I'm looking at an STR to be a year-round daily driver. I live in the SW Chicago suburbs, so that means weeks of sub-zero (Fahrenheit) temps and occasional heavy snows which never seem to be as bad as they're hyped up to be. Reliability, maintenance, winter driving, etc considered, would trying to make an STR into a year-round driver be unrealistic? I put around 1000 miles on my car per month taking backroads along the Illinois River to get to work daily. It would be garaged when I'm home.

I have no problem with rwd in the winter, coming from about 12 various daily driver FBodies in my youth that I never even swapped snow tyres onto. I'm really more looking into if anyone else in similar weather conditions successfully daily drives their STR.

The STRs I'm looking at have ~75k miles and are under/around ~$14k.

I also have a 37k mile Hugger Orange 1999 Camaro SS 6-speed that I'd drive a few times a month in the summers. That's my toy, so any other car I get would have to be my everyday car. Fwiw, the closest Jaguar dealer is at least 1 hour away from me.

Not too long ago, I just would have bought an STR and dealt with it. Now I'm over analyzing everything.

 

My STR is my daily. Then again I am further south than you. I picked up my 03 STR with 45k miles for 14k for comparison.

 

Get yourself a nice set of winter tires and it'll go all year no trouble. Mine is my daily driver and it has no trouble with Winnipeg winters, which make the ones in Chicago look like a nice summer day! From my experiance these are pretty tough cars and as long as you look after it, it'll look after you in whatever you can throw at it.

 

...Bravooooo couldn't have said it any better

 

Mine is my DD...with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires it does fine in the winter and I live in the MidWest...

 

Mine is a DD as well I'm in Texas

 

Hey 390STR, I had Michelins Pilot Sport A/S installed two weeks ago...nice and relatively affordable tire. I live in Salted Roads, NY...my STR comes off the road at end of November.

 

Well thank you on supporting my thought! I have yet to find something that this car couldn't handle. Last winter it even started after sitting outside not plugged in after three days of sub -40C temperatures. Turned the key, and fired right up! Made some bad noises and the dash looked like a Christmas tree, but once it warmed up and I restarted it, everything was fine. I'd say just make sure you take care of it. Keep the oil changed, everything topped up and if you are wanted to drive it in the winter and you actually do get lots of snow and ice, GET WINTER TIRES. Then you can enjoy driving even in the cold of winter cause you're in the most comfortable car there is! Nothing like feeling warm and toasty and nice and comfortable driving down the highway when it's cold and nasty out. In fact, the cold air does wonders for these engines. Helps with all that heat they turn out and gives you a little more kick when IAT temps are sub-sub-zero!

 

+1 I just won't do that to the car. It's too nice.

I imagine it's not exactly great in the really slippery stuff anyway compared to my FWD Sable.

 

I've been in some pretty nasty weather in the STR and the Sports A/S have been really good...the car is pretty heavy which helps...

 

I'd only consider daily driving it here in the winter if it had dedicated snow tires, and some good ones at that. We get a good amount of lake effect snow, but the real problem is the hilly terrain. This causes lots of isolated ice spots from run-off, and puts a premium on grip trying to go up the hills, or stop coming down.

My X type did pretty good with AWD. But I'm parking the STR - also due to the salt/ash/rocks they use around here. I'll be in the Rover or Jeep for the ugly stuff.

 

X3 on that Chris

 

Its all in the tires for any car. I used to have a Mazda Miata that was lowered and I had a set of dedicated rims with Bridgestone Blizzacks on it and I would drive it everyday snow/ice anything mothernature threw at it. I was living in Michigan and would drive 50 miles one way to work and I remember lots of times roads were empty of cars because of snow and I'd be flying along in the Miata like it was a little snowmobile passing 4wd trucks. You can drive anything in the winter as long as you got good tires for the conditions you are driving in and know what your driving through. The only problem I would have with the Miata since it was lowered is if I bottomed out which only happend to me once going into a friends driveway covered by a snow drift, a very deep snow drift.

 

I've used blizzacks on my 90 Q45 and they did an amazing job but one east coast winter with that car (it was a California creme puff) just savaged that car. So no thanks.

Also, if you've got any hills then a front heavy, high power, RWD drive car is going to be no damn fun. I have a huge hill in and out of my place.
Even the Suburban has trouble.

 

I dirve my STR all winter long here in Chicago....no worries here... the traction control is great....get some decent tires for the winter n ur set.....I beat most 4x4's off the line at the light
Where bouts are you at in the cold *** city?

 

I'd definitely get snow tyres.

Illinois is a salt-spraying state. Sucks with any car in the winter.

I've lived all over the suburbs. I'm in Channahon now, not too far from Plainfield/Aurora/Naper area straight down Ridge Rd. Originally from Bartlett.

 

Go Chicago BEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! considering that if you are a Bears Fan!

 

Will probably have to widen my search. There are several STRs in Michigan. Have a few other cars I'm looking into as well.

Bears? Don't get me started. They need a complete housecleaning from Phillips down to Smith. How Angelo still has a job is beyond me. Trade for a franchise QB then give him turnstyles for an O-line and a bunch of punt returners and scrubs for WRs. Brilliant. They've ruined Cutler in less than 1.5 seasons. Martz' system will have Cutler in a wheelchair drooling all over himself before the season is over.

Go Bears.

 

...LOLzzzzz I totally agree with you, I don't want to this thread about the Bears, but yeah man Lovie dovie and his henchmen need to get the **** out of Chicago ASAP if we are ever going to win another SuperBowl any time soon

 

Try being from Detroit like I am. I'm not even gonna get started on how bad the Lions have been since like ever it seems like. Its hard cheering for your home team when its the Lions which is why I dont even watch football anymore.