Civic Snowworthy?

I'm considering purchasing a Civic. How does it perform in snow? I live in the Philadelphia, Pa area - if that helps. Thank you

 

Any light, front wheel drive car has an advantage in snow and ice up
to a certain depth of snow, provided you equip it with decent winter
tires. Once the snow gets to such a depth that the car can 'bottom
out', and its flat belly pan gets hung up on packed snow, the
jeep-like four wheel drive vehicles with high ground clearance have
the advantage.

Decent snow tires are tires with studs, or if your state does not
allow studs, winter tires like Blizzaks or Alpines.

On city streets slick with packed snow and ice I have passed many a
SUV going uphill with a Honda CRX equipped with Blizzaks. For winter
driving it's important to have the engine weight over the driving
wheels for good traction. Front wheel drive allows you to point your
power in the direction you want to go instead of pushing turned but
unpowered front wheels from the rear.

Don't fall for the 'all-season' bullshit either. An all season tire is
neither a good rain tire nor a good snow tire, it's a half-assed
compromise.

Many Hondas take two wheel sizes, an alloy 'sporty' wheel that takes a
wider tread summer tire, and a stamped steel wheel of smaller rim size
that takes a narrower, high sidewall tire. I always kept a set of
each, with good performance rain tires on the alloy wheels and
Blizzaks on the tin wheels. Changeover twice a year then didn't
involve dismounting the tires.

 

====================

The tires are the biggest factor. Real snow tires have wider gaps
between the treads, and shed the snow properly. All-seasons don't shed
the snow very well and start to perform like they are bald.

If you want snow performance in a Honda, there are three other (current)
models available with All Wheel Drive, but cost is much higher. Even a
'97 CRV holds it's value very well.

'Curly'

============

 

Look at a properly designed snow tire, and you will see little "cuts"
into the tread blocks called "siping". There are some in most all-
season tires, but they absolutely go overboard with snow tires. They
"bite" into snow to increase traction.

Consider a Subaru, although it might be little more than a Civic.

 

Ah... not quite. The large blocks are for biting into soft snow. The
sipes are an attempt to overcome the problem of rubber becoming hard
and lacking in pliability at low temperatures. It is also supposed to
provide a number of sharp edges that will grip packed snow and ice.
Really good snow tires actually use softer rubber, but have the
disadvantage that they wear out quicker. Blizzaks use a sponge rubber
that is not only softer but has little bubbles in it that are exposed
as the rubber wears. Whether it's their sharp edges or a suction cup
action I don't know but they're the best thing on ice unless you live
where studs are legal. Studs are THE answer for ice, though they won't
help in deep snow much.

 

If you plan on keeping to city streets, the Civic will do well. It
certainly doesn't have much clearance so you won't be going off road.

Just put on snow tires, or at the very least, stick with the narrowest
tires that will fit the car. Wide tires give less traction in snow.

And, don't follow SUV tracks through a parking lot with heavy snow. I
did once, and the floor pan stuck on the "mound" that was created.
The wheels lost their grip as the weight of the car came off them, and
I came to a quick stop. Had to get two volunteers to help push the
car backwards.

JM

 

I'm considering purchasing a Civic. How does it perform in snow? I live
in the Philadelphia, Pa area - if that helps. Thank you

Well my 2000 Civic with Bridgestone/Blizzaks on all 4 corners is very good
in the snow! I'm in Hunterdon County, NJ not too far from you. Without the
Blizzaks; well, good luck cause you gonna need it!

 

That's more or less what I was getting at. However.....

Check out the Michelin Arctic Aspin on the Tire Rack
website.

<http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Arctic-Alpin>

It looks to be a directional tire with large blocks at the edges, but
three heavily siped tread bands in the center. The picture clearly
shows that they've gone crazy with siping throughout the tread.
This appears to be the only snow tire of its kind.

 

The goal there is to get around the main disadvantage of the soft
rubber types like the Blizzak, which is rapid wear. By siping a harder
rubber you get some of the desirable flexibility of the softer
rubbers, but it wears better.

There are even outfits that offer to sipe a lugged winter tire for
you. As to how effective this is, I have no information, but I know
those Blizzaks sure worked for two winters.

 

The added traction provide by snows goes a long way on a light weight
car. That being said, I haven't seen anything good (nor bad) concerning
the new Civic when snow is concerned. However the older model (1996 to
2000), when equipped with snows, is very sure footed. Also, older Civic
has better ground clearance then newer one.

Pars

 

Thank you for all of your comments concerning Subject. Once again, you're the greatest!!

 

I'm considering purchasing a Civic. How does it perform in snow? I live in the Philadelphia, Pa area - if that helps. Thank you

 

I have a 2002 Civic ex Auto, and I have Toyo Observes (Snow tires) on the
front tires and regular all seasons on the back and it is decent in the
snow, but not great. You still don't do well on ice or on slushy roads.
Without the snows it is pretty bad as is the Accord that I had before this
car.

 

You should always put snow tires on all 4 wheels, particularly in these
days of anti-lock brakes and traction control systems (which the Civic does
not have) that depend on equal traction and friction on all 4 tires.
However, if you MUST only have 2 snow tires, they should go on the BACK.
The reason is when you brake, with snow tires on the front, because of your
reduced traction in the rear with the all-seasons, your back end will tend
to slide out more and can cause you to fish tail. When cars lose traction
in the snow, it is usally because the back end gives out, not the front.

That would easily explain why you still don't get great traction on snow. I
have a 2001 Acura EL (a Canadian-only Civic variant) with Toyo Observe
X-10's on all 4 wheels and it is absolutely amazing in the snow, and
surprisingly good on ice too.

_________________________
http://www.acuraworld.com

 

Well I don't think this is 100% accurate, I was told by some that you should
have them on all 4 wheels and some that you can have the front only, but you
are the first one to say the back only. If it were rear wheel drive I would
believe this, but being that it is front wheel drive not really. I have
driven two seasons with the front only snows and the only thing I noticed is
that there is a little bit of over steer around a corner in the snow, but
nothing else. I haven't noticed any fishtailing at all, nor the back
swinging out. Maybe I actually solved this problem by keeping the two cinder
blocks in the trunk over each wheel. I put a 25 lb block over each wheel in
the trunk to keep the back from letting go.

 

Civics are very light on the rear brakes and they understeer in skids.
The snow tires should go in front.

 

I don't snow about snow tires and their conditions, but with regular tires
in dry conditions, the best tires should ALWAYS go on the back of a FWD car.
This has been recommended by professional drivers for decades.

 

Hmm, this is what is says on the Toyo Tires website:

"It has been proven time and time again that 4 snow tires are always safer
than just 2. If you do decide to go with just 2 tires, regardless if you
have a front wheel vehicle or rear wheel vehicle it is recommenced that you
place the higher traction snow tire on the rear of the vehicle. This may
seam backwards for a front wheel drive vehicle however MOST accidents occur
when a driver looses control of the rear end of the vehicle usually when an
emergency braking situation occurs around a corner. This can also happen
during an evasive maneuver. If the winter tires are on the front of the
vehicle the front tires stop quicker, the rear of the vehicle however will
have a tendency to continue resulting in loss of control. Even worse is
when traveling around a corner if you mounted the winter tires on the front
they will grip properly however if the rear tires loose grip they could
send you spinning into oncoming traffic. Get four tires or mount the winter
tires in the rear of the vehicle."

I am still under the belief that one should use 4 snow tires, bottom
line...you can't put a price on safety...or your life.

 

With reasonably good tires, good performance in light snow. Once the
depth is there, problems with bottoming out (including the routine
knocking off of the front rubber moulding). Ditto for all cars with
low clearance.

If I were in an area that experienced heavy snowfalls w/o rapid snow
removal (as I am) I'd be depending upon a 2nd vehicle for times like
that. I've had my share of hang-ups with my Civic in snow.