Carbon2008RDX

On New Years Eve after work I tested out my RDX in the freshly fallen snow. It was around 2:30 PM or so. The nasty snow plows cleared all the main roads already but I found a really good back road that looked like it might have had one swipe of the plow but was still covered in snow and to top it off much of it was packed down and was more of a snow/ice mix. Not only that, but, parts of this road has an almost 30 degree grade! Perfect for a snow test!!! On my first run it was kinda funny as there was a guy in a Subaru doing the same sh*t as me. He came from one direction and I came from another but he turned first to go up the hill. He just blew right up the hill no problem. I kept the pedal hammered on my RDX and I was right on his tail. LOL.

But going up a hill with lots of momentum is not really a test. So, I went around to the bottom of the hill again and went up the hill to the point of its steepest grade. I came to a complete stop. It was so slippery that the RDX actually started sliding backwards a tiny bit!! HOLY CRAP!!! I wanted to test the RDX with the VSA OFF. So I turned the VSA OFF and accelerated. All four wheels spun like crazy and it starts to climb very slowly but at the same time starts sliding off the road! Nasty!! So, I hit the brakes, turn ON VSA and punch the gas again and the traction control kicks in big time. The RDX slowly but confidentially gains momentum and stays amazingly straight (no sideways sliding). Once it started moving forward it blew right up the hill again.

I guess the moral of the story is, if you’re on a fairly steep hill with rather slick snow/ice mix DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP… Even with AWD. But, it was a self inflicted test and the RDX passed!!!

MMike1981

my rdx was stuck in 5 inches of fluff in northern NH, altho, i had someone else drive and i watched the tires. i should have videod and totally forgot. first - i left VSA ON, RDX went no where, then turned it off:

what found was great, all 4 tires working, rears were definitely getting power when the fronts were spinning, and tires were working independently of each other....so, 5 inches of fluff proved to be a real hard test on level ground, however, the stock mich sucked big time. my conclusion, really indifferent, 5 inches was tough, add in stock rubber w/28k on them, however, the SHAWD was working, and all 4 tires were getting involved. it was a wet snow so, im really not feeling bad about it. just took much longer than expected to get the truck moving in 5 inches on a level driveway lol but again, we know our ride is FWD biased, but what i did see was refreshing and reminiscent of the subaru vids on you tube, just took a longer time for the rear to get power and did not seem as effective as suby's system, but it did get the RDX to where it needed to be, just looked like the car was working hard as hell.

thus, wet fluff snow which became packed in = a very immobile vehicle. Also, VSA ON killed the car. again, watching from outside at all angles. VSA off got every tire moving and getting after it. so yea, disable your vsa if your stuck (just a reminder)

as far as stopping & breaking on a hill in snow; never do that no matter what, either downshift or ride it out. pics to come soon.

mav238

We had about 6 inches of snow on our upward sloping driveway today in MA. My RDX had no trouble getting up the sloped driveway on the yokohama Avid V4S. But trying to turn at a right angled corner a bit faster than usual induces a slide which the SH-AWD and VSA easily had the RDX back on track.

Overall, am happy with the Yokohamas (I already knew the SH-AWD on stock michelins was pretty competent following a serious snow storm in Vancouver BC last winter in 2008.

DJ Iceman

Where do you live in CT that they have roads with a 14% grade? Especially roads that are not well-cleared by plows and sanders?

MMike1981

whats so mind boggling about that? my fing neighborhood has some crazy hills and sometimes plows NEVER go thru, or if they do, 1x when it STOPS snowing.

Carbon2008RDX

I live a few miles from the NY border in southeast CT. Yeah, you're right, it wasn't that steep but it was still a decent hill with packed down snow making it more slick than super fresh snow. As Mike said, one should never come to complete stop on a hill in slick conditions AWD or not. I did it on purpose to test the abilities of the RDX. The wheels definitely got more power with the VSA OFF except the road had a slight tilt to it as well which made the RDX want to slide sideways off the road. Only way to get it going again was with the VSA ON.

By the way check out this link of the steepest road in the world!
http://35mm.instantfundas.com/2008/0...-in-world.html

MMike1981

today drove thru 2 notches in NH, crawford & franconia, while snowing, 10 degrees out...literally went down a "14%"grade, i know this because the sign told me lol, entering Crawford notch....had the car in first gear, zero traction, shit my pants the entire way down...stocks w/braking = immediate loss of control...after quickly letting go of the brake, just let the car go straight down in 1st, i wanted nothing to do with the hill...i hit the brakes quick just to see how it would react...not good lol

18 inches over nite last nite, hasnt stopped snowing...RDX doing ok, but i have ZERO traction braking in snow, even very light snow like 2 inches worth...gotta get these stockers off.

google image crawford notch, some very good pics

wspy

Wow Mike, I 'google earthed' those locations... wow!

Nyjumpman23

MMIKE!! did i not tell you...CContinental Extreme Contact DWS *HINT HINT* hahaha
man..

vrflyer

That's the problem with the stock Mich., they fall-off after 12~15k on them (I'm @ 25k on mine). I've been noticing them NOT being quite the same grip level - even on a wet road.

bgillette79

This thing slides when braking like a tank. We are at 12-18inches and STILL SNOWING in Cleveland!

OEMs do suck......but they suck less on the RDX than on the TSX and TL I had thanks to SH-AWD. The RDX still goes pretty damn well on fresh OEMs.

(I wish you could have really seen how bad these OEMS are on a FWD car!) I got stuck SO many times in way less snow than this in my old TSX and TL with STOCK tires!

mav238

Interesting... should anyone be surprised at how the oem all seasons suck at snow handling? It's an all season tire... at best, very light snow is all it could handle... snow tires for heavy snow and a mix of snow/ice roads...

MMike1981

they are coming

ltngbg99

I have a set of the DWS on our VW New Beetle. They seem to do real well in 3-4 inch snow.

MMike1981

cant wait

bgillette79

I think all we are saying is just how bad the OEMs are.

They are TONS of All-Season tires that do much better in the snow. We all just wish Acura would step up to the plate and put a BETTER All-Season on their cars and SUVs.

mav238

I would agree that the OEM michelins pilots all seasons aren't the greatest, but it sure does cost a lot (~ $200 a tire). But I have taken the RDX on the oems around a corner, and together with the SH-AWD, it ain't bad at holding on to the road. But being an all-season tire, it will be a compromise at the different elements, and snow and wet handling is definitely not it's forte. But that said, I have taken the RDX on the stock oems up an incline mountain road that has about 4 inches of snow, and the RDX did not have any trouble pulling up the road. Mind you, the tires was pretty much brand new then.

The only all-seasons that was recommended to me that appear to be pretty good at snow handling is the Nokian WRG2 SUV. It is a winter tire, but can be used all year round with no issue at all. Handles well in dry and wet as well. Not cheap though.

Nyjumpman23

I mean, likely as stated, All-WEather tires, work well with Light snow. Mike, You know our east coast got hit w/ that big snow storm not too long ago, and i had the Conti's on. Worked great. NO BS. WINTER TIRES for hardcore snow. But for overall All-season, Mine did great.
The Mich's that came w/ the car died out affter bout 15-18k, and you can tell they were going.

MMike1981

heres some eye candy

MMike1981

MMike1981

ill have real pics soon enough from a reg cam, for now just the cell.

MMike1981

MMike1981

the first pic was taken before entering crawford notch, note the yellow sign w/the grade...dunno what happen with the cam quality real pissed the quality wasnt all the way up...last pic is Mt. Washington, im framin that one

wspy

Wow!