Hey I know that its far from winter time but I was just curious how you guys felt the TL perfroms in the snow. Also with the addition of low pro-wheels do you find it to decrease the handling and traction in the snow. Thanks ahead of time for the useful inputs!!

 

The TL sucks in the snow!!----That is while using VSA and driving around with bald Toyo Proxes 4 in Montreal where snow is known to go from your ankle up to your knees in a span of a few hours.

Other than that I believe the TL performs pretty well in snow... all depends on the tires and how much snow you have to tackle to drive through, imo. I think driving style comes down to most of it... [excluding the height of snow]. Once I turned off VSA and drove a certain style... my car was cutting through the snow in the bald Toyo Proxes4 [not at a fast rate--but fast enough that other cars behind me would be able to move].

Also I don't know if it has to do with anything but I drive the 6spd... don't know if that makes enough difference vs the auto.

 

The stock wheels or steel wheels is what I recommend using for snow, using a wider tire than 235 only makes traveling through snow increasingly more difficult.

 

TL only sucks in the snow if you are an unexperienced driver. The car performs very well in the snow, while all the RWD stare in envy.

On low profiles driving in the snow is a bad idea, as they are thinner and wider, the wider the tire in the snow, the less cutting traction you will have. Plus, why would you want to ride on your expensive rims during the winter? Use stockies...

 

Well unfortunately I bought the car with the aftermarket rims on already. I can buy new stock rims through discount tire, correct? I know I could go through the dealer but my cousin is manger at one of my local stores so a better deal! Also any body use their car to do some sbowboarding, what's the best way to haul multiple boards, a rack? Or do the seats fold down?

 

TL's are beasts in the snow...

went threw a foot of snow to get to my house

but this is coming from a previous Cadillac CTS 06 driver

those things suck in the snow

 

What tires were your TL wearing? Cuz I found the TL to absolutely suck in the snow with the stock Pilot MXM4 tires. Wife got stuck on the hill by our house, and when I brought it home, couldn't get it up our driveway...

My rwd G35 was wearing Pilot Sport All/Season tires, and it actually did fine in the snow, and even made it up the driveway fine as well.

When I swapped tires on the TL with Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS, they performed quite well in the snow.

And the CTS comes with Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires IIRC, which I have run before. Those suck in the snow no matter what car they are on.

 

Just one more reason to be buying the STICK! With the MT. I run Balzac's. With my winter rims. IE 17". This car is GREAT in the snow! It behaves the same every time. I know what to expect from Him! Nice.......

 

Don't have any experience with this car in teh snow yet, but everyone should wear a set of snow tires in the winter if you're in an area that gets a lot of it. FWD cars generally do better in the snow than RWD.

 

From my understanding, the best snow profile is a small, light, fwd (or awd) vehicle with tiny, steel rims & soft snow tires.

Compared to the above, the TL will suck. Compared to an Escapade or other mammoth SUV, the TL rox.

85% of a vehicles snow performance depends on the tire. 10% on drive orientation (i.e. fwd). 5% on technologies like traction control.

buy the smallest set of steel rims that will fit, along with high rated snow tires and you're good to go.

 

Wow u guys must drive 50 mph in snow if u think the tl suxs in snow. I just bought my 08 TL in febuary (BTW I LIVE IN MICHIGAN) and they never clean our streets. There is alteast a foot of snow. It drove so much better then my Pontiac G6. In the G6 it has TC(traction control) well right when the car slips TC turns on and makes a niose. Well the G6(FWD 201hp) always slipped. But the TL never slipped at all and didnt feel any slippage at all either. Lol every time my G6 got stuck in the snow. Had to get my Gmc Envoy to pull it out. I hope when we have another blizzard it doesnt get stuck.

 

I appreciate everyones input. I'm quit excited to see how my baby does in the snow! I think the idea with the steel rims and high rated tires is a good idea!

 

Put some Bridgestone WS-60's on those steelies and you won't worry about a thing, I have the older WS-50's and have never been stuck in the snow, the car still handles really well with them on too.

 

This past winter i had no problem getting around in the snow and we had a couple pretty good storms. No cars out on the road and i was out driving around like it was nothing. Its terrible compared to my wrx, but still one of the best FWD cars ive driven in snow.

 

Hancook makes some really good snow tires with relatively stiff sidewalls... I had them on my STi for a while :P

 

I had the stockies on

not sure what tire but i will check...

right now i have Nexxens idk if thats a good tire...can any1 tell me cus if its better snow i'll have to switch tires from my rims to my stockies

 

haha actually when i first got my car from the dealer it was like Jan of Feb and i had to drive home in snow. back then i started off with the AVS ES100 Yok's....out of the dealership it was fine...a year later, once the treads are worn a bit, i just gave up and borrowed one of my dad's cars...

i'm running an all season tire now, and the TL works fine if not great in snow, just have to know how to drive. Learn to keep your RPMs low and anticipate braking very early, the real problem is the snow trapped in your wheel wells and under your car, so learn to avoid those and learn to keep build up to a minimum

 

No, we were going like 15mph, and yes, with the tires the TL comes with, it does suck in the snow. You have any hills where you live? (Never been to michigan, so just curious).

Here is what happens when you have snow on a hill: (and note, nobody is going 50mph)

Video of snow on Portland hill

 

nice video, lol.

That's why it is so important to not lock your wheels, e-brake it slowly.

If I lived on a such hill, I would def' get rid of a TL, and get a 4WD with like huge front and rear grill guards, and I will make sure everyone on the block had a designated area to hit when sliding down, lol.

 

id rather park it and take the bus...lol

 

Dude that is more like ice covered in snow!!! One reason why not to park on a street!

 

Lol ive watched that vid before. That video is ownage. Suxs if that happend to our tl's ehh.

 

OH wow hahaha, that is some of the worst snow driving I have ever seen!

That first guy must have been drunk or something, it looked like he / she kept their foot on the gas the entire time and just ping ponged around the street.

I was able to make it home 1.5 hours in unplowed 3-4" of the sloppy wet snow we'd get in VA in my old IS with completely bald Azenis just by driving slow and managing stopping distances. Granted that video looked like that hill basically was ice covered with a thin bit of snow haha.

 

It's actually quite common. I have seen lots of people that do that. They are usually part of the crowd that thinks that with FWD/AWD all you have to do is point the wheel to where you want to go, and floor the gas to pull you in the direction you need to go.

 

i drive an 02 CL and I would not imagine that a TL would be much different. Car handles very well in the snow due to it's weight