It's 2:30 in the morning and I just got home from a 25 minute ride that usually takes only 6-7 minutes normally.

It's the first snow of the year here on Long Island and also my first winter with the S. All I can say is WOW. I expected the worst with the car in the snow, (i'm a poor kid and can't afford snow tires) but it was even worse than I imagined. I literally drove 10 miles an hour and if I went much faster the car would lose control and start sliding around all by herself. There's only maybe an inch or so on the ground.

Well it seems that I'll certainly be saving up for some winter tires for next winter, and I'll be staying off the roads in any inclement weather. I advise anyone without winter tires to do the same.

The point of this post can be summed up in the following...Be safe everyone.

 

 

make sure u hit Vtec in first gear and pop the clutch as u shift to 2nd next time

 

Didn't you know that the "SO" in "SO-2" means Summer Only?

The S2000, with its 50/50 balance and low polar moment, is pretty good in snow, for a rear wheel drive car.

Summer only, performance tires are not.

It's like dressing up to go skiing or snowboarding with a hat, mittens, parka, snow pants and then going barefoot.

 

^ Yep, big mistake!!! I have Dunlop Sport tires on the rear of my car, designed for rain and up to 1" of snow, but it is still *very* tricky driving. I did it once last Christmas and won't again.

EDIT: A few of us, like Barry and Dave (xviper) routinely drive their cars in the snow and are experienced with it. If you aren't, like me, I'd say avoid it.

 

So I've got Blizzacks on mine up here in Detroit and they do great, I'd say better traction then most of the other cars. If you can, that would really help solve your problem.

Also, they don't harden up as fast in the cold (today it was 3 degrees out), so I've been pretty happy.

Doesn't mean you can take a snow covered corner doing 60, but at least you can go faster than 3 mph.

 

phuktard.

 

Besides the fact that there is no room for the snow in the SO-2 tread(we're all assuming this is the tire you're running), the tire will actually "freeze." My wife and I got caught in the middle of an ice storm/whiteout coming back from VA Beach in Feb '03. Quite a harrowing experience to say the least. And unlike what iwant2byS2k posted above , you do not need to do anything for the car to come around... it does whatever it wants.

Best thing to do if you get caught, pull over. If you have to continue on, lower your air pressure and fill your tank up with fuel if possible. Keep the car in the highest gear possible without stalling. Resign yourself to the fact that it's going to take time to get to your destination and be patient............ or buy snow tires today!

 

It doesn't snow enough here in Charlotte to warrant buying winter tires but when it's cold I certainly feel less grip on my SO3's then when it is above 45 degrees or so. Wonder why that is? Compound of the tire?

 

As FF2Skip said it's a harrowing experience. It's all in the tires. Get a set of snows and you'll be shocked at how this car becomes quite a bit of fun (within reason of course) in the snow. And this is the case even in a traction controll car with Summer Max performance tires. I can get just as stuck in an E36 M3 with TC on Khumo MX or MXX3s as I can in an S2000 - and the M3 has ACS (imagine adding throttle and having your revs go to zero because the system has determined that there just isn't enough grip to even try to apply power!)

Now yesterdays Ice storm on I-95 south of Maryland! 4 lanes of traffic doing - I <blank> you not - 3 mph, as the roads were coated in ice. Wow.