Good winter tires, keep TC on, keep right foot light and you'll be ok. Had mine all winter long, really fun in the snow, RWD is ok in the snow once you get used to it.

 

Yes winter tires will be a good start. I've been fortunate enough to have wonderful snow the past week and to see how the stock 19" summer tires handle it. If you've driven ront wheel drive and stepped on the gas a little too hard while turning the front tires will lose grip on the snowy surface and the car will plow forward. The same thing happens with a rear wheel drive car. the only difference is instead of the front wheels plowing the rear ones push out of the turn, creating oversteer.

 

you NEED winter tires for this car. I hav the Hankook iPike 225/50 for the front and 225/55 for the rear. never had problems. always keep TC on

 

If you buy the Track, you need to buy winter tires. If you buy the GT (in the US.. not in Canada) or the base model, you should be fine with the stock all weather tires. I drove in 2 blizzards AND I drove through snowy conditions. I drove through icy conditions (as a result of snow melting then re-freezing) and the car handled fine. A little skidding around some tight turns, but other than that... very well. This car handled better in colder weather conditions than my Tiburons did... and obviously better than my 02 Z28 Camaro.

 

Driving in Ottawa, Canada.

DO NOT DRIVE IN THE SNOW ON THE STOCK/BASE ALL SEASONS.

I cannot stress this enough. LOL If you get more than a bit of powder or cold temps, it's useless.

As to the OP: People swear by what they know: Blizzak, SottoZero (what I have), Hankook, get a GOOD brand of winter tire, and put 'em on as soon as the temperatures drop below about 5oC (Don't ask me what that is in oF... 47oF, maybe?) Leave them on until spring.

The all-seasons are too wide to be good in the snow (they don't cut down into it) and too hard at cold temperatures to grip the snow under them. They don't dump snow from the tread at all, and you basically roll around on snowballs.

That said, with winter tires, I had no problems until we got about 8" in one snowfall. I was skating (mostly on uphill).

Unlike a few other people, I turn the TCS off in those conditions, too. I want to be able to spin the wheels so the tires dig in, and hopefully get close to the pavement. I want to regulate the throttle/power, not have the machine do it for me, because sometimes the only way you can get going is to let the wheels spin: not necessarily at full throttle, but mild spin @ say, 25% throttle will at least get you rolling... slowly.

And that's the big caution. The car IS a handful in the snow. No one will disagree with that, especially if you are... less than gentle in your steering/throttle/brake application.

Drive careful, and smart, and looking ahead/around you, you shouldn't have any problems at all.

Again, IMO, no car that lives in areas with a real winter (temp under freezing, regular snow) should be on the road without winter tires. I wish they'd just mandate them as law, then the dealers would have to sell cars with the winters included in the price.

I'm totally dreaming, aren't I?

 

I have some old 18's off of my tib, wonder if they would work for winters on my Gen Track? or would they just look stupid

 

yep, put some good winters on and the GC does fine, provided the snow is not too deep on the road (maybe 6 inches or less). Drove mine every day during winter with Blizzaks and had no trouble at all.

 

Blizzaks?

 

they're bridgestone winter tires

 

LM60s on some cheap 18s from TireRack...
even with TC its far different than front wheel drive, which is the only other thing i have driven in the snow. Many times this past winter I had to pull over and reevaluate how to drive...

so to answer your question, it slips like any car would in the winter.. however if you have driven only front wheel drive in the snow you will need to really learn how to drive this thing and be careful

 

find an AWD beater for the winter, the gen will thank you =]

 

^^ ditto, if you are able to do that - its the best thing.
I had a front wheel drive beater until i was comfortable driving this.

I also worked from home on snowy days so luckily my winter driving was minimal

 

Unfortunately, some people can't afford a winter beater, especially after buying a gen, lol.

 

I can barely afford coffee.

 

I use the stock 18's for winter. I do just fine. Took me a couple drives to get used to it, but it's not bad at all.

 

What kind of winter do you have in Illinois?

Must not be like where I live in Canada to keep all-season tire on a sport car.

Something interesting about that here:
Winter Tires … right for the season

(No, i don't live in Ontario... )

 

Thanks guys helped calm some of my nerves about driving in the white stuff

 

I use mine all year round, and it was fine in the snow, even on the OEM tires.

But, you have to drive 'gently'...even with the TC on.

Accelerate gently, steer gently and brake gently, and remember that whilst you may be in control, there are a lot of idiots out there who aren't, so keep your distance.

Learning how correct/get out of oversteer will be very useful as well, as you will overcook it going round a corner, and the back will start to step out on you.

 

The GC is fine in the winter with winter tires. Even though it weighs what it weighs, the 2.0T felt light in the snow.

I wouldn't even think about driving in snow with the all season tires though, with a pair of winter tires the car didn't handle it incredibly to think all seasons would be better.

 

I got my Blizzacks the day before the big snow and I drove it on the stock tires the night before when there was about an inch on the road. The car refused to go straight and it was difficult to slow down when going down hills. Basically, I had no grip. I put the Blizzacks on the next day and didn't have any trouble after that.

 

Just a quick questions guys about summer tires in the winter. I will NOT be driving them in the snow at all in the winter, just through below freezing temps but on dry roads. Will I be okay with my summers? I assume my summer tires will warm up eventually with normal driving and I should be able to drive semi-aggressive?

 

Even in dry conditions, the tires will handle poorly. The rubber basically hardens because of the cold temps and feels like you're driving in the wet. You can do it, just be careful when first starting out..until your tires have a chance to heat from driving.

 

no. summer tires turn to pucks in freezing weather.

 

I had the same concerns last year when I got my GC. I have a 3.8 GT, living in IL, and had minimal problems driving in snow. Just take it easy and you'll be fine. Of course you can never control the cars around you....if they want to hit you, you're gonna get hit. But I didn't have any problems driving the stock tires year round.

 

My car drove just fine with the RE050A's in the winter.

 

general price of Blizzacks and Hankook iPike?

 

just make sure u drive calmly and u should be fine

 

Helper links to explain how & why winter tires work:

MTO Canada

Car Help Canada

One of the best points made is that winter tires aren't just for your protection.

If you DON'T think you need them, and the guy who has to stop suddenly because a kid jumped out in front of him, does, you ARE going into the back of him, and possibly pushing him into that kid. Because he can and will stop faster and straighter than you, because of the winter tires (all other things being equal, of course).

Seriously. I've had my life saved by winter tires repeatedly.

And something I've ranted about before elsewhere: you just spent $30,000 , $40,000, $50,000 on your car?

Why the hell wouldn't you spend a grand on the four tiny little contact patches that keep it stuck to the road, and in control?

 

I doesn't matter about tires. It's RWD. It's all about HOW you drive and common sense. If there's lots of ice/snow on the ground, give cars in front PLENTY of space for stopping. Be careful when hitting the gas or brakes and slow down. That's it. Your car WILL slip, but reducing the risks while driving is what you're aiming for.

 

Winter tires will definitely help with more traction..