hows the 2002 es in the snow?

[Rism]

Does anyone have any expirience with the stock 2002 es tires/suspension in the snow? Im just wondering if i will need to get new tires for the winter

[Rism]

bump
anyone?

[joka1]

last winter i took mine up to baker ski slope and had no problems..... there was like 6 in of fresh snow and alot of packed snow! so i think it does ok.

[Jeph]

Well I don't know about the weather in NY, but in Utah, we definitely need snow tires. For a state like NY where the winters are more mild, you might be able to get by with good all season tires. Its really a personal choice.

[joka1]

utah isnt that bad, i am going to move there in a yr or 2 but i am from upstate ny where we get quite a bit of snow! my fiancee is from draper that is why i am moving there

[Jeph]

Utah is too bad, we've had mild winters the past couple years. You wait til you can't get out of your driveway becuase theres too much snow, and the snow piled up next to your driveway is already as tall as you. THEN tell me it isn't bad. Snow tires are a must here. especially if your car isn't AWD.

[joka1]

ya i had the same shit in ny...... i love utah though and will probally be there in a month or 2!!

[Jeph]

SWEET! another member for our tiny contingent...

[joka1]

i'll only be there for a week or 2 , i am moving there in a few years though. i hate utahs roads though, they suck! anyway i will let you know when i am coming down, maybe we can have a meet or somthing!

[Jeph]

Yeah, if there's not a lot of snow ;)

-sorry for the thread jack
in conclusion, snow tires are nice to have...

[Dynotrick]

Rism the stock tires seem to be ok for the first winter but once they are worn down they kinda suck in the wet and snow.
I got some good snow tires for this winter with steel rims.

[MidnightDreamer]

There is no winter like there is in Canada. I live in Calgary, and I drive a 2002 ES-GT auto. It was my first year winter driving last year, litterally. So, I guess you could say I was unexperienced. I drove quite often tho during those months, all of it was within the city, or intercity highways. I can tell you that the snow makes driving difficult, and since I have never driven winter tires ever, I can't say how much control the stock tires give you. But to me, it seemed quite adequate. I have ABS on the car btw. The stock tires performed okie... But I did have several scarry experiences. Braking in the snow with stock tires is probably the only major concern I would have in the winter. I found that you really have to leave a lot of braking distance, I had several close calls that winter. Even with the ABS, stopping distances are hella long. I jammed the brake as far as it'd go, and the car just kept rolling down a hill this one time. I understand that threshold braking can still be accomplished with ABS, so I'm really gonna practice that this year. Kinda off topic, but would it help if instead of jamming the brake all the way, I only did it just enough to activate the ABS a little? Would that reduce my braking distances? Another thing, I plowed into the curb because of the damn snow, I was turning into a church parking lot, and I guess I was going too fast, and when I tried to slow down, the car just kept goin... I had the ABS on, and was steering away... But I still ended up bumping up against the curb. Luckily it wasn't fast enough to cause any damage, but it still scared me shitless. Also, if you're not careful with your throttle input on turns, it's easy to encounter massive understeer. Other than all that, the stock tires are okie I guess. They are great for winter drifiting, you barely have to yank the e-brake to lock the rear tires. Sliding sideway feels soo good... I do it on city streets too when there are no cars around. Is your ES a manual? I'm told that manuals provide much better control in the winter...

[joka1]

i have been driving in the snow for like 7 yrs now so i just have fun in it!!! my es is a manual so if you know what you are doing it does help

[SpicyMchaggis]

they are actually pretty good..even better if you have a manual..sideways in parking lots is wholesome for the whole family

[Dermen]

I drove mine last winter with stock tires up here in Alaska. We had a pretty mild winter though. I had no scares at all. I did manage to mess up my front bumper but that was when I was playing around in an empty parking lot. The only other time I had a problem was when I tried going through a foot deep snow drift. I didn't get stuck but I sure as hell came close.

[dmitrik4]

the car itself is fine in the snow. it's the tires that suck...they're great on pavement, but pretty terrible in the snow. you can get around w/out snow tires, but not that well. my old '90 pro SE with cheap all-seasons was a snow beast.

tires make ALL the difference in snow. i'll never get why some AWD people i know think the AWD will allow them to run Azenis all winter.:eek:

if you're that worried about it, buy a cheap set of 15" steelies and some good snow tires. they're not expensive.

:)