15951

I have a G37S, and recently relocated to the middle of the country. I was flipping out about driving my RWD G in the snow after reading pages and pages of opinions regarding how vital it is to have the X and AWD.

After having driven for a few weeks in snowy and slushy conditions, I can say with confidence that RWD is fine in the snow, and AWD wouldn't have been worth the weight penalty or the 4WD drive height. In instances where I've had wheel slip, the traction control has kicked in and helped out. I've never been close to stuck.

I did buy winter wheels with all-season (not winter) tires -- it's a no-brainer to take off the summer tires in winter conditions. Also, I'm sure AWD comes in handy if you're plowing through 2 feet of fresh snow in Alaska. However, for those of us in areas that get a few inches of snow on occasion with little else, don't waste your money on AWD.

SindhiStyle

Where did you move to? I live in Michigan, and I used to think exactly the way you do now. I have had many RWD cars in the past, Lincoln LS, Mercedes E320, Mercedes C320 (2 of these) and many others. When I was about to purchase a new MB E class several years ago I decided to get the 4matic. Since that day I would never even think about getting a RWD while living in Michigan. Yes the RWD cars did handle fine in the snow if you were careful. I can only think of two times in the many years that I actually got stuck with a RWD. When I was a teenager/early 20s I would have easily picked looks over saftey. Now a little later in life, it is a no-brainer. Next time you get hit with a heavy snow storm, take a drive to the dealership with your RWD and test drive a AWD. After the test drive you might realize how much a difference there really is. Regardless I hope you well in the winter and hope you never do get stuck.

Cheers!

ImToast

I really don't understand what the fuss is about and I live 6 hours north east of Michigan. When you are in a situation it doesn't really matter if your are in FWD, AWD or RWD vehicle, you have to drive accordingly. Most drivers don't take into account of the changed weather and especially the road conditions and drive like it was summer and those are the drivers you need to worry about that will get either themselves into trouble or into trouble with you. I would highly recommend you purchase dedicated winter tires as opposed with all-seasons as they are not really an improvement in winter because of their compounds and tread pattern. Either way drive safely and defensively and not aggressively.

ImToast

15951

I'm in Kentucky - some snow, but nothing like Michigan (typically). I didn't choose looks over safety, but rather made a move from subtropical to subfreezing! When I bought the car, I was living in Florida and could drive it with summer tires year-round.

Thanks for the info. My wife's truck is AWD, and it handles very nice in the snow and slush. However, it's not enough to justify the increased weight, slower acceleration, and lower MPG in my opinion. If I lived in MI, I might think differently!

15951

I have not seen one set of dedicated winter tires on a car since I moved here, and I've been looking. The ROI on those would likely be very low, as we typically get 10-16" per year, and I live in the city (well maintained/salted/plowed roads).

However, there is absolutely an improvement going from summer tires to all-seasons in cold weather. My Bridgestone summer tires literally spin in place in freezing weather. They're sitting comfortably in the garage waiting for summer to return!

financeman

There is no doubt that a good driver with good tires can successfully handle a RWD car in most snowy/icy conditions....I did with my last car, a BMW. That said, an AWD configuration makes the process much easier with more room for error. Personally, I also like the AWD configuration on wet or gravel roads...just makes the driving in those situations much better. Just a trade off......

maxfinity

I dont trust this car on wet streets and ive never driven in snow but Im pretty sure its much worse. Vdc has helped me avoid a spin out many times while making a left turn on wet roads. Didnt have this problem with my Maxima but i guess thats the nature of RWD. And Im not a very aggresive driver, especially on wet roads. I was driving behind an 09 g37 sedan while it was pouring rain and witnessed the driver spin out of control. The car spun like 4 times and he was just inches away from the guard rail. Needless to say he was doing at least 70(I was behid him doing about 60)in heavy rain and i could see when the vdc kicked in but he tried to correct himself yet he over corrected and that was all she wrote. That has made me very cautious when driving in the rain. It has also taught me to let vdc do its job. It may take a moment but it will kick in. Bottom line drive in a manner that weather permits.

gooddeal

I think this depends on how you want to drive your car as well. Do you want to get home sooner or do you want to drive like a grandma?

This debate is very similar to the I4 v. V6 debate. If you go to a I4 forum (Camry, Altima...etc.), majority of people will say I4 is good enough for them...V6 is a waste of gas. However, when you go to the G forum, many people say even the 2.5 v6 doesn't have enough power.

Saltin

Everyone has to make the decision themselves. RWD v AWD, Snow tires v all seasons (summers won't do in a snowy/cold winter, we can agree on that I hope!).

I live in a big city up North and we get a decent amount of snow. I don't drive to work. I run all seasons and have the X. Everyone up here has the X, or, they store for the winter, it seems. Of course, this could be for other reasons (salt).

In any type of snow it is pretty much impossible to get stuck in my car. It stops really well too. It must be amazing on snow tires, but I can't justify them.

Plenty of people drive RWD in the snow - heck, back before FWD was popular that's all there was. I prefer the X because there are literally 5-6 months of the year where it can snow up here.

Chris11LE

I have a pickup with "manual" (i.e. stick shift) 4WD engage. I can tell you RWD is fine in the snow if you know what you are doing. In fact I find myself disengaging 4WD when I get to certain areas, just to practice getting out of a slide.

However, i did buy an AWD G37. AWD is a nicety for me, but if I want the wife to drive in the snow its necessary for her. She wont drive the truck, much less engaging 4WD when she needs to, so having an AWD car at least makes me feel a little better if she has to trek into the snow.

Ive read a few articles on the G that said even though its AWD the computer does a good job of figuring out when its really necessary, so a lot of the time it will run like a plain old RWD car anyway.

HappyG

Exactly. I don't trust the wife to drive FWD or RWD in the snow. AWD is a must. The G is in RWD most of the time anyway, but when needed it automatically change to AWD mode. What a beauty!

mishmosh

Unless you live in the boonies where they don't plow the roads very often, RWD with winter tires is fine. Heck, even the LSD in the sport helps out. I have LM22 (performance winter tires) on my G--they are not hardcore winter tires but I have never had a problem with them the past 3 winters.

15951

My wife would gag if she read this. Do your wives always wear dresses and get dinner on the table before you arrive home, too?

Chris11LE

You dont really need to be in the boonies....my "great" home town plows my street whenever they feel like it, because its a dead end so it takes longer (to push the snow to the end without blocking anyone).

Unfortunately in this economy "I cant make it in because they've plowed every street in town except mine" isnt a good excuse to stay home, especially when people are coming from different states and hitting zero traffic on the way

HappyG

Don't depend on NYC to plow the street on time. It didn't happen last time. Thankfully my awd G came in handy.