Vxes and the snow

[Sillst]

Hey guys dumb question I know but how do vxes perform in the snow, this is my main deterrent in buying one so any info would be great, thanks

[skewbe]

I haven't been in a little front wheel drive car that didn't like the snow, stick shift w/handbrake preferred.

[GasSavers_BIBI]

I do live in a rural zone in the winter, lots of snow (Qu?bec, Canada), and with some good Yokohama Ice Guard (IG10) the Vx is doing great. Of course Honda's are known to be profiled low, so if theirs is accumulation, the car will not pass were a 4x4 suv or pick up would pass. Also, what I like about the VX in the winter is that the gearing is so long, that I can be at 1500-1600 rpm crusing in 4th (if visibility if low) or 5th gear and It will takes a lot to the VX to start to spin out of traction (same with the 2nd and 3th gear.

However, a Vx is going as good as other civic in winter, put some synthetic oil to help with starting, and you should be fine.

I would like to ask a question related to the subject, is that better to have some 175/70/13 tires or some 155/80/13. I actually have the 155/80/13's, and my mechanicien told me that those are better because they are wider the the 175/70/13's. IS THAT TRUE?

[bones33]

Originally Posted by BIBI

I would like to ask a question related to the subject, is that better to have some 175/70/13 tires or some 155/80/13. I actually have the 155/80/13's, and my mechanicien told me that those are better because they are wider the the 175/70/13's. IS THAT TRUE?

The first number in the tire size is the nominal width in mm. So the 155's would be narrower. Typically the narrower tire is better in snow and ice with all else being equal. As for height they are about the same.

[brucepick]

Yup - for snow tires, narrower is better. Tested and proven.

The explanation is that the narrower tire presses down into or through the snow to where the hardpack is - or it compresses it to "create" its own hardpack. Wide tires are nice for sand and mud.

For conversions between sizes, my favorite is
http://www.wickedbodies.net/Tire-Size-Calculator.htm

You can google "tire size conversion calculator" or some such. There are other calculators out there.

[GasSavers_BIBI]

[QUOTE=brucepick;76963]Yup - for snow tires, narrower is better. Tested and proven.

The explanation is that the narrower tire presses down into or through the snow to where the hardpack is - or it compresses it to "create" its own hardpack. Wide tires are nice for sand and mud. QUOTE]

Thanks guy for the help! In fact, that is what my mechanic told me but I misunderstood. The explanation about narrawer tire makes LOT of sense. I'm a WRC fan and I always see narrower tire on snow so I its a good things if they do, cause they are kind of fast...

[GasSavers_Ryland]

I have a full set of 155/80 13" snow tires on my vx, and it handles great in the snow, of course it's a good idea to learn how much traction you really do have befor getting in to trafic, and for the most part I didn't have issues driving thru snow as long as it didn't pack under the car lifting the wheels off the ground, and that only happened once when I drove in to the ditch.

[Danronian]

I agree the VX is pretty great in the snow. I've never really had a manual honda that wasnt though. But I also agree that when the car start plowing because of being too low, it gets a lot more difficult to drive in the snow. So as long as the plows keep the snow to about 3-4inches and less, the VX should be fine.

I actually used all seasons to get around in the snow last year, and it worked out great on the VX, but we had very little snow here last year.

[AlainB7]

I live in Quebec, Canada.

I use Nokian Hakkapelita2 with ecostud.

Best winter ever had! And with our small size, price is not that mutch!

[VetteOwner]

hehe my chevette was cruisin thru 6-7" on snow, everynow and then would hear it bottom out but even with bald M+S tires it was goin just fine! now i have brand new M+S tires so i cant wait what it can do!