Well I ventured out of my garage into the snow with my Bridgestone Potenzas and did not go anywhere. The VSA was on constantly and I was not moving. My parking lot where I live was not plowed yet so I had to take the wifes civic!!! I will try again around lunchtime when the roads are a little better. I just cannot believe i had that much trouble in about 3 inches or less of snow.

 

Did you try starting out in 2nd gear? Do you have 18" tires?

 

No I was in first gear and i was nt going anywhere, I felt like there was no engagement with the clutch either...I should of started out in second I guess. This is my first stick car so I am new to the tricks. Is that what I should do.

 

It's not a bad idea to try 2nd gear, it will cut down on over taxing the tires and give a little slippage. This is especially good when on ice. Also digging some the snow away from the car and throwing down some sand or kitty litter.

 

You're joking, right? You're attempting to drive in 3 inches of snow on summer tires? Do you have a death wish?

 

i did it for 3 years with my 98 Prelude prior to this car and did not really have a problem. The snow isnt that bad here in PA

 

Those potenzas have no sipes for winter grip, and are poor at best for horizontal compression of the snow, plus the compound gets way too hard for snow.

Plus there is a lot more weight, torque in the TL than the lude, AND the tires are MUCH wider on the TL which does not allow them to get down to the pavement, and they float (which is ok for sand, not snow).

Plan on using the civic more often.

Hell, my BS EL-42 AS tires were the worst today, I slid sideways at 10mph on 2 different turns with wet plowed snow (not ice). Forward traction even in 2nd was poor.

 

Concur about the EL-42s. We had a couple of inches of snow here yesterday with bitter cold weather. I routinely go through this stuff on my Altima with Blizzaks on, but when I tried to do the same with my TL, the VSA kept flashing and traction was quite lacking. It seems to do particularly badly on packed-in snow. Time to expedite those snows that I have been putting off .

 

Don't go, maybe you can nurse it going, but how ya gonna stop? I see these fools with 4X4s in the snowbanks, every weekend skiing.

 

I've got Blizzaks on 6MT and I rolled through the snow last night and this morning like I was on rails (albeit mostly in 1st & 2nd). No way I would have tried the Potenzas. Watched a TT almost go broadsides in front of me yesterday on mere acceleration from a stoplight. Passed a 330 struggling up a hill like I was standing still. Snows on a FWD may make me sound like your granny, but IMHO the increased cost and hassle of switching in the spring are minor inconveniences to an overall safer (and often quicker) driving experience.

Ahem, that should read like IT was standing still. I was moving quite well.

 

coop1018,

I don't recommend you doing that at all, because once you roll out of your lot, it'll be hard to come back (that's if you got to get back).
I have the HP model and also have the 18 (both are summer tires), and believe me that your car will be swerving left and right without any control from the driver.
Just make sure that you don't go to far from your garage.

 

Did you ever try to disable VSA in this particular situation? Sometimes VSA can keep you control well, but it also reduces your grip in the beginning when you try to make tires get more traction in snow? ...


If Civic can go, it should mean the snow was not a lot...

But HPT seems to be the problem... we don't want to see another series of photos as that poor G35's...

 

No def dont want to see photos like the G35..taking it slow or not at all in the snow!

Thanks guys

 

I've got Blizzaks on steel wheels for my 98 CL and they are the best investment I ever made. I go through anything so long as the snow isn't deep enough to cause my front end to start plowing slow.

I fully intend to get a set of these for the TL I'll probably buy soon.

I believe Acura more than made clear the fact that the HPT tires were worthless in the snow. And apparently, they weren't kidding.

But go invest $600 for Blizzaks at the Tire Rack and you may look dorky but you won't have to worry about getting where you need to go in the winter.

This will prolong the life of your summer tires.
And it will make sure your nice alloy rims stay nice and dent-free because you won't be driving on them during pothole seasons.

My rims still look perfect even after 5 winters.

 

These HPT's are TRUELY NOT for the snow. I was in West Virginia the past weekend (at a ski resort). I've been able to drive pretty much everything in the snow throughout the years but found myself having a difficult time with these tires. Even though the car is front wheel drive, the tires seem VERY slippery on even a alittle snow. Needless to say, no more ski trips in this car until I replace the HPT's with something more appropriate.

 

Too bad to hear about the HPT's in snow. I'm considering a Tl with the HPT, only because the dealer has it on the lot now. Do you think they would swap out the tires for some all seasons if I asked?

 

As much as you hated taking the Civic, I'm sure it was the right thing to do. As posted above, even if you were able to get out and going, you still need to be able to stop. HPTs and snow are not a good mix.