Hey Folks,

It may happen that due to my job I will have to move to North Dakota. My car has been in Miami for a while and I'm debating whether I should invest the time and money into fitting it for the harsh cold (and is it even practical to drive it around?) or just trade it in for a 4x4... Unfortunately having both is not an option at this time :-(

So far, I'm guessing I'd have to spring for
- All season tires (currently have 4 new Sumitomo HTR Z-III)
- New coolant
- New oil weight
- New battery (mine is getting there, so might as well get a new one)
- Engine block heater? (is this really necessary?)

Is there anything else I'm missing?

If you have experience owning and driving your cats in snow and winter, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks!

G

 

I don't know how cold it will get in North Dakota, but in the snow in the UK earlier this year my car had no problems finding it's way around the un salted rural roads with Standard Pirelli P6000 tyres and it started no problems also.
Just remember when driving on snow you must not rush, easy on the throttle and use brakes as softly as possible and in plenty of time, using the manual gears to aid your decrease in Speed if required. Hope this helps, S.

 

It'll be horrible, just give your Jag to me!!!


Well really I haven't lived with a Jag in a cold climate, but I have lived with rear wheel drive in one. You'll want REAL snow tires, not all seasons. Your best bet is to get a less expensive set of wheels with snow tires and just put those on the car for the winter months, then swap back to your performance tires for the late spring, summer and early fall. I use full synthetic and change to a slightly lighter weight for the winter months (10-40, summer, 5-30 winter).

 

Honestly, I'd buy a set of rims and actual winter tires a couple of sizes narrower then going with all seasons. If your car sits outside for long periods then a block heater would be a reasonable addition.

As for needing 4wd it kinda depends on a few things:
How good of a winter driver are you.
Where you are going to be working vs where you are living (back roads, early am travel, long distances, etc)

 

My situation is VERY similar to yours. I have a VDP with 18" asteriod rims and 245/55/18 Contiental Contiextreme contact tires. These are all season tires that are rated one of the highest for snow/ice performance for all season tires on Tirerack. I'm from Houston and I'm currently in Boston. The Vanden Plas and your XJ sport have the same engine and transmission too.

I don't have a commute everyday, so I tend to avoid the snow/ice when possible. However, I have been caught in a blizzard in Canada and serious snow in Mass. It was scary. I have never driven any other car in the snow so I don't have a frame of reference. However, the wide tires seem to give poor grip for turning and braking. I have almost slid into a few curbs while braking at only about 5 mph.

Do you have the cold weather package with traction control and stability control? Not all XJs have both.

The car understeers (my long wheel base probably makes this worse), BUT the traction control/ stability control keeps oversteer in check when driven cautiously. It helps the car from fishtailing when starting from a standstill on level ground, but cuts the gas so it can be impossible to go up a steep slippery hill. It needs to be turned off in this case. However, when going up slight hills while moving, the traction control helps the car maintain momentum and stability. The XJ has ABS plus, introduced in 2000, which uses the yaw sensor and attempts to control understeering and oversteering while braking. It somewhat helps but works slowly. If you depend on it, you would probably understeer into something before it sorts the car out.


I didnt change my oil, coolant, or battery (its about 4 yrs old) when I first got to Boston and the car started and drove fine. When its cold outside, ie 12 degrees, the car starts more slowly but isnt a problem.

When driven cautiously, my biggest fear is another car hitting me, instead of the Jags instability. I think the car needs proper winter tires (I refuse to buy a 2nd set of wheels so I avoid the snow).

Good luck!

 

I spent a bit of time in ND going back and forth between Gwinner, Bismark and Fargo in the winter.

As much as I love my XJ8 I will say that you should consider selling her and getting an awd vehicle or 4x4 suv. Then get a set of Snow Ice winter tires.

While my car handles snow well with the Nokian winter tires I have, the amount of snow and cold you will experience is much worse than I have to deal with on my monthly trip from Detroit to Milwaukee.

Up there -20 degrees F temps are common. So is snow. It's so cold the snow squeaks when you walk on it and it's everywhere. The trips between cities are filled with desolate open areas for miles so keep in mind you are truly in a survival situation when traveling in ND in the winter.

Sorry to say but unless you are staying in the city at all times, give the Jag up.

 

One of the board members lives in Finland and uses it during the winter.
He does have proper snow tires. And the Jag would have to be properly maintained and reliable.
Cars get very dirty inside and out up north.
Something else to think about.
Don't sell the Jag though!

 

G. I don't have a lot to add that hasn't already been said. However, I have Cooper CS4 tires on my 99 xj8 and they do great in the snow I encounter. I have lived all over, Alaska, Michigan, Ohio, Hawaii, and Miami, among other places. The biggest issue with your move to the north will be your ability to adapt to the driving in the snow. More often than not, it's the drivers and not the cars that create problems. Although AWD or FWD can't be beat in the snow. I'd keep the car, and give it a go. Also, I'm not a fan of the oil dipstick heaters that some people use. Invest in a prober block heater and have it plumbed in properly, this should work fine in the extreme cold. Diesel specialty shops (4WD trucks, etc.), would be a good place to look. Good luck.
Ralph

 

Like Dan R said, the car must be reilable.

In temps like the ones you will see, you are taking you life in your hands venturing out. I've personally been there when it was so cold you could throw a cup of hot coffee in the air and it freezes before it hits the ground.

Keep in mind that sitting on the side of the road in a stalled car could be deadly or at a minimum frostbite could be a real issue.

 

As I live in northern Alberta one might think I would have suggestions for the car, but I'm afraid that mine just hibernates. I have no desire to expose her to the salt and gravel, not to mention the lunatics in trucks who feel that huge mud tires are suited to ice and snow. Are you sure you can't swing two rides? A base model domestic truck with four wheel drive and good snow tires (not all season, those are not meant for real winter conditions such as would be found where you're headed) isn't really all that much compared to cringing at the sound of your baby being sand-blasted when the semi goes by.