S-Type / S type R Supercharged V8 ( X200 ) 1999 - 2008 2001 - 2009
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Handling in Snow

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 13, 2008 | 03:46 PM
  #1  
jjones91's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
From: Des Moines, IA
Default Handling in Snow

I'm wondering how your S-Types handle in the snow???
This coming winter will be my first in the X-type but of the S-types are good in the snow with some sandbags in the trunk, I might look to upgrade down the road. My previous cars have always been mustangs, so I'm sure any rear-drive sedan will be that much better than the stang.

Thanks.


 
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2008 | 04:02 PM
  #2  
cosworth's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 194
Likes: 5
From:
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Turn traction control off and you had better have very new tires. Deep tread. Other than that it handles like every other RWD car - "as good as its driver."
 
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2008 | 09:56 PM
  #3  
Venumb's Avatar
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 128
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Terrifying...stick to the X for winter driving.
 
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2008 | 11:07 PM
  #4  
aquill1's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,671
Likes: 4
Default RE: Handling in Snow

ORIGINAL: Venumb

Terrifying...stick to the X for winter driving.
Way to scare the guy lol!

The x will be fun in the winter! Do you have dsc for the x-type or no?

I'd imagine the s would be quite a bit better than the stang. Saw a guy trying to leave autozone last february (hadn't had snowfall in a week or so) and he couldn't move at all! It was kind of funny the guy wasn't doing anything but trying to back up from the parking spot to leave and the thing just spun and spun and spun but slowly he got out...barely...I should also mention it was flat pavement that had very little if any snow/ice in the parking lot! BTW the car was a stage II roush so it wasn't anything big just a gt with the roush appearance package...not much by power adders other than exhaust...

Get some snow tires on the s-type and you'll be fine. It can't be worse than a crown vic and look how many old people drive those in winters!

Here's the hill i conquered with the x...also backed up this hill with no momentum...



(sorry crappy 1megapixel camera phone...you get the idea...)

 
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2008 | 11:08 PM
  #5  
cosworth's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 194
Likes: 5
From:
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Sand bags in the trunk are a myth. It upsets the balance of the car and you'd need a LOT of sand to get any benefit from it as opposed to some good tires or some chains. Even thought chains on a S are not recommended...

I'm Canadian. I've only ever driver RWD. And it snows a lot here. AWD, stick and studded tires on all corners is perfection, but that's not the point here.
 
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2008 | 11:15 PM
  #6  
aquill1's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,671
Likes: 4
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Yeah even 200lb in the back of my pick up truck did little...i guess it helped for the initial spinning of the tires but didn't really change anything once moving...a telephone pole worked well for my dad in his 4x4 ram for plowing though! lol


 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 09:02 AM
  #7  
jjones91's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
From: Des Moines, IA
Default RE: Handling in Snow

That's pretty impressive. I'm in Iowa, so the winters usually have some bad days. Last year was the worst in a while and my stang got stuck 3 times. I'll be anxious to drive the X this winter, should be good though if you tackled that hill.


ORIGINAL: aquill1

ORIGINAL: Venumb

Terrifying...stick to the X for winter driving.
Way to scare the guy lol!

The x will be fun in the winter! Do you have dsc for the x-type or no?

I'd imagine the s would be quite a bit better than the stang. Saw a guy trying to leave autozone last february (hadn't had snowfall in a week or so) and he couldn't move at all! It was kind of funny the guy wasn't doing anything but trying to back up from the parking spot to leave and the thing just spun and spun and spun but slowly he got out...barely...I should also mention it was flat pavement that had very little if any snow/ice in the parking lot! BTW the car was a stage II roush so it wasn't anything big just a gt with the roush appearance package...not much by power adders other than exhaust...

Get some snow tires on the s-type and you'll be fine. It can't be worse than a crown vic and look how many old people drive those in winters!

Here's the hill i conquered with the x...also backed up this hill with no momentum...



(sorry crappy 1megapixel camera phone...you get the idea...)
From jaguar forums">From jaguar forums


 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 09:27 AM
  #8  
Norri's Avatar
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 121,065
Likes: 6,652
From: PHX some of the time
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Snow? What's that??
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 09:38 AM
  #9  
Uptown Girl's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,545
Likes: 4
From: Mid West..
Default RE: Handling in Snow

ORIGINAL: norri

Snow? What's that??
It's the white fluffy **** that your S-Type will get stuck in eventually.[8D]
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 09:54 AM
  #10  
Uptown Girl's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,545
Likes: 4
From: Mid West..
Default RE: Handling in Snow

ORIGINAL: aquill1

ORIGINAL: Venumb

Terrifying...stick to the X for winter driving.
Way to scare the guy lol!

The x will be fun in the winter! Do you have dsc for the x-type or no?

I'd imagine the s would be quite a bit better than the stang. Saw a guy trying to leave autozone last february (hadn't had snowfall in a week or so) and he couldn't move at all! It was kind of funny the guy wasn't doing anything but trying to back up from the parking spot to leave and the thing just spun and spun and spun but slowly he got out...barely...I should also mention it was flat pavement that had very little if any snow/ice in the parking lot! BTW the car was a stage II roush so it wasn't anything big just a gt with the roush appearance package...not much by power adders other than exhaust...

Get some snow tires on the s-type and you'll be fine. It can't be worse than a crown vic and look how many old people drive those in winters!

Here's the hill i conquered with the x...also backed up this hill with no momentum...



(sorry crappy 1megapixel camera phone...you get the idea...)
From jaguar forums">From jaguar forums


Yeah I get the idea...lol .... If that was my S I wouldn't be going anywhere! Lol I love my S-Type don't get me wrong but in the snow... she sucks. Would love to have the x in the winter. My boyfriend had an X and what a difference the AWD makes. That car was great in the snow!

 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 09:56 AM
  #11  
Norri's Avatar
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 121,065
Likes: 6,652
From: PHX some of the time
Default RE: Handling in Snow

ORIGINAL: Uptown Girl

ORIGINAL: norri

Snow? What's that??
It's the white fluffy **** that your S-Type will get stuck in eventually.[8D]
Oh now I remember, we don't get too much of thatin Phoenix!
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 09:59 AM
  #12  
Uptown Girl's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,545
Likes: 4
From: Mid West..
Default RE: Handling in Snow

ORIGINAL: norri

ORIGINAL: Uptown Girl

ORIGINAL: norri

Snow? What's that??
It's the white fluffy **** that your S-Type will get stuck in eventually.[8D]
Oh now I remember, we don't get too much of thatin Phoenix!
You will be fine then! lol
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 11:20 AM
  #13  
aquill1's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,671
Likes: 4
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Did I mention my tires were at the wear strip?

Yeah no need for the x-type now that I live here in Texas.

The s-type is really that bad in the snow guys? I mean the hill I went up wouldn't be feasible but I did it for the fun of it not because i needed to go up it.


Oh and jjones does your x have dsc or no? You'll find that if you have it it's great when you are driving down the road and don't want to worry about sliding but it is very limited when you want to really leave from a dead stop. In deep snow I find it necessary to turn it off so the tires can cut through the snow and usually when I leave from a stop as the dsc adjusts each wheel independently to it's grip/slippage. You can floor the car and the thing goes straight even if you jerk the wheel left and right like your having convulsions. W/o dsc the car primarily feels like a rwd but the front wheel pull you forward while more or less drifting. If you get pretty bad weather regularly I'd make sure your tires are decent if you can get snow tires that could be positive but I found that to be a waste as the car does great. The abs is pretty crappy in snowy/icy roads but that could have been my near bald tires too. Need any other questions answered just im me or email me. You'll love the x-type in the snow until the belly of the car is sitting on snow as the car isn't a very good snow plow but the last pic with my cell phone was actually so deep that my front end was pushing snow. When you have occupants the car gets stuck a bit if the snow is too deep and your belly ends up on it. (sorry for the long post I've gotta make up for my absence on the forum. I'm starting to miss the snow and Michigan now that I'm seeing pics of snow!)

ORIGINAL: jjones91

That's pretty impressive. I'm in Iowa, so the winters usually have some bad days. Last year was the worst in a while and my stang got stuck 3 times. I'll be anxious to drive the X this winter, should be good though if you tackled that hill.


ORIGINAL: aquill1

ORIGINAL: Venumb

Terrifying...stick to the X for winter driving.
Way to scare the guy lol!

The x will be fun in the winter! Do you have dsc for the x-type or no?

I'd imagine the s would be quite a bit better than the stang. Saw a guy trying to leave autozone last february (hadn't had snowfall in a week or so) and he couldn't move at all! It was kind of funny the guy wasn't doing anything but trying to back up from the parking spot to leave and the thing just spun and spun and spun but slowly he got out...barely...I should also mention it was flat pavement that had very little if any snow/ice in the parking lot! BTW the car was a stage II roush so it wasn't anything big just a gt with the roush appearance package...not much by power adders other than exhaust...

Get some snow tires on the s-type and you'll be fine. It can't be worse than a crown vic and look how many old people drive those in winters!

Here's the hill i conquered with the x...also backed up this hill with no momentum...



(sorry crappy 1megapixel camera phone...you get the idea...)


 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 11:58 AM
  #14  
Uptown Girl's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,545
Likes: 4
From: Mid West..
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Aquill... Yeah... it's that bad! lol
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 01:04 PM
  #15  
Venumb's Avatar
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 128
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Comparing a Mustang to a S Type in terms of driving in snow is like comparing what hurts worse..getting kicked in the left ********..or right. I've owned two Mustang GT's and they're about equally worthless in snow. My other DD's are either FWD or 4WD so we're pretty spoiled when it comes to driving in the snow.

We did happen to have our S Type being serviced (coil pack replacements) when our area was hit with a winter storm last year. Fortunately I was driving a loaner X Type when the snow started to fall. We ended up getting over 8 inches of snow that day. I couldn't resist the urge to take the X back out in the white stuff and see what it could do. I was amazed at how easy the X chewed through the snow and maintained its composure.
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 01:08 PM
  #16  
aquill1's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,671
Likes: 4
Default RE: Handling in Snow

I can't believe that a s-type would be just as bad as a mustang in the snow...I'll have to keep that in mind...I guess and STR wouldn't work too well in January in say Wisconsin eh!??? LOL
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 01:11 PM
  #17  
KAZsam's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 642
Likes: 1
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Mine works great I have Goodyear Triple tread and they are great in wet & snow
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 05:21 PM
  #18  
jjones91's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
From: Des Moines, IA
Default RE: Handling in Snow

Mine does have the DSC button. So I'll make sure I have the on once winter comes. But my luck, I got rid of the stang and we won't have much of a winter
Oh well, I'm getting to like my X quite a bit. It looks mean with everything blacked out and the ground effects package. Black on Black ... can't go wrong.



ORIGINAL: aquill1

I can't believe that a s-type would be just as bad as a mustang in the snow...I'll have to keep that in mind...I guess and STR wouldn't work too well in January in say Wisconsin eh!??? LOL
 
Reply
Old Oct 14, 2008 | 08:08 PM
  #19  
snooktarpon's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 101
Likes: 8
Default RE: Handling in Snow

My plans were to get extra wheels with snow tires for the winter until I purchased a second vehicle (SUV).

I was going to get them at Tirerack.com and an example package is at: http://www.tirerack.com/snow/preferredpackages.jsp

I heard that the Blizzaks work very well in snow.
 
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2008 | 02:26 PM
  #20  
aquill1's Avatar
Veteran Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,671
Likes: 4
Default RE: Handling in Snow

snook-my buddy had the blizzaks they were nice tires. He paid 50 bucks a tire for his 18's. Got a huge deal on em!

jjones-the dsc is helpful for when you don't want to slide about. Keep in mind when in deep snow having it off helps greatly. I assume you have a 04/05 sport with the factory ground effects kit? Pics please!
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:11 AM.