Why on earth would anyone move to MN - from TX no less?!?!

Anyway, RWD in snow is perfectly fine. It snows in Europe, remember?

I grew up and learned to drive in icy/snowy New England. Anyone that tells you you "need" FWD or 4WD is full of crap and is frankly looking for a crutch to compensate for their lack of driving skills. It's like anything else - you need to operate the vehicle inside its performance limit envelope, which changes due to weather conditions. I'd recommend first chance you can, get into a big open parking lot with snow/ice on it and throw the car into some slides/spins (plus it's fun). Do it with and without the TCS on. You'll develop a good feel for the limits. If in weather, leave extra following distance, etc. Common sense stuff - it isn't rocket science.

Sheesh, I moved away from that "winter" crap many years ago and haven't looked back. Never again. Barely remember what it was like - most memories have (thankfully) been repressed.

 

Why on earth would anyone move to MN - from TX no less?!?!

a guy's gotta pay the bills u know!

thanks for the advise!

 

I use my SLK as a daily driver and switch to snow tires in November. I bought an extra set of wheels on eBay and outfitted them with snows, so the change over is relatively easy. You will probably need to look into a block heater for those really cold MN nights unless you have a heated garage.

 

I live in a 'snow belt' area now that I'm up in the sticks. Sure FWD and 4WD/AWD are better in the snow than RWD, but you can do just fine with a RWD car. However, you must use snow tires. Sounds like an obvious statement, but my point is that snow tires are much better than all-season tires.

For me, my SLK stays in the garage when there's snow on the ground, but my first bunch of cars were all RWD. Had to put a cinder block in the trunk of one of them.

 

Had to put a cinder block in the trunk of one of them.

what's this for?

 

I no longer live in the snow belt but don't listen to the hype about FWD being better than RWD. Much of the difference has to do with weight distribution. One thing to remember with FWD in the snow is that once you begin to understeer short of pulling the emergency brake there is little you can do but hang on. With RWD you can use throttle modulation to help your case.

The more I think back to living with snow the more I remember having better luck with RWD than FWD.

 

what's this for?

The cinder block is for weight. Better off adding a bag of sand if you need additional weight in back

 

what's this for?

It was to add weight. The rear end of RWD cars are light compared to the front. In this setup, a heavy front end and a lighter rear on snow can cause excessive wheel spin, so adding weight is sometimes helpful. Always worked for me, anyway. But on our SLKs we can switch the tranny to "W" which will start in second gear thereby reducing wheel spin, plus our SLK also has traction control. My first few RWD cars had neither of these benefits - hence the 'ol cinder block.

 

I no longer live in the snow belt but don't listen to the hype about FWD being better than RWD. Much of the difference has to do with weight distribution. One thing to remember with FWD in the snow is that once you begin to understeer short of pulling the emergency brake there is little you can do but hang on. With RWD you can use throttle modulation to help your case.

The more I think back to living with snow the more I remember having better luck with RWD than FWD.

My experience is the exact opposite (FWD has always been better for me than RWD), but to each his own. One thing about FWD is when the tail end starts to come around on a slick spot, you can use the throttle to help pull you out of the slide. Hit the throttle in a RWD when the tail comes around and you do donuts.

 

You could always put the top down - then you have all that weight in the rear and directly over the drive wheels.

I've actually noticed better handling in my SLK doing this on a few spirited drives. Of course it's helpful when it's always 70 degrees outside too.

Keeping your gas tank full at all times helps also (fuel weighs a lot).

 

Snow tires are a must although I have gotten away with using "All-season" tires for quite a few years. The key to driving in the snow is remembering not to do anything to quick, whether it is turning, braking, or accelerating.

Minnesota gets so much snow that there snow removal efforts are probably very good. Except for the occasional "big" snows you probably won't have any problems.

 

I just moved from Vermont-Up state NY area. I had a FWD car ended in ditch (very deep and scary) on a snow day. Ended up buying a subaru, put on 4 studded tires. Those tires from Sams Club (speed master or somthing) are :thumbsup:

I had to drive quite a bit at night (ater 3pm is pretty much dark ). With studded tires, all I had to do was follow the faster car on the road from a 20-30 car distance. If he has np, I will have np because of what I had.

One wet, cold night, a 4x4 passed me by at 65MPH on 89 while I was doing 50. It had a Vermont plate so he was local. That gave me some confidence to follow him (Him and I were the only cars on the highway, Vermont people go to bed early .). 10-15 miles later, all of a sudden his tail lights disappeared from my horizon. In front of me was pure darkness (Headlight? what headlights?). Yes, I was still on the road. Almost immediately, I felt the ice under. Thanks to the tires, I was able to slow down (seriously, being able to slow down felt sooo good!). Sure enough, the highway was covered (with ice). The 4x4 was way off of the road trying to get out. When I went to offer help (it was so slippery to even walk on), he asked "what do you have on the car?" "Studded tires.":thumbsup: Remember bro, buy 4 studded tires. Not plain snow tires. The tires are fun, wears slow, and cheap from Sam's.

I was there for 5 years (bills to pay), drove 140,000 miles. Still have my dear trusted Subaru so I don't drive the MB in the winter. Sold studded tires to a friend who travels from Plattsburgh NY to MN often. I do miss Highways 89 and 87.

Jerry

 

Ended up buying a subaru, put on 4 studded tires.

Studded tires are illegal in a lot of places. Probably Minnesota is included in this list.

Also, note that this story shows that following a faster vehicle is NOT a good idea. The asshat in the 4X4 obviously had a false sense of confidence ("Yo! I got a 4X4...nothing will stop me!"). I pity the fool. People in 4X4's think their vehicles are superior to everything else in bad weather. But having 4-wheel drive does NOT help you stop any faster!

Bottom line: If you move up north, start by driving SLOW in bad conditions. Doesn't matter if you have RWD or FWD. Learn how to drive in the stuff by being careful!

 

I was pleasantly surprised at how well my SLK handled the snow & ice with Assurance Tripletread all seasons. Put (2) bags of water softener salt in the trunk and never had to give it 2nd thought. While not as stable as my old Escort (man, what fun in the snow) it's pretty darn good for a "sports" car. I was scared the first time I had to drive it in a storm but I'm really impressed with how much the W mode helps.

Avery

 

Hey AreVee,

FWD shifts the weight over the front wheels providing better traction. The downside is that you have less ability to snap a FWD car out of a skid. I used to own a Nissan 280ZX and put a 50lb bag of sand in the back to add weight over the rear wheels for traction. You probably won't have to go that far with the SLK.

The guys here are right: Buy a set of 4 snow tires (NOT 2), put them on an extra set of rims, and simply mount/dismount them in fall and spring. Check out TireRack for some great deals on 4 tires. They'll even offer them on rims. My personal experience is that the Bridgestone Blizzaks are great for driving in snow and ice.


My MB dealer will mount and dismount a set of snowtires in the fall/spring for $95. Find a dealer near you and see what they offer in the fall. NEVER take your car to National Tire and Battery; they attempted to lift my Acura NOT on the lift points and I ended up with buckled floor pans.

Also, drive slower, even with the snow tires on, keeping more than the usual distance between you and the next guy as it takes a longer distance to stop. Less chance of sliding into his backside, less likely you'll skid out of control.


One last bit of advice, in winter, when it's above 40F, not snowing and sunny, do yourself the personal pleasure: Clear the snow/ice off, put the top down, turn the heat WAY up and enjoy the ride. While everyone else is huddled in their camrys, it always puts a smile on my face!

Rule of Thumb for RWD cars: When you car goes into a skid, turn the wheel in the direction you are skidding to regain control. Try it on a snowy day in a big, empty parking lot with the traction control on the SLK turned off.

 

Thanks for all the input guys. For those of u that did not know, I no longer own a SLK. But I am still a big fan of mercedes and have always found folks on the forum to be very friendly. So, I still stick around.

I currently drive a Mazda3 but want to get a G35 or a FX35- that's when someone told me "No RWD in snowy conditions"!

 

I currently drive a Mazda3 but want to get a G35 or a FX35- that's when someone told me "No RWD in snowy conditions"!

I have drive both vehicles extensivley.

First off neither of their interiors lives up to their price point. The interiors feel cheap and look cheap.

The FX35 is the reheaded step child of the infinity line. When the G35 got a bump in HP no love for the FX35. The G35 could play MP3's not so in the FX35, bluetooth similar story.

The G35 seriously lacks refinment when you drive it. The engine is on the rough side, there is a lot of kick back in the steering, etc.

Not to mention that I have dealt with 6 Infinity dealers and they are all rather shady. They all play games (more so than any other brand I have been to) and they still pull crap like $700 paint sealent.

Personllay if I was looking for a car today the BMW 335 is damn hard to beat.

 

i cant emphasize this point too much: FWD cars are unsafe to drive on snow and ice. i know many may dissagree but i have seen the proof and been in the vehicle. someone said that if a fwd car starts to step out that you can use throttle to pull her back straight. while this is true its also the reason theyare so dangerous. thinkabout it, your fwd car starts to slide in a corner and oversteer, so you let off the throttle instinctively, what happens? the car instantly spins backwards because of added engine braking that is only present on the front wheels, which also has more weight/traction due to the engine up there. i have seen hondas flip around going UPHILL because of this! 4wd cars dont experience this because they distrubute engine braking evenly 4 ways. rwd cars have a straightening effect when youlet up because they have a slight braking effect at the rear. people think fwd cars are good in snow because they can "go" but not going wont cause a crash generally, and spinning off the road can very easily.

so my choices are 4wd first, then rwd then fwd then lastly, motorcycle.
sandbags help a lot, but not as much as tires. the best ice and snow rig i ever drove was a ford diesel f250, rock solid handling, 70 mph on ice with lots of confidence, and yes i passed many many a subaru with bewildered occupants wondering how they could crash in such a car.

 

oh forgot to say when a fwd car puts chains on the front they can climb mount everest, but as soon as they let off the gas they are going backwards guarranteed!!

 

RWD will work fine. On a lighter car, you will really need snow tires. My w126 had all seasons and did fine in the winter, but then again it is pretty heavy.

 

I have lived in MN all my life, so I can comment.
I don't use my MBs as daily drivers (I have a work truck) That being said, I drove my SLK230 with blizzaks for 4 winters without any real issues. Yes, with an 8-12 blast, you would probably be out of luck. With my CL500 and pilot alpins, I have complete confidence. This is after 4 winters as well.

Essentially, it's all in the tires. Welcome to Minnesota!

 

Berk is absolutly right FWD is dangerous in the snow because of the gas off braking effect of the driven front wheels.....RWD, 4 snow tires and some bags of sand in the trunk and off you go.My 9000lb E-350 Quigly 4wd van works pretty good too

 

FWD helps you get deeper into the snow before you get stuck...........

 

They each have their own advantages and disadvantages. I really think it all comes down to really knowing how to drive what you are driving. :thumbsup: