I have heard that the GS400/430 was terrible in snow from this forum from time to time. I live in ATL, GA and of course we rarely get snow here. Well the other day we got a few inches and I have to tell you - the STOCK BRIDGESTONES SUCK!!!

I know that rear wheel drive cars are not the best cars in snow but this was ridiculous. I grew up driving in snow and am not the native alantian who can't drive even in light flurry or a rain.

I have over 70 percent tread life on my tires and I could barely step on the gas without having traction control go crazy. It was not even black ice, it was a well traveled road. When I tried to brake, it just slid to a stop. It was so dangerous, I turned my rear back home and parked it inside.

Anyone have a better recommendation of tires? I don't want to get snow tires since it rarely snows here and stays on the ground. But at the same time, I don't want to hibernate when it does get snowy or I travel to an area with snow.

I was thinking of getting some Kuhmo's. They are inexpensive and I heard were a good all around tire.

Anyone have some ideas?

Thanks,

Khanh

 

I have also heard and read good things about the Kuhmo's. I think lots of people here also have the Pole Position S03's, but those are in a completely different league price wise.
I also live in Atlanta, and I skipped work today just because I didn't want some idiot plowing into my GS.

 

i was out there last night b/c a friend flipped her 4runner. it had quite the "pucker factor". almost looped it when i shifted to M2 while i was slowing down. not to mention that i saw another GS sideways in the street. and i hear that more is to come. think i may have to commandeer my girl's altima. be careful folks!!!!!


Doc

 

buy a good set for your temporary needs, in Atlanta they should last at least ten years.

The new ones are a snap to install.

 

Hello Frends down south, I live in Calgary Alberta Canada. I know snow driving. I usualy get some bridgeston blizzaks LM22 235/45/17 for my GS. This winter however I am trying to save some milage on my car so I wont drive it when it's too bad out. We really havent had too much snow at all. Feels like spring. So Im still on the road with my potenza RE-730 no problems, I also would like to add I am very used to driving in snow even up to 40 cm. For you folks down south if your not used to snow park your GS its not going to work that great for you in the snow. If you got The RE-030 Or SO2 or SO3's dont drive in snow.
P.S. Last winter Had a small unexpected early snowfall I had SO2's I almost drove into a Mountain and thats with all my winter experiance...

 

Dr Rick makes a very good point that warrants repeating - it's happened to me also and is very dangerous.

When you're driving in snow / icy conditions with your GS, please be VERY careful when changing shift mode over to manual and using the gears to slow you down vs brakes.

It seems counterintuitive as it's natural for those who have had manual transmission cars and have driven in similar conditions to use the gears vs brakes to slow you down. I found it safest just to keep it in snow mode and auto.

For some reason - may be the combination of performance tires and the conditions or just the way the transmission engages the downshift when you e-shift down a gear - the GS likes to lock up the wheels and slide when you do this. I've talked to another person (other than Dr R) who has had this happen as well.

Be very careful! I'm lucky enough to be out of my home city (where the snow is) and have a rental car rather than my GS which is tucked safely in bed in the garage.

You guys know the difference between a rental car and a four-wheel drive vehicle? A rental car will go anywhere!

 

Thanks for the replies. If this weather keeps acting up, I will have to buy better tired. SO2 are for crap anyways and I couldn't wait to wear them down enough to mentally justify buying a new set of tires. I might have to sell myself early.

DrRick - I hope that your friend is okay...

Everyone else thanks for the input.

Take care and have a safe winter season

Khanh

 

I was out in this mess in Atlanta this morning about 10:30. I live 6 miles from my office and once I had traveled about halfway, my car did a 180 at the bottom of a hill. I was on a 6 lane road, 3 lanes separated by a median and I almost slammed the car into the median. The traction control saved me in the nick of time. I was facing oncoming traffic. I took the 180 as a sign that I was headed in the wrong direction and I took my butt back home.

I'm thinking off calling a cab tomorrow!

 

I'm also from Atlanta. I've lived and driven in Metropolitan New York, Upstate New York and Pittsburgh so I consider myself capable of driving in the snow.

I have the POS Potenzas on my GS430 (with just under 5000 miles on them) and they do indeed SUCK in the snow - hell, they suck in the dry. Good thing my company was closed today and I didn't have to drive. Had a hell of a time just backing/sliding down my driveway this morning without taking out the mailbox. Couldn't make it back up until the driveway was shoveled and ice melt was applied.

I had Michelin XGT/Z4s on my GS400 for 2 Atlanta winters and they handled the light snows we get down here a lot better. Not Blizzaks, but they were OK if I took it easy and drove appropriately. But, I didn't try plowing thru 4" of unplowed road either.

 

Just setting here "listening" to yawl I'm beginning to think maybe the only reason I survived my younger driving years was due to transmissions with foot operated clutches and RWD.

 

I know Michealin RainForce MX4 is a pretty good all season tire, worth to check it out.

 

looooooool .. i dont know why but that was just so funny! No hard feelings I hope , but that just cracks me up! Oh boy, just be careful.. winters can be dangorous, especially if you're from Michigan... you'd think that we'd get used to this stuff... not me!

Take care,

Midnite

 

Hehehe, the memories...

A few days after buying my GS, I was driving back up to MI - on the stock crapo Potenzas of course. Because I had not checked the weather channel, I had no clue of the freak winter storm in Tennessee. I almost crashed my new baby right after I bought her. I would've hit a guard rail on an exit, except it was planted a foot back from the road. The dirt between the guard rail and asphalt saved my car. Thank you Lord!

I learned real quick the GS wasn't a great winter car. My solution was to eventually get a winter car. But I have 16"s and Blizzaks to be mounted for any winter driving I might do. My best solution so far has been that combo and *weight in the back*. I know yall down in the Southern states aren't gonna invest in new rims and smaller, narrower tires. But it would be wise to at least get something heavy to put in the trunk. I'm talking at least a couple hundred pounds.

And like everyone says, put it in snow mode, and keep that sucker out of Manual mode!!! Pulse your brakes at intersections. Yea, I know we have ABS, but slow pulsing your brakes will give you shorter braking distance on snow/ice covered roads. Also, brakes aren't your friends in turn. Find yourself plowing ahead in a turn? *Tap* the accelerator a bit.

If I may rant, I don't know where the talk came from that RWD is better than FWD in winter, but I can tell you that in snow country, it doesn't matter how great of a driver you may be, FWD will get through many more hairy situations than RWD ever could. I know, because my winter car is RWD. "Pull" will almost always beat "Push" in snowy and icy conditions. Don't believe me? Let me take you up one of our mountains with an under powered V6 T-bird with winter tires and a TON of weight in the back that, if you don't accelerate just right, will slide right back down that hill sideways... Shoot, almost happened a couple times in my GS.

Brian

 

And it bears repeating: stay away from manually shifting your GS. As DrRick found out, the ECU doesn't match revs as you would with a manual transmission, just puts it in the lower gear and lets the rear wheels "pull" the engine rpm up. In low traction situations, it means you've instantly broken the rear end loose and will be headed elsewhere..........

We missed the snow here but I sure appreciate all the posts on the inadequacy of the RE030s. Forewarned is......parked, when Arkansas' turn comes.

Ya'll all be careful.

 

Hehe, I forgot about that. I'm sure most folks know how VSC works on their GS by now, but when I first got it...

Some nice firemen helped me get my car through the snow in Tennessee. The were pushing my car while I was trying to accelerate through the snow. My wheels wouldn't turn; all I got I was clicking from the VSC and I was like, "What the hell?" I pretty disappointed in the traction control...until I later realized you could turn it off.

Brian