Anyone in the New England area probably knows how their car handles in the snow, but today I got my first experience today on my lunch break. There is about 5" of wet heavy snow on the ground and I was up to the challenge.
The light weight of the car helps it ride right on top the snow. Only once, merging onto the highway, did I feel it pull to one side as the stock rubber lost its grip. I felt in control while changing lanes on the highway and even cruised at 45mph in the passing lane for a while. Please note that this was in moderate traffic before the roads had been plowed at all. Picture the snow piling up in between lanes. The abs brakes worked perfectly as I took a sharp turn a little to fast. They helped keep the car moving in the right direction.
I also enjoyed being able to see through my back window. Thanks to the rear wiper I was able to back my car into a parking spot so I can get out easier this evening.
The car has very good weight distribution between the front and back. A Nissan Pickup truck fish tailed in front of me after hitting the brakes, but I had no problems slowing down. I was also amazed at how well it handled under my mediocre manual driving skills. This is my first 5spd and I've only had it for less than a week.
I suspect I will have trouble tackling steep hills when I encounter them. The begining of next season I will invest in a decent set of snow tires.
In conclusion, I felt just as confident as anyone else on the road today. I am glad I didn't purchase a Subaru. Granted they will get better traction on those hills, but the price and looks of the MP5 far outweigh that IMO.
What are your thoughts on driving in the snow?
The light weight of the car helps it ride right on top the snow. Only once, merging onto the highway, did I feel it pull to one side as the stock rubber lost its grip. I felt in control while changing lanes on the highway and even cruised at 45mph in the passing lane for a while. Please note that this was in moderate traffic before the roads had been plowed at all. Picture the snow piling up in between lanes. The abs brakes worked perfectly as I took a sharp turn a little to fast. They helped keep the car moving in the right direction.
I also enjoyed being able to see through my back window. Thanks to the rear wiper I was able to back my car into a parking spot so I can get out easier this evening.
The car has very good weight distribution between the front and back. A Nissan Pickup truck fish tailed in front of me after hitting the brakes, but I had no problems slowing down. I was also amazed at how well it handled under my mediocre manual driving skills. This is my first 5spd and I've only had it for less than a week.
I suspect I will have trouble tackling steep hills when I encounter them. The begining of next season I will invest in a decent set of snow tires.
In conclusion, I felt just as confident as anyone else on the road today. I am glad I didn't purchase a Subaru. Granted they will get better traction on those hills, but the price and looks of the MP5 far outweigh that IMO.
What are your thoughts on driving in the snow?
