Well it was bound to happen, we got out first snow fall of the year here in Wisconsin, giving me my first chance to test the F in the snow. My first impression is that it is very capable winter driver, which IMO, a good set of snow tires can do for almost any vehicle (I drove an S2000 for two winters here, handled the snow perfectly). I currently have the older model of Blizzaks, the LM-25s I believe, and with them on, the ISF was able to trudge through the 5-6 inches of snow we recieved without issue. As I have read from others, the car does not like to tackle hills, but some minor steering corrections and modulation of the throttle and you're good to go. Overall I was quite impressed and no longer worry about heading to work the next time it snows.

 

I just had my first experience yesterday as well. I've got LM 25s, they are amazing. I didnt even put it in Snow mode and the car handled itself great. The traction control kicks on asap so even when I'd put it down it going 25mph, I couldnt lose the rearend, even while cranking the wheel to make it happen. The traction control is one of my best experienced yet, it kills the power from slipping, but will lay it down quickly after; a quicker recovery from the lost power than most cars Ive had, or something. I'd be more comfortable having my GF drive my car with snow tires over light snow, rather than my summer tires in the rain (I rarely let her drive).

To have any fun, I had to shut down traction control and stability. Then you can do some fun slides. If you are buying snow tires, there is no need for AWD!

This picture is of my rather steep driveway.. snow scrapage but no slippage!

 

Good to hear, we will be moving to Madison later this year. Coming from Texas winter will be quite a shock for me, not my wife, she is Canadian. Any pointers for a Texan moving to Wisconsin, car prep or life in general?

 

Same here...Have the LM25's and drove the F past stuck buses and SUV's during the blizzard in winter NYC about a year ago

F was like a AWD SUV with the Blizzaks on....Hands down - 100% the right tire to get worth every penny.
Drove the F around in like 8inch snow with no issue....Snow mode made it even better when needed.

They are the TRUTH!
if you have the F as a daily driver and live where it snows...buy Blizzaks

 

Well you sure won't have any more than one or two days in the summer past 100 degrees! I was down in Dallas/Fort Worth five times for work this summer, man was that hot. Anyway, winter driving definitely takes some getting used to, and that being said, there are people who have lived their whole lives in WI and still don't understand the principles of snow driving..... It's really not too difficult if you understand the physics of the car and have a good feel for the traction provided. It's also a blast when you have some open space and can really power slide around. Just make sure you have a good set of winter tires, thats the biggest thing.

I have been in Wisconsin for 28 years. It's a great place to live, Madison is a lot of fun and there is always something to do there. We have a great car culture too, lots of meets for all different varieties of cars, lots of car shows and what not. Maybe I'll catch ya at one sometime this summer. Let me know if you have any other specifics regarding Wisconsin though. Good luck with the move, make sure you get yourself a winter coat too!

 

Thanks, we have vacationed a few times up in North Bay Ontario so I have been able to see how it feels to drive in "real" winter conditions. I do not find it to be anywhere near the challenge of driving on Texas ice, but I am also a good, cautious driver no matter the conditions.

Yep, won't miss the 40 days over 100 in the summer, but 80+ days below freezing will be tuff. Any suggestions on where to live in Madison, my wife will be working for the University Hospital, me, well still working on finding a job.

I will add the LM25's to my "moving expense" list.

 

Keep the salt off as much as you can. However do a full wash when the temp is above 40 anytime you get a chance. Use a 2 bucket wash system with grit guards in both your wash and rinse.

Give your car a good cleaning and use a sealant like I use Adam's Super Sealant than on top of that 2 coats of Americana wax.

If you can find one. A TOUCHLESS car wash with nothing at all touching your car is great. Will help keep a lot of salt off your paint when it is to cold to wash. Also get the wash with the undercarriage spray this really helps get rid of salt.

 

Also note that you should always be careful if there is possible ice conditions for that day. Doesnt matter what the car is, you have a chance at sliding and best method for that situation is to tap the breaks versus one hard stab which will lock everything up.

I always slow down earlier than needed to make sure I dont end up hitting an ice patch or 'black ice'

Winter tires and even winter studded tires definitely make a difference. One last thing you want to be careful with is if you are the first one driving through a fresh road of snow that is over 3 in, if not careful it can tug you a bit off course depending on how your tires catch the snow, something hard to adjust to if you have never driven in snow.

I have only driven other cars (FWD and AWD) in snow and those are tips I have. Nebraska tends to have rapid changes in weather which result in some icy conditions pretty frequently when it does snow. Other times we also get hit with really heavy snow

 

I dont plan on driving the ISF in the snow but its not to say at the moment that I will 'never' drive it in the snow. I just would prefer not to because there are many drivers with several winters under their belts which drive like it is their first every time. Hence reason for my winter car I have

 

Captawsm - do you have 18" rims to go with the LM 25? Need to get a set for winter prep in NY and saw your pic above.

 

I got a deal on 19" tires from Tire Rack. Just plug in the car info on their site, it will show you all your options.

 

This is good to hear because I was planning to make a trip to Snowshoe Mountain in WV and the F is my only car. I do have a set of LM-25 though for it since I go home to PA for the holidays and obviously my summers wouldn't cut it. I was worried even with the LM-25 it wouldn't be enough but sounds like I will be fine then.

 

This sounds very strange to me to be honest... With old cars this was the best way to go for sure, but heck isn´t this what anti lock brakes and stability systems are for? Handling this for you?

 

No problems in the snow here either running 18" LM60's.

 

So is most of everyones driving just in the city? Has anyone had it up in the mountains at all?