kcryan

Hey guys, back again.

I might once again be back in the market for a 944, not great odds but if i do end up looking at/ purchasing one, i have one huge question, that i have touched on but never really talked in depth about.

944's in the snow, non turbo, mabye an S, but doubtful, defiently 5 speed.

Who drives theirs, good snow tires i assume are a must, studded??, added weight to the back? im currently in Rochester NY, but might in a year or two be as far up as Vermont.


Let me know what you guys think, do, and reccomend.

Thanks

BeerBurner

I hear they are great in the snow with proper tires. I know mine sucks in it, but then, I wouldn't consider the Michelin MXX3 tires to be "proper" for the snow.

For whatever it's worth, though, my Miata (which has the same weight distribution as the 944) does amazing with snow tires, with ground clearance being it's only issue. I'd expect nothing less from the 944.

BB.

Techno Duck

I drive mine year round and its not a bad car at all in the snow. I was running all-seasons and faired well.. snow tires are on my list of things to buy before winter however.

The biggest problem you will run into is ground clearance.

You need to take a 'momentum' additude to driving in higher levels of accumulation... the only time i ever got stuck is because i was attempting a 3-pt turn in some pretty heavy stuff. Do not slow down through the heavy stuff.. just kinda plow on through it.

Dave in Chicago

Good snows are a must. If you can find one (later model) with ABS, then your life is good.

I drove my '88 944 NA on Blizzaks (mounted on original phone dials) through about 4 winters. Current owner does the same. His whole family prefers the 944 in the winter to all their other cars.

I run WinterSport M2's on my 968 F-stock club racer / daily driver. They are not as good as the Blizzaks, but the ABS is handy to have.

Your limitation will be ground clearance. Once it's too deep, you just aren't gonna go anywhere.

Don't even try to run summer tires in the cold. They turn to hockey pucks and provide minimal traction. Not fun for you. Not fun for the people you will frighten on the road.

Chris_924s

Year round. In snow. Works great- get some good quality skinny snow tires for the winter (I run 195/65 15's)
steer clear over 18" of fresh snow at high speeds- you'll wedge snow in the rad and possibly damage it. (first hand experience)

LuisGT3

I used to drive my old 83 and my old 86 944 year round with no problems. Some snow tires and sand bags in the back help out a lot!

skene

I'm with everyone else on here, throw some snow tires on and go for it. I usually put 2 50lbs sand or graval bags and a shovel in the back for good measure.

Phi1720

What Dave said^^^ Blizzak is the way to go. I've only had minor 944 winter driving but used to drive my Miata year round & just had a set of snow tires for the winter. As long as you dont try to tackle anything beyond a few inches, you should be fine in the snow.

_______________
-Scott
85.5 944
96 Mazda Miata

barelyrunshalfthetime

If you do drive it in the snow, my suggestion would be to check and make sure the belly pan is still under the car, or else the snow can go right up into the engine bay.

AndyK

How do Blizzaks perform when it's just cold out, with no snow?

Mike C.

I am quite happy with my car in snow provided I have good snow tires on it. It goes better than any other front engine/rear drive car I've driven in the snow. I have passed front drivers going up fairly steep grades but part of that is due to tire advantage and moron drivers. The 50/50 weight distribution makes a big difference. But don't cheap out with all season tires in the back - they scared me good.

mavfan

i have not tried my 944 in the snow, but my 924S is pretty good. although my 944 is for sale.....

Mighty Shilling

924S here, drive it year round, non-studded snow tires, no weight in the back. the transaxle covers that, and she has the traction of a mtn goat.

And then there was my spring break last year... drove to california on Summer tires... got to Utah on the return trip, and it started snowing... so, luckily the roads weren't too Icy... I only came across 3 rolled semis and 7 cars off the road... I decided to stop in Grand Junction instead of drive through...

The next morning, I wake up to 3 inches of snow on the road... again, summer tires, practically a racing slick... that was a HELL of a drive...let me tell you how much fun it was... every town I would get to, I'd see LOTS of cars off the road... but I never slid... it's all about being nice to the throttle and brake. no sudden movements and you're OK.

The car itself in snow is fantastic... so much better if you have snow tires. again, I don't use gravel, and it pisses people off when I pass their Hummer H2 on the shoulder while it's not moving, spinning all 4 tires, and I putter along past em in a Porsche..

BeerBurner

I can't tell if the H2 pilots are annoyed when I pass them in the Miata but I sure as hell have a big grin on my face when I'm doing it!

I've been tempted to get some static cling stickers that read "Trail-rate THIS!" on my back window when snowing, but I'm sure that somewhere along the way, someone would be offended by it and do somthing rash...

BB.

MPD47

Used to drive my turbo all year round in Upstate NY lake effect snow. I've done it with and without proper snow tires. If you know what you're doing behind the wheel and drive carefully (and have a good bit of knowledge of under vs. oversteer and how to control them) you'll be fine.