Are Elantras Good In Snow

[REGGIECMANAGEME]

Are Elantras Good In Snow. Any Help Woudl Be Apreciated I Am Going To Be An Outside Sales Rep And Need To Know If They Will Be Good In The Snow

[slvrsleeper]

Yes and no. Is your car an auto or a manual? Do you still have the stock Michelin tires? If you have the manual you'll be okay in up to six inches of powder. After that everything but a 4X4 is screwed anyhow. The Michelins are kinda crappy on mixed media surface like slush and ice over snow so take it nice and easy. If you have an auto tranny you'll be missing a lot of work if we get a ****ty winter, sorry to say.

[SuperGLS]

I didn't have any troubles last winter around here (we had LOTS of snow for our area). I was using stock tires.

[04GTboySC]

this will be my first winter with the elantra weee this is gona be fun, i hear its gona be a bad one my poor blue paint :(

[KincaidCharade]

My Mom has an automatic 2001 GLS (which my brother affectionately calls "the Girlie Loser Series" just to tease her) that she hates in the snow. I haven't had a chance to drive mine in the snow. And for what it's worth, here in the Albany, NY area we generally get a ton of snow.

[vabeach_03]

i drove my old 03 5spd for a week in wisconsin last winter. i had falken azenis on all 4 corners. very slow take off speeds and pull the e-brake to steer. that was the only way to do it.

[04GTboySC]

and you had these rims on in the winter va beach?

[mbv2001]

Make sure you have good tires
Last winter I didn't and was on my way to work
And slid into a parked car put a nice lil dent on my driver side front fender and broke
MY NEW CLEAR SIDEMARKER I JUST GOT!
So just make sure you don't need new tired b4 driving around in the snow
P.S. Any clear sidemarkers for sale? Just the driver side needed

[vabeach_03]

and you had these rims on in the winter va beach?


better believe it

[percevaal]

I've been through many rough winters with some cars, I find the XD going well in snow and over icy roads (as well as possible) but I personally think it is a little "tail happy".
One thing for sure, if there's going to be snow in your area, you def. need winter tires, the stock ones simply don't do the job. Also, keep in mind that winter driving is about 50% car, 50% driver, depending on conditions.

[punkrocker3_00]

Yeah the stock tires do tend to not grip very well in snow or icy conditions. And like others have said, the back end is a little happy also. Don't know if it is any different in the 4-doors, but I know in our 5-door it is.

[slvrsleeper]

Judging by the number of SUV's in the ditches last winter I'd say that its more like 90% driver 10% car. He has a good point though, get out and practice in a parking lot as much as you can before heading out in traffic. If you can learn how your car behaves in bad weather ahead of time you'll be much more confident when it really matters.

[Steve]

A stock Elantra should be inherently good in the snow with the right tires and driver experience. The soft suspension with its fairly long travel and easily modulated (soft) brake pedal allow it to keep a grip on snowy and icy surfaces. But the stock Michelins are a hindrance. If you live anywhere that gets snow, buy snow tires, all-seasons are for good for only three seasons or the southern US all-year, that's it.

[th003g]

my family has 2 elantra's both auto so i could give a fair comparison on the value of tires... IMO.... mine has(d) 205/45/zr17 Falken ze502's... drove it last year in the winter..i live on Long Island and we got a few decent sized storms last year .... boy was it FUN...without abs... only got stuck once...in a parking spot.... but getting going in loose snow was ok... getting going on packed snow was a different story...i'd spin my tires relentlessly trying to get going... and up any incline... good luck...drifted into a few curbs and snowbanks... no harm done...i wish the elantra auto had a first gear lockout like the XJR I used to drive...tried that one in snow once or twice... hehe....
stopping my elantra without abs was a scary thought...
my sister's elantra with the factory tires is an improvement, gripped a lot better... going up a slight incline was easy even from a stop... up my steep driveway however i needed to back up to my neighbors driveway and floor it to carry momentum...with my car i was not able to park in the driveway when it snowed...
best time I had was the early december storm where we got 10 inches and I drove my car on the highway (LIE for those around me) the road hadnt been plowed yet and it was a free for all.....

things an elantra needs to drive safely in snow... 1st gear lockout, snow tires, ABS, and someone who isnt brake happpy driving.....

[SuperGLS]

He has a good point though, get out and practice in a parking lot as much as you can before heading out in traffic. If you can learn how your car behaves in bad weather ahead of time you'll be much more confident when it really matters.

Agreed. I did the same thing when it first snowed. I took my Voyager to a parking lot and drove around, seeing what would happen when I did certain things, and trying to slide around to see if I could correct myself.

Oh, make sure the parking lot is empty.

[04GTboySC]

haha i dunno im kinda nervous to do that but it might be fun if nothings around

[billydog]

yeah in Albany we get our fair share of snow. I like driving the snow, what i don't like though is when other people drive in the snow heh because they don't know how to drive. :tongue:

Basically i feel the car is average as a winter car, ie: about the same as most other cars.

Just do what you are supposed to do in the snow. accerlate slow, give room to stop, take sharp corners really fast, all that good stuff and you will be fine :drive:

[Steve]

I think I best get some video footage of how good Elantras are in the snow this winter. :diablo: It was pretty good when I bought it in February on just the Michelins, but I'm a firm believer in snow tires and they will give the extra grip I want and need. As far as snow-filled parking lot "practice", over the years I've been told at least a half-dozen times to leave the parking lot and go home by the police. The most I ever spent was an hour and a half exploring every angle of attack and speed around every part of a mall parking lot.
On a somewhat related tangent, watch for video footage of the night before I get my snow tires installed. :D

[TNT4ME]

Just another reason I drive a stick shift. With winter tires I find the Elantra to do just fine. FWD is always a plus.

[Elkane7533]

with stock tires, about 2 years ago i was caught up in some random snow in MARCH, driving from Albany to NYC.

I was right in the middle of a 12-car collision, and my car was the only one that came out without a scratch. I don't even have ABS so i did have to pump the brakes hard, but i was still able to control the car and avoid hitting other cars spinning around mine.

Oh and I have an Automatic Transmission.

[billydog]

Elkane rocks :bowdown:

[mrhoaf]

I have had good luck not just in snow but bad weather in general. We got almost 6 inches of snow/sleet a couple winters ago and the car did geat... almost got stuck within sight of the house 'cause I pulled over to let someone by, but got it going again...

Just like others have said, take it slow, no sudden movements, and you should be ok as long as you have good tires and an idiot in a 4x4 doesn't run you off the road!

[Gman01]

I live in maine and i have had my car from 2001 and we get alot of snow ive never had a problem with it yet awesome in the snow

[tniv1]

My auto with snow tires was unbelievably awesome in the snow. Of course, you need to know what you're doing, so that's why I practice my e-brake turns in the middle of the night during snow storms. The grip difference from stock michelins to a dedicated snow tire is tremendous. If you want to be safe, get a set.

[TBurton]

Stock tires on my Auto and my *** is slippity-slappity all over the goddam roads. My wife slid completely through an intersection once. And no, I'm not a bad driver or excessive speeder. This year I have badass new Pirelli snows that (supposedly) grab the road like when I grab people's asses.

[Gman01]

if you want to be safe your best bet would be to stay home

[Elantra2.001]

I put snow tires on my car in the winter and ive never had a problem. I has a lot to do with whether or not you know how to drive in snow also. With snow tires i made it to work that sunday everyone on the east coast remembers a couple years back when we got like 18 inches and all roads were closed in MD, but i was still getting home when they closed them. I passed a Humvee stuck in a snow bank with a bunch of National Guardsmen digging it out.

[menallychllngd]

my elantra does not handle great in the snow but drives well because of its handling and how predictable the car is. my little manual 03 pulls through the snow just fine

[Gearcat]

I bought four studded snow tires this winter for my '04 GLS auto. We had one ice storm and glad to say, I got around with great ease. I had absolutely no problems with hills (up or down), accelerating, cornering, or stopping. I think it's easier to get moving with an auto tranny on slippery surfaces than with a manual. I speak from the experience of driving through 23 winters now with a variety of autos and manual transmissions in various vehicles. But keep in mind, this has been "my" experience. I am sure each has their own preference.

[exsailor]

I have an EGT 5dr with ABS and TCS - not many problems on stock tires but I drive carefully and slow.
I kinda push it going UP slippery hills just to see what the TCS will do and I am 50/50 on whether it is an advantage or not. :) I have not been stuck yet but this winter has been better than most (for Canada)

[Nerraux]

In the snow, it's never the car, it's the driver. My first car was a 1977 Chrysler Cordoba (rear-wheel drive) that I could take ANYWHERE. I drove past plenty of 4x4s in the ditch. Drive responsibly and you have no trouble.

[Kenshin]

We've had lots of snow and ice here in Michigan this year, so I can tell you that this little car performs decently in the snow completely stock. Being such a light vehicle, the rear end has a tendency to move around a little, but it does so in a very predictable manner. As with any car, if you live in an area that will get lots of snow, use common sense. Get winter tires if you can afford to do it. If you can't afford winter tires, just put some extra weight in the trunk (like a couple of 50lb bags of salt or sand on each side) and drive cautiosly. Next year, I plan on getting a set of winter tires, but this year has been good - no scares. The car's handling is so perfectly predictable that it makes a wonderful partner in the slick weather. 1000 times better than my last car. (Granted, that was a race-modified Saab 9000Turbo with balding Yokohama Parada tires, and about 3 inches of ground clearance. - saying it sucked in the snow was a serious understatement.)

[andyny]

I have a 02 GLS, auto. ABS & traction control, original tires with 30K and in our last storm, maybe 6" on the highway had no problem other than discovering my headlights we totally out of focus (I though I needed fogs but it turned out headlights). (THIS WAS EDITED) I now know what happened. The driver's side bulb (a Phillps) was 1/2 brighteness and both bulbs were in wrong so the pattern was all screewed up. That cost me a hotel stay as I could not drive in the storm as I could not see.

[wildman92]

This is my fourth winter with my '01 and have the factory tires on it and have had very few problems in winter. Slid a few times but that was on ice and only times I get stuck is when the snow is piled up around and under the car but that is a rare happening. Overall I am very pleased with the Elantra and its handling all year round.