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Old Nov 22, 2005
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Civics & Snow

Now that I've got a new 2005 Civic sedan, we are starting to get snow flurries and soon enough there will be snow!

Question is - how does the Civic perform in snow?

Thanks!
Bill
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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Snow

Works great i have owned 2 and live in canada - snows a lot here
Works Great - as long as you drive for the conditions -(Which should be obvious - and make sure you have good tires on it)
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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i had two civics also and never had a problem in the snow
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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they shouldn't be bad with stock tires, but they CAN suck like mine with 17x7 and the fact that i can drive a RWD car better in snow than FWD but thats just the way i drive so it should be great.
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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i let ya know how bad it is after i have to drive through a snow storm in mich tomorrow......first snow the 04 will have ever touched....should be fine other than the crappy tires
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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The OEM tires suck in snow. I would recommend Kumho ASX's as a good all season replacement. But other than that civics’ are great in the snow.
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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Get good all season tires and it's great.
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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The car is pretty good in the snow.
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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get snow grips
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Old Nov 22, 2005
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drive safely and slowly and there will far less chances of any accidents.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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I personally had a difficult time driving in snow when I was back home in MA. I think it's a combination of the tires and the fact that the car is light. I sometimes had trouble going up my driveway which isn't very steep at all
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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def. get snow tires. i've got blizzaks and its really hard to spin the car out while jerking the wheel left to right and vice versa. when i had the stock tires it was too easy to spin out.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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My 03' is great in the snow, I actually prefer it to the 4x4 F-150, but that just may be the Pirelli P6's on the vic'.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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boost + toyo proxes = good times

anyways, i have to get my snow winter wheels on fast
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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i didnt have any trouble last winter, on all season tires. this year though, im delivering pizza all the time, so i guess i will really get a feel for how it is in the snow.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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even with the stock shstones, I don't have a problem in the snow. it is even hard to get the car to spin in a parking lot.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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Well itr should be one the easier cars to drive in lower traction situations because of its lightweight and good suspension. Imagine driving a big SUV and having to stop it in an emergency.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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car is good...but my only problem is last year is snowed alot and i kept getting hung up on the snow...like you know how there is the 2 tire lanes then the middle of that its a snow pile just leveled off by the bottom of cars, well i always get hung up on that crap.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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There are some key tips to remember when driving in the snow:
Slow acceleration works the best. Acceleration means both speeding up/slowing down, and turning. Traction is the key.

Lights should be on when there is snow to alert other drivers that there is a vehicle behind them and so you could see things you might miss.

Driving like an idiot during poor conditions doesn't necessarily mean you'll get anywhere faster. In fact, an accident of any kind will slow you down even more. So be extra cautious.

Don't rely on ABS! They'll help stop the car, but its much easier to avoid situations where you have to use them. Avoid late braking as much as possible because you could be using vehicles ahead of you as breaks.


Anyway, yeah, they're great cars for snow/ice. Just understand that its mostly the driver behind them that is whats important. They're not SUV's also, so don't expect to climb a 10" snow pile, you'll have to shovel some of that out of the way. Other than that, it should be decent for a tiny bit of snow.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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It perform bad in snow accumulaation, like in northern Canada.

You need a set of snow tires to be safe.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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what about chains? i will be driving from san diego, ca to beavertron , orgeon, and sometiems people say it snows in the passes in north cali i keep telling them i will be ok, but should i get some chains to be safe?
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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Civics handle great in the snow, I remember being out in snow storm with mostly SUVs and jeeps. The only problem I had was witht the wipers freexzing up, and a Jeep in front of me who almost spun out making a left turn. Just remember you need to componsate and using your e brake can get you outta some situations. I would recomend going to the biggest parking lot you can and practice.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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Originally Posted by exturbo6
car is good...but my only problem is last year is snowed alot and i kept getting hung up on the snow...like you know how there is the 2 tire lanes then the middle of that its a snow pile just leveled off by the bottom of cars, well i always get hung up on that crap.
Do you mean that slushy crap that keeps getting deeper when there is a good storm going on? From my experience the F690s could not handle that, the car would pull to the left or right in snow and get in danger of being stuck. I switched to BF Goodrich Control M65s at 21,000 and there seems to be an improvement in snow traction. I am still waiting for the big one to be sure. Control M65s have been discontinued but have been replaced with the Control Plus, which according to ratings are just as good and cheaper. BF Goodrich is owned by Michelin and I think Michelin Harmony are similar. If you are thinking about replacing the F690s I would recommend the Control Plus or Harmony, with Control Plus the first pick.
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Old Nov 23, 2005
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Originally Posted by runner1738
what about chains? i will be driving from san diego, ca to beavertron , orgeon, and sometiems people say it snows in the passes in north cali i keep telling them i will be ok, but should i get some chains to be safe?
You don't want to wind up like the Donner Party.
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Old Nov 26, 2005
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All depends on the tires. If you can afford it, get dedicated snow tires mounted on a set of spare OE rims. That way you can put them on when it snows and take them off when it isn't snowing, maximizing the life of the snow tires.

When I had my 'vic and the snow tires on it was unstoppable. I remember passing 4x4's on the Tappan Zee Bridge in a blizzard. People were wiping out all around me and I was driving like my car was on rails.
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Old Nov 26, 2005
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stock tires (potenza re92) suck *** in the snow. upgraded to potenza r950?? worse.. slid 3 times going slooooooooooow through several corners.

need some snow tires
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Old Nov 26, 2005
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well..i've been driving with the OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE92s..they are..ok, but you really have to take it easy ! but even with snow tires..you still have to be cautious..lots of people seem to think they are invincible..but nothing stops you from slipping from black ice.
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Old Nov 26, 2005
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I have the bridgestone G009 and am very curious how they will perform. I had really bald RE92s so I really cannot judge them in the snow. As for the black ice, that is instant death!
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Old Nov 26, 2005
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What do you do when you start to understeer into a corner?
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Old Nov 27, 2005
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Let off the gas, and be prepared for your car to start to drift. The rear end will not really come out that much though. If you let off easy you can come out of it fine. If you are going too fast or there is no traction at all letting off the gas will do nothing, and that is where in some instances th ebrake can save you. The best thing to do is just take it slow, and practice. I mean very slow, cause in the snow a few feet can turn into a couple inches eally fast. there is a lot of compensation.

Last edited by jackburton; Nov 27, 2005 at 03:22 AM.
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