Not sure what is going on with all this RWD drama but it Iced/Snowed here in MD over the last 2 days and I counld not count on both hands the number of stranded 300/chargers both V8 and V6 versions. Ok I counted 12.

Now I agree Maryland is right on the line of snow/no snow so our snow removal is ok and the people are ok at driving in it. But I did not see 1 stranded AWD or FWD vehicle.

My neighbor had to park his 300 in the church parking lot at the begining of our neighborhood. We have a 1 block long incline to get into the neighborhood not real steep but too much for the 300. I guess he needs to get a set of snow tires cause the All seasons did not work.

Now all this said on a average year Maryland (the Baltimore area) will only get 3-4 snows so that equates to only a few days but it still cracked me up as I mushed in and out of my neighborhood.

I noticed a different trend here. 1 IS300 stuck in snow. Many FWD cars spun out and stuck. But that doesn't really mean anything because I'm sure there were a lot less RWD cars on the road.

It all really depends on the driver and the condition of their tires. I drove 70 miles in my GTO yesterday in the middle of the storm passing FWD and AWD cars. The roads were horrible but I didn't get stuck at all. We had about 4 inches of slush sleet on the highway when I was driving the GTO and managed to get home safely. When I say bad I mean all you see is white and some brown tire tracks, no sign of asphalt. Of course I was prepared with Blizzak tires and know how to drive in the snow.

Simple fact is if you don't know how to drive in the snow you'll end up getting stuck or crashing even with an AWD vehicle. The most important part about driving in the snow is stopping and turning. AWD doesn't help you there.

I too am a little concerned with the RWD. With the winter the way it has been the last couple years in MN, not too big of a deal but that can change in an instant.

I agree - have good tires, be a good observant, smart driver and you should do fine.

But then again you can't control the idiot next to you!

The most important part about driving in the snow is stopping and turning. AWD doesn't help you there.

I AWD helps a lot in turning on bad road conditions. I agree it does not for stopping.

snow tires

The Holden ESP system is reportedly very good in snow, so coupled with good snow tyres, should be a reasonable compromise.

Snow tyres are pretty much non-existent in Asutralia, as there are no towns above the winter snow line (ski resorts excepted). Will they usually go on your standard rim, or do people buy a set of steel rims to mount winter tyres on ?

If so, Holden have 15 & 16 inch steel and alloy wheels that could be used for winter tyres. Maybe filling a 40 foot container with steel rims and flogging them on ebay would be a good investment...

A FWD with skinny snow tires and low HP is awesome in the snow. Lots of rubber and tons of power on a RWD is always going to be tricky. I drive my GTO in snow/ice but without the T/C and sand in the boot(trunk) it would be a bitch...

I understand that just aobut any vehicle set up properly can mush in the snow. I was actually just saying that for the "general population" this big push for RWD is going to be hairy

Most people will not get snow tires ro put weight in the back of the car. They will just take there all seasons on try to plow ahead... and in my area I noticed this to be true with all the RWD vehicles stuck.

I would wager that the vast majority of drivers on the road under 30 have never ever been in a RWD car. This of course excludes any GTO owners, but seriously, even all of the Drivers Ed cars are now compact FWD or small FWD SUV, such as oru Vibe which was a d.e. return. I grew up on RWD, license in '68 and didn't switch to FWD until 1985. I've had FWD ever since because that is all that has been offered in the mid-size family sedan - to this point. The old (to most of you) cars I drove were no where near 50/50 weight distribution, probably close to 60/40 or worse. And none had TC, or Anti-lock brakes, and only one had LSD. We got around. Now I am driving a Colorado extended cab with 2wd, but with TC and LSD. It goes a little better with an extra 200-300 lbs in the bed than empty like it is today, and sometimes I just cannot stand the engine cutting out from lost traction (I am used to barrelling through the drifts. So I know by instinct when to hit the off button for TC. But other than that it is very tractable. Would I rather have AWD? Sure. But that alone won't steer me away from the G8. Now I just have to convince the wife.

I understand that just aobut any vehicle set up properly can mush in the snow. I was actually just saying that for the "general population" this big push for RWD is going to be hairy

Most people will not get snow tires ro put weight in the back of the car. They will just take there all seasons on try to plow ahead... and in my area I noticed this to be true with all the RWD vehicles stuck.

You have a point there, look at some of the folks on ls1gto.com trying to drive their goats with summer tires in the snow.:bomb: But for most occasions all season tires are enough, I drove the 2 previous winters on the stock all season tires with out any issues either, I got the snows this year because I needed new tires.

Oh well I guess Darwin will take care of them.

Will they usually go on your standard rim, or do people buy a set of steel rims to mount winter tyres on ?


The way I do it is I usually take the stock rims and put snow tires on those and then get some nice aftermarket rims for my summer tires. This way I can get wider tires for summer and don't have to use ugly steelies in the winter.

The way I do it is I usually take the stock rims and put snow tires on those and then get some nice aftermarket rims for my summer tires. This way I can get wider tires for summer and don't have to use ugly steelies in the winter.

I like this idea.

I grew up near Chicago and thats the way I always remember my dad doing on his Buick.

We also had a Suburban growing up, I think in the winter it was almost always in 4wd and always had mud/all terrain type tires on it that worked pretty well in the winter.

Of course now I live in Florida, and saying 'snow tire' to one of the natives here gets you branded an oddball and a quizzical look.

Really, what you're looking for here is a decent *rain* tire.

RWD isn't good in the snow? I'm finding it very amusing to see how little i can turn the sterring wheel around a corner. (yes its my first winter with RWD)

My GTO with snow tires has been better than my previous car (GP GT with all seasons). As for the charger/300 in the ditch, I usually see 4x4 SUVs in the ditch the most here (WI). It's all in how you drive... and snow tires help a ton.

Yea, 18" Summer tires are not a good choice. Take it from me :D

I am 55 and mainly drove rwd cars until the early nineties. Always had snow tires in the winter as I live in the Boston area. Would often get stuck and everyone would push you out. Although, I had to get snow tires for my Mazda Millenia S with 17 inch wheels and my Audi GT was terrible in the snow, no AWD on it.

The better weight distribution on the G8 and the new electronics should help. A manual usually gives better control inthe snow as you can change gears at the exactly the right monent. Unfortunately my driveway is at the bottom of a hill. A good reason to move.

It is mainly just due to people being stupid. I have had no problems driving the GTO through the snow/ice storms we have had here so far.

In Oklahoma, we get the lovely pleasure of getting as much ice as we do snow. The first storm we had was 8" of snow over 2" of ice. Not fun, but I had no problems, but I wasn't trying to drive 40+ and tailgating like some of the other idiots around.

The second storm was about 5" of ice. It closed schools for a week, defeated the snow plows (they had to use bulldozers and road graters), took two days until there was at least one lane clear on the highways, and of course I had to go to work. Again, I didn't have problems because I took it easy.

I think that the GTO was easier to drive on the snow/ice than my previous Grand Prix was. I didn't even trigger traction control or ABS. I think after the GTO, I'm addicted to RWD (and maybe even to manuals :driving:). The only time I had any problem was driving through moderately deep slush, but only getting moving again. I think FWD vs. RWD in snow is a draw if the driver is not stupid. True 4WD will definitely help in getting moving, but not stopping.

The better weight distribution on the G8 and the new electronics should help. A manual usually gives better control inthe snow as you can change gears at the exactly the right monent. Unfortunately my driveway is at the bottom of a hill. A good reason to move.At least the newer transmissions, manual and automatic, can be shifted from forward to reverse without having to step on the brake anymore. I'm sure it was a "safety" issue when they took away our ability to rock a car loose.

My GTO is getting set for 12 inches over the next two days.. then they say another big one next week. Should be fun.