Performance in Snow/Ice
- Thread starter jwaters943
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Twenty somethin
Member
No the statement is Absolutely Correct the cx-9 as purchased from the dealer is a POS in the snow. (screwy) Of course snow tires will increase the performance. The point that you seem to be completely missing is that it is ridiculous to buy a SUV AWD vehicle and then have to put snow tires on it for normal winter driving conditions. Now if aperson buys a RWD vehicle obviously that expectation is there. By the way in comparing the cx-.9 performance with those other vehicles NONE of them needed snowtires.
Thanks for the apology. Do you have to laugh when you think of all the $$ you have had to waste on winter tires? There are plenty of vehicles on the road today that can perform in normal winter conditions witout winter tires.
Your statement is still incorrect repeating the same false info doesn't make it correct. You seem to be missing the point that the CX-9 is a sport crossover. That's sporty "CUV" not "SUV". If you want the summer time handling (which most CX-9 customers do) the sporty tires are a must.
Lastly none of the vehicles you mentioned perform to my specifications with their factory all-season tires. A Pathfinder, Acadian, Outlander, etc...won't stop on ice to my liking with "all-season tires", that is a fact. Any car I own gets proper winter tires no matter what it is. Any tire rep with a brain will tell you "all-season" tires are 3 season tires. If I had my way you wouldn't be allowed on the road in the winter without a tire that has the severe winter weather snowflake on the side.
It really is hilarious for someone to argue that people shouldn't spend money on the safety of their family.
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Twenty-something,
Take it from a 30/almost 40-something: Winter tires are worth every penny.
Since I have been driving now for as long as you've been alive, I have had many near misses as well as a few accidents in the snow, back when I didn't understand, or couldn't afford, the need for snow tires. For the last 10 or so years though, I have never had any situations like I used to- all because now I always buy dedicated winter tires and wheels for all my cars. Even though the CX-9 set I will buy will be my 5th set of winter tires I have bought, have I wasted money? No, I probably saved myself 10 grand somewhere by not totaling one of my cars in the snow, or perhaps I saved myself from being stranded in a ditch or worse, putting myself or someone else in the hospital. Can you really put a price on that? From your state of mind, winter tires may be a waste of money. I guess I felt the same way when I was a 20-something. I could say trust me, you will change your mind in 10 years, but you aren't going to listen to me. Only time and experience will convince you that winter tires are worth it, even on SUVs with AWD.
That being said, I would like to address another point of your last post- You state the CX-9 is a POS in the snow with the factory tires. Now, I am the one touting how winter tires are so important, so this may sound strange, but I was pleasantly surprised last night when I drove our CX-9 through an intense snow storm driving from Canada to NY. I drove about 15 miles on scarcely-plowed secondary roads that had about 6 inches of snow with the occasional 8 inch+ drift. I never got stuck once even when driving up pretty steep hills while passing stuck cars. So these tires are way way better than say, the tires that came on my Audi TT Quattro. THOSE were useless.
That being said, I will still buy winter tires next season. I think what made the CX-9 so good last night was the AWD, stability, and ground clearance, and not so much the tires, but the car does go through snow as is from the dealer. My M3 is low, so it would have been useless last night even though I have winter tires for it. However, which car do you think will stop faster on ice, or go up a hill covered in packed ice better? Hands down my rear wheel drive M3 with winter tires would beat my factory AWD CX-9 on ice every time.
Take it from a 30/almost 40-something: Winter tires are worth every penny.
Since I have been driving now for as long as you've been alive, I have had many near misses as well as a few accidents in the snow, back when I didn't understand, or couldn't afford, the need for snow tires. For the last 10 or so years though, I have never had any situations like I used to- all because now I always buy dedicated winter tires and wheels for all my cars. Even though the CX-9 set I will buy will be my 5th set of winter tires I have bought, have I wasted money? No, I probably saved myself 10 grand somewhere by not totaling one of my cars in the snow, or perhaps I saved myself from being stranded in a ditch or worse, putting myself or someone else in the hospital. Can you really put a price on that? From your state of mind, winter tires may be a waste of money. I guess I felt the same way when I was a 20-something. I could say trust me, you will change your mind in 10 years, but you aren't going to listen to me. Only time and experience will convince you that winter tires are worth it, even on SUVs with AWD.
That being said, I would like to address another point of your last post- You state the CX-9 is a POS in the snow with the factory tires. Now, I am the one touting how winter tires are so important, so this may sound strange, but I was pleasantly surprised last night when I drove our CX-9 through an intense snow storm driving from Canada to NY. I drove about 15 miles on scarcely-plowed secondary roads that had about 6 inches of snow with the occasional 8 inch+ drift. I never got stuck once even when driving up pretty steep hills while passing stuck cars. So these tires are way way better than say, the tires that came on my Audi TT Quattro. THOSE were useless.
That being said, I will still buy winter tires next season. I think what made the CX-9 so good last night was the AWD, stability, and ground clearance, and not so much the tires, but the car does go through snow as is from the dealer. My M3 is low, so it would have been useless last night even though I have winter tires for it. However, which car do you think will stop faster on ice, or go up a hill covered in packed ice better? Hands down my rear wheel drive M3 with winter tires would beat my factory AWD CX-9 on ice every time.
Not with all wheel drive and stability control. If there is any traction to be had that is...
I think we are saying the same thing... stability control will cut your acceleration as necessary.
Winter tires have either rubber studs, metal studs, or sipes that do great on packed snow or ice. No car with conventional tires will outperform one with winter tires in these conditions. Some cars with conventionals will be better than others though. My BMW is pretty solid in the rain and ok in the snow with my Nokians.
By the way, playing with the stability control in a parking lot this morning... at slow speeds it really doesn't work. The part that individually hits the brakes on distinct wheels. I guess you need to be going a decent speed for it to work.
I was able to spin the car into a spinning glide quite easily.
Once you go faster though it works great.
I was able to spin the car into a spinning glide quite easily.
Once you go faster though it works great.
And don't forget in the case of ice tires like Blizzacks, the tread compound itself is a much softer rubber that doesn't freeze and get brittle like all seasons and summer tires. In ice, it is the rubber compound that gives these tires their traction ,while the sipes and deep grooves give them the snow traction.
PROOF of my journey:
you can tell by these pics that there was much bonding between man and CX-9 during my trip from Ottawa to NYC...
The beginning of the trip:
After 450 miles... The first day was constant snowfall, falling like feathers and once night came, the headlights would light up those feathers so bright it blinded you. After spending a night in a motel, the roads had been cleared and salted. Then began the journey of, well, salt.
Never did get over 18.5 mpg on this trip, even when all highway driving, but, we did get home comfortably, and with the undercarriage facing down, unlike many other vehicles we passed in ditches!
you can tell by these pics that there was much bonding between man and CX-9 during my trip from Ottawa to NYC...
The beginning of the trip:
After 450 miles... The first day was constant snowfall, falling like feathers and once night came, the headlights would light up those feathers so bright it blinded you. After spending a night in a motel, the roads had been cleared and salted. Then began the journey of, well, salt.
Never did get over 18.5 mpg on this trip, even when all highway driving, but, we did get home comfortably, and with the undercarriage facing down, unlike many other vehicles we passed in ditches!
EtoileBrilliant
Member
A little of topic, but does the Canadian CX-9 have additional underbody sealants to protect against winter salt. If not, do dealers recommend getting an extra layer put in aftermarkets?
I am pretty sure new cars like the CX-9 has good undercoating unlike cars from 10 years ago. The dealers I went to didn't even mention extra rust proofing treatments, and you know they will push all dealer prepped services to make an extra buck. That's my logic. I also looked underneath and everything looked protected, as in no reddish rusty metal parts like the old days.
I still went to the car wash right away and paid for the undercarriage wash. A little multi-facetted water nozzle turns on extra water on the floor of the car wash for $5. This nozzle should be on all the time. What a rip.
I still went to the car wash right away and paid for the undercarriage wash. A little multi-facetted water nozzle turns on extra water on the floor of the car wash for $5. This nozzle should be on all the time. What a rip.
I'll throw in my experience with my 2007 CX-9 GT AWD living here in the Denver metro area...
I bought the CX-9 AWD with the GT package and 20" rims last summer fully knowing that they were intended for high performance driving in summer conditions. I think the 20s really give it great handling (primarily cornering) characteristics compared to the 18s. That's one of the reasons why I liked the CX-9 over other competitors. Having lived in the Rocky Mountains all my life, I also knew I wouldn't be comfortable with the OEM 20" Bridgestone Duelers during the winter. So I chose to buy a second set of rims (ended up getting a set of OEM 18" rims off of a CX-7) and put dedicated snow tires on them. I ended up choosing studless Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3s, and I can say that the CX-9 performs very well in snow (we've had a few 8-10" storms), slush, and ice. I've pushed it hard in each of those conditions and feel completely comfortable with the CX-9's capabilities.
I agree with previous comments that dedicated snow tires are a great insurance policy and make driving the CX-9 a lot of fun in winter conditions. Yes, I ended up spending an additional $1000, but now I get the best of both worlds: sure-footed winter driving and high-performance summer driving!
I bought the CX-9 AWD with the GT package and 20" rims last summer fully knowing that they were intended for high performance driving in summer conditions. I think the 20s really give it great handling (primarily cornering) characteristics compared to the 18s. That's one of the reasons why I liked the CX-9 over other competitors. Having lived in the Rocky Mountains all my life, I also knew I wouldn't be comfortable with the OEM 20" Bridgestone Duelers during the winter. So I chose to buy a second set of rims (ended up getting a set of OEM 18" rims off of a CX-7) and put dedicated snow tires on them. I ended up choosing studless Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3s, and I can say that the CX-9 performs very well in snow (we've had a few 8-10" storms), slush, and ice. I've pushed it hard in each of those conditions and feel completely comfortable with the CX-9's capabilities.
I agree with previous comments that dedicated snow tires are a great insurance policy and make driving the CX-9 a lot of fun in winter conditions. Yes, I ended up spending an additional $1000, but now I get the best of both worlds: sure-footed winter driving and high-performance summer driving!
Country Mazda mentioned a rust treatment to me.... along with the aftermarket alarm, aftermarket remote start, extended warranty, etc
Well we have -13 Celsius (8F) outside (boom07) but still not much snow, here in Estonia.
And i got the Tirerack recommended 18" winterpackage 235/65-18 Bridgestone DM-Z3 with Sport Edition KV5 18" wheels.
scooby doo
Member
I got the same package from Tirerack already put them on. I'm just outside of Ottawa, Canada and we've been getting blasted by old man winter pretty steady this winter. I'm very happy that the look to the vehicle isn't affected very much and the traction is fantastic. The original tires were not that bad but it's the wifes car and she has the kids more often and it wasn't really a second thought for up here.
I didn't buy an SUV and I've heard and read the arguements going on about "shouldn't have to buy tires for a 40g SUV......blah, blah, blah", but after spending that kind of money, why wouldn't you want the absolute best traction for safety. Sorry, ranting on personal opinion.....
Bottom line is you'll be happy with the purchase. Tirerack was fast and very professional on the phone. Even after paying for shipping and duties I still ended up WAY ahead. I called everywhere and NOBODY could touch the prices. The closest I could find in price was for tires only and then I'd have to change them out on the rims every season. This way, I go to 18's (yeah, but it's only for the winter lol) and put the nice 20's back on to tackle the summer weather.
Enjoy the new boots....
I didn't buy an SUV and I've heard and read the arguements going on about "shouldn't have to buy tires for a 40g SUV......blah, blah, blah", but after spending that kind of money, why wouldn't you want the absolute best traction for safety. Sorry, ranting on personal opinion.....
Bottom line is you'll be happy with the purchase. Tirerack was fast and very professional on the phone. Even after paying for shipping and duties I still ended up WAY ahead. I called everywhere and NOBODY could touch the prices. The closest I could find in price was for tires only and then I'd have to change them out on the rims every season. This way, I go to 18's (yeah, but it's only for the winter lol) and put the nice 20's back on to tackle the summer weather.
Enjoy the new boots....
scooby doo
Member
Pic with winter rubber
Here's a poorly taken pic of the 9 with the new boots. Sorry for the quality and bad angle. It's early.....(doughpoke
Here's a poorly taken pic of the 9 with the new boots. Sorry for the quality and bad angle. It's early.....(doughpoke
CX9 SportOwner
Member
FWD Sport with original tires. Drove on snowy/icy road near Yosemite and didnt feel out of control at any point. If I had to do that regularly I would have gone AWD, but infrequent doesnt seen to be a problem. FWD is inherantly better anyway.
Now, loose wet mud wasnt as conficence inducing. Almost got stuck. (don;t ask)
Now, loose wet mud wasnt as conficence inducing. Almost got stuck. (don;t ask)
I was perusing an Acadia forum, and here is what someone had to say about their Acadia:
"Our vehicle is 2WD - as we were convinced by the dealer that AWD wasn't necessary in Northern Utah. Needless to say, with the past 10 days of snow, the Acadia has not moved out of the garage because it can't climb a 10 degree driveway with 1/2 inch of snow on it."
So as you can see, everyone has issues with any brand of SUV in the winter.
"Our vehicle is 2WD - as we were convinced by the dealer that AWD wasn't necessary in Northern Utah. Needless to say, with the past 10 days of snow, the Acadia has not moved out of the garage because it can't climb a 10 degree driveway with 1/2 inch of snow on it."
So as you can see, everyone has issues with any brand of SUV in the winter.
Wow Acadia's having problems getting up driveways?!(laugh)
Wow Acadia's having problems getting up driveways?!
I know, I was shocked and dismayed. Mostly dismayed. Actually, I had to look up was dismayed meant (to cause to lose courage or resolution), and realized that no Acadia could cause me to do that, so my proper emotion is now: indifference.
Actually, thinking of the original poster's complaint, the real test here would have been to drive up several different vehicles up the driveway: maybe the driveway was especially icy that day, and no vehicle would have made it up. Yep, a nice 6-sigma study would resolve this.
I know, I was shocked and dismayed. Mostly dismayed. Actually, I had to look up was dismayed meant (to cause to lose courage or resolution), and realized that no Acadia could cause me to do that, so my proper emotion is now: indifference.
Actually, thinking of the original poster's complaint, the real test here would have been to drive up several different vehicles up the driveway: maybe the driveway was especially icy that day, and no vehicle would have made it up. Yep, a nice 6-sigma study would resolve this.
