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Ct200h in snow ?

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ct200h snow
118K views 121 replies 56 participants last post by  z0mb13k1ll 
#1 ·
I live in Seattle-WA and I am expecting some snow again. I am wondering has anyone drived this car in snow ? how was the handling ?

I am also concerned on the front bumper as its too close to the road and just worried that snow will damage this ? Although I do have the 3m film protection on front!!

Has anyone tried snow tires during the snow season ?

Any word of advise ?
 
#8 ·
I live in Bellevue, as far as I know, CT isn't suit for driving in snow.
Don't risk yourself, drive the other car during snow days.
It's no worse then a Prius or any other car. Put snow tires on and your all set. The fuel efficent tires are a harder compound with little to no cross sipes for traction so all you do with them is slide.
 
#3 ·
#4 ·
i just had an *interesting* experience this past weekend with a snowstorm that hit the Northeast (you might have heard of it?). i would NOT recommend driving the CT in unplowed streets of snow with the OEM all-weather tires. having said that, i made it to the mall and back (~10 mins of highway and local roads) with minimal slippage and 1-2" on the ground.
 
#17 ·
My Acura RDX came with Michelin all-season OEM tires. Best car or truck I've ever driven in the snow, and I piloted that sled through some unbelievable blizzards on unplowed roads. I made it to the local ski hill here over 15 miles of 12"+ unplowed roads with deeper drifts in the intersections. No snow tires. The Acura SH-AWD system is about the best on the market today.
 
#7 ·
I've driven almost all my cars with all season tires only up until last winter when I finally got some snow tires.

I don't agree with that fact that you NEED snow tires, you can get along with all seasons if you drive carefully, but snow tires definitely do help and make a big difference.
 
#9 ·
Even if you drive carefully, 4 saisons tires in area that have ice and snow on a regular base, you need winter tires. Even carefully, I don't think you go down a hill on an icy roard safely for you and other drivers.

Just as exemple in mountains you can have a dry road on one side when going up and black ice at the top when going down. Very dangerous with any winter tires, and with four seasons, I wish not be in the car.

I can't wait to get some reviews in snow with good snow tires to see how the CT will handle in snow.
 
#10 ·
I am mostly with hdave on this one - typical Canadian neutrality ;)
I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada - nicknamed Winterpeg due it's ocassional -40C temps and snow and dubious title as coldest major city (over half a million) in the world! I have driven all kinds of cars and SUVs with and without snow tires. Snow tires really help you stop quciker no doubt about that. And all kinds of factors come into play but even with my cars/SUVs without snow tires I can stop 99% of the time without problems (by adjusting my driving habits). Now keep in mind we are on the flattest part of the praries there is so there are no hill (let alone mountain) issues. The thing I always worry about is someone that hasn't adjusted their habits rear ending me so I leave a good 6 feet at least in front of a car I am stopped behind and then watch my rear view mirror for some clown slidding at me - this way I can slowly roll forward if I see him running out of room.
Now having said that, I am going to be buying snow tires for my CT for sure as I agree with the low rolling tire comment in that they probably perform worse in snow and ice than regular all seasons. I was looking at Michelen Xice but I see that they are low rolling resistence too so might go with the Blizzaks as I have had them before.
 
#11 ·
I went with the Blizzak's, haven't mounted them yet as my Trident wheels just came in so I want to do all the swaps at once e.g Winters on the OEM and summers on the Trident F-Sport wheels.
 
#12 ·
Just a curiousity question. When I lived where there was snow and ice and lots of Black Ice, snow tires didn't really help with the black ice. We used to put on studded snow tires. Do people still use studded snow tires ? and if not how do you handle black ice conditions. Good luck and be safe everyone in the coming winter months.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Just a curiousity question. When I lived where there was snow and ice and lots of Black Ice, snow tires didn't really help with the black ice. We used to put on studded snow tires. Do people still use studded snow tires ? and if not how do you handle black ice conditions. Good luck and be safe everyone in the coming winter months.
Modern high-end snow tires, like Bridgstone Blizzaks or Michelin X-Ice tires, are made from special extra-pliable rubber compounds that really grip effectively on ice. These arn't your grandfather's snow tires. :cool:

Studs are a very effective (though noisy) option. However, they aren't legal in Ontario. (apparently, they really chew up the roads)
 
#19 ·
The 17" tires on the Ct are not "sports" car tires, whatever that means, by any stretch of the imagination. They are designed to improve mpg.
 
#21 ·
The Michelin PA3s are on the car already and I have to say they are noisier (of course). The balance is out of whack on one tire (sigh, more time to find).

I live on the shores of Lake Ontario in an ice belt and I have always invested in winter tires for the extra safety margin. I have to say tho'... like flying a small plane...it is "get-there-itis" that makes bad things happen. If I slide at the end of the driveway and the neighbour's 4X4 is stuck in the snowbank, I call in to work from home.
 
#25 ·
The Michelin PA3s are on the car already and I have to say they are noisier (of course). The balance is out of whack on one tire (sigh, more time to find).

I live on the shores of Lake Ontario in an ice belt and I have always invested in winter tires for the extra safety margin. I have to say tho'... like flying a small plane...it is "get-there-itis" that makes bad things happen. If I slide at the end of the driveway and the neighbour's 4X4 is stuck in the snowbank, I call in to work from home.
I'm waiting to put on my PA3s closer to winter's first blast! Geez, it's still like Spring out there - what a wonderful weekend we have coming up.
 
#27 ·
We had our first snow last night and although it was only an inch of snow was very happy with the handling today with our snow tires. Was a little concerned given some of the questions and comments on this thread but I'm not worried after my experience today. Hopefully as we get more winter weather that will remain to be the case.

Anyway, 1 vote for good winter handling.
 
#28 ·
I really don't think sidewall height has anything to do with snow traction. You can buy snow tires with a 45 ratio sidewall and they'll do just fine in the snow, just not that great with potholes! :) It's all about tire width and tire tread design/tire compound. I agree with audi4t, the CT tires are not by any means a sports car tire. Mine came with Michelin Primacy and they are Grand Touring All-Season. WAY different they my Toyo T1-R's on my last car!
 
#32 ·
I really don't think sidewall height has anything to do with snow traction. You can buy snow tires with a 45 ratio sidewall and they'll do just fine in the snow
Sidewall height is clearly a factor in my own experience over several cars/winters here over 15 years. Shorter sidewall tires are worse in the snow. And yes, smaller wheels/tires will help. But that will make your car look like crap all winter. Screw that. I ordered Blizzaks the same size as the stock tires.

I'll report back here in 4-8 weeks and let you know how that all works out.
 
#29 ·
Same tyres as my last car - Focus ST170 with a couple hundred kg less and 35bhp more. The Focus was "ok" with all season tyres, although I wouldn't have wanted to take it up any decent gradient. It had some issues getting off my neighbour's drive (we have an arrangement :cool:) as that's on a slope, the traction control was no help. Especially when halfway through 5 miles to work it would cry uncle and disable itself.

I'm hoping that the CT will be better, I'll be dropping it into Eco for less wheel spinny action. I'm lucky in that those 5 miles to work are mostly gritted except for the road I live on which is flat. The Focus would be ok on that as soon as traction control starting off in 2nd got some momentum going. The extra torque available from the motor might make it more of a handful though.

Sidewall height - I don't think this would make any difference on snow. It's more to do with how the tyres deform under sideways load and you're not likely to be testing lateral tyre loading on snow ... (I hope!) It's a trade between deformation under lateral load and being a part of the suspension.
 
#30 ·
I picked up a nice rim and Tire set 16" at Canadian Tire last week. Tires were General Altimax Arctic. I did some research and they were rated very good. Whole package including installation and winter storage of my 17" factory tires/wheels was $1250. Did some research and although my Touring model came with 17" tires all the articles I read said that smaller tires are better than larger ones on snow and ice.
 
#31 ·
Did pretty much the same thing last week. Which rims did you get and would love to see a pic. Also would like to know if you find a signifcant increase in tire noise when you are doing a big turn with the altimax tires, such as on a clover. I find the tires pretty good for road noise except when turning, almost sounds like they are rubbing even though I'm sure they aren't.
 
#35 ·
Tomsterdude and Tomanik: Did you have any problems getting 16 rims from Cdn Tire? They only seem to have specs for 17" ones at my Cdn Tire store. Do you have the Cdn Tire part# for your rims? As far as I know they are 16X6.5 bolt pattern 5X100 and offset is 38mm
Is that what you got? Again though if both of you could give me the Cdn Tire part # maybe they can at least bring it up onscreen for me as they can only fins 17" when they search by Make/Model.

I would really appreacite it,
Thanks,
Bill
 
#36 ·
I live in Chicago and was pleasantly surprised at my CT's handling in our recent 6-inch snowfall. I have standard tires.

It is lower to the pavement than my last car, and I did have some trouble trying to get through a ridge of snow created by the snow plow at the end of the alley.
 
#37 ·
Winter has finally turned up in Ontario and I am happy to report the CT and the Michelin PA3s were fine during a day when there was 1 cm of ice all over everything from 12 hours of freezing rain and the next day with packed and polished snow over black ice. The traction control actually kicked in a couple of times. I haven't had a car with traction control before and I am puzzled by some folk's comments about the TC making the CT less good in the snow. I know that the Accord would have been going nowhere in a hurry as its drive wheel spun in similar conditions - at least the CT kept accelerating in a straight line.

I will say that I won't be blasting out of driveway through the plow ridge with this car.

Also, given the early reports of fragile/cracked windshields, I was relieved to have an intact windshield and no chipped roof paint when a sheet of that freezing rain ice came off an oncoming SUV. I hit it going about 70 km/hr. Man was it loud!
 
#38 ·
Great to hear, thanks for the update/report on driving in the snow. Still bone dry here in MA...no snow :(.

Regarding the sheet of ice hitting you, I bet it scared the living $hit out of you, it does when it happens to me!
 
#41 ·
Sleepypete - You wouldn't want to hanging around (in a slow moving boat, say) under the Severn Bridge in an ice storm! Plenty of distance for things to reach terminal velocity compared to overhead signs.

One stupid thing about the CT in the winter is the placement of the block heater cord. The grill is too narrow to put the socket through so you have to open and close the hood to pull the cord out over the headlight (just great getting that hood latch open when it is cold enough for skin to freeze to metal). Looks really classy and rattles pretty badly if you leave the socket hanging out.
 
#42 ·
Snow tires are a must for snow. For any car.

I'm running Falken Espia EPZ's this year on the OE rim. Works great so far with the latest round of snowfall in the Greater Toronto Area.
 
#43 ·
My winter tires are fantastic

Hi guys,

i live in Montreal Quebec and i analyse several winter tires and i choosed the Hakkapeliitta R and they are fantastic in all condition.

we receive 35 cm last week and i was almost alone on the road.

i choose der 205 55 r16 and i love it.

they were 20% more expansive than others but they work well on slush, ice, snow and even mud.

thanks,
 
#44 ·
Big_Ajax, I've also got the Hakkapeliitta R's and they are definitely the best ice/snow tires I've ever driven on. (Had PA3's, X-Ice & Blizzak's). Was in an ice-covered parking lot the other day and couldn't even tell it was covered in ice. The tires handled it signifigantly better than I did walking across it.
 
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