Celica In The Snow?

oreo

New member
Does anybody here have any experience daily driving a FWD Celica through the winter?
Is it possible with studded snow tires?
 

underscore

Well-known member
Why wouldn't it be? The majority of cars out there are driven year round. Just get some quality snow tires. Studs are a waste of money imo.
 

simple

Member
oreo":2f5a9ck5 said:
Does anybody here have any experience daily driving a FWD Celica through the winter?
Is it possible with studded snow tires?
Back when that Celica was new an AWD car was a rare thing. Most of us drove a FWD car with standard tires all winter. Dedicated snow tires were barely a thing. We survived those years. Probably because we didn't have cell phones and the internet to distract us. Next I'll blow your mind and tell you we didn't have power steering and power windows either. No chirping security systems and no rear view cameras.

No wonder cars weigh 2 tons these days.
 
I drove my 86 Celica in the snow with regular old Mastercraft Avenger GT tires. It was fine.

My 2000 Celica GT-S I drove in winters, usually with snow tires (non-studded). It did great. I took it through a ~13" blizzard...including pushing through the ~2' walls left behind by the plows. I cracked the paint on my bumper hitting those...but it was fine driving down the road. Meanwhile I saw many SUVs, trucks, and semi trucks off the road on a journey to see a concert during a level 3 snow warning. I'm sure those in worse climates have been through much more. The point though...in my experience regular snow tires and front wheel drive should get you just about anywhere reasonable as long as you still have ground clearance.
 

CMS-GT4

Active member
I have driven plenty of fwd & red cars in the snow. AWD makes you go in the snow, not stop. That overconfidence is what lands people in ditches. It is all about having a proper tire and being cautious with your braking distances and turning.
 

oreo

New member
simple":2p63aea6 said:
oreo":2p63aea6 said:
Does anybody here have any experience daily driving a FWD Celica through the winter?
Is it possible with studded snow tires?
Back when that Celica was new an AWD car was a rare thing. Most of us drove a FWD car with standard tires all winter. Dedicated snow tires were barely a thing. We survived those years. Probably because we didn't have cell phones and the internet to distract us. Next I'll blow your mind and tell you we didn't have power steering and power windows either. No chirping security systems and no rear view cameras.

No wonder cars weigh 2 tons these days.

lmao
 

underscore

Well-known member
CMS-GT4":2qpmz3pv said:
I have driven plenty of fwd & red cars in the snow. AWD makes you go in the snow, not stop. That overconfidence is what lands people in ditches. It is all about having a proper tire and being cautious with your braking distances and turning.

Most of the vehicles in the ditch on the way to the local ski hill are AWD, or trucks. Often with nearly bald all season tires on.
 

Roreri

Active member
Indeed. Though I am in Virginia now I will be in Colorado soon enough. That’s why I chose sensible shoes for my ride.

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oreo

New member
Roreri":sxxeymon said:
Indeed. Though I am in Virginia now I will be in Colorado soon enough. That’s why I chose sensible shoes for my ride.

im going to be in Colorado too (in florida). talked with somebody from over there and they told me awd/4wd is necessary so i dont slide down all the hills stopping and going at lights.
 

simple

Member
I'm in Colorado. AWD isn't necessary. People drive Mustangs in the snow here. Denver doesn't get much snow and when they do it lasts a few hours. It is mostly flat there. Not like Seattle that turns into an ice rink with their steep hills.
 

underscore

Well-known member
AWD/4WD does absolutely nothing to help you stop. All vehicles have brakes on all 4 corners.

It sounds like your friend needs to buy better tires.
 

Roreri

Active member
I’ll throw my agree log on the fire. 4WD is not strictly necessary but experience is. I had a rwd truck while stationed in Colorado for five years—nary a problem. I had a fwd RAV4 (we used to call it the RAV2) in Hokkaido—so much snow. And we lived on a hill that used to be a ski resort. If I showed you the hill we lived on you would laugh. Some days getting home was tricky. Had to get a running start. Fwd can be pretty capable. I think you’ll be fine.

When I was a boy in Denver I had the use of a Chevy Nova—a nice one too with the 5.7L V8—plenty of go. It snowed and I was told not to drive that day. I wasn’t going to be told. I lost control and put it sideways over a curb. I lost the use of that car. Forever. :(

There’s a lot of Colorado, too. Everything from flatlands to deep mountain valleys. For my part, I like having 4WD.
 

simple

Member
I love having AWD on all my vehicles. Anyone moving here from Florida needs a lot more than tires. They need a few years of basic training in roadway etiquette. Same goes for when they pick up hiking, biking, skiing, etc...lol

Florida trains you for alligators and tropical storms but we don't have them here. Just elk and avalanches.
 

___Scott___

Active member
All this talk of AWD not helping you stop is not true. Learn to down-shift. It can be a lot more effective in slippery conditions than the brakes.
 

CMS-GT4

Active member
I watched that video, and I'll accept with a proper technique as he points out you can make it stop. I am still going to argue that a proper tire is more important than awd, but coupled with awd you have the most advantage.
 

Roreri

Active member
There was another article that pointed out that you still have to not drive like an idiot. 4WD cannot save the terminally foolish. As for tires, yep. I’m probably going to keep mine shod with all seasons when I get to Colorado. The lure of the dirt twisties will be too great.
 

simple

Member
Once in CO you'll end up like me with dedicated winter wheels and tires for all my vehicles. I have run out of room in the shed and will probably build another one just for tires. I have a problem. I like driving through blizzards towing a trailer. I run Michelin and KO2 btw. Blizzacks are more for ice and don't last as long. Nokians are too expensive and I like my Costco discount
 

underscore

Well-known member
CMS-GT4":243i95p1 said:
I watched that video, and I'll accept with a proper technique as he points out you can make it stop. I am still going to argue that a proper tire is more important than awd, but coupled with awd you have the most advantage.

Agreed. AWD may help, but it can still only help you as much as your tires allow.

In that video, a) that's a RWD vehicle, not a FWD, a FWD vehicle won't have the rear tires pushing b) not a panic situation, c) presumably that's a manual, d) that's a locked tcase, not a part time tcase or viscous AWD system, e) that's a skilled driver.

At the end of the day I find it far easier to just tell normal people AWD/4WD does not help them stop, because for them it won't. Very few people are going to actually pay attention enough or go get enough practice to actually manage to stop better, even if they did have the equipment to do so. If you tell them AWD/4WD can *potentially* help you stop better, they ignore the potentially part and leave janky tires on their trucks and Subarus and stuff them into ditches when they panic and lock up the brakes.
 

Roreri

Active member
I can't argue that underscore and CMS-GT4. Well put.

I reckon so, simple. I reckon so...

I think we're probably atypical drivers. Just a guess...
 
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