Are GTPs / GPs good in the snow? Im not a FWD fan at all.. and my last FWD car (94 Cutlass) was terrible in the snow. I have driven the Z the last 3 winters in the snow, just took two 70lb sandbags on the rear seats and finesse while driving. Ive ventured out in as deep as 3inches before. Not all that impressive as far as snowfall.. but a fair amount. Anyone have first hand exeprience? This is one of my selling points with winter almost upon me (Its snowed a couple times already)

Everyone I've talked to about snow with the GPs is positive. A good set of all seasons will do ya.

GP's get good traction cause they are so damn heavy.
GP's slide on stops cause they are so damn heavy.

I have 2 sets of tires. One for winter and one for summer. My GP handles great in the snow. Or did at least, now I park during winter since I have a 3rd car.

It usually snows about 6 inches here. About 2 years ago, it snowed almost a foot up here, and the GP did great, even though I was running on Yokohama AVS db tires. (surprise snow storm while I was at work) I only got stuck once, but that was because the bonehead in front of me stopped in the middle of the hill. I turned around went home a different way. If I didn't have to slow down, I would've made it, as I was almost at the crest of the hill...

Going down hills can be scary, but the abs made sure I was always tracking in the direction I wanted to go, and made sure I never lost control of the car at stops. I don't know how many times I was stopped at an intersection, and I see cars sliding towards me sideways in my mirrors. Even my wife was complaining that the abs in her 3.2TL didn't seem to work as well as the GP's.

The traction control doesn't seem all that beneficial on the snow, but it does seem like it helps the car get moving faster, as my Grand Am will just spin its tires on the hill by my house. But the traction control does seem to help a lot on rain slicken roads.

About a week ago another freak storm dropped about 6 inches over here, and the GP did great on those same tires. My coworker who has a late model Nissan Maxima said it scared the crap out of him coming into work, as his car kept sliding and such. So either his car sucks in the snow, or he's too much of a snow newbie. (He moved up here last winter after the snow melted)

Wow. I think the GP is absolutely terrible in the snow. I had a Scorpio and an 82 Camaro that were better in the snow than the GP. The abs has caused me to slide through some intersections before and the traction control is a joke. All the tc does is tell you there is low traction. The Low trac light comes on and you're like, "no sh!t", as your tires spin away. I have never gotten stuck in anything, even in the affore mentioned vehicles, until I got the GP. Then I managed to get stuck twice in 6 months, once in snow once in mud. I am seriously considering snow tires before the real snow hits.

hmm...I can't believe that...I think the gp is GREAT in snow...I never have any problems...are you off-roading???

adam
98 gtp

This weekend was my first experience in serious snow with the GP. I think it did ok. I think my tires suck ass(stock GoodYears) and need replacing. The traction control thing is perhaps the dumbest device in this car(besides me). I turn it off now when I get in the car, otherwise it will kill me. Seriously, it's dangerous. The antilocks are annoying but I suspect will be less so when I get new treads.

mine does great in the snow

You get a lot of snow up there, Herc?

we got about 2 feet this weekend but i have some 4 foot drifts that I had to move.

I just pulled my car out of the snow. I took my brother's Cherokee to NH this weekend and they didn't shovel out my car.

[img]http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=7fd1f276-7196-5506-62a0-5d9d55c47aad&size=[/img]

It was lodged between my fence and garage and accumulated a lot of snow. Took my dad and I a half hour to dig it out.

wish i had a digi cam but heres my story.

in anticipation of the storm i parked my car in my carport (a 3 walled garage and a 28 inch opening in one corner) when i went out to move snow around i had 6 inches of snow piled on top of my car my truck that sat out side had none. go figure.

Glad i don't have to deal with snow down here in Houston.

I'll package some up for you, I got extra.

Sounds like we dodged a bullet.

When buying snow tires, should you get the stock size, bigger, or smaller?

the rule of thumb for snow is tall and skinny. But I would stick with the stock size since thats what the vehicle electronics are set for.

I've driven through nineteen Michigan winters and four German ones. In all that time I have never seen a better handling car than my 98 GTP. I've driven everything from Chevettes to M-1s and it meets or beats them all.

Anyone who has trouble driving the 97-03 Grand Prix on snow needs to work on his technique.

Sure you do. It's just not as often and maybe a 1/4". But that pretty much shuts the whole city down. Fun going out and watching people trying to drive in it. Majority have no idea how to.

Yeah, if and when we get some (not alot) i really don't worry about it. Not enough to damage anything. We do have to worry about floods. We get those a whole buch out here. I hate taking my car thru water, but i've had to once or twice. Its crazy, brakes go out reallly bad.

This is my first winter with the GTP and while I didnt drive it much in any of the snow we got last weekend, I did have to drive it on ice and what the plows missed. The car did great once I figured out how it all works.

My traction control seems to let the wheels spin a bit while it lights the low trac light, about enough where you dont think you are going to go anywhere so you let off the gas. Well if you just stay with it a second longer the traction control wil engage. I was stuck between ice chuncks from a plow and a sheet of ice at the end of my driveway. I was going nowhere, the traction control light lit and out of frustration just let the wheels spin just a bit longer, the tires bit and off I went. I tried this over and over in reverse and drive and it was the same every time. It takes longer than normal for it to engage compared to some cars but once it does, it will pull you out of almost anything if you have decent tires. They are probably all a bit different but thats been my experience so far.

Stopping however is a joke on a dry sunny day, and downright dangerous in the rain. In snow its just a mess. Cant wait for new brakes, bigger rotors and stainless lines....

Jeff

Hya Guys foisy here ! I live in North Bay ontario Canada for anyone that knows its about three hours North of Toronto. That pic of the red car is what we get at least once a week. I have a set of Blizzaks of my GP and its awsome, between the track control and the weight it goes real well in the snow. Keep in mind ice is ice and unless u have chains on your GP or any car for that matter your not gonna stop on a dime.

If I lived where you lived, I wouldn't have a Grand Prix. unless I had a winter truck/jeep/suv.

I was driving cross country this week in the snow in my GTP no probs but the brand spankin new Cherokee three lengths ahead of me couldnt handle it and spun out hit a big rig and took the rear off of the jeep. Not pretty. Traction control kept my car goin in a straight line.

I'm jealous of traction control...my car just pretends it has it.....

I turn off the traction control. Maybe it's just me, but I can't stand it.

I think itz the operator w/ the problems...not the TCS...

adam
98 gtp

I did say it could just be me.

Hello Gents,

I have to agree with Foisy and the Combat Commander. The GTP is pretty awesome in the snow. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

I don't if I'm on a similar latitude as Foisy, but we get a fair bit of snow. We got dumped on right on New Year's Eve. It was fun. This is what Canadians call fun! Driving around in the snow.

I like the TC, it is handy to know what is slippery and where, that way I accelerate accordingly. Also, the ABS has saved my ass a few times. Last winter I still had the stock RS-A's on and they were very very low on tread. The ABS came in very handy during this difficult time.

I think the Driver's experience also has to play a lot with it. We are all different drivers and all drive our babies differently.

Happy New Year, everyone!

I Live in Canada and recently got my GP GT. Before that I had a Sable (another big car) with no abs no traction control. and before that I had a Grand Am with no ABS either. We get a lot of snow in the winters and there has only been a couple of times I found driving difficult in the past 5 years.

Bottom line, you have to drive for the conditions plan and simple. It doesn't matter if you have front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive, four wheel drive, with or with out abs. If you're trying to stop on ice, its tough. once your wheels start slidding, you can't do much. As for take offs, its simple...don't press the gas so hard. Traction control will help, but I had two cars with out it previously and I rarely got stuck in the snow or spun like crazy on a take off. Its just a matter of sensible driving.

As for the GP, I think it handles well in the snow also. Wide stance, heavy car. Stopping is difficult, but the ABS are supposed to help you out. I didn't like them at first cause I'm used to pumping my breaks, but slowly I'm getting habituated to them.

There are some cars that are probably real crap in the snow, but for the most part, it has to do with "adjusting" your driving to the conditions. comon sens.

PS...if you're looking for something that handles great...get a snowmobile!! Or as us canucks call them SKIDOOS. Cars are made to drive on dry roads, not for snow.

Hi BlackGT,

I hear that you guys have a Deep Freeze going on in the Maritimes. I didn't catch the story, but the headline on the news last night just said Maritimes.

Hope all is well, and keep the rubber side down!

I got my beer on ice outside right now. lol

-37 yesterday with the windchill and like -33 today with the windchill....days like this I regret not having a remote car starter...

So now Canada gives us arctic cold wheather and the new GTP's. I could do without the cold. The high was 5 degrees by me today. When you say -33, is that celsius(sp?)? What's that in farenheight(sp?)?

-33 celcius is around -27, -28 fahrenheit.

Are you sure? I thought 0 c was like 32 f (both freezing temp of water)

0 c is 32 f but when you work the formula the colder it gets the closer the numbers become.

That's because when it gets that cold, it doesn't matter what the numbers are anymore!

GTP + snow = coolio!
I live in Fort McMurray , Alberta and o yeah, Canada. Two weeks ago we had -45C ( -49F ) and with the snow its been a very good car. However, when 4 weeks ago we got burried in one night and the city ground down to a halt, I parked it and had fun in the sun with my Ford F-250 ( company truck ). was afraid to damage "baby".

forgot about a time when driving back home from shopping in Calgary and the highway was literally not only a sheet of ICE, but had holes in the ice , with the car bouncing I was glad that I was not one of the 100 or so cars in ditches that I counted in a stretch of 80 km. GTP's have great traction cause they are so damn heavy.

Hey Quark Man,

Are you member of Alberta ClubGP??

ditto

no , but I looked at the site and when I get a pic of my car I will sign up. I would really look forward to something happening with the Alberta Club, Calgary or Edmonton either way. I was also contacted by Krisha and it sounds like fun!