to the idea that seing as I'm "only" from WA, that I don't know what snow is.

As for snow-handleing... it's all about the tires. AWD does JACK s*** for stopping a car, or even turning it for that matter. What it does do is helps a car move forward, or move forward faster in incliment conditions. I call this a false sense of security...

Nowthen, if you're having to "plow" or make it up steep driveways in snow, then, yes a P5 is a disadvantage to a scooby. 'course that's like perhaps 1% of it's useage ever, right? The rest of the time, you've got better efficency, WAY better looking, better longevity, and you paid less for it...

All I can really speak for is the fact that I put about 6000miles worth of back-and fourthing up and down the pass last winter snowboarding. Multiple occasions were when conditions were marked as "chains required" and I with nothing but my sweet Arctic Alpins and an AWD emblem to keep the cops off got throgh with NO problems whatsoever. My mom has a forester, and a friend of mine has a legacy both of which I've driven in the snow, and while they do indeed pull you along with more authority, but anytime there's a turn or something to slow down for, I'd RATHER be in my 5 for handling the situation...

 

[Khoifather]

Amazing raisin stories my friends!