Steve Dallas
New member
I'm kind of curious how the stock LTZ tires do in snow.
Trying to decide on good snow tires or chains. Probably chains...
Trying to decide on good snow tires or chains. Probably chains...
Has anyone driven the LTZ in the snow yet?
- Thread starter Steve Dallas
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Steve Dallas
New member
Well, typically it really doesn't even snow here that much in Seattle. Maybe 1-3" per storm, and that maybe 2-3 times a year. Still, we've gotten 6, 12 and sometimes more snow in a storm. And, one year...having chains was invaluable when it snowed about 9" in the city. I was one of the few cars able to get around that storm...everyone else was stuck.
Mostly here, it's ice though. I managed to get my last car around in the snow ok, but it had decent Traction Control and I had some really nice tires (Continenatal Extreme DWS) that handled the snow around here quite well.
The tread pattern and reviews I've read on the Hankooks have been positive, but I'm not sure how well designed they were for light snow duty in Seattle and occasional treks into the mountains where chains are recommended, but not required. Some of the passes will allow All Seasons...but not all the time.
J T
New member
I bought some aftermarket wheels and tires and have my set of stock wheels/tires sitting in my apartment right now. If I don't sell them, I'll definitely keep them for winter use and I hope they have good traction in the snow. One thing I always do with the tires I use in the winter is to get them "siped" at Discount Tire (http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/tireSiping.dos). You might want to look into that if you're concerned about their traction in the snow. I'm definitely going to have that done to the stock tires if I still have them this winter.
Plenty of people on this forum had their Sonics during this past winter, so it's only a matter of time before someone with experience chimes in.
Plenty of people on this forum had their Sonics during this past winter, so it's only a matter of time before someone with experience chimes in.
Lovehanayo
New member
Chains are illegal in my state (Texas) only ups and Vehicles like that that have to drive no matter what the weather can have them. Only other option is snow tires.
I only get snow a couple days a year and it's a PITA because I'm basically under house arrest for half a week because we don't have an official person that clears the roads, it's just whatever 18wheeler goes out there first and breaks up all the ice/snow and whatever neighbor decides to be nice and share his ice melt sand stuff. Either that we use kitty litter and it works about the same.
J T
New member
How much snow is too much for you to drive through?
Lovehanayo
New member
Snow and ice is too much. Schools get cancelled if it's 2-3 inches of snow. Like I said, there's no official person that will go around clearing the roads or highways for people. Up in Maine where my cousin lives, they have paid city people who will use machines to clear out the roads and high ways and school is never cancelled. That doesn't exist in north east Texas.
Lovehanayo
New member
J T
New member
Shall I post a video of me driving 60mph down a country road through 6" of snow in my Mazda3 without snow tires? Oh you poor southern folk.
That's rich...a Texan telling a Michigander that he doesn't know how it is to drive through 2-3 inches of snow. Actually, I'd love it if I lived there because I would be the only one out on the road enjoying the drive through the snow. Not to mention, I wouldn't have to worry about anyone hitting me because they'd all be too scared to drive.
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Lovehanayo
New member
Shall I post a video of me driving 60mph down a country road through 6" of snow in my Mazda3 without snow tires? Oh you poor southern folk.
That's rich...a Texan telling a Michigander that he doesn't know how it is to drive through 2-3 inches of snow. Actually, I'd love it if I lived there because I would be the only one out on the road enjoying the drive through the snow. Not to mention, I wouldn't have to worry about anyone hitting me because they'd all be too scared to drive.
Not just snow...ice also. And like I said NOBODY clears the highways or roads. They all stay with snow on them. In Maine & Massachusetts they have people with snow tractors that clear the roads early in the morning so the only thing you have to worry about is your driveway.
I go stuck in a curvy highway bridge and that has iced over before I left work and it was one of the scariest things.
Like I said, it's different in Texas. In michigan y'all have it different so don't be rude about it.
SSpeckerwood
New member
I live in utah. i drive on 3 different interstates a day to work. i drive multiple state, county and city owned roads.
if you take this comment as being rude then you should tell yourself sorry.
when you live in the state known to have the greatest snow on earth, its hard for a person from a southern state how snow is.
if you take this comment as being rude then you should tell yourself sorry.
when you live in the state known to have the greatest snow on earth, its hard for a person from a southern state how snow is.
Steve Dallas
New member
Shall I post a video of me driving 60mph down a country road through 6" of snow in my Mazda3 without snow tires? Oh you poor southern folk.
I find it particularly funny because it's in Texas, which is relatively flat (mostly).
Here in Seattle, the Snow would be fine...if it wasn't for the hills. And...just to clarify...anyone living in the east...we're talking about HILLS. You see, our hills are your mountains. What you call a mountain...is just a bump.
Most of the problems we end up with here are ICY roads, which no tire is really going to help with.
SSpeckerwood
New member
That John Denver wasn't full of **** when he sang Rocky mountain high! Lmao
J T
New member
Nothing could be further from the truth. That's not how it works in the snow belt. They don't clean all the snow and ice off the roads here, either. It's not like there's a plow truck waiting on each road to clear it when it snows. Most people here have to drive on icy, snow covered roads quite often in the winter, and often for long periods of time before the weather warms up and melts it.
Yeah, we have it different...we actually have to drive through real amounts of snow instead of panicking over a few inches here and there.
Trust me...the roads here in a Michigan winter are far worse than what you've ever had to deal with in Texas. And it's just every day driving for us.
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Red Sonic LT
New member
Lovehanayo
New member
I'm telling you we don't even have snow plows so don't even talk about going fast in 6inches of snow. It does nothing for me or tell me I don't know what it's like.
Y'all have different conditions and actually have people that prepare for it and sell stuff to accommodate it.
Snow chains are ILLEGAL in the state of Texas.
End of story.
Lovehanayo
New member
Only the ones who don't care about gas mileage.
