View Full Version : ContiSports aren't very good in the snow
They're probably worse than Pilot Sports. I did, however figure out how to make a controlled e-brake turn in the SVTF. On the second try. :paranoid: When it comes to playing Colin McRae, I definitely prefer the skinnier all-seasons on the Civic. I could survive a winter like this by just driving to the park & ride, but if I had to go into Georgetown myself I would be absolutely stuck without another set of tires. Those hills would've absolutely killed any hope of getting somewhere in this car, although I did see a new C6 on Prospect. Hopefully the driver was coming from uphill somewhere.
On a related note, the traction control program on my car is great. I experimented with launches on packed snow with it on and off. When it's "off," the computer still detects wheelspin below 30 mph and applies the brake on the slipping wheel -- a sort of half of x technology. This helps in the movement department, but I had to tread the balance between slipping the clutch a lot or being ultra sensitive with the throttle to prevent the car from stalling in order to really get going. With TC on, the computer also begins to retard timing when it detects slip. I think the braking program must also be slightly modified. At any rate, I could let out the clutch all the way, be judicious with the gas, and move forward easily. In both cases, about half a turn of the steering wheel was sometimes necessary to keep the car pointed straight ahead, something I've found to be common in FWD cars.
On another related note, 66 was a parking lot. Two hours from Rosslyn to Reston, about 1:45 of that on a bus.
Considering they aren't very good on dry or rainy roads either, that would pretty much make them useless.
Roadstergal
01-19-2005, 05:13 PM
My snow tires are better in the rain than the ES100s. :roll:
I need to take those fuckers to a drifting day and kill them.
Considering they aren't very good on dry or rainy roads either, that would pretty much make them useless.
:lol: :thumbup:
But what do I know. I actually LIKE my S-03s. (In non-winter conditions)
Considering they aren't very good on dry or rainy roads either, that would pretty much make them useless.
:lol: I doubt anyone would disagree with that statement.
Considering they aren't very good on dry or rainy roads either, that would pretty much make them useless.
:lol: :thumbup:
But what do I know. I actually LIKE my S-03s. (In non-winter conditions)
I mostly liked the S-03s. I just hated the tramlining. They also seemed to magnify the sensitivity to imperfections in the alignment and front suspension components. Maybe that results from their much discussed heaviness, I don't know.
But the PS2s are just as good as the S-03s in all the ways the S-03s are good and correct the areas that the S-03s suck (including being much better in the rain). And they don't cost any more than the S-03s.
ARCHER
01-19-2005, 05:56 PM
Considering they aren't very good on dry or rainy roads either, that would pretty much make them useless.
:lol: I doubt anyone would disagree with that statement.
They don't wear for shit either. The Pilots on my M3 are wearing much better than the Contis or the S-03s did on the 330i.
I'd always been told that Contis wear very, very well. More than long enough for you to hate them. Whenever these things die, I'll either get Proxes or SP2s. But if we move anywhere with a lot of snow, it's time to buy some stock Focus 16"ers, with or without stock tires.
I'd always been told that Contis wear very, very well. More than long enough for you to hate them. Whenever these things die, I'll either get Proxes or SP2s. But if we move anywhere with a lot of snow, it's time to buy some stock Focus 16"ers, with or without stock tires.
I dunno. If you really want to feel bad tires in the snow, try a set of Sumitomos.
I thought that the Contis were better than the Pilot Sports in the snow, but maybe that was just because the 323Ci had so much less power than the E36 M3.
Considering they aren't very good on dry or rainy roads either, that would pretty much make them useless.
:lol: I doubt anyone would disagree with that statement.
They don't wear for shit either. The Pilots on my M3 are wearing much better than the Contis or the S-03s did on the 330i.
I had the Bridgestone RE-040's on my 330i, and they wore (literally) twice as well as the Conti's on my first car. They were also about twice as sticky. Doesn't make sense. You'd think it'd be the other way around.
ARCHER
01-19-2005, 08:52 PM
I'd always been told that Contis wear very, very well. More than long enough for you to hate them. Whenever these things die, I'll either get Proxes or SP2s. But if we move anywhere with a lot of snow, it's time to buy some stock Focus 16"ers, with or without stock tires.
I was told the same but my experience was quite the opposite - ditto with the S-03s. I will need to look at new Pilots in the spring but I'm already pushing 15k on these and I have been hard on them. The Contis were well past the wear bars at 10k and were noisy as hell long before that.
lemming
01-19-2005, 10:16 PM
don't the OEM re92's suck out loud, also, JeSTer?
i hate those damn tires.
i dunno what you boys are doing playing in the snow in summer tires.
:D
clyde
01-19-2005, 10:23 PM
Telling my wife that the RX-8 wasn't going to make it up the hill in front of our house wasn't enough. Showing her just barely convinced her. The RX-8 has a servce appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning and the plan had been to drop the car off tonight. She still wanted to go. 3" of dry slippery snow that packed itself down just looking at it plus an almost icelike layer.
I told her that there was NO way the RX-8 with its RE040 summer tires was going anywhere. She didn't believe me. So, I wiped off the car (on the very off chance that I could get up the hill), tried to get a running start using the spot of street under the car without snow. It took about 7 tries to convince her. The furthest I got was about 3 car lengths away from my starting spot. I bet the whole thing burned 2 gallons of gas too.
Telling my wife that the RX-8 wasn't going to make it up the hill in front of our house wasn't enough. Showing her just barely convinced her. The RX-8 has a servce appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning and the plan had been to drop the car off tonight. She still wanted to go. 3" of dry slippery snow that packed itself down just looking at it plus an almost icelike layer.
I told her that there was NO way the RX-8 with its RE040 summer tires was going anywhere. She didn't believe me. So, I wiped off the car (on the very off chance that I could get up the hill), tried to get a running start using the spot of street under the car without snow. It took about 7 tries to convince her. The furthest I got was about 3 car lengths away from my starting spot. I bet the whole thing burned 2 gallons of gas too.
What you need are some area rugs to put under those tires. Just pack as many as you can in the back seat, and lay them down as you go. Walk back to pick 'em up so that you can make it all the way to the dealership.
Actually, since this whole thing was your wife's idea...
ARCHER
01-19-2005, 10:33 PM
i dunno what you boys are doing playing in the snow in summer tires.
:D
Not me, Jack. I learned years ago that it is just pissing in the wind. Snow days see me riding shotgun in the Disco'.
lemming
01-19-2005, 10:37 PM
i went on a road trip in the 9-5 wagon with summer tires. that car was fine. actually, two sets of summer tires.
one set was the sp9000s (aha, remember those loud warbling uneven wearing pieces of sh*t?).
the other set was the re950s.
strange how in a tire that is rated for "all season" such as the re92, it's a much different thing.
in all of my years, i've learned one thing: i hate bridgestones --do you auto-x on the re040's, clyde?
in all of my years, i've learned one thing: i hate bridgestones --do you auto-x on the re040's, clyde?
When I go to replace the tires on the V, I will end up with Bridgestone re 050s or o40s or something - b/c they come in a run flat version. Unless I get rid of the run flats. I would like to, but the I have to carry a spare that doesn't fit in the spare well, a jack that doesn't have a place to stow, and so on. Or I could rely on roadside assistance, but that won't help much if the family is going somewhere. Of course, neither will run flats, now that I think of it. still have supply problems. Hmm. Looks like PS2s again.
lemming
01-19-2005, 10:44 PM
in all of my years, i've learned one thing: i hate bridgestones --do you auto-x on the re040's, clyde?
When I go to replace the tires on the V, I will end up with Bridgestone re 050s or o40s or something - b/c they come in a run flat version. Unless I get rid of the run flats. I would like to, but the I have to carry a spare that doesn't fit in the spare well, a jack that doesn't have a place to stow, and so on. Or I could rely on roadside assistance, but that won't help much if the family is going somewhere. Of course, neither will run flats, now that I think of it. still have supply problems. Hmm. Looks like PS2s again.
all i know is: the re070s on the STi were not communicative and were heavy. numb gumballs? no warning about giving way.
those re070s were pretty awful in the snow, even with 'rally inspired' AWD.
clyde
01-19-2005, 11:11 PM
do you auto-x on the re040's, clyde?
Not the important ones.
rumatt
01-19-2005, 11:17 PM
And I thought I was bad for driving around on all-seasons....
As it is, I can barely make it up the small hill at the beginning of our complex. The rest of the time I'm fine.
clyde
01-19-2005, 11:37 PM
And I thought I was bad for driving around on all-seasons....
As it is, I can barely make it up the small hill at the beginning of our complex. The rest of the time I'm fine.
I took the wagon to the train today (knowing that I was leaving very early snow or not). Goodyear Eagle RS-A all seasons. The roads were really, really bad when I was on my way home between 12-1, but those tires work really, really well in the winter muck (total shit in the dry, but, hey). Before the experiment with the RX-8, I took the wagon to get gas. No wheelspin anywhere on the untreated roads in my neighborhood (including a pretty hard launch up my hill for shits and giggles), no problems turning and no problems braking. I'm sure that it would be better with real snow tires, but these POS GYs are good enough.
Well...I didn't plan to go out there in summer tires. But I guess I didn't give myself an option to not do it. So maybe I did plan to, after all. Did I?
....who am I? Why am I here?
zcasavant
01-19-2005, 11:39 PM
Bald snow tires aren't great in the snow either.
And I thought I was bad for driving around on all-seasons....
As it is, I can barely make it up the small hill at the beginning of our complex. The rest of the time I'm fine.
I took the wagon to the train today (knowing that I was leaving very early snow or not). Goodyear Eagle RS-A all seasons. The roads were really, really bad when I was on my way home between 12-1, but those tires work really, really well in the winter muck (total shit in the dry, but, hey). Before the experiment with the RX-8, I took the wagon to get gas. No wheelspin anywhere on the untreated roads in my neighborhood (including a pretty hard launch up my hill for shits and giggles), no problems turning and no problems braking. I'm sure that it would be better with real snow tires, but these POS GYs are good enough.
Totally second that on RS-As. The only slides I ever made in my GTP were the ones I did on purpose. Even at the wear bars, those tires were great. Dry performance was fine for a mid-size sedan, no so great for a fast car. I miss that car, too.
rumatt
01-19-2005, 11:45 PM
I took the wagon to the train today (knowing that I was leaving very early snow or not). Goodyear Eagle RS-A all seasons. The roads were really, really bad when I was on my way home between 12-1, but those tires work really, really well in the winter muck (total shit in the dry, but, hey). Before the experiment with the RX-8, I took the wagon to get gas. No wheelspin anywhere on the untreated roads in my neighborhood (including a pretty hard launch up my hill for shits and giggles), no problems turning and no problems braking. I'm sure that it would be better with real snow tires, but these POS GYs are good enough.
Overall I've been pleasantly surprised with the all-season tires, and the handling of the car itself in snow. It's just getting up hills that sucks balls. The open diff makes it a lot worse.
The pseudo-LSD DSC logic doesn't do shit. Well, I'm lying. I guess it helps a little actually becuase I leave it in that mode when I'm trying to get up the hill, but it really doesn't seem to do much.
dredmo
01-19-2005, 11:48 PM
Considering they aren't very good on dry or rainy roads either, that would pretty much make them useless.
I agree; however, I would be lying if I said they did not do good on the asphalt, temperature about 80 degrees farenheit.
Then again, what wouldn't do good in that condition.... oh well.
Are you sure? IMO, even at 80 deg on dry asphalt, they scream for their lives and grip like a set of PepBoys specials.
don't the OEM re92's suck out loud, also, JST?
i hate those damn tires.
i dunno what you boys are doing playing in the snow in summer tires.
:D
The WRX OEM tires blow in the dry and aren't great in the wet, but they are not so bad in the snow, especially compared to a 333 hp RWD car running 275/35 summer tires.
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